New "tenant"?

I'm only putting this down in words for the heck of it.

So Sharifah, the cleaning auntie came back to the foodcourt for a meal two days after she was sent to NUH. She was alright.

I was surprised. After the drama she caused after she slipped I'd have thought she'd be in NUH for observation for longer at least. Not that I wish it upon her nor anyone else though.

But she was alright. All that breathlessness, eyes rolling back, calling out to her late father, no sign of them at all.

Apparently, her son who was there that night after she returned, told me that before she fell, she heard someone call her name. And when she turned to look, that's when she slipped and all the things fell on her.

Impossible! Although I had no view of her then, I was the nearest person to her and I certainly wasn't the one who called her. And if anyone was to call her, I'd have heard too but I didn't.

Let me now share a few revelations.

A few nights ago, after I closed the foodcourt at night after my shift, I text Eric, "Bro, I haven't told you this but these days my hair all stand when I'm alone at closing, money in the safe always don't tally too no matter how many times I count. I think we got new tenant. Heh."

I was half-joking. I thought it was nothing.

But the next day he sat me down and then he told me that he's known it all along that there are "things" in the foodcourt and he thought they only showed up recently because they're being chased out of the once-vacant unit next door to ours which will become a family karaoke joint and is now under renovation.

I thought I was bonkers. Now even Eric is bonkers.

Ong, the new Ban Mian stall boss approached me some time later to also reveal his own findings. He had no idea about what Eric and I talked about.

He told me that since the first day he moved in, he's also felt something dirty in the foodcourt, especially the alley outside our dishwashing area. Even his sister felt the same.

>>FF>>

Last night, after collecting the stalls' daily sales and counting the money in my office, Ong knocked on my door. He looked quite urgent. He signalled his intention to come in. No problem.

Then he sat himself down on the chair beside mine, in full view of the CCTV camera and declared that he's gonna chase the thing out. I said what for? But he was having none of that. He said NOW.

So I let him. Don't wanna argue with him on this one.

Suddenly he got into a trance, muttering in an odd language that sounded like "Weeesh weeesh weeesh", shook and vibrated.

Then there was a small gust of wind in the enclosed and windowless office. The money on my desk moved a bit. I felt a chill. I was like @@ for two seconds but then continued doing what I was doing.

In two minutes, Ong was done. He declared the place clean. I could say nothing but thank you. He left.

For the past couple of nights I've asked my supervisor to stay behind with me but last night she had to go take a crap but thankfully her daughter waited up for me. Young kid is better than no kid. At least she's human.

I didn't tell her much. I just told her to stick with me while I was closing the place. I kept one, ok both eyes on her as we walked.

I did my usual routine of switching off the lights, aircon, gas and walked past the alley outside the dishwashing area as well as the alley behind the stalls as we approached my office to turn on the alarm. All the time muttering the small repertoire of Islamic prayers I know for safety of the kid and I.

I made it as quick as possible. I just wanted to SCRAM, understandably.

Then as I offered out an "Assalamualaikum" (Peace be upon you) as I was shutting the back door when we were stepping out, something replied back which sounded like the door creaking or someone groaning. EGAD!

I mean, I've shut that door since the place opened and I've not heard it creak or groan before so why last night?

I tried to be calm. Afterall it's not cool acting all wimpy in front of a kid who was nonchalant about the whole thing.

When we about 15metres from the foodcourt, I looked behind to have a quick glance like I always do just to make a quick check that I've done all I was supposed to do. I heard a "Bye bye".

More @@. My eyes nearly popped out.

I asked the kid if she felt or heard anything. She said she heard someone chopping something in one of the stalls when we were walking at the stalls' back alley earlier.

I was like "Hello!" there were only us two!

Now everyone in the foodcourt is bonkers, not just me.

I was scared. Especially thinking about the fact that I was gonna be all alone at home later on. I've not felt scared of these things before this. I've always been able to do my own things at home and pretty much sleep no matter what.

That "Bye bye" I heard, only I heard and it wasn't a peaceful goodbye from the tone of it. It was more like a defiant one as though to say, "I'm still here. See ya!"

So whatever.

I called and text all my sisters and they all tried to encourage me and give me strength and confidence. After all, I don't buy these things. In the end I just told them that it didn't matter. I was going home even if I was gonna be alone and if should there be anything, Allah will protect me. I found myself silly worrying about these things now that I'm closer to God than ever before.

Last night, I was scared when I was at home but I kept saying to myself, "Allahu Akhbar" and it gave me strength, mentally and it gave me more heart.

And then this morning I saw 17 missed calls on my phone, the last one being at 0117hrs. It was Eric.

I called him and asked what the matter was.

He said the foodcourt alarm went off last night after I left and he tried to find out from me if I had left any of the doors unlocked. He was at the Causeway in a traffic jam while entering Singapore then.

Since I didn't answer (I was sleeping and my phone's permanently on silent mode), he called the police and later on made a trip down to the foodcourt himself but found nothing.

NO*FREAKING*THING.

Not a stray cat nor a rat. Nothing shifted or fell off the wall to trigger the motion sensors. All doors were locked shut.

Strange but true.

I still hope it's just our imagination. Then again, I have been told that in Islam, Djinns exist. It could be them but I'm hoping not coz I can't be bothered. I just wanna work and earn an honest living.