Chapter 7 — The Midpoint — Nuvisha — SJB 2847Y
I hadn't looked at my car in weeks. White Toyota Altis 2014, dented left rear door from Toa Payoh Hub carpark, plate SJB 2847Y. Parked under mango tree behind Tekka Centre. I went to charge my phone. In my sling bag always now — No.2. It clicked at 4:14 a.m. on its own.
I thought I should photograph my car for proof I still own something that moves. Through the ground glass, my dusty Toyota wasn't a Toyota. It was a light blue Datsun 120Y from the 1970s, same plate SJB 2847Y, clean and new, parked same spot but shop sign said TEKKA STUDIO EST. 1936. Leaning on it, elbow on roof, was a woman who looked exactly like me — same black bindi, same gold jhumka, same black t-shirt and cargo pants, same age 22. But 1975.
I took the photo. In the darkroom, as the print came up, I saw in the reflection of the headlight two faces — my own face taking the photo, distorted, and next to it her face clear, smiling. On the back already written in old pencil: N. Visha, 22, NUS Comp Sci, Datsun 120Y SJB 2847Y, 14 Aug 1975, 2:14pm, last photo before arch.
Sam came up and sat heavy on my mat. Your mother's first name before she changed it was Nuvisha. Born 1958 in Sembawang rubber estate quarters. Changed in 1975 after Aug 14 to Letchumi after her aunt. She said Nuvisha name is heavy, it remembers too much. And the other girl in the photo, Nuvisha Raju, was her best friend.
They called each other Nuvisha Big and Nuvisha Small. Your mother was Small. They promised if they have daughters they'd name them Nuvisha so name continues. She couldn't use full Nuvisha, too heavy, so she cut it — Nisha. Half of Nuvisha. Echo. I wasn't named randomly. I was named after an echo.
Chapter 8 — Overexposed — Roads That Loop — Lim Chu Kang
Sam said you cannot run from a photo that has your plate number. If I was named after an echo, I should ask the echo what it wants. I decided to photograph my mother directly — not Letchumi now at 62 in Toa Payoh who packs photos high up, but Nuvisha Small at 21 in 1975 blue salwar.
I left Tekka at 6:14 a.m. with No.2 and my Toyota SJB 2847Y that now started hard as if it remembered being a Datsun. I drove to NUS Arch where 1975 happened. GPS lost signal after Clementi. E, then SOS only. The road I knew since 2022 looped — same FairPrice twice, same Sungei Buloh nursery twice, same dog same spot twice. Odometer said 12 km but it should be 5 to Kent Ridge.
At the arch at 6:40 a.m. misty, I got out leaving car running because I knew if I turned it off it wouldn't start. I pointed No.2 at the spot where mother would have stood and said in Tamil, Amma if you are Nuvisha Small show me, I am not scared. I clicked. Through glass I saw my mother at 21 but angry, not laughing, and behind her dozens of mothers, all Nuvishas, all same bindi different clothes, all angry.
I turned back — Toyota wouldn't start, phone no signal, no SOS, lalang where Engineering building should be, tall attap where PGP housing should be. I was in an overexposed memory — too much light from 1975.
Sam taught for overexposed: don't look through camera, let camera look through you. I put No.2 on ground glass up looking at sky and lay next to it. In the white sky I saw my mother holding burning photos saying without voice: I hung up because if I say you will try to photograph me directly and roads loop. Some mothers can only be seen in reflection, not directly. Like headlight.
I walked back looking only at reflections — puddles, car windows, black phone screen. Toyota started first try. Signal came back. GPS said you looped 4 times, 18 km instead of 5. Sam was waiting with two teh-o at Bras Basah.
Chapter 9 — Darkroom — Quiet Cottage Album — Pulau Ubin
Singapore rain is vertical, warm, loud on zinc then gone. After the blackout at NUS Computer Centre in 1977, the rain stayed sideways that week and made you stay inside and look at walls. That's what my mother used to say when I asked why she packs photos high up.
After overexposed roads I drove to Pulau Ubin cottage to hide because overexposed needs dark not light. Cottage is 10 x 12 feet, wood, one table, one mat, one window looking at Johor Strait hidden by rain. No electricity since WWII. Boats to Changi not running.
I put No.2 on table not to take photos but to listen because darkroom is womb, you don't take photos in womb, and you develop what was already taken. Walls covered with old The Straits Times newspaper 1975 but headline: Indian Women Students at NUS Say Computer Sees Ghosts — University Calls Research Nonsense. Under newspaper, pencil writing: If you are reading this in rain, you are trapped, good, trapped is darkroom, where you find album.
Under mat, red rexine album gold corners 1975: NUVISHA & FRIENDS — NUS 1975-76 — ANOMALOUS IMAGING — DO NOT OPEN UNTIL ECHO READY. First page: three women in NUS lab coats too big, holding huge brass camera EST. 1936 from Bras Basah — how in NUS 1975? Caption: Nuvisha Small, Nuvisha Big, Lili — NUS Computer Centre Jan 1975, trying to photograph place that was erased.
They said our research was nonsense. Second page: lab with computer size of room, prints pinned: empty field with faint children same as Padang. Third page: Datsun blue SJB 2847Y parked at Kranji but Malaysia plate impossible but there — same plate as Toyota now. Last page: empty field rubber estate Kranji, but ground glass of No.2 placed over photo showed children. Caption: We kept album in cottage for echo to find during rain — if you are reading you are echo, keep record, don't let SJB 2847Y be recycled, keep at eye level.
Chapter 10 — Reprint — Villages Not Haunted — SLA Archive
I understood it not in darkroom, not on looping road, not in Ubin cottage rain, but in SLA Archive Alexandra where files are kept in boxes that say DO NOT OPEN UNTIL ECHO READY. After cottage I knew place erased was not ghost, not haunted, not camera trick, but data unresolved.
SLA File 75/214. Sam said find Sembawang baby Oct 1975 note Her name is Nuvisha please keep her safe until she can keep the record. I went May 17 2026, Toyota white SJB 2847Y same plate as Datsun blue 1975 SJB 2847Y, no loop now because I photograph indirect via puddle shadow side mirror rearview.
File 75/214 was not baby file, it was reservoir file. Kranji Reservoir expansion 1975, villages erased: Kampung Kranji, Kampung Sungei Kadut, Kampung Lorong Fatimah, all near rubber estate behind what is now Sungei Buloh where Suresh lived. In file list: 1975 dam project, people told to leave never compensated. 114 families mostly Indian and Malay estate workers told in English notice they couldn't read, told to leave in 14 days Aug 10 1975, four days before Nuvisha Big disappeared Aug 14 14:22 at NUS Arch trying to photograph place that was erased.
My mother Nuvisha Small 21 blue salwar black bindi crooked was part of protest, photographed it at Padang, was silenced. In file photo: three women holding banner WE ARE NOT DATA THAT CAN BE ERASED at NUS Arch.
They were told research was nonsense at NUS, but in Kranji 1975 they were told protest was nonsense, photography was nonsense, villages were not haunted just needed to go. I found letter typed English from District Officer Kranji 1975: The villages aren't haunted. They are unresolved data — places erased by 1975 reservoir project people told to leave never compensated.
I understood: haunted is what people call unresolved data when they don't want to compensate. Haunted = file not closed roads loop phone no signal Toyota won't start because reservoir project never compensated never resolved never reprinted.
Reprint means you take old negative and print again same negative but new paper new light new time same image but now visible. I decided not to just document — to restore. I took File 75/214 negatives and brought to Tekka darkroom red bulb 25W 20 degrees 7 minutes. I printed village photos: Kampung Kranji not empty field but 114 families. I printed protest photo: mother 21 blue salwar holding banner with Big and Lili behind Datsun blue SJB 2847Y. I made 114 prints one per family.
Sam came into red light looked at prints drying on clothesline eye level not high cupboard and said reprint is not just print again reprint is restore. You don't just document ghost you give ghost paper to become data again compensated.
Mother called at 20:14 as always but didn't hang up this time. I told her Amma I found File 75/214 reservoir project villages not haunted unresolved data you were part of protest photographed silenced I decide not to just document to restore.
She cried quiet not hang up said we were told research was nonsense at NUS, protest nonsense at Kranji, photography nonsense but we kept camera EST. 1936 we kept plate SJB 2847Y same plate we kept album in Ubin cottage rain for echo to find you found now you reprint restore.
I drove Toyota white SJB 2847Y to SLA office May 18, Toyota started first try phone signal full 4G roads straight no loop because reprint unloops more than indirect reprint restores. SLA officer said 1975 reservoir project no record. I showed prints 114 prints negatives File 75/214 album. Officer said where you got File 75/214 that file erased. I said place that was erased appears if you photograph indirect via puddle mirror black screen. He looked at Datsun photo SJB 2847Y at village same plate as Toyota outside and said we will reopen. Reprint means reopen.
To Be Continued:-
DISCLAIMER: This is a work of pure fiction. All names, characters, places, events, institutions, files, plates (SJB 2847Y), reservoirs, kampongs, and photographs are fictionalized adaptation set only in Singapore — Pulau Ubin, Kranji Reservoir, Tekka Centre, 14 Armenian Street Singapore, NUS Arch, Padang at City Hall, Toa Payoh, Yishun/Khatib, Bras Basah, SLA File 75/214, PUB. The 114 families, Kranji kampongs, 1975 expansion, protest banners are fictional. Any resemblance to actual persons, villages, projects, agencies, or events is coincidental. Images are artistic renderings. No defamation intended. Not fact or history.
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