Lost and Found

“Are you sure you didn’t left it in the cemetery?” mom looks at me with worried eyes.

“Yes mom, I’m pretty sure,” I said, walking up and down the house, scouring every corner, “I remember placing it in the car as when we left,” but I still couldn’t find it.

That moment, I felt crushed. I couldn’t find my camera. I went all CSI-mode in search for my camera and found nothing. The feeling was escalating and this isn’t making this Monday any better. Distraught and angry at myself, I stormed out, all emo and drove straight to the cemetery on my way to work this morning. The worst thing that could happen, losing my camera when end of the year is approaching -- when everyone is coming back and parties galore.

I parked my car right infront of the cemetery entrance and begun my search. First stop, my grand aunt’s tombstone, her’s was the nearest and it is also highly unlikely that I’ll find it there. Because it’s so strategic and there’s always people. But I went anyway -- just for good measure.

Nothing.

So I moved on, dad called, “Meng, why don’t you try looking for it at the cemetery, maybe it’s still there.”

“I’m already here, on my way to granny’s now,” I said as I walked up the slightly steep road. It didn’t help that I was wearing a bloody red Man Utd jersey. Everyone stared at me. I get the impression that they think I’m some modern time grave robber.

The phone was still pressed against my right ear, “Search everywhere lah, are you sure you brought it back? Maybe you left it on the roof of your car or something,” dad goes on.

“No way dad, I had it with me when we left,” I said, full of confidence, “Do you remember seeing it when I was releasing air from my tyres at Esso?”

He went on a long errrrrr before he broke out of it, “I can’t recall lah,” he sighs, “But I remember you lugging around this small little black thing with you.”

Gee, that was a lot of help, “Right…anyway, I’m almost at granny’s now, call me if you find anything.”

We hung up and I tip toed my way to my grandma’s tomb. Shrubs were as tall as me and worms were all over the grassy ground. This is turning out to be the worst Monday ever. Doesn’t help that I’m wearing slippers. I arrive at her tomb, looked all over. Couldn’t find it. Started feeling even gloomier though the sun is shining so vibrantly. I said some prayers, spend a few minutes cleaning up the area before moving on.

So I walked on, last stop, my grand dad’s tomb. Every time I visit him, I always get this weird feeling inside. You see, I never met any of my grand dads. Even though – in my weird family tree – I have up to 4 grand dads. Don’t ask, its one bloody long story involving WWI and so on.

I arrive and begun looking around. Nothing. I felt like giving up. There’s nothing more I can do. I began talking to him, praying for my camera to somehow magically reappear. Closed my eyes with my hands clasp together, I pray. I’m not much of a prayer to begin with. Heck, I’m not even superstitious. I don’t know why I did it. I guess I really loved the camera. I picked myself up and dragged myself thru the tall shrubs and worm-laden ground back onto the tarmac. Just less than 30 seconds after I left, dad called;

“Meng ah!!” in his usual I-am-gonna-lecture-you-now tone, he still does this even though I’m already 23 and he knows I just nod, “You ahhh…haiyohh, so careless, here!” he passes the phone to my mom, “Hee hee hee hee, did you drive my car yesterday ah?” she asks.

“No, I was too lazy to go out.”

Still giggling, she says “Sure not? I found your camera, it’s in my car. On the driver’s seat some more!”

I wasn’t really sure how it got there, but then I recall, “Ohhhhhhh, you lah, you said bats were shitting all over your car, so I moved it back lah when we got back,” but what I didn’t know was it has slipped out and landed itself on the front seat. From this point on, my dad burst into laughter, of relief I’m guessing.

After having them laugh at me for 5 mins, we hung up. I stopped walking.

Then it hit me.
No way. Nooo way. I looked back at where my grand dad’s tomb was. Could it? No way…something divine just happen? I stood there like an idiot, beaming in bright red. Did my grand dad just hear me out? I turn and walked back to him. Though I’m more science then superstitions, I thought it’ll be rude not to thank him, for helping the grand son he never saw. So I walked back and gave my thanks and sat there for a bit.

On my way down, I revisited grandma too. Call it creepy but I swear her picture smiled a bit when I was there. Maybe it was the heat or something…

I went to work after that.