Saturday August 23, 2008

Romance in the afterworld

By WINNIE YEOH

GEORGE TOWN: Romance was in the air – even during the month of the Hungry Ghosts.

In a traditional ceremony held at a temple in Nibong Tebal, Chee Yu Quan married Cheah Beng Eng.

Chee died 50 years ago. Cheah succumbed to kidney failure 31 years ago.

Happily ever after: Family members of the bride and groom praying during their wedding ceremony.

The bride's mother Ong Kim Luan, 74, said Cheah expressed her intention to get married during a pass-over ceremony during the Hungry Ghost festival last year.

“We were shocked and doubtful at first. But when we got a telephone call from the temple the following day, telling us that a 'guy' had requested for my daughter’s hand through a medium, we knew the request was for real.”

She said the temple managed to contact Chee’s family and told them of his intention. The two families got together and agreed to arrange the wedding.

As in a real Chinese customary wedding, the deceased, represented by human-featured paper effigies, got married in the traditional way, complete with tea ceremony for the couple and their family members.

Close family members, relatives and friends were at the temple to witness the ceremony.

Earlier, Chee’s family, from Bukit Mertajam, drove their son to Cheah’s parents home in Jelutong to “fetch” the bride at 7am.

The couple left Cheah’s house in a car and headed to the temple where their marriage was solemnised by the medium.

Ong said she was glad her daughter finally got married.

“She couldn’t pass over and reincarnate as it was her wish to be married. I hope she can be born into a good family and be a healthy and happy person in her next life,” she said.

She also said her daughter liked to look good and had requested for new undergarments, cheongsams, shoes, jewelleries and handbags.

“She asked for all these things through the medium and we did our best to give her everything,” she said.

Cheah was 16 when she succumbed to her illness while Chee died as an infant 50 years ago.

Ong said, according to the medium, the couple met in the afterworld two years ago and their relationship bloomed.

The Star