Burden of Ashes by Justin Chin

Author:Justin Chin
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Manic D Press, Inc.

TOM SELLECK BATTLES THE MANILA ASSEMBLY OF LUCIFER

Betty, the church secretary, was possessed by the devil. This was not supposed to happen, especially not at Prinsep Street Presbyterian Church, one of Singapore’s finest examples of Christian sanctity and prestige. But it did happen, and during the 10 o’clock services too, Betty’s screeches drowning out Pastor Low’s mumbly sermon on how to be good stewards of Christ.

Aunt Jessie, being a church deacon and a God-fearing Christian, decided that Betty should stay with us for a few weeks. Those weeks were filled with the endless struggle between the forces of good and evil, God and Satan—all in the next room. Betty spent whole days sleeping and woke periodically, screaming and speaking in tongues, which we were told was the language of the demons. The gathered elders and deacons of the church would rush into the room, lay their hands on her, and pray loudly. Some of them would speak in tongues too, which we were told was the language of the Holy Spirit. Two mystical entities having a spat through their mortal representatives in languages that sounded curiously similar; but then I was told that the devil and the Holy Spirit could simply take on the other’s tongue; how else would they communicate and argue whole doctrines of theology if they didn’t?

Each demonic outbreak in Betty would send my brother, my two cousins, and me dashing into my grandmother’s room, where we would shut the door and peep through the keyholes, listen through the walls, or daringly crack the door open to watch heaven and earth tussle for the soul of chubby Betty. Each outbreak ended in a lull, and Betty collapsed into a whimpering mess and went back to sleep.

Every casting out of demons was crucial; it had to be done properly or the consequences would be disastrous. Every time demons are cast out of a body the demons must find a new home: They’re eager to possess. The demons like nothing better than to repossess a body much like growing comfortable in one’s apartment. And if a demon should repossess a body it will bring with it seven more demons, each one more powerful and more evil than the first. Hey, bring the family and your demon spawn, all of them, we’ll have a barbecue beside the spleen. In the gospels, there is a story in which Jesus cast out demons from a madman but the demons kept repossessing him, tormenting him even further. Jesus then cast the demons out and ordered them into a herd of swine; the swine, driven mad by demons, rushed into a pond, where they drowned.

Demons can be drowned, and so during each exorcism session one of the kids was sent to the kitchen to fetch a glass of water. Being the youngest, I was the one that was always pushed out of the safe room to aid in the noble task of demon-slaying, a task that I was only too glad to do. That

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