Compiled by Russell Lee and his team of Ghost Writers.
Jarnai Bin Tahir, 24, student
About, three years ago, when I was in school, a new girl joined my class. Her name was Lina.
She was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen in
my life. I mean it. She was even nicer than all the
stars in movies, MTV, etc.
I know this sounds shallow and childish but
everyone else in school felt the same way. Ever
teachers praised her... for qualities like manners
neatness, punctuality. Which was a shame. She
was just an average student though she was in the
"science" stream. And her behaviour was more or
less like all the rest. Nothing outstanding... only
her looks. The beauty made people see even non-existent qualities.
But not me though. I wasn't like all the other
poor fools who fought among themselves over her
It was obvious to me that she couldn't care less for
them. I was glad to see that she rejected them all
and she did it in a way that wasn't heartless or
mean... just cool.
She had one quality I could see the others
couldn't. Style.
I was also touched to see that she kept to her
self mostly, in a way that said "I am an individual". I am like that as well.
And though she was friendly, she had no close friends. She kept to herself. And this quiet dignity gave her an aura of "class".
I too kept to myself. In fact, I hardly had any
friends. It wasn't because I was stuck-up; just that
I simply didn't share the same interests as others
in my age group. And I didn't see the point of pretending to identify with a pop group or football team, just to be able to talk about them.
My parents were hard working; we were comfortable, not well off. I had hoped to make it to university. I had to work hard, I knew I couldn't
depend on my parents, knowing I had two
younger siblings dependant on them as well.
So I didn't have time for "social" activities.
However, suddenly, everything went very
wrong... I felt my concentration slipping. I lacked
focus and all my studies were on the slide. Although I passed the mid-term exams, my results were appalling.
And no matter how I tried, I just couldn't
overcome the new distraction... she even stayed
around Bedok, so even when I didn't see her in
school, I knew she was never far away, always
somewhere around the neighbourhood.
The distraction was the new girl, Lina. Some
nights, I couldn't sleep at all. Usually, I took walks
in the cool night air to soothe the feverish dreams
in my mind.
I lived in Bedok Reservoir Road, in a block
not far from the actual reservoir in Bedok. I liked
walking there. It was very lovely there late at
night. The wind whispered through the trees and
the moon reflected its light in the shimmering ripples on the water.
However, some people thought I was mad. For
I went there, unlike all the lovey-dovey couples,
alone.
Late one Friday night, I was feeling particularly restless. I had already changed into my sarong and was ready for bed.
But I could hear the music from my sister's room next door. And every
song that the radio played... seemed to steal my
heart away.
So I put on my track pants, a tee-shirt and my
old Adidas running shoes. And went for a walk
around the reservoir...
It was very dark that night, not a star in the
sky. I could feel the moisture in the cold breeze.
On the shadowy surface of the reservoir, the black
waters bubbled and churned as if something was
stirring in its depths.
Numerous suicides had taken place here.
Also, this was the infamous place where the victims of the Bedok Rapist met their doom back in the 80's.
I looked at my watch and saw it was midnight
already. And though I had no school the next day, I
thought it best that I go home.
But I was unable to move. I stood rooted to
the spot when I saw a strange light glowing beneath the surface. It made the waters swirl in a spiral motion which mesmerised me. The wind became stronger and blew a rising cloud of water vapour in my face. But I knew something was wrong when I saw the smoke on the water...
I saw a ghostly lady rise up and stand upon
the waters. She stood quite a distance away, around the middle of the reservoir. I couldn't see her clearly, just the shadowy outline of someone tall and thin with long hair dancing in the wind.
And then she turned to look at me. From
where I stood, I could see a pair of fiery red eyes.
She moved towards me... I was dumbstruck, and simply froze; I couldn't move.
However, she stopped dead in her tracks
when she was about 10 metres away. The fire in
her eyes now flickered. There was some uncertainty in her gestures that suggested confusion.
"Ahhh..." I heard her voice in my head. "But
you haven't come here to kill yourself, have you?
Why are you here? Why have you come to me?"
"I only came for a walk," I wanted to say but I
was too scared to talk. I could feel her presence in
my head, probing my mind. And then, I felt shame as I heard her mocking laughter.
"Ha ha ha ha ha!"
"What's so funny?" I said, surprised at myself.
"You. That's what's so funny! Your noble notions of love ~{!*~} true love! Ha ha ha..."
I hung my head in shame. For, in the face of
this demon... in the face of sure death, in my mind... there was tucked away in a corner, the image of Lina Rahman.
"This is your lucky night young man! I will
fulfill your childish dream! Just so that you can
learn... the real nature of this wicked world!"
"Wha...what?" I mumbled. In the dark, I
could see her raise one long thin arm, and the
sharp claws of her spade-like hands as she tossed
to me a small leather pouch with a drawstring. It landed on the ground in between my feet.
I picked it up and examined it. It was made of
soft brown leather, like suede. It looked small
enough to fit easily into any ordinal jeans pocket.
And very light, as if all it contained was a handful
of dust. But holding it in my hands, feeling the
material of the pouch, I could feel the brittle metallic quality of the substance it contained. I could almost sense it was something rare and precious.
Like gold or diamond dust. But just as I fiddled
with the drawstring, I heard her voice booming...
"Don't touch that!"
I froze.
"Good... that's good, boy... I'm doing you a favour, you don't know it, but you'll thank me later. I warn you, once you open that bag, or spill even one drop of its contents ~{!*~} then it's all over!"
I couldn't explain it... but I knew, I just knew
that this little treasure I was now stuffing into my
pants was going to do me nothing but good. Just
like... magic.
Since that wonderful night at the reservoir,
everything in my life took off. My school results...
it was so easy.
A few magazines I had written to in search of
part-time work replied. All of them offered employment and the pay was far above my expectations!
I also received a letter excusing me from National Service! What a break! And, on the personal side, the thing with... you know... her. I mean Lina, well... let's just say everything fell into place naturally.
I was hapov for a while~{!-!-~}but only for a while.
Lina and I were quite a pair. We made a lot of new friends in the circles I moved in. Suddenly all the industry people wanted to know me and became friendly. The problem was all of them didn't
know the real me. No, not even Lina.
So, one Friday night, when Lina and I were
supposed to go to a party... I took her to Bedok
Reservoir instead.
It was a clear bright night and the sky overhead was sparkling with the blazing white light of a million stars.
She squinted, batting her eyelashes as the cool breeze blew playfully into her face. She looked so beautiful that night.
"Lina, I..I..'
"What is it, Jamal?"
The sound of her voice uttering my name
sounded remote and strange. Alien and unnatural. Something strange but I couldn't figure out what it was. Perhaps, it would be the last time
that I would hear my name on her lips. And on a
beautiful night like this, it was probably the best
time to say goodbye.
I stammered, I stuttered and I wondered if I
made any sense at all. It must have come out all
confused. All the details. I found myself wondering
about the reality of it all myself...
"I don't know if you believe me or not Lina.
But it's all true... and this..." I said, showing her
the leather pouch the apparition gave me.
She looked at it blankly. Even as I undid the draw string and tipped its contents. Exactly what I thought at the start ~{!*~} nothing but a handful of dust. I threw the pouch into the water.
"This is it... and... I just hope you don't get
angry, if you should ever think of me. And if you
choose to forget me... I wouldn't blame you at all."
She looked at me in horror, staring at my face
like I was a monster. I was surprised at first, but I
realised... right now she was seeing me as I really
was, for the first time.
"Yes, I think it's high time to stop the whole
charade."
"Hub?"
I was puzzled, what did she mean? And then,
she took out from her purse, a pouch with a draw-
string just like mine! And she threw it into the
reservoir as well.
"When my family just moved here, I was
lonely and depressed, suicidal! And I came out
here late one night too... and she, she came to me
as well..."
She had her back turned to me as she spoke.
And I saw... all the lustre and shine fade from her
hair.
And then she turned around.
"Well, Jamal... I won't blame you too, if you
choose to forget," she said. On her face was a wry
smile, and her bright eyes shone as she saw the
irony of it all.
I gasped, backing away in shock... nothing
magical about her now. From the maddening
beauty of the Lina Rahman I knew, now there was
just. ..just... Lina Rahman. But you know what?
Neither of us forgot. In fact, we both chose to remember...to this day...
Now, Lina Rahnian is Lina Tahir, my wife.
She is a princess to me,
Editor~{!/~}s note (Russeii Lee):
A fairy-tale ending... and may the prince and princess of Bedok live happiiy ever after!