This story happened before I was born and it was related to me by my father who was a taxi-driver. It was more to 9.00p.m., my father was driving his taxi (NTUC Comfort) to meet my two uncles (who are also taxi drivers) at REX (Selegie chicken rice stall) for dinner. While driving along the old Bukit Timah near the railway station, his taxi was flagged down by a very beautiful slim chinese lady. He stopped to ask where her destination was. She told him it`s to Bidadari at Aljunied Road. Looking at her again and without any hesitation he picked her up. On my dad`s mind, it was only a passenger and it is not very far back to tekka (REX). Once she was in the cab, my dad told me that his cab had sudden increase in weight and the perfume she had it on was very strong. Even on the open windows,(last time taxi`s doesn`t have any air-con facilities) the perfume were too strong for him. My dad kept on looking at her through his rear-view mirror and she too noticed my dad looking at her. She broke the silence and told my dad her reason to visit the place this hour. She told my dad that her husband is a heavy drinker, and loves gambling. He always join his “kaki” gamblers and without fail every night goes to the hut near the cemetry to gamble to avoid the police. My dad asked her isn`t she afraid of going there alone….and she replied, I go alone but I will come out with my husband, so I need not worry. She even told my dad all her financial problems and that she was working in the bar as a lounge hostess to settle her husband`s gambling debts. While talking, she requested my father to wait for her to pick up her husband and fetch her back to Bukit Timah where he picked her up. My dad told her that he couldn`t wait very long as he has to meet up his brother-in-laws for dinner. She told him that if he couldn`t drop him at Bukit Timah, he can just drop them off at Serangoon Road, so that they can hop into another taxi back.

My father agreed and finally they reached Bidadari Cemetry. Once there, she directed the way to the place. My dad has to on the high beam light as the place was pitch-dark. After she got off the taxi, the weight came back to normal with a jerk. Before leaving “to pick up her husband” she told my dad, to wait till she comes as this place is not easy to get a taxi at this time. She also reminded him to leave the meter running as it is unfair for my dad to close and open again. After dropping her, my dad, reverse the taxi to it`s moving position and while waiting for the couple, without realizing he just doze off. Suddenly, there was a hard pat on his shoulder, and thinking that the couple`s were there, my dad opened his eyes. He saw the meter and it shows S$25.00 ++. He looked at the side of his taxi door, and around he could not find anyone. He looked at his time and it shows 11.45p.m. My dad body shivers and he started his taxi and on the high beam light and to his shock, his taxi is parked at the road facing the tomb-stones…..malay cemetry. He looked at his rear-view mirror, and the same lady he picked up was seen in his mirror, looking very straight and all in white. There was no movement and she looked very sterned. Out of fear, my dad just pressed the oil as hard as he could and his next stop was at home.

Reaching home, he was prespiring as though like he was drenched in the heavy down pour. For more then 2 weeks, my dad was terribly sick and my mom had to bring him to mediums, temples and do prayers for him almost everyday. The lady kept on coming to my dad`s dream which made him loose his sleep. My father had no appetite and was falling sick as and when. After consulting some chinese and malay medium`s my mom was told to do prayer to the soul and plead to her to leave my dad alone. My mom gave various kinds of offerings and it took more than 2 months for my dad to come back to his normal self. After that incident, my dad till his death about 9 years ago, does not drive night taxi at all. He only drives as early as 6 and finishes off by 3.00 p.m. His relief will take over him.

Checking at the Bidadari Muslim Cemetry, my parents were told that there was this young chinese homely woman, who fell in love with a young malay guy. He has no proper job, took drugs and sold drugs for living. He is a heavy gambler and finally became a pimp. When he loved this chinese girl, religion became the first barrier for both of them. Finally, she ran away from her home to leave with him at the cemetry hut. That`s where, all her problem started. For money, he asked her to work as a bar hostess, and finally prostitute. One day, when she realized that she was pregnant, she told him that it`s time to settle down. He was not willing to accept the baby saying that she was a prostitute and he doesn`t know whose baby she is carrying. Crying and pleding doesn`t help her. He left the hut and when he came back a couple of hours later, poor lady hang herself at the hut and since then people around the area especially mens are being disturbed. Even at times, they can hear her crying………..Why Bukit Timah, because that`s where her parents and siblings lived at the attap houses next to the railway stations.