Unfinished Business At Amber Beacon
My 14-year-old son Fedor can talk only in very short sentences, and he perceives the world around us differently. At times he sees things that no one else does.
Occasionally, Fedor has bad days being overexcited and restless and, during these moments, we usually go for long walks. Singapore’s scenery accommodates it nicely with lavish tropical parks and lengthy paths along the South China Sea.
Once we were in a hilly Mount Faber park famous for the stunning views from the cable car and for being haunted by massacred soldiers’ spirits since the Japanese occupation in 1942. It wasn’t too late but already dark and the area around the cable car station was deserted. Suddenly, Fedor clatched my hand and said: “Dog, go away”. I looked in the direction he was frowning at and didn’t see anything. Fedor streamed: “Go way” then turned around and run. I managed to catch him only when he stumbled over a root and fell scratching his knee. Fedor whispered causing me goosebumps “Here. Don’t want”. We went downhill and have never come back to the cable car station
On the other day, it was the “twenty minutes of glowing twilights before the sunset” which happens on the equatorial island every day from 7.30 pm. Darkening skies, deep ultramarine sea with ocean barges waiting for their turn to loading in a city port. We were at one of the East Coast promenade jetties and Fedor was watching local uncles fishing while I was admiring Amber Beacon right behind us. The yellow lighthouse building is one of the jams of Singapore constructivism with a floating deck supported by a tiled staircase.
Disruptively my son was on the move again. He came to the beacon stairs and touched the rails then turned to me saying “Blood! Need Band-aid”. I didn’t see any blood on him or on the rails which were just a bit rusty. Fedor was not happy with my lack of reaction, he started to agitatedly clap and repeat “Blood. Band-Aid”. We had to go to cross the road and find the pharmacy.
When we came back to the beacon it was almost dark and there was an old woman sitting on the stairs fingering a torques rosary. She was looking at the sea and didn’t pay any attention to our appearance. Fedor took the band-aid box, took out one piece and handed it to the auntie. She said something to him in Chinese and he pointed to the side of his neck. I was perplexed and just stood and watch. Somehow, they understood each other, he sat next to her and she hugged him. Hug my Fedor … who normally doesn’t allow anyone to touch him at all. Then the auntie stood up and slowly walk away. Fedor turned back to me and said “taxi”.
Later in the office, our department assistant went pale when I shared what happened. “Fedor must have seen the stabbed girl, she said, and “the old woman must be her poor mother. She is about 80 by now”. Apparently, the beacon was haunted after the murder in 1990 when a young couple was stabbed by two men who have never been found. The boy has survived and apparently moved on but the girl and her mother had unfinished business. Perhaps, Fedor has helped them somehow…
Singapore, October 2022
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