10th July 2019
“Dr. Anthony Jin? The Supernatural Professor?”
My breakfast of toast and eggs was rudely interrupted.
“I sound like I've just been cursed.” I shot back with a dose of sarcasm.
“I am sorry, but everyone calls you by that name,” he said.
I stopped stirring my Kopi-O and looked up at the disrupter of my breakfast routine.
“You’re not from the media I hope,” I asked.
“I assure you I’m not, Dr Jin.”
“Don’t call me Supernatural Professor. Just call me Ant. Everyone calls me that.” I asserted.
I tried to ascertain the speaker’s identity, but the sunlight behind the figure made it hard for me to make out his facial features. I stood up to get a better view but he continued.
“Some call you the Bridge. The Bridge to the other worlds.”
I winced at that description written by Singapore Global, a journalistic social site with over a million subscribers. It was an inconvenient overstatement, one of the causes of unnecessary public attention.
“Enough with titles.” I smiled as I spoke, hoping I was not rude.
I had a better look at him now. He was a man pushing fifty. Well-tanned with grey hair on the temples. His smile was strained and that made his friendly demeanour fake. The single eyelids lent an air of authority.
“Are you looking for a signature?” I asked, hoping to disperse the interruption as quickly as possible. Sales of my latest book have been brisk and I had surprises from fans.
“You misunderstood; it’s my fault. I failed to introduce myself properly.”
He sat down despite me making no invitation to join my breakfast.
“My name is Tan, Tan Choon Kim, but everyone calls me by my initials, CK.”
“Mr. Tan, what can I do for you?” I asked, careful not to knit my eyebrow. “Perhaps a drink?”
“I came because I need your help.” He did not appear to hear me and continued.
“Dr. Jin, I know you may be getting irritated with my sudden appearance. I am just pressed by the urgency of the moment.”
Irritated is an understatement but my intuition, that something grave has happened, counseled patience.
“Pardon me Mr. Tan, but where are you from?”
“Please, CK will do.”
“I prefer ‘Colonel’” I winked before continuing “Where are you from?”
“I’m from the Ministry of Defence.”
“Ministry of Defence,” I repeated. CK has my attention now. A first for a visit from the government.
“If this is about giving a lecture to your officers, you can talk to my programme director.”
“No, it is not about a lecture. I know you are a well-known lecturer with the National University of Singapore, but I came because of a pressing issue.”
“What might that be? “I asked casually.
“I am a Colonel with the Ministry of Defence. Military Forensic.”
My eyebrow raised. “Forensic? I am afraid that’s not my specialty.”
“I agree, but I actually came because of your other specialty - your supernatural skills.”
I raised my hands in an attempt to disengage, but CK continued, oblivious to my desire.
“You’re the direct descendant from a clan of great ghostbusters.”
I remained aloof.
“Ghostbuster is a superficial term,” I protested. “We are communicators with the spirits. A bridge between the two worlds. We do not ’bust’ anything or anyone.”
“Your reputation precedes you – you have solved many supernatural mysteries, no?”
“Those are tales. I fall short of the glowing testimonials you heard from the grapevine.”
“I remember that you were voted one of the top ten most eligible bachelors of Singapore. 1.8m tall, 32 years old, and a brilliant academic at a top university.”
I blushed, not being used to flattery. Where is this leading?
“You have unique abilities, Dr. Jin.”
“Call me Ant, please. I insist.”
I looked intently at the Colonel. It seems I am not going to shake him off easily.
“What do you want, Colonel?”
“Ant, you mean what I desperately need?”
I realized the Colonel had wrapped his hand over his fist.
“What happened?”
“There’s been an incident.”
“What incident?” I asked. The tension on the Colonel’s face baited me on.
The breakfast diners seemed to fade away as my cat of curiosity pounced.
“What incident?” I quizzed.
“Last night,” He paused before continuing, “Last night-”
I sensed his nervousness but nodded encouragingly.
“We had a two-day field exercise over the weekend, and the at cut-off time, three National Servicemen failed to turn up.”
The Colonel shifted uncomfortably like he was on pins.
“Lost? Missing?” I tried to sound calm, though I comprehend the severity of the situation.
3 boys are missing!
The Colonel continued to explain.
“At the exercise cut-off time at approximately 2300 hours, a roll call was conducted, and the platoon commander realized they were missing. The disappearance was reported, and the Commanding Officer immediately ordered a search. Two hundred men! However, they found nothing. The brigade HQ was notified, and another battalion was mobilized for the search.”
“How long has it been?”
The Colonel checked his watch.
“In another 60 minutes, they would have gone missing for twelve hours.”
“Could they have gone AWOL?” I asked, referring to potential Absence Without Leave occurrence. It happens from time to time with juvenile boys all over the world.
CK was already shaking his head before I complete my sentence.
“Feedback from his superiors and peers showed these were good boys with good academic results. They are heading for university once they ORD in June next year. They have no reason to run away.”
ORD refers to the Operationally Ready Date, the day when the NS boys leave active service and join the reserve list.
“Why are you looking for me? Shouldn’t you be calling the police or getting more manpower on the ground?”
“The police have been notified, and they have men on the ground assisting in the investigation,” CK paused, “We suspect there could be some other reason for their disappearance.”
“What makes you say so?”
The Colonel was silent.
“You’re not telling me the whole truth, CK.”
I saw the Colonel bite his lips. He is holding back.
“Now, we either have full disclosure or we end the conversation here.” I stood. “All the best.”
The Colonel grabbed my arm. “I’m sorry.”
I sat again as he proceeded with a terse tone.
“It’s the location.”
“Where?” I asked.
“Bukit Pandan.”
The severity of the situation dropped on me like planet Saturn. That he had approached me at a public café, with the morning din, shows one thing – desperation.
Bukit Pandan was a precious piece of nature nestled at the western end of the island. It is filled with rolling plains dotted with the tallest Flame Trees in Southeast Asia. There were rows of the Pandan plants whose leaves carry a fragrance that earned its reputation as a must-have ingredient for desserts in Singapore and the region. Experts have estimated the oldest trees to be over a thousand years old. A fine piece of forestry.
The treasure trove of nature used to be gazetted for military training in land-scarce Singapore and was only removed from training sites just a few years back, thanks to the relentless efforts of nature conservation groups.
“Hasn’t training been banned since 2014?” I got loud.
“You’re correct, to a certain extent. Military training was barred in the area after a NS boy was found unconscious and completely lost his memory.”
“To a certain extent? To what extent?” I swallowed diplomacy.
“Since last year, the Ministry has permitted basic military training that does not require heavy military hardware.”
“Nuts.” I blurted out, but the Colonel continued.
“Dr. Ant, we are running out of training grounds. The Bukit Pandan plains is an ideal spot for topography and infantry maneuver with the distribution of hills and flat grounds.”
“What do you mean by basic training?”
“Short-term exercises within the scope of two to three days out-in-the-field types. That sort of thing.”
“Those lands are not auspicious. There must be a reason for that belief. Unhappy spirits, perhaps? Your military exercises will only disturb what should be left untouched.”
The Colonel shrugged.
“Yes, but practical considerations override rumours.”
I shook my head. “Humans are sometimes ignorant and disrespectful of beings of other realms. The lack of communication resulted in conflict and an unnecessary loss of lives.” I espoused.
The forest had a history of unexplained events, amongst them an unresolved murder that took place six years ago. The 2013 incident where a NS man was found naked and hanging from a tree branch. He was alive but mentally unsound. Now three NS men missing! They must have offended the beings of the forest.
The crowd in the café thinned as time crawled into working hours. The silence injected a tone of gravity into the situation.
“Have the parents been notified?” I asked.
CK drew closer and whispered.
“The Ministry will speak to them by tomorrow morning and ask for silence on the matter until we find their sons. If the news breaks, the media will be alerted, and given the age of social media, it will scuttle our search operations and put them under unnecessary stress.”
“They must be worried sick.” I mused.
“I agree. That’s why we must put our best foot forward. However, I need some help.”
“What help?”
“Your presence is required, Dr. Jin. I am here to invite you to join my task force. ”
“You came on your own initiative?”
“I proposed, and the Chief of Defence agreed. The Minister is aware of you.”
I cringed. I had never felt so valued. It just gives me goosebumps.
“What do you propose?”
“Something in me tells me that their disappearance was for reasons beyond science. We need help beyond our present forensic capability. Some of my men cannot understand the disappearance.”
“Possibility is stretchable,” I muttered. “There are realms we do not know and cannot comprehend with our mortal minds. There are phenomena that science cannot explain.”
“I’ve come to the right person. I think you could be the one to help us find them.”
I was muted. I toyed with the notion of an adventure despite having some research papers, with a looming deadline, crying for my attention.
“I’m not sure.”
“Please accept my invitation.Just spend an hour with us, Ant. You may see things we failed to. We need you.”
The plea in the Colonel’s voice tugged at my conscience.
“You will have all the resources you need, all resources and my men at your disposal. The only thing I ask is that you keep our engagement confidential.”
I gave the Colonel a hard stare.
“How long do we need to pretend you‘re uninterested?” The Colonel said with a frown. “You’re already thinking about the next steps, right?”
There was no verbal agreement, but I decided I should help the Colonel. I paid for my breakfast and then walked to his vehicle, ready for him to bring me to his Base Camp. On our way to his car, the Colonel briefed me in a tone that was warmly soothing. Three NS Men are missing during a military exercise. Usually, one would expect a water bottle, knife, or toggle rope in such missing incidents, but the search party had found nothing. The men had disappeared without a trace. Earlier interviews with their friends and platoon mates had indicated they were behaving normally with no evidence of depression or mischievous intent. As the Colonel recounted, my mind burst into hyper mode. What had taken them? What’s inside the forest? Just when we were about to enter the lift to the car park, I heard my name being called. I turned around and found a familiar figure running towards me, hands in
For the past twenty-five years, there has been a movie reel in my mind. Many nights, in my dreams, that reel will replay the scenes of the fateful day my parents disappeared. The dreams carried a nightmarish tone in the initial years, but as I grew up, stronger in management of sorrow, it mellowed into a plain trailer. I had learned to tame the monsters in me, though at times, I struggled with the powers that came with my lone existence. My growing-up began when my parents embarked on a journey to Japan on a mission to search for the roots of my mother’s family. My mother had always wanted to explore her Japanese ancestral roots. As a child, she had listened to her grandmother’s talk about her father’s family, who were based in the mountainous region of Nagano. They, the Kaneko, had served for generations in the imperial court under the samurai clan. War brought my mother’s Japanese family tree to Singapore. They left in 1945 after the defeat but returned a few
The journey to Bukit Pandan was a knotty one. There were two accidents at the Kranji Expressway, and the Colonel had to take the nearest exit. The weather was not helpful for the prevailing moods with overcast skies. The clouds seemed pregnant with dark vibes. I felt there was a message. My intuition had picked up some frequency, but I was unable to put shape to it.The disappearance of the three National Service boys was for a cause, perhaps an unnatural one, but I couldn’t confirm it. I knew the Colonel had put much trust in me, and I needed to be careful in managing his vibes. I could sense he was deeply troubled and needed my help, yet I did not have his complete trust. I had experience dealing with such moods.As he turned into the Old Bukit Pandan road, he started to narrate.“We’ll be there soon. There is a road, an old one that we used to move our boys in for training. The entrance is on the eastern side of the f
As I reeled from the shock and struggled for an answer demanded by the new arrival, CK came to the rescue. “This is Dr. Anthony Jin. He teaches at the University of Singapore.” “University of Singapore? Then why is he here?” A flush of heat crawled down my neck. I felt like a 10-year old who had been caught playing truant and now had to give a reason for my existence. I had never before in my life felt the need to do so. “I had clearance from the Chief, ASP Wong.” The Colonel continued in a firm tone and his face had a unflappable expression. A man of steel who had seen rough waves. He turned to me and smiled. “This is Assistant Superintendent Wong. She leads the police team who is assisting us with the search operation.” The lady police officer rolled her eyes over to me and then looked at the Colonel. “How is he going to help you? Help us?” Her thoughtful questions had the Colonel mellowing h
After the brief by the Colonel, I headed back to my office. Whilst on the road, my mind was brimming with theories on the whats and what ifs of the disappearance of the soldiers. The stories I had heard about Bukit Pandan in the past were never taken seriously. I never thought I would have any entanglements with the place. Now, that seems to have changed. There was a streak of light from the setting sun that shot through the foliage of trees outside onto my desk. How apt! Just like the new responsibility that had just fallen on it My heart is heavy. There is real danger, but I cannot put shape to that menace. How things have changed. This morning, I had expected a run-of-the-mill week – the usual grind of lectures and tutorials. But by evening, I had been sucked, succinctly by destiny, into what could potentially be an exciting adventure. Three missing soldiers. Where could they have gone? A real case of AWOL? They are dead? I quickly
The jungle was a sea of darkness and in the background, a cacophony of insect sounds heralded the start of darkness. The Army had a few field lights mounted along a path that led to the Base Camp. Were it not for the illumination, I could barely see my hands. The only respite I enjoyed was the fragrance of the Pandan plant, which carried a soothing quality. It was a favorite ingredient in Chinese dessert soups. “What was that?” I asked, referring to the series of lights floating through the darkness. “Search party. The last for tonight.” Staff Chua explained, “It’s getting late. Almost nine pm and we don’t want to lose another soldier to the night.” He sounded dispirited. I soon noticed everyone I met in the tentage was plain tired. “Did they make any progress after I left?” Staff Chua shook his head. “Where is the Colonel?” “He left to brief the Ministry officials. He mentioned he would be back to meet you later.
I mastered my breathing like taking the reins to a running horse. Bringing it down to a steady and firm gallop, I found myself slipping into the mode of meditation. Like I've found a door, I entered and found myself hearing the innate temp of the woods, a crisp and low thumping tone. I trained my mind to scan my landscape, almost like a supernatural radar. Nothing happened. I could still hear the insects, Razali’s breathing. I also felt the vibes of Staff Chua, a dare devil’s attitude, and the overwhelming dampness of the forest. Then it came, sliding into the frame. A whiff of air built into an icy breeze. There was a void, that familiar emptiness when I crossed dimensions. In a moment, I could no longer hear Razali or the insect squeaks. I had successfully entered the other dimension. The world that is invisible to the average human being. As I opened my eyes, I was greeted by a dark environment with a scene of sporadic stars of illumination. Each
I saw stars after the unexpected attack and felt like someone had landed an elephant on my head, with a terrible pain reverberating up my spine. My internal defence mechanism sets in and gradually nullify the impact on my senses. However before I could see the assailant, I was again lifted from the ground and pulled through the air like there was an invisible carriage that dragged me. In circles, I went. I was abruptly dropped to the ground but regained consciousness in time. Exercising my immense willpower, I brought myself to a soft landing. Despite my spinning head, I lifted my paintbrush and scribbled an attack command, and created a circle of yellow energy. Ohm! I bellowed with all the energy I could muster and sent the circle into the darkness. I looked around me, but the assailant was nowhere in sight. The next moment, I sensed something on my shoulder. It was light but perceptible. I checked. A streak of hair! As I
Back home, I felt a fatigue in my system -that sort of exhaustion that originated from a mixture of frustration and anxiety. The two soldiers are still missing and there is a rumor on social media that they could be dead. It had disturbed the Colonel and his superiors that he communicated he would intensify the search round the jungle. Alone, I had squashed that thought and sat down in deep meditation for an hour to keep the monster called anxiety in check. After my mind is de-toxified, I made a simple dinner out of instant noodles and eggs and quickly settled myself in front of my laptop. I searched about the history and sources of the Kwek family and its related logos and symbols. The results were a revelation. I sieved through the results and was pleasantly surprised to find public sources of information on the evolution of the family emblem. Some sites were defunct, but there was one particular site owned by JJ Wong that seemed active.
As I drove on the Sentosa Gateway, heading out of the island, I turned to the right where the Tanjong Pagar Port is. There is a neat row of containers handling equipment standing proud like a family of giraffes - a perfect picture of hustle that made up one of the busiest ports in Asia.As I marveled at the sight, my handphone buzzed. It was Leng and she is on WhatsApp call.“Hey, Dr. Ant, find somewhere to park. I have something to show you.”“Is it that earthshaking that I need to park my car first? I am getting thrilled.” I said lamely.“It’ll be worth your time,” She assured me. “Call me when you’re nicely parked.”I drove over to the nearby Tanjong Beach car park, and quickly called back Leng.“What is it?”“We found a lot of things from the Kaleidoscope App. In the past two weeks, there were three thousand items posted for sale. I had them sorted by th
“Nai Nai is asking if you want more tea.” I returned to my seat. “I’m sorry. I just happen to like black and white photos.” Dorothy smiled nervously. “Who is the-” Dorothy coughed hard unexpectedly and then rested her head on her right hand. “Are you feeling alright, Nai Nai?” Josephine asked and threw a slight glance of reproach, which made me felt bad. I decided I had to brave the displeasure and voice my question. “I have a request that may offend you.” “Do you mind if we stop this meeting, Dr. Ant?” Josephine cut in. Before I could reply, Dorothy Kwek raised her hand. “Go ahead, Anthony.” “Can I invite you to visit the jungle again?” I knew I had touched a raw nerve when I got a glare in response. Her hands were tightly clasped. For a moment, she stayed wide-eyed and I was worried she may get a heart attack “It could help us in our investigation,” I added and she rega
Dorothy has shut her eyes in deep recollection. She projected such serenity that for a moment, I thought she was asleep. When I was about to interrupt her, I saw Josephine Kwek shaking her head gently. I got the hint and kept silent.Dorothy finally spoke with a genteel voice “You’re right I do know quite a bit about Bukit Pandan. It was my playground. My family's playground." She beamed "We would go for a picnic there every once in a while. In the 1960s, my father had a factory further down the road at the Dairy Farm. Whenever he was free, he and mum would drive us to the jungle for some trekking." ”My envy." I said "The landscape is conducive for walks. Earlier planters had cleared some trees and there is a nice piece of flat land by the stream. It is ideal for picnic." "I love the trees." I added "Ah, yes the trees. Those trees were huge, and there was always shade for a good camp-out. They are like guardians of o
After the call has ended, we lapsed into a long and uneasy silence. We were all trying to come to terms with the fact. It was Raja who broke the silence "Now, at least we know, Major's death is linked to an illicit affair." "Who is the other party in the relationship? Who is the lady?" "The family that travels to England to meet Christina's mother must be related to this lady." Shu Wen said. "Do you think if this family has something to do with the Major's death." I asked, with a tinge of provocation in my voice." "Think they may be angry with what the Major did to their daughter?" Raja added "I think the key is who is this lady?" I asked in deep deliberation. Shu Wen scratched her head "How can we be sure this is related to the lady spirit and the three missing boys." "I will need more information before I can answer you Madam. I need to know the identity of the missing persons."
Christina stood up and walked off. My heart sank and Shu Wen lept to her feet in pleas "Madam! Madam?" Officer Daniels was at a loss but soon ran off presumably to invite Christina Holmes back to the interview. "We probably hit a raw nerve." I mumbled. "Let me try." Shu Wen spoke into the mic "Madam Christina we are sorry if we had been insensitive. However, the information you provide may save lives. Please." The emotions in her voice resonated in my mind and struck a chord. She is so genuine. No response. In the corner of the screen, we saw the figure of Officer Daniels that offered little clue to what is happening off-screen. Just when we were about to give up, Christina Holmes returned. Her eyes were red from the weeping and she was sniffing into a tissue. I felt guilty “Thanks for returning, Madam. We are very sorry if our approach has offended you." Christina waved off the comment w
The arrival of certain news interrupted our conversation. It has that Senior Station Inspector Rajagopal who was tasked to manage the follow-up on the John Wilkins case, has made progress. ASP Wong has earlier requested an investigation to obtain more information from the Wilkins family. After 60 years, the case has gone dead cold. It may be a futile attempt but Raja decided to try and breath life into it. As he mentioned, you never know how useful a tiny lead may be. Through Raja's efforts, the Singapore Police had managed to contact the descendants of Major John Wilkins. It was not easy but possible as the Singapore Police had a longstanding relationship with their British counterpart thanks to their Commonwealth network. It took a few calls between our Home Affairs, their Home Office, and the Ministry of Defense before they found the living descendant of John Wilkins. He was survived by his daughter, Christina Holmes, who presetnly re
As we waited for the Colonel to return, our dialogue drifted along. "Has your cases always been this tough?" “To be honest, the last 24 hours were challenging for me. I have never seen such a case.” ASP Wong added, "Initially we were clueless, then you came along, then we save someone and in less than a day, that someone is ...gone." Shu Wen blew a sigh and leaned back on the chair. "It is the same for me, Shu Wen. My past cases have been more straightforward. There was spiritual disturbances and I pacify the soul. This Bukit Pandan episode is a lot more complicated." "Three missing soldiers and one of them dead. In this age, every son counts and loss of one is devastating." Shu Wen observed I grimaced. Again the loss of Chris Chen stun my heart. “Ahhh, it was so emotional. I just hate deaths. The spirit in this case is also much more ominous and a lot more powerful. I once told myself with my powers I must achieve two th
Both of us found ASP Wong conducting a briefing in the tentage. She saw us and put two fingers. Two minutes. She sat on the table cross-legged in a pose of confidence and listened intently to the updates about the investigation. It seemed progress has been made. I was expectant when she wrapped up the session and sauntered over. We quickly pulled chairs and sat in a corner like children hungry for a story. Shu Wen looked fresh since we met at the hospital. She had her hair let down and wore a dark purplish shirt with black pants. Professional and beautiful. “Dr Ant, you are doing ok?” she asked before I could utter a word. I nodded, “I had a good sleep but dreamt about the lady spirit. I can only say any lead will be important for me now” “After you left, my men at the hospital found this, just beneath the bed. They had taken a picture. We left this out when you deployed the Mugwort powder. Take a look?” “What may that be” I was