Gossip: the story behind the *toing-tiong* story

I'm fasting today since I have one more day to ganti. Time sure pass slowly when you are hungry :) hehehe. Doesn't help when people around you are munching away...

Anyway back to the title. Have you ever wondered how far-fetched and nonsensical a gossip can grow? Well, let me tell you a story :p

Last week, N ( a colleague) approached me to complained on a rumour of her having seen a pochong ( a type of hantu, wrapped in shroud, which jumps around finding for preys) in LG4 (our parking lot). Not only that, the story also spread that since she is so terrified of the incident she now sleeps with surah yassin around her bed. We laughed about it, and N being a cheerful laid back person was able to joked around.

Two days after that, while having lunch with another colleague, the story came out again, so I decided to dismissed the rumour by telling them what N told me. However:-

C: Yeah, I heard the story but that is not the real one, she actually saw a "hantu" in the lift not the basement
Me: (baffled look) ehh you sure? she told me that she NEVER saw anything
C: No... she told me herself... she saw it from the corner of her eyes...
Me: (in my head thinking: betul ke minah ni?) Okey...

On Friday my secretary came to me all excited.
S: Farhanna, I pergi amik your kunci kabinet from securities. Pastu dengar lah nie ade cerita
Me: Kenapa? diaorang tak bagi kunci ke?
S: Bukan.... lepas ambik kunci akak tekanlah tingkat 3 nak naik atas, so masuklah dalam lift sambil main sms, bila bunyi "ting" akak keluar lah... tapi...*paused for effect* tibe2 ade kat LG4
Me: Akak salah tekan butang kot
S: Tak.... dia turun sendre... takut menggigil nie... dahlah orang nampak pochong
Me: *laugh* Oh you heard the story too...
S: Kenapa? betul ke? takutnya
Me: Taklah... org yg diaorg kata nampak tu kata dia tak nampak...
S: Entahlah seram nie...

I saw N yesterday so I decided to tease her about it...
N: *frustrated tone* Far, do you know not only now are they saying that I saw the one in LG4 & the lift, they are saying that I saw them hovering over my cubicle-la and I cuti MC 1 week. Some of them called me last week to clarify this story and I was on leave (she had holiday plans) but they were saying I was away because I was too traumatized. They even called M to ask about it.
F: hahahahahah did you deny
N: I did, but when I deny, they said "yelah kalau kita nampak benda supernatural, tak boleh mengaku, sebab tu N tak mengaku walaupun betul dia nampak" So I can't deny and of course I won't admit to it...
F: yeah you lose either way... interesting how rumour spreads, huh?
N: Tell me about it...

So girls and boys... what can we learn today? Don't believe in rumours (ie between friends/ tv/blog/sms etc) There is a HUGE possibility of it being a product of someone overactive imagination.