Folklore

We went back to our hometown last Chinese New Year to spend our long holiday. Not quite long, but fair enough to have a short getaway far from the hecticness and fatigueness of the city. It was a small village where the community is friendly and helpful. They usually got excited to offer mutual help and exchanging foods. It is fun to mingle with them while having a cup of coffee over the veranda and learned some of their stories by sitting there eavesdropping and nodding my head.

One of the story did caught my attention and I bet it will leave quite a strong reminiscence in my head. It was the story of an auntie who is a member of the old-ladies-gang whom hasn't been around for a few months and her friends were really curious about her where-being. So here comes the tale. One fine day while she was making lunch for her husband, she suddenly felt that the world around her was spinning. The sensation was so strong that she said she vomited and lay at the kitchen helplessly while waiting for the husband to noticed that she was being quiet for quite a while and came to her rescue. While lying on the floor unable to move, she hears a very loud cricket sound and everything around her was so silent as if she was stranded in the middle of the jungle. All the other ladies freaked out and advised her to go to hospital to have a thorough check on her problem but she refused. She firmly explained that she had went to an 'ustaz' and he told her that the problem has got to do with the mystical force which caught a little interest in her and decided to interfere with her well being. (mind you, that was why she felt as if she was lying on the jungle floor-since the ghost took her spirit away for a while)

I was about to burst out a laughter when all the ladies started to come out with all the theories that they knew regarding the situation. It might be rude for me to interfere and started to blabber and explained about Meniere's Disease at that time. I did advice the lady to have her condition checked at the nearby hospital before I leave should the condition reoccurs. I hope she did listen to me.

It was an interesting holiday.