A Haunted School

Everytime I think of this experience that I went through thirty-five years ago, the hairs on my hands start to stand! I wish it never happened because the thought of that eerie experience haunts me to this day. I have always been a person who does not want to believe in ghosts. I believe that if one does not believe in such things; these apparitions will not appear. I always tell my friends that if you believe in ghosts, spirits, jins and such like, they will show themselves to you BUT if you do not give them any thought, you will not be disturbed by such things.

It was a cool night in April, 1974, and I had to accompany my companion to the Tranquerah English Primary School where he was a teacher, as well as a hockey coach. The school hockey team had to stay overnight in one of the many classrooms because they had to leave for Seremban in the early hours of the morning for a hockey tournament. We went over to give the children their supper of "yew char kueh" or what we fondly refer to as "deep fried chromosomes". This is a popular but simple favourite made of flour, shaped into twin-sticks and deep-fried to make them puff up. So please do not think that we gave the children anything out of the ordinary! Malaysians love this simple delicacy dunked in hot, black coffee!

Before this Chinese delicacies were given out, my companion, Eddy by name, started to give a pep talk to his boys. Eddy stood in front of me facing his hockey team. He was engrossed with his talk and did not notice anything amiss. While he spoke, I felt someone tap me in the small of my back. I turned to see who it was but there was nobody; not a soul! Funny, I definitely felt a hand tapping me! I shrugged it off and continued to listen to Eddy's pep talk. Again I felt someone tapping me gently in the small of my back. Again I turned around and there was no-one in sight! I was beginning to feel uncomfortable and I could feel fear started to grip me but I refused to be overcome by this feeling.

The third time it happened, I felt that it was time for us to leave. I have never felt this feeling before and the hairs on my hand were standing as if they were on viagra! As soon as Eddy finished with his boys, I said that it was time for us to go and I began to hurry him out of the place. Eddy, not knowing what I had experienced, could not understand why I was in a hurry to leave. He kept asking me for a reason and I just simply said, "Don't ask. I will explain later". I could not leave the place fast enough!

As we drove out of the school grounds, Eddy again asked why I was in a hurry to leave. Only then, I started explaining to him and told him what had happened while he was giving his pep talk. He then said, "Oh, it must be because during the Japanese Occupation, many people were tortured and killed there". Oh, wow, thanks for telling this to me now, I thought! And in such a matter-of-fact manner! I was lucky that I was young then. Just imagine if I was much older and had incontinence, I would have surely left a trail from the classroom to the car-park!

Well, that was my first experience with unseen beings and I hope I will not experience anymore in my lifetime. Although I did not see anything, being 'touched or tapped' by such beings gave me an eerie feeling that I will never ever forget.