I heard this story from my mother when I was young. But being so deeply inprinted in my memories, it seems to linger in my mind forever.
This incident took place when my elder brother was 1 year old. Back then, we were living in Punggol. Those kampung attap houses with large forestation. We were closely knitted families and barely few 100 metres between each relatives.

This happens in the late eighties when the government requested all the villagers to move to HDB. My parents who had grew up there and lived there for half of their lives were one of the last to remain behind while the rest of our relatives are moving out one by one.

On one of the morning, it was my grandmother’s turn to shift to her new HDB in Hougang area. Being the only child, her parents’ tablet was placed in her house and shifted to the new house where they are moving to.

Nothing was amissed. But something weird happened that very night after they shifted. My mum was in the backyard cooking dinner when she heard a very low and angry voice shouting in the living room. Feeling weird as there was no one else staying near us, who would visit us at this hour? Thinking that it was my dad, she went into the living room and take a look.

There was no one except my 1 year old brother sitting in the sofa staring at the altar. My mum asked “boy, who was talking just now?’
My bro looked at her and pointed to the altar. “there’s one old uncle sitting there throwing things around.” His answer was so innocent and he can’t be lying at the age of 1. So my mum sat down beside him and asked how does he looks like? He described the “uncle” as pale, skinny & hungry looking. The more he describe, the clearer a face appeared in my mum’s mind. Its my great grandpa!! She wonder what had happened and why he did not leave with the family?

She was drawn back to reality when my brother tugged at her and said,”uncle says he is hungry” On hearing that, my mum prepared a meal and placed it on the altar. My brother’s eyes still on the altar said “uncle is sitting on the edge, with his legs dangling and happily eating.” Nothing much was said afterwards.

Till finally my brother was seen nodding his head and said,” mummy, uncle said he was unable to cross the bridge as there is a Deity overlooking the river & the family members had forgotten to pay their respect to allow uncle to cross over with them.”

On hearing that, my mum gave my grandmother a call & informed them of what had happened. They apologized to her saying that, they had left his tablet on the floor of the car & didn’t realised it had caused him to remain behind.

The next day they came back and ask for my great grandpa to follow them home. Since then, nothing was hear of him any more.

[Posted at: Goodbye Great Grandpa]