Eternity...

"Where are we going, grandma?"

"Somewhere that grandma and grandpa have always wanted to show you."

"Where is it?"

"A place where you can find eternal happiness with the person you love."

I was clutching grandma's hands while grandpa was driving. I could feel myself perspired profusely. I was excited, very excited. Once in a while, I would glance over at grandma only to realize she was smiling at me all the times.

"Grandma, where is the place that you can find eternal happiness?"

Instead of answering my question, grandma pointed out of the car, "Can you see those hills amidst of the white clouds up there?"

I looked out of the car to search for the hills that grandma was talking about. As my eyes set on the hills amidst of the white clouds, at once, I felt serene. Grandpa, who was driving, stopped the car at the roadside and said, "It is a place of eternal happiness."

"Can I go there with you guys?"

Grandpa giggled and said, "Why would you want to go there with us when you know your parents and siblings will be worried if they find you missing?"

"We can't bring you there to stay with us but we can bring you there to look around," grandma told me.

The closer we were to the peak of the hills, the more people I could see walking around the place. They seemed friendly and they greeted us when we went out of grandpa's car. I could see people a joyous circus-look-alike scene. Everybody seemed happy at the place.

"Grandma, grandpa, let's go play!"

I had a great time running around with grandma and grandpa at the place. But time passed by too hastily when I was with them. Grandma and grandpa sat on a bench with me sandwiched in between them.

"It's time for you to go home, my dear."

"I don't want to go home yet!"

"You wouldn't want to be stuck here, right?" grandpa asked me.

"But I want to be with you guys! I want to be in a place where I can find eternal happiness too, with you guys!"

I was beginning to cry when grandma handed over her white handkerchief, "You silly girl... Grandma and grandpa will forever be with you no matter where you are."

"But I want to see you guys again!"

"When the time comes, we'll be reunited for once again."

Throughout the years of growing up with my grandparents by my side, I never felt lonely. Grandma and grandpa were there with me all the times despite of in health or sickness. They never gave up on me even though there were times when I angered them with my childish thoughts and behaviours.

Their departures to a place where they could find eternity marked the beginning of a world that they could no longer be with me physically. I cried and wept when both of them left me in 2002 and 2004. Though they have left me physically, I believe that they will always be there for me spiritually and emotionally.

I came to understand when grandma said 'a place where you can find eternity with the one you love' actually means she has found grandpa and they've reunited.

I know very well that I might not be able to see them again but some where in my mind, I know, one day, we will be reunited for once again when the time comes. It comforts me to know that they've finally found eternity and peace in the place where they are at now.

They are around you...

Yes, listen to me... they're around you even if you can't see them... There might just be one, standing next to you right now but you can't see it.

How scary can things get, right?

For the past few days, I was living in horrific fears because of tales that I've heard recently...

First of all, Wendy and my other two housemates went back to Ipoh for three days and I was left alone at home. So, I called up my brother and asked him to bring me out since I didn't want to bore to death. That was before I heard about his stories.

My brother wasn't being his usual cheery self. He seemed worried about some kinda stuffs and later, I found out that he was worried over some UNUSUAL happenings that took place at his new apartment lately.

Yes, I pretty much understand that some of you will give comments like, "Perhaps your brother is too busy that's why he's hallucinating" or something like, "You must be imagining things, now, wake up and stop dreaming already!" No, it's nothing like that. It appears that something isn't right from the first day they moved into the new apartment.

I got to know that the previous tenant of the apartment ran off, owing the landlord more than RM1000++ worth of rental. Apparently, the previous tenant gambled like hell and lost all his money. Without any money left to pay the rental, thus, he ran off, leaving alone his Proton Satria at the car park below the apartment. The landlord has to pay a sum of money to ask those folks from JPJ to come and tow away the car.

Hence, problems started for my brother and his housemates.

Incident #1 - I got to my brother's place around 2 a.m. that day since we got stuck in a stupid traffic jam to Bangsar from Mutiara Damansara. After we've parked the car, a security officer came up to us and asked, "Adik, awak tinggal dekat A-BB-CC kah? Rumah polis itu?" Sorry, the proper address shouldn't revealed. My brother answered, "Ya, kita orang baru pindah masuk awal bulan ini." So, the security officer said, "Oh, rumah itu..." he paused for a while.

I was suspecting something from the look on his face. Later, he was able to finish his speech, "Itu rumah kawan saya, dia itu polis."

Yes, the expression that the security officer gave us was scary! It was as if something happened at that apartment before but he couldn't tell.

Incident #2 - my brother was back to Sibu a week ago while his three other housemates were around. So, let's call his person Mr. X, alright? Okay, Mr. X came back from work one day and after taking his bath, he came out of his room and saw a long-haired lady in white, standing right in front of Mr. Y's room without any movement.

I'm sure people out there are aware that whenever you see these things, you'll automatically relate to ghosts or maybe pontianaks (vampires). I was horrifically petrified when I heard that because Mr. Y's room is just besides my brother's room in the new apartment.

Incident #3 - it's a routine for my brother to actually have his dinner while watching TV after work everyday. So, there was a day, when my brother was watching TV and Mr. X came home from somewhere. Suddenly, he went up to my brother and said, "Do you realize there's a long-haired lady in white sitting next to you now?"

My brother was spooked, switched off the TV and immediately left the living room.

Incident #4 - my brother said Mr. X's things have been disappearing lately even though he did lock up his room whenever he goes out. It's impossible for my brother or Mr. Y to access to his room whenever Mr. X goes out.

Afterwards, when my brother talked to his colleague about this incident, the colleague asked if he could relate the incident to the presence of toyol or better known as kwee-kia (ghostly children).

They were suspecting the previous tenant somehow forgotten to bring the toyol along with him when he left as the landlord did mention that if the previous tenant gambled a lot. The landlord didn't make any statement about the previous tenant keeping toyol but it was only my brother and his friend suspecting this fact as they couldn't make out why the belongings of Mr. X kept on disappearing.

Incident #5 - Mr. Y was sweeping his room one day and all of a sudden, Mr. X went up to him, screaming that he saw A WHOLE BUNCH OF LONG HAIR in the dustpan when he was holding. Mr. Y admitted that there were hair but those hairs were his as they were all short and NOT long! Soon, Mr. Y also freaked out at Mr. X's sudden statement.

Incident #6 - Mr. X feels the presence of an evil aura in the new apartment although the rest of his housemates feel nothing. I don't know how true can this fact be but when I was there few days ago, I saw rice being scattered all over the place in the house. I knew nothing about it and I began to comment to my brother about the sight but my brother hushed me, telling me not to comment any further.

Later, I got to know that the scattering of the rice was to chase out the evil spirits in the house. Lucky I didn't comment further... I got so scared that I didn't manage to sleep well that night because of that. Yes, I stayed over at my brother's place because I didn't dare to stay at home alone. I kept my eyes closed all night even though the lights were being left on and I didn't dare to open my eyes at all in fear or seeing some 'things' that I shouldn't see.

Even when I was back at my place yesterday morning just to do some updating, I was feeling so scared. The noises that the hamsters made scared me, the noises of the rain and lightning scared me... Basically, every noise that I heard scared me. I didn't dare to peek outside too but I patiently waited until 9 p.m. until I picked up my brother from work.

At 10 p.m. later, I called mum and dad. I remembered not long ago, my crucifix's necklace was spoiled due to my carelessness and I lost the crucifix. I'm still feeling bad to this very day for losing it! In the past, whenever I felt scared, knowing that I've a crucifix with me, I'd always feel secured but now, even when I'm scared, I don't have anything on me to rely on...

Can you sense the fear in me?

I might not be the one to experience all those first hand and I don't want to experience it too. I just wanna lead a normal and happy life without experiencing anything paranormal.

My brother brought a crucifix and some holy water home yesterday. He's not the normal scare-already person but all those talks about the long-haired lady in white somehow initiated fears in him. I slept with the crucifix being put right in front of me last night and somehow, I managed to sleep well knowing that He's there to watch over all of us.

I'm not somebody wishy-washy or even conservative to believe in pantangs but some things are not up to you to decide. If you don't believe, why read this entry? For fun? I don't write this entry for fun, okay?

I mean, who wouldn't? Just imagine if you're sitting there now, reading this entry of mine, suddenly, your mum, dad, sister or brother approached you and asks, "Is that your friend sitting beside you with long hair and wearing all white?"