The Spirit of the Ancestors
Kampung Jelatok Chinese Cemetery. Thsi is where the deceased are RIP.
It is a Chinese traditional custom in every early third moon of Lunar Calendar where people will visit their departed relative’s cemetery. We will clean up the tomb, offering food, and burn joss stick for the departed.
This year I and my grandmother visit the cemetery to clean up her parents (my great grandparents) tomb. The cemetery is located on a hill in Kampung Jelatok, Tanah Merah. The locals call the cemetery as ‘Chinese Hill’, but here I rather call it as ‘Ancestor’s Hill’.
Due to this was the first time I drive myself there, I getting myself lost in the jalan kampung and have to stop for asking direction from local residents for couple of times. I can tell you the people in Kampung Jelatok were very friendly and helpful. I do not felt embarrassed and neither them felt amused when I am seeking for their help.
This is my great grandparents tomb.
The Ancestor’s Hill is a fairly big cemetery, where the area is around 10 acre. It was not too difficult for us to find my great grandparents tomb because it was situated near the cemetery entrance. We cleaned the foods and joss stick butts presented by the earlier visitor, 3 or 4 days before I guess. We covered the tomb hump with new paper money and prayed. There is no need to clean the weed because there is no weed at all around my great grandparents’ tomb. Apparently, my great grandparents’ sons were very diligent and they clean the tomb regularly. I felt sad to see some of the tombs there were seems unattended and covered by weeds. The tombs were heavily decorated but what is the meaning of that if none of their heirs are remembering them.
After the brief prayer, an old man (around pass 70) suddenly greeted my grandmother and asks her whether she still recognize him. Only after the old man reminded my grandmother, we knew the man was my grandmother’s childhood classmate and friend. They talk for a while drink Chinese tea as a re-union symbolism. Hmm, what a touching environment. They already didn’t meet for more than half century but still can recognizing each other. The old man was very courteous. He prayed for my great grandparents before leave us.
Only after that, I know that even thought they were ‘classmate’ they didn’t have their class in a classroom. Together with other town children, they having their rudimentary lesson in my great grandparents’ house, and the ‘teacher’ was my great grandfather.
My grandmother was having her childhood in 2nd World War era. Back then, our country was occupied by Japanese army. My grandmother said the Japanese soldiers were frequently marched over the town. Their katana (warrior sword) was as long as half of their tall and hanging almost touching the ground over their waist. Due to the war chaos and Japanese particular unfriendliness to Chinese, the local school was forced to close. My great grandfather was not a true teacher, but he received sufficient education before the Japanese invasion. Due to not letting the town children become totally unliterated (buta huruf), my great grandfather voluntarily giving free class lesson to town children every night. My great grandfather taught them how to spell and write in Bahasa Melayu. The only expense for the class was for the lantern’s gasoline. Even though the gasoline was only 20 cent, the 20 cent on the time can be valued as nowadays RM20. In war time, 20 cent was quiet a valuable amount.
My great grandfather passed away in 1994. His concern and dedication to the town youngster was a noble deed. My grandparent and parents were not highly educated after all, but I and my brothers were properly educated and now at the top of our intellectual excellence. This can be due to the blessed (berkat) we inherited from the spirit of our great grandfather. Now, I pledge to my ancestors that I will continue to carry the noble spirit. By the God’s will, I will bring myself to education profession, share my knowledge with everyone so our predecessor will be much resourceful than our self.
