"Can't you even greet an old friend?" Swee Lay asked, her white face as still as a picture.
"Uh. Hello."
"I miss you, you know. It's been a really long time."
"Yes. Yes, it has."
"Do you still cry when you remember me?"
"Sometimes." Fong Li could feel the words sticking in her throat, wondering if Swee Lay saw the hesitance in her replies.
Swee Lay seemed to smile even though her face hadn't moved a bit.
"Do you remember the great times we had?"
"Of course -"
"I'm starting to forget, Fong Li. It feels as if sooner or later I will forget all about you, forget about everything except the hunger I have, the hunger in my belly."
"You -"
"I'm afraid one day I'll even forget you. You won't forget me, will you?" Swee Lay reached out her hand to grip Fong Li's, but all Fong Li felt was a cold breeze on her hand.
"I won't. I swear I won't."
"That's good. You'll come lay flowers on my grave, won't you?"
"I did... I mean, I will. Every year. On Cheng Beng. And your anniversary. And.. and during Hungry Ghost."
"That's good. I don't want to forget you."
Swee Lay seemed to smile again as she faded away. With a shiver, Fong Li sped away from the curb, into the path of an oncoming car. This was exactly where Swee Lay died last year, she thought as she watched the lights rush towards her.
It was the fifteenth day of the seventh month. You had to be very careful indeed.
---
More on the Hungry Ghost Festival here.
I don't believe in this stuff myself, but I thought I'd try to be a little more culturally aligned for a change.
If you're feeling unnaturally disturbed by the above, here's a nice video to cheer you up again. ;)
Enjoyed the repetition of the thesis - you had to be careful around these things. Neat!
ReplyDelete