DAD'S HOUSE - By Thong Kim Fook

Written By: thong kim fook

Category: SHORT STORY

Competition: Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026

In the Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026, Thong Kim Fook presents "Dad's House," a compelling short story exploring themes of grief, family bonds, and the supernatural. The narrative captures the emotional turmoil of a family dealing with the aftermath of a father's death and the haunting presence in their shared home. This poignant story invites readers to reflect on the lingering connections between past and present, and the complex emotions tied to familial memories and unresolved love.

About the Work

"Dad's House" delves into the emotional landscape of a family grappling with loss and unresolved feelings. Thong Kim Fook skillfully weaves a narrative that blends the haunting presence of a departed father with the daughters' struggle to come to terms with their grief. The story employs rich imagery and a somber mood, exploring themes of love, regret, and the spiritual remnants of a family home. The work captures the complexity of familial relationships and the enduring impact of a parent's legacy.

DAD'S HOUSE

Original Submission by thong kim fook

DAD’S HOUSE

BY JAN THONG KIM FOOK

Standing close to their mother, Anna and Maria were still grief stricken at the passing of their father. Their mother did not show much emotion and all of them were waiting for the property agent to arrive to the house where the father used to live for his last few years. It was already one month since he succumbed to his illness.

“I still do not get it why you need to dispose of the house so soon,” Anna said between sniffles and her tear-stained eyes were already cloudy. She was seen wiping it away with her sleeves of her blouse and not bothering to use the tissues in her pocket. Maria was deathly silent all the time and did not look at her mother at all.

“Nobody is living here anyway,” the mother replied weakly, “since your dad and me have already divorced for some years and I need to get back my share of the house.” “But that does not mean you should dispose it so fast.” Anna sobbed. “It was Dad’s hard-earned property which he had worked so long to acquire it. And it was the last thing that reminds us of him.”

“Remind you only, not me,” her mother replied bluntly. “Besides both of you are living so far away in Kuala Lumpur. Houses in Ipoh does not fetch much money and I fear this house may not even be sold for what we asked for. Who will take care of it next time? I am shifting away to Singapore with your uncle Eric so I do not want to come back to take care of it even if I want to. And I do not want to do anything with it, just to get back my share of the house. The other shares are between both of you and you should be grateful for the money.”

“We do not need the money!” Maria exploded. “We have our own house already and we feel sad that Dad is gone so soon and then even before the mourning period is over, you have the heart to sell it off. Do you not have some feelings or emotions attached to this house? Besides, you and Dad have stayed for more than ten years here and you are so eager to sell if off so soon and so sudden. Your boyfriend Eric is wealthy enough to take care of you so why do you want to do something so heartless? Maybe you should even forget about the house since it is not worth much especially now you are so much richer. Why take the hassle to sell it since you said the property here is not too valuable.”

“Do have some manners,” the mother glared at her daughters. “Uncle Eric has truly taken care of me unlike your dead father and at least you should have the courtesy to call him Uncle, if not Dad. Your Dad did not even bother to take good care of me and seldom make enough to give me more money. I need to take care of the household and to take care of both of you and so at least try to be grateful.”

“Grateful? And call him Dad. You are out of your mind. I have no intention of even trying to be related to him later. We are grateful to our dad and he is dead. He did not earn much because he had a low education but he did not even stop working all his life. He bought this house from the developer with his own money and also partly to please you as you always hoped to have a big house. You marry him rich or poor as in your wedding vows and besides he did take good care of us, give us education to the highest levels, bought all the necessary stuffs for us to continue our life. He did not even take a vacation himself and he was not eating healthily. You should have seen that and now you have changed because you met a richer boyfriend who started to throw money at you. Dad died because he was not satisfied with all these and he had withdrawn into his own shell when you ask for a divorce. Did you know that? No, you did not because you are in seventh heaven.” Maria was already losing her temper and was already shouting at her mother when the property agent arrives.

“I deal with both of you later when I have finished meeting the agent.” the mother flushed with anger, started to walk to the car as the agent gets down with an assistant. “Hi, I am Steven Lee and this is Samantha Wong, my assistant.” the agent introduce himself. “As mentioned over the phone, I am pleased to value your property accordingly. But you must know, Mrs. Tan, right?” “Yes, I talked over the phone with you earlier.” Her mother was trying to smile but Anna and Maria kept their distances, not wanting to get involved. Besides, they are still in turmoil and sad and have no wish to get to hear what their mother is discussing over their dad’s property. The agent continues, “Ipoh property is not quite like KL or PJ and it is difficult to get a higher price for a second-hand unit. But it also depends on location and conditions of the unit so until we have a thorough inspection, then only we can come up with a reasonable value. Rest assured, Mrs. Tan, we will try our best to get the highest price we can as it is also good for us.” He gives her a sly smile as the higher the value, the higher his commission.

With that, the agent and his assistant entered the house with Mrs. Tan in tow. Mrs. Tan glared at her daughters and said,” Are you not coming?” “No,” both of them replied and turned away leaving a distraught and unhappy Mrs. Tan unsure what to do but as the agent is waiting to go in, she had no choice as she was holding the house keys given to her earlier by Anna.

After their divorce, Mrs. Tan did not possess the house keys at all as she was not keen to come back but money is money and she is keen on that after her ex-husband is dead. With that she reluctantly opened the front door and ushered in Steven and Samantha before she takes a last disgusted look at her daughters and entered the house. Her ex-husband did not bother to change the locks of the house as he was too distraught to care. He did not clean the house too. He used to help out cleaning the house, taking out the garbage, doing some minor repairs when they were in better times but after the divorce, he did not care whether the house is going to collapse or rot. He comes back from work and crawl into the room and normally will not come out at all. He buys food and eat inside the room and once a while will bring his dirty clothes to the nearby laundry. He refused to use the washing machine in the house too and neither does he want to touch the kitchen and bathroom stuff that belonged to his ex-wife.

Once a while when Anna or Maria comes over to visit, he will brighten up a bit and goes with them to the nearby restaurant to eat together but the travelling from KL to Ipoh is quite far. The visits, normally about twice a month. Both the daughters have noticed that their dad is talking less and less every time they come back to visit him and his weight is plummeting too. “Dad,” one of them will say. “I think you need to eat more and rest more. You are getting thinner and thinner and not eating as you used to. Dad, please, we are quite far away and if possible, we will return if we can but we have to work too. Maybe you quit your job and come over to our place so we can take care of you.” Their Dad looked at them for a long time before he replied. “No, if I go then nobody will take care of the house.” “But you can rent out the house,” implored Maria, “then you do not have to worry about it.” “No, it is my hard-earned house and I am not going to leave this house even if I am dead. I am not giving up this house as it is my life. Do not worry about me. Take good care of yourself in KL. I can manage on my own here. I will live and die here. I will not let anyone took my house.” he said ominously.

Both the daughters never dream that their dad was already stricken with prostate cancer but he chooses not to tell them. He did not even follow up with the medical treatment as recommended. Less than a year later he was dead and his body was not discovered until one of his colleagues come to look for him as he was absent for two days from his work. Anna and Maria blamed themselves for not noticing their dad’s illness and also did not take his hint that he will die there. They sobbed for almost two weeks and even their close relatives cannot console them. His ex-wife flew in from Singapore during his wake alone. Uncle Eric was said to be too busy with his business and did not attend.

At the wake, most of his colleagues come over to attend including his boss. Mark the colleague who discovered his body was equally distraught and blamed himself for not informing his two daughters about his illness. He told them that the last few months working at the office, their father has withdrawn and was reluctant to speak to anyone and was in constant pain from his illness. They also did not know it was already terminal and although they advised him to seek medical care, he did not respond. It seems he is hoping the illness will kill him. Mark said, face ashen and trying hard to control his voice from breaking. “He was awfully nice to everyone and most of us are feeling bad for him but he stubbornly refused to heed any of our advice and always keep to himself. And he sometimes doesn’t even bother to eat during the lunch and tea breaks.” Mark has earlier handed over a letter to Anna and said they found it in his office drawer while checking his belongings after his death.

The letter was addressed to: - my beloved Anna and Maria. Inside was written a poem probably during the time when he was not so ill.

‘Dearest, daddy is sorry for not giving you both a better life’

‘I regret getting married to an awful wife’

‘I am not blaming your mom’

‘She was right, I am useless and a bum’

‘I have not told you that I am ill’

‘Already too late for it to heal’

‘Neither your mom is aware’

‘If so, probably she does not care’

‘I am leaving soon but I am sad’

‘Leaving both of you, my biggest regret’

‘I have hope and yearn’

‘Seeing both of you, my heart churn’

‘Leaving this world, I fear not’

‘Missing both of you, that is the thought’

‘Feeling unfair that I have to go so fast’

‘Not much time to be with you, time fly past’

‘I am not peaceful and not happy to leave’

‘My spirit is in turmoil not at peace’

‘If only more time I had’

‘Bye my beloved, love Dad’

After the funeral was over and his ashes scattered into the sea, Mrs. Tan demanded to see his Will. She did not know of the letter so she did not ask about it. Both the daughters were furious as they were still in mourning and refused to talk to her so she had no choice but to flew back to Singapore first. Repeated calls to her daughters were not answered over the weeks and she did not bother to come over for the weekly prayers as required by Chinese customs. One month later she flew over and told her daughters that she had contacted Steven to gauge the house value. “I only want my share of the proceeds and not interested in the rest of his belongings.” she told her daughters and some of the relatives present at the 30th day prayers.

There was an uneasy silence as most of the relatives were uncomfortable with the mother and daughters. Frankly they do not wish to be here if not to give respect to the dead relative. The divorce also shook those relatives badly as they thought husband and wife are going on well. Finally, she told her daughters that the agent will be coming tomorrow as the prayers have been concluded. “I need to settle this as I need to go back to Singapore. Eric is not too happy that I kept flying over here.” she complained to the silent group.

Inside the semi-detached house, Steven asked a few questions like how was the condition of the house, any leakages, any structural damages, any outstanding loans, general questions which Mrs. Tan had no trouble replying and besides she had vacated the house only about 4 years ago so it should be in good condition. Anyway, Steven did a walk about and although he noticed that some of her ex-husband’s belongings like clothes in the wardrobe, his bathroom toiletries and some of his books, photo albums, antique collections of coins and notes, he did not really complain as he knew it will be removed soon by his daughters once they are free to come over to clean it up. Samantha was busy taking notes and it was really stuffy and hot inside as the electricity had been cut off for some time.

Finally, the agents exited the house and said to Mrs. Tan. “I give you an answer by next week after we have compiled all the data and hope you can wait until then. We have a list of potential house buyers and we hope we can get rid of it as fast as possible. You know, selling a house is not that easy and a lot of customers are quite fussy especially with a second-hand unit. By the way, we will not report that your ex-husband spends his last days here so hopefully it will not affect the price of the house. About the left-over stuff, we will assure the potential buyers all will be clear in the next few days. We will explain to them that the owner does not want the stuff anymore so just need to dispose of them immediately.’

Asking price for the three thousand square feet semi-detached unit was around seven hundred thousand and over the past few weeks, Steven was busy with bringing in potential house buyers to inspect the unit. Most of the potential house buyers were from other states and their intention of buying a house in Ipoh ranged from being a weekend home, investment, turning into an Abnb or for their parents. By KL standards, the price is much cheaper and although the location is a bit off the city center, it is still within proximity. Driving out for nice food was less than thirty minutes which is acceptable for a lot of KL folks.

Due to the eagerness of Steven to conclude the deal, he brought in the first potential house buyers the next week and even when the house was not properly cleaned and cleared of the old belongings. The king size bed, mattress, pillow, the wardrobe, the clothes were still in the same place. Steven told his clients that the owner vacates the house in a hurry and will return to collect and dispose of all the stuff later.

The first couple, a young rich guy with his girlfriend from Penang, have dropped by to Ipoh on business appointment and to inspect the unit. He had intention to make it into a holiday home as he likes Ipoh food. “It is more relaxed here. In Penang, the traffic jam was horrendous over the weekend and the food is getting less and less tasty so thinking of having a holiday home here. Besides I can travel to Cameron Highlands within one hour. Quite good.”

Poking around the master bedroom, his girlfriend was staring at the furniture when she thought she saw the pillow moved. Letting out a squeal, she quickly left the room and joined the boyfriend who was in the kitchen talking to Steven. She was unsure of herself so she keeps quiet and stick to her boyfriend all the time. Steven then invites them to come upstairs to view the bedrooms; there were four bedrooms all together including one downstairs with attached bathrooms. The boyfriend was poking around the master bedroom visualizing the size of the area when his girlfriend took his arm and point to the bed. “What is it?” he asked. “The pillow was not there earlier. It was at the other end.” she replied frightened. “You are sure?” her boyfriend asked. “Yes, because I come up earlier and noticed the pillow and it moves! That is why I go down to find you.” Steven now joins in and he spoke. “But we have not come up before. Maybe you are mistaken. I am sure the pillow is there in the first place.” He takes the pillow and examine it before putting it back. “Nothing. I am sure the pillow will not move by itself.” he let out a nervous laugh. After a few more visits to the other rooms, the couple and the agent left the house quickly and Steven asked, “so what do you think of the unit? Quite nice right at this price?” The boy was silent for a while and then he said, “Give me a few days to think it over.”

The next day, Steven was busy with another appointment so he sends Samantha to bring along one elderly couple from KL to view the semidetached unit. The couple were thinking of re-locating back to Ipoh as initially they were from Ipoh before moving to KL to earn a living. Now they were thinking of coming back as they preferred the more idyllic lifestyle here and anyway both of them retired some time ago. Mr. And Mrs. Wong have no children but they have quite a number of relatives residing in Ipoh. Mrs. Wong especially. Of course, her siblings were quite happy for them to return to their home town to stay put. With them in tow, Samantha drove them to the unit and unlocked the door for them to enter for inspection. Mr. Wong was non-committal and being a simple man he will be happy if his wife was happy. As they browsed around, Mr. Wong was checking at the ground floor with the kitchen to one side and quite a large store room at the other end. Samantha was engrossed with him and Mrs. Wong decided to nip upstairs to look at all the bedrooms. She thought that other than both of them using the master bedroom, the other bedrooms would be for guests.

So decided, she explore the master bedroom and when she opened the door, she was startled to see a man standing there. “Oops sorry.” She stammered. “I thought we were the only people viewing the house.” The man did not turn around and she quickly closed the door quietly, feeling bad that she had intruded another client. She went down the stairs and joined her husband and Samantha. “Eh…. Miss, sorry to ask but we thought we are the only people viewing this unit?” “Why yes of course,” Samantha replied. “There was no other appointment until either tomorrow or the day after. Why did you ask.” “But there was a customer upstairs viewing the master bedroom,” Mrs. Wong replied looking at her husband and Samantha. “It cannot be,” Samantha replied with a puzzled look on her face. “Steven did not tell me this or maybe he had forgotten to, the keys to this unit were with me. There was only one set given to us. Hmmm…. maybe one of the relatives have come to clear the area?” she mused. They all go up to the master room and upon opening the door, there was no one there! “Weird,” Mrs. Wong remarked. “I am sure there was a man standing near the wardrobe and he did not reply when I spoke to him.” Mrs. Wong begin to feel herself feeling cold and she tell Mr. Wong. “Maybe we better be going. My sister called and asked to go over for lunch.” Mr. Wong turn to Samantha. “We will come back next time if we are much freer as today the time was a bit tight.” With that they are walk away after Samantha locked up the door. There was an uncomfortable silence all the way back to her office and although Samantha tries to make some light conversation, the couple did not talk much and quickly collected their car and drove away.

After relating the story to Steven later in the evening, Steven call Mrs. Tan in Singapore. “Hello Mrs. Tan, sorry to disturb you.” “Oh no problem, Steven, good news for me?” Mrs. Tan answered positively. “Eh, not really but there was something weird with the house. Are you being frank with me that the house was fine?” Steven asked. “Why yes of course,” Mrs. Tan replied. “The house was renovated not long ago, like maybe few years back and all the structural and plumbing defects have been rectified. The paint is still new as we spent on good quality paint to ensure it will last longer. Do not think there were problems with the house. I am quite certain people got their own taste and maybe they are thinking the house is not too modern for them but remember it was quite a number of years that we have bought it. Anyway, what was the complains about and I am sure we can resolve it”

Steven hesitated. Even though he was anxious to get rid of the house, he was unsure if he should bring this out to the client that the house was haunted but he had no choice and after careful weighing the options he cautiously said to Mrs. Tan. “It seems the house was haunted as two clients have reported seeing unnatural things inside. I am not saying to lower down the price to get rid of it faster but the sightings have made some of the clients uncomfortable.”

There was a long silence from Singapore. Finally, Mrs. Tan replied tersely. “I know nothing of this sort and neither did my two daughters heard anything. If some of the clients purposely make such comments, I guess they only want to negotiate to a lower price. For it to be haunted, I am not living there and neither are my daughters so we are not aware of anything unnatural.” Steven interrupted. “Look Mrs. Tan, I do not want my clients to be frightened by this type of happenings and I have a few more potential clients already appointed to view the house. If there were weird happenings, I have no choice but to consider this sale null and void.” “But your company had signed over the sale of this unit and you cannot say you just terminate it.” Mrs. Tan replied coolly. “Well, if it was really haunted by either your ex-husband or some other beings, we have no choice and we can terminate the deal claiming you have not been truthful to our agreement.” Steven replied unhappily. Mrs. Tan was quiet for a long time.

Finally, she replied in a colder voice. “If that is really the case, I will get some bomoh or priests to exorcise it before we open up the sale again just to assure you and maybe the clients. And meantime I will engage a contractor to remove all the old furniture and fittings immediately so as to lessen any further doubts. Do be patient for a while and after the clearing up, I will inform you again if all the above have been done just to assure you I am serious too.”

Steven decided to hold on to the appointed inspection with his clients until Mrs. Tan has done the necessary steps, like clearing away the belongings including the loose furniture. Desperate, Mrs. Tan had tried to contact a contractor to clear the house and did not even bother to negotiate the costs at all. Time is the essence; she told the contractor. The contractor promised to mobilize in his workers early next week as he need to finish up some of the existing work he is currently working on.

Early next Monday, the contractor brought in four workers to begin the work of clearing out the furniture, fittings and the belongings of the deceased. He told his workers that he wants the house cleared and all the debris out of the area within two days. As the electricity to the house had long been dismantled, the workers have to bring in spotlights and using portable generator sets to provide the lighting and power for electrical equipment. Two workers to start on the first floor and the second team at the hall and the kitchen. Two days to clear all including removal was rather tight but the contractor had no choice as he had promised Mrs. Tan. The workers clearing the three smaller bedrooms had not much problems with the loose belongings before starting to tackle the master bedroom which had a lot more stuff in it. The other two workers were clearing out the hall of the furniture which was quite old before they venture to the kitchen later. By then the compound was full of old stuff all heaped together before the contractor can call in the truck to cart it off for disposal.

At the top floor, the two workers were heaving away the mattress and one of them attempted to lift at one end and the other, at the other end. After much heaving and puffing, the two workers were not able to lift it up. Baffled, they looked at each other and exclaimed in their language asking why it was so heavy. They decided to call the other two workers to come up to help. The contractor has left them to do the work and will return later to pick them up. The other two workers came up and after some discussions, they decided to take a corner each and all together to heave it up. The mattress did not budge even with the strength of the four workers! Really concerned, they rest for a while and check the mattress, even peeking underneath to see if it was fastened to the bed. Nothing. They try again and still was not able to lift up the mattress. The workers decided to leave it as it was and turned to the wardrobe to remove the clothing first. Maybe the mattress was of good solid quality stuff, they thought.

The wardrobe sliding door slid open to reveal a lot of clothes and pants on hangers. One of the workers grab the hangers to remove the clothes in one go when the sliding door suddenly slide along the rail and slam shut. With a yelp, the worker let go of the clothes in record speed and managed to withdraw his hand before the door slam closed! The other three workers were shocked by the incident and all of them ran down the stairs at full speed and out of the house. They refused to go back into the house and called their boss to come back to pick them up. The contractor arrived immediately and after relating to him the incident of the mattress and the wardrobe, the contractor decided to go upstairs to take a look. Lifting up the mattress, he found it easy and not as heavy as they claimed. But the wardrobe door was locked fast and no matter how he pushed or pulled, the door refuses to budge. Giving up he called the workers but they refused to enter the house to continue. Having no choice the contractor decided to call it a day and continue tomorrow with another team of workers, giving the fact that a lot of stuff have already been heaped out at the compound.

The next day, with another team of new workers, the contractor resumed work to clear the upper level of the bed and the stuff. This time he was on hand to see if the mattress can be removed. He even brought in extra equipment with the intention to pries open the wardrobe door. The four burly workers working as a team, try to lift the mattress but it would not budge at all shocking the contractor this time. Even with his help, the mattress did not move although he was sure he moved it yesterday. Now the workers were starting to get edgy and after what their co-workers told them yesterday, they were getting jittery. Without warning the wardrobe door nearby suddenly slide open and slam to the opposite side. The hanged clothes were shaking from either the force of the door or from something else! The workers fled downstairs with their boss fastest in front and out of the door! Behind them the master bedroom door slammed shut suddenly. Without locking the main door, the contractor piled all his workers into his truck and sped off. Later when he reached his office, he called Mrs. Tan and told her he will not continue as the house was haunted and no amount of money can persuade him to go back.

Mrs. Tan was shocked too and she called Anna to tell her the happenings at the house. Anna was silent as her mother rant and rant on the issue. Finally, she said quietly and calmly. “Mom, we already told you Dad will not allow his house to be disposed of and you better leave it alone. I and sis do not want to get involve but if you want to sell it, it is up to you. Please do not complained to us if anything untoward happened and do not call us anymore.” She calls Maria and related the conversation to her. Maria was equally silent and at length she said. “I want to go over to talk to Dad if his spirit is still around. I missed him.”

Mrs. Tan was feeling desperate and she decided to fly over to Ipoh again. Eric was not too happy but she keeps insisting that she wants to collect her share of the property. “I can give you more money. Just forget about the house. Anyway, it was not much after you sold it. Only about three hundred thousand ringgits after deducting all the expenses.” “If I leave it, later the house will be sold and the money will be giving to those two. I doubted they will give me back and I am eligible for half the money.” Mrs. Tan replied. “Besides we have not officially married and I need my own savings.” Eric sighed and was silent.

She flew into Ipoh and the first thing she did was to visit one of the temples she used to go during her stayed here and asked to engage a monk to do some prayers so that her ex-husband will not disturb the house anymore. The monk was reluctant to go and told Mrs. Tan that they can only offer prayers but they cannot cleanse the house as they were not ghost-busters. Anyway, they said if the spirit was restless, even prayers were no use. Mrs. Tan left a hearty contribution to the charity box as a gesture of thanks. The next day the monk come with two more monks in tow. Together they entered the house and set up the prayer’s paraphernalia, lighting joss-sticks and candles and starting their chants. They did not stop for a full two hours and after that they told Mrs. Tan that they have done their best. No untoward happenings were seen during this period of prayers. But the monks advised Mrs. Tan that it was up to her fate as they cannot change anything spiritually. After they left, Mrs. Tan was left standing alone at the big house and she felt a chill emanating from inside. It was as though someone had left the air-conditioning on. She shivered and quickly closed the door and left.

According to the monks, the house shall not be disturbed at least for three days after the prayers. Mrs. Tan was anxious and decided not to wait. She flew back to Singapore after contacting Steven and leaving him the keys. “I have done the prayers,” she told him, “Wait until next week before you bring in any clients to view it if you have any. Meanwhile can you get someone to clear the disposed stuff in front of the house? I will compensate you for that. I need to return to Singapore.” Steven nodded but he said to her before she leaves. “Now that a lot of people knew the house is haunted, I am worried that your asking price was no longer able to hold. I am sorry but the price will have to go down if you want to dispose it regardless whether the prayers help or not. You know, the people are quick to catch onto the problem and although a lot of people are not bothered about the haunting, they will press down on the selling price.” “I understand, do whatever you can and if cannot, then have to lower the price. Make it happen and do it quick before it gets worse. I am anxious to get it over too.” Mrs. Tan said. She reflected that she was now in hot soup. After spending so much money and time, giving up seems not viable and disposing it urgently means she have less money. She had no choice and hope to settle it by the coming few weeks.

By the next two days, Steven managed to get the compound cleared and he was also quite happy as he had charged Mrs. Tan quite a hefty price for it and all done in half a day. With the assurance of Mrs. Tan that the house has been cleared by the monks of whatever was there, he was quick to arrange a few appointments over the next few days and hopefully can get a deal done soon. This time a family group came, the parents and two grown up children and two grandchildren. The old man was intending to buy the unit so that they can move in and have a bigger house for the coming festive season as the one they were staying were a tad too small for so many people. Steven personally took them around and was wary of any untoward happenings during the inspection. The kids were running around noisily as kids do and up and down the stairs, opening doors and playing with the bathroom utensils. Steven made sure the wardrobe door in the master room was closed and locked this time.

After nosing about the kitchen and the hall, the crowd went upstairs to inspect all the bedrooms as usual and Steven repeated that the owner will come and collect the belongings later. As the crowd were checking the master bedroom and the kids putting up a racket, they heard the toilet being flushed! Initially Steven thought one of the kids was inside playing with the flushed toilet but both the kids were jumping around the bed! Everyone looked at each other and Steven, to cover up any more suspicious queries reiterated that the toilet was set to flush itself periodically. He explained a bit weakly that due to nobody living in the house, they set the toilet to flush and clean it periodically to ensure a healthy environment. The old man was skeptical as well as the wife but they did not dispute any of the reasons. Nothing much to discuss and the crowd move downstairs intending to leave already. The couple told Steven they will discuss the price with him later as they need to evaluate the unit first. One of the daughters grasped the main door handle to open it so that they can leave but the door will not budge. Frantically she keeps yanking the handle but it was jammed solid!

Steven was shocked. He remembered he did not close the main door at all as they need the external lighting due to the electrical power having being terminated. He pushed them aside and try to use the door key to open the door. The key slid in easily but no amount of twisting or turning of the key can make the door open as the handle was not movable! Now the whole group was frantic and the two kids looked like they were going to cry while the daughter of the couple tried to comfort them Steven desperately tried the door again. He rushed to the back door and found it locked too! And all the windows! Panic, he pulled out his handphone and called Samantha to come over. The house was stuffy and hot as all the doors and windows cannot be opened and there was no electricity to operate the air con or the electric fan.

It took Samantha half an hour to arrive and she tried to open the door from outside. After a few yanks, the door suddenly opened and Samantha nearly fell backwards. The whole crowd rushed out, sweating profusely, from the heat and from fear. Deep in his heart, Steven knew this deal is off. He had no intention to bring in another potential customer to view the house anymore.

When Mrs. Tan received the latest depressing news, she can only complain to her daughters and Eric. Steven told her that the deal was off and he will see how to terminate the contract. Even when Mrs. Tan begged him to re-consider and sell at a discounted price, Steven was adamant not to continue. He said he do not want any more incidents that may even cause injuries to his customers as he thinks her ex-husband or whatever that was, had no intention to leave the house. The best thing for her as advised by Steven was to let the house idle for some years and hopefully by then the spirit will have left or have reincarnated in accordance to Asian beliefs. “That means I may not be able to get anything from the house if it outlasts me, “she complained bitterly. She still was thinking of ways to get rid of her ex-husband spirit but her daughters would not agree. “Leave Dad alone,” both of them warned her. “He may cause you injuries if you still want to cause trouble to him. Besides he was long gone and the house was his blood. I think it was not advisable to chase him out of his property.” Maria quipped.

So, the house was no longer for sale and the signs were removed. A month later, Maria and Anna returned to the house together. They entered the house and it seems like nothing had changed. Standing in front of the bed, Maria started. “Dad, we know you are here and we have come to visit you. We missed you a lot and when you are around, we do not have much time to spend with you. We know you are disappointed and disillusioned with us and we are so sorry.” Both the sisters were already crying, thinking back when their dad was still alive and how he used to take care of them from young until they have started working. Anna continued: “We will make sure nobody will dispose this house and disturb you. I and sis will come back occasionally to clean the house and visit you. And we have placed your ashes in the temple although you have not instructed us when you were alive. As least we have a proper place to pray and visit you.”

After spending some time inside the house, it was time for them to leave. As they moved down the stairs, the bedroom door slowly closed with a whisper. Both the sisters cried even loudly as they knew their dad was really there. Staying a long time in the hall to compose themselves, they finally locked up the main door and drove off to the temple. The monk saw them and lead them to the urn where their dad’s ashes were and leave them alone. They knelt there for a long time, each lost in their own thoughts. After that they went inside to see the monk. He was the one that have gone over to the house to offer prayers. They decided to seek his advice on the matter. The monk looks at them sadly. “Your dad’s spirit is in there, that is a fact. He is not satisfied at all and he is not at peace. And I do not think he will leave the house at all. Even if he wants to leave, he has to do it willingly. My advice is let him stay there for some time until eventually his spirit will dissolve away. May take few years, maybe few months, hard to tell. Both of you should come back often to let him know you still remember him and maybe he will finally accept it and leave.” They thanked the monk and left the temple. Finally time to leave and drive back to KL.

“Father dearest, it’s time for us to go,”

“Leaving you all alone, all so cold,”

“We are not filial to you when you are alive,”

“How hard you work, how hard your strife,”

“Our love and feelings for you will never cease,”

“Hoping wherever you are, there will be eternal peace.”

_____________ THE END _______________

- the above short story is a work of friction and any reference to anyone, intentional or unintentional is deeply regretted. -

Hi everyone, my name is Jan Thong and I loved writing stories and poems. The stories I had written so far were short stories and includes science fiction, real life experiences and stories of military genre. I have tried writing on supernatural friction for a change. Feel free to contact me at the following email address:

Jan2thong@yahoo.com.

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About the Competition

The Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026 by Hashtag Kalakar is a prestigious platform for writers worldwide to showcase their literary talents. This esteemed competition celebrates creativity, encouraging participants to explore diverse themes and styles. With a focus on poetry and creative writing, the event provides an opportunity for writers to share their unique voices and connect with a global audience, fostering a rich exchange of artistic expression.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to Thong Kim Fook for sharing the evocative short story "Dad's House" in the Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026. Through this narrative, readers are invited to explore the profound themes of memory, loss, and familial bonds. We appreciate Thong Kim Fook's contribution to the competition and look forward to experiencing more of their captivating storytelling.

About Hashtag Kalakar

Hashtag Kalakar is a creative platform dedicated to providing artists, writers, singers and other creative talents with opportunities to showcase their work and reach wider audiences through competitions, features and creative initiatives.