When I went back to Penang in 1996, I wanted to visit my great-grandpa's cemetery at Batu Lanchang Road. My pa told me his graveside was half-way up the hill, and ma said it was very hot, so they equipped me with an umbrella, water bottle and ice, and a towel, and I took my hat and sunglasses. They said it was ok to go into the cemetery because I am no longer a Buddhist, but a Christian now. So pa dropped me off at the bottom of the hill. I took the Branch President from my Church with me because he could read Chinese.
So we set off up the hill, which had thousands of white headstones. It was a very hot afternoon, Sunday afternoon. When we reached about halfway up the hill, I pointed to a grave and asked the Branch President to read the gravestone and he said it was not the right one and he continued to walk up the hill. I had a look at the next tombstone and saw that it had the “two trees” characters which meant a forest or Lim. I called him and he immediately came back. He said if anyone had the inspiration to find the tombstone it would be me, because he was my great-grandpa. He read the inscription and said “yes, it was the right one!” I was so happy.
The gravestones were decorated with beautiful jade figurines, which were still in very good conditions, but the grasses around it were tall and untidy. It was overgrown. I took out my camera, and it suddenly went dark, with a dark storm clouds coming overhead. I had to put down my umbrella, took of my hat and sunnies, because it was getting quite dark. I tried to take a picture but the camera jammed, and would not work. Then I took out my pen and paper, but the ink was dried out. So I took out my pencil and it broke. The Branch President said that it must be an omen, and that Great-grandpa would not like his graveside to be so untidy, and he said he will get some red paint for the inscription and mow the grass and make the graveside tidier tomorrow.
So we went home and he mowed and painted the tombstone the next day.
We went back a few days later.