Warnings and cryptic superstitions controlled and intrigued the childhood of Paula Tan. She steps back in time to recall the lasting impact of the enigmatic beliefs that continue to colour her life.
The old house where Molly Wong once lived had obviously been cleaned up. The stubbly undergrowth and cloistered appearance of years gone by appeared rejuvenated, with a coat of cheerful yellow paint. The garden, once filled with flowers from a bygone era, now lay bare. Still, as I drove slowly past, I could hear the elderly lady’s voice, droning on in the dim kitchen of a house so old I was once electrocuted by the washing machine and bitten in the derriere by the watchdog resting unnoticed in the shadows.
Aunty Molly Says…
When I was a child, enduring Aunty Molly and her stories was a frequent affair. She was my mother’s godmother and would not hesitate to reprimand me for childish habits like leaving unfinished rice on my plate. For years I believed her justification that the remaining rice grains would bring me a spouse with a pockmarked complexion.
Lingering on the porch at dusk, she would repeatedly warn me not to answer if I heard an unfamiliar voice calling my name, for fear that wandering spirits would try to trick me into going with them. I was also told to be home by dinner time because that was when dark forces walked the earth, waiting to possess unsuspecting young minds. Even after I had my driving license I would rattle home as fast my father’s old Wolseley would carry me, anxious to be home before dark.
Gruesome Rituals
If someone passed away, the family should expect them back for a visit on the seventh day, when they came to bid their final farewell. As the late individual might not actually be aware that they were dead, glutinous rice was always served so that the deceased would realise, when their fingernails fell off while snacking, that they were well and truly dead. (Of course, I never stopped to question how that would work if they were not fans of glutinous rice.)
If someone died with their eyes open, this meant that they had not gone willingly. An engaged couple who died abruptly – in an accident, for example – had to be united by their families in a proper wedding ceremony, or languish brokenhearted for all eternity.
One particularly spine-chilling tale stated that families of suicide victims sometimes buried them dressed in red, enabling them to return to avenge their deaths against those who drove them to take their own lives. Horrible indeed. If you had the nerve to actually want to witness this terrifying spectacle, all you had to do was take a teardrop from a dog, brush it over your own eyes and voila, it would grant you an instant view of the ghostly dimension. By the way, that same dog, like all other dogs, was believed to howl when spirits were present.
Unlucky For Some
If someone passed away, the family should expect them back for a visit on the seventh day, when they came to bid their final farewell. As the late individual might not actually be aware that they were dead, glutinous rice was always served so that the deceased would realise, when their fingernails fell off while snacking, that they were well and truly dead. (Of course, I never stopped to question how that would work if they were not fans of glutinous rice.)
If someone died with their eyes open, this meant that they had not gone willingly. An engaged couple who died abruptly – in an accident, for example – had to be united by their families in a proper wedding ceremony, or languish brokenhearted for all eternity.
One particularly spine-chilling tale stated that families of suicide victims sometimes buried them dressed in red, enabling them to return to avenge their deaths against those who drove them to take their own lives. Horrible indeed. If you had the nerve to actually want to witness this terrifying spectacle, all you had to do was take a teardrop from a dog, brush it over your own eyes and voila, it would grant you an instant view of the ghostly dimension. By the way, that same dog, like all other dogs, was believed to howl when spirits were present.
Adult Fears And Fancies
As I grew older, Aunty Molly’s stories took on a more adult angle. Singing while cooking would bring me an old husband. A fallen eyelash meant someone was missing me, while attempting to sew a tear in a garment while wearing it could render me an old maid.
She also told me that if I were expecting, I could find out the gender of my unborn child by suspending a wedding band by a thread over my palm. If the ring swung in a circular motion, this predicted that the baby would be a girl. If it swung in a straight line, this meant it would be a boy. After the baby’s arrival, dressing the infant with their shirt back to front would ensure that the baby would not cry and sleep peacefully through the night. I am not certain how making the poor little thing a fashion victim would help the situation, but have yet to disprove this theory.
During a woman’s pregnancy, she should not touch fruits on a tree as her hands would make them go bad. She was also discouraged from eating crabs as that might cause her baby to walk sideways on arrival.
Growing up in Malaysia has been a never-ending cultural epic to which new chapters are constantly added. Almost everyone I meet has a colourful belief or superstition of their own to share. Occasionally pointless, sometimes educational, these tales seem misplaced in today’s internet generation, yet they have become interwoven with our moral fiber, reinforcing the characters we are.
Aunty Molly may have passed into another realm decades ago, but her wealth of stories will always reside in a small corner of my life. From time to time, I will revisit them, like prized artifacts in a forgotten museum, to enjoy whenever an escape from reality is due.
And yes, I will knock before entering.
Homepage Photo Credit: Paul Stevenson, Flickr
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Source: Senses of Malaysia Jul-Aug 2013
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