 Image from : Le Silly |
The Chinese Hungry Ghost Month usually falls in the month of August. As a Christian, this is not supposed to be of any significance to me, but let me share my experience with you.
On the eve of Merdeka seven years ago in 2001, while we were on our way home from the mall, I was driving across the Kota Bridge. There was a power failure and the street lights were not lit. As we were quarter of the way across the bridge, I looked over to the GoldCourse Hotel on my right which seemed so beautiful in the darkness of the night. Next thing I knew, there was a sickeningly loud crash and my head smacked into the steering wheel. I greeted my first car accident with a loud "Aiyooooh...S**T! What am I going to do now!".
It was the seventh month. I didn't take notice of the fact back then.
In 2002, while on our way back from the mall again, there was a loud squeel from the engine. Then the air-con died. The compressor was shot. I figured it must have been because the night before I had to rev my engine through 100 metres of flood water. Co-incidence perhaps but it was the seventh month.
The following year (2003), driving home again after visiting a friend, there was a loud explosion followed by a "ketak... ketak... ketak" sound. Stopping by the side of the road, I found my left rear tyre flat. What made it flat? A stubby bolt. Not a sharp one mind you - a stubby bolt. I thought it must have been because I had this habit of over-inflating my tires but it was the seventh month.
In 2004, the squeel came back suddenly one morning. Quick as lightning, I turned off my air-con, braved the heat and shot off to my air-con service centre. It could have been the air-con compressor they said, but fortunately this time it was just the fan that died which caused the engine to overwork. It cost RM100 plus to fix, and at least it was cheaper than replacing the compressor, but it was the seventh month.
2005 saw my engine overheating. It wasn't the radiator. It wasn't the thermostat. It was a very simple but expensive-to-fix engine gasket. RM500 down the drain to fix it. Seventh month.
Then in 2006 while happily driving near my house, there was suddenly a "click-clack-click-clack" sound. Drove home and checked underneath my car. There was an 8 inch wire that pierced the side of my right rear tyre. Not directly into the flat surface of the tire mind you - it was the SIDE wall of the tyre. If it was a seven-inch wire, I would truly have freaked out.
So before every seventh month since 2002, even though I have spared NO expense to service my car to make sure nothing goes wrong, it has. I wondered how long it would go on.
Then in 2007, I had an encounter with the devil himself. You guessed it... it was the seventh month.
BUT... I think that was the final song and this year, (shhh... don't say it loud) I have managed to go through the seventh month without any problems. Could it REALLY be a coincidence that last year's encounter with the Devil himself was the SEVENTH and perhaps the last???
No I won't sell my car. I've promised I will give it to my son when he turns 18. I also didn't want to admit I lost to a supersitious belief. Anyway... I'm NOT supposed to believe that these things happened because of the seventh month! Thinking back, I wonder if all these were caused by my subconscious... knowing at the back of my mind that it was the seventh month.
How's that for a story huh? I swear... it's true. No bluffing.
