Banana Tree - story

BANANA TREE

Story, Horror, Superstitions, Myths, Spirits, Nightmares

Some believe that spirits dwell inside certain banana trees. Folklore, myth or superstitions? When I was growing up in Johor, I was about eight then; there was a large garden at the back of our house with a chain-link marking the boundary. There were a number of banana trees at the end of the garden just inside the boundary fencing.

My grandmother who was from Malacca, although a strict Catholic, believed in a lot of folklore from the various cultures. Since we are Chinese, we have the normal warnings about not sweeping the floor on New Year’s eve or to sleep with your legs facing the main door. My grandmother also included those from other cultures even Western ones, like stuff about black cats, walking under a ladder and broken mirrors.

One of these were, if possible avoid playing around trees especially banana trees as some believe that spirits dwell in some of these trees. If that’s not possible, then be very respectful. That is, if one has to do anything around there, politely ask permission first.

Although we were closed to our grandmother very much, we considered her beliefs to be just foolish superstitions, merely housewives tales from a bygone era. As such, we tend to brush away her stern warnings regarding these things.

One day when I was playing in the garden with my brothers and sisters, I had to relieve myself. Instead of going to bathroom in the house, I lazily decided to do it beside the banana tree. I did not even think much of it, being kids all that matters was fun and games. In fact, I was more worried about snakes which might jump up and bite me at a very inappropriate part of my body.

A couple of days after that, one night I was woken to howling winds and lashing rain beating mercilessly at the window panes in my bedroom. Nothing unusual about that as it was the monsoon season and we have been having a lot of rains.

What was unusual was the constant and loud rustling sound against the window panes. My bed was directly opposite the window, one side of the bed against the wall. When I woke up that particular night, I was facing the wall, in other words my back was towards the window.

Frightened but curious, I squeezed my eyes shut, rolled into a ball and pretended that I was still asleep. However, the incessant rustling sound continued, and the sound even got louder, it was so loud that it seems to be coming from inside the room!

Although frightened out of my wits by now, curiosity still got the better of me. I just had to know what’s causing that sound. I believe then, it was safer if I continued pretending I was asleep. So I slowly rolled over until my face was directly facing the window, but I still had my eyes squeezed tight and my hands clutching desperately to my blanket. Some of the howling wind outside managed to squeezed past the window panes and I can feel the cool wind on my face. To make matters worse, there was a faint sweet smell of flowers or fruits. After what seemed a long time, I managed to pluck enough courage to peer through my single partially open eyelid at the window.

Horrors of horrors!!! My whole body froze as my mind digested what my eye saw. The banana tree was just outside the window! It was so near, that its leaves was rubbing against the window panes. It was as if, it was looking into the bed room, looking for something or someone.

Totally frightened now, I screamed and screamed but no sound came out.

“Wake up now or I’ll come and drag you out of bed!”, I could hear the shrill voice of my mother coming from the dining room. My eyes shot open, last night’s images still vivid in my mind. I slowly turned to look at the window, and saw pre-dawn light trickling in through the window panes. Everything seems normal. As the cobwebs of sleep slowly lifted from my mind, I was convinced it was just a nightmare. Chuckling and feeling a bit embarrassed, I got up to get dressed for school.

I slipped on my slippers and walked unsteadily towards the window to open the partially closed window panes. I froze, I stared at the floor and then I screamed……there were patches of water on the floor and on top of it there were banana tree leaves all over the bed room floor!