Visual Trigger

It is around 1.55pm in the afternoon. Under the intense heat rays emitting out from the sun, old Mrs. Chang can be seen crossing the road just outside Philips Avenue like what she would do every Thursday afternoon, be it rain or shine, for the past 10 years. Taking one step at a time, old Mrs. Chang proceeds to the bus stop across the road.

At the bus stop, Mrs. Chang sits down slowly on the bench and stares blankly at the road, at the same time repeatedly chanting the same words, “ Ah boy… Ah boy… Ah boy… “, in Teochew, a dialect. Occasionally, drops of tears can be seen flowing out of the corner of her eye, following the trails of her scars etched by time.

Now this has become a chore that Old Mrs. Chang would do every Thursday afternoon that anyone living around the vicinity were aware of it and does not seem to care about her. Curious stares were shot at her as people alight from the bus. Students from nearby school makes fun of her by making funny faces at her. However, old Mrs. Chang appears to be oblivious to the surrounding.

Actually, old Mrs. Chang is waiting for the return of her son but it is impossible because her son died in a gruesome car accident ten years ago. But old Mrs. Chang’s strong desire for the return of her son kept her going for the past ten years, waiting at the same spot.

Until one day, during the month of the hungry ghosts, like every Thursday, old Mrs. Chang is seen waiting at the bus stop. However, this day was very different from the other days for the past ten years. Old Mrs. Chang was chanting something different, “ Ah boy… is back… Ah boy… is back… Ah boy… is back… “, in her Teochew dialect.

Just when everything seem so normal, old Mrs. Chang suddenly sprang from her seat and dashes out to the road with her arms wide open. The way old Mrs. Chang runs is as though she is running towards someone and trying to embrace that “ person “.

At the same time, an oncoming car, coming out of Philips Avenue made a right turn and coincidentally heading towards to point that old Mrs. Chang is running towards. Despite the slow speed of the car, the impact on an old lady was nevertheless great, knocking old Mrs. Chang to the floor…

Old Mrs. Chang wakes up a hospital, having the lower part of her body entirely covered up in bandage. She lies in her ward, having no visitors, motionless. It seems that this time, despite having a strong desire for the return of her son, her physical disability is preventing her from going back to the bus stop. All old Mrs. Chang can do now is to wait. Wait till the time comes for her to join her son up in the heavens…