CHAPTER 13 THE DAYTIME GHOST
It had been about a month since Perry and Leries began their assignment at the Adventist Clinic in Sedau. On average, only two or three patients came for treatment each day. Waiting for patients to arrive became monotonous and disheartening. Yet every day, they continued to pray for people to come to the clinic. Perry and Leries began to feel like giving up. A strong desire to return to Bandung grew within them.
One day, in the midst of that near-despair, Perry was sitting outside the clinic facing the main road, hoping that someone might come for treatment. He noticed a lot of people going in and out of a house directly across from the clinic. Perry didn’t know what was happening over there, but it didn’t cross his mind to approach and find out.
Lost in thought, he didn’t notice a young man walking toward the clinic. The young man came closer, and Perry was the first to ask him what was going on at that house. The young man introduced himself as the son of the house’s owner. He explained that he worked as a truck assistant in the city of Pontianak, the capital of West Kalimantan Province, about 120 kilometers from Sedau. He said his father was sick—suffering from what the locals called a “daytime ghost” afflicting his body.
Hearing this, Perry asked, “Why didn’t you bring your father to get treatment? There’s a clinic just across from your house.” The young man explained that three shamans had been in the house since early that morning. Perry then said, “Well, why don’t the shamans just drive the ghost out?” The young man replied that the shamans apparently hadn’t been able to send the ghost away. Perry asked again, “Why can’t they cast out the daytime ghost from your father’s body?”
Eventually, after being questioned repeatedly, the young man asked whether Perry himself could remove the “ghost” from his father. Perry answered, “Why should we humans be defeated by a ghost?” The young man then invited Perry to try driving it out. Perry told him to go on ahead while he stepped inside the clinic. There, Perry prayed earnestly, asking God for forgiveness because he realized he had spoken boastfully. He told the Lord that now it was His power that would be put to the test there. He then took his medical bag and headed toward the house. Everyone turned their attention toward Perry. The young man met him at the door and led him to where his father was lying.
Upon entering the house, Perry asked for permission and explained that he had been invited by the young man to examine his father. Everyone seemed to agree. Perry began asking the man questions—what he was feeling and how the illness had developed. The man explained that two days earlier, very early in the morning, he had started shivering, experienced pain throughout his body, and had a terrible headache. A few hours later, he became feverish and began to sweat, losing all appetite. The same thing had happened every morning for the past three days.
Perry proceeded to examine his body—checking the abdomen, lungs, and heart—and asked him to stick out his tongue. After confirming that his urine was tea-colored, Perry was convinced the man was suffering from acute malaria. He decided to administer an injection of Chloroquine to ensure a quick response.
Before giving the injection, Perry turned toward the crowd gathered in the house, holding the syringe in his hand, and said, “Ladies and gentlemen, before I give this medicine to this man, I will perform a baca-baca first.” (Baca-baca is the local term for incantations or ritual chants.) “So I kindly ask that no one speak or whisper until I finish the baca-baca.” Everyone in the room responded affirmatively. Perry had heard that some locals were reluctant to visit clinics or hospitals because the medical staff didn’t “chant” over the medicine first.
Perry deliberately prayed in Batak Toba, so no one would understand. He knew that even shamans typically chanted in languages unintelligible to the general public. In his prayer, Perry pleaded with God to reveal His power. He declared that this was not his battle, but God's—against the forces of darkness. He believed that the outcome of that day’s confrontation could affect the future of the clinic’s ministry. As soon as he said “Amen,” he administered the injection. He also gave the man Chloroquine tablets and headache medicine.
Afterward, Perry turned to the young man—his voice clear, firm, and loud enough for everyone in the house to hear—and said: “In about one to two hours, this man will begin to sweat. He will feel thirsty and ask for food and drink. After that, he will be able to sit up and talk with everyone here.”
He added that if anything occurred outside of what he had just described, they should report it to him immediately. Pointing toward the Adventist Clinic in Sedau, Perry said, “If everything happens just as I said, bring him or send him to me at the clinic tomorrow morning.” Then, Perry excused himself and returned home.
About two hours later, the young man came back to the clinic. He reported that his father was now sitting up, eating, and chatting with the shamans and others in the house. Perry told him to bring his father to the clinic the next morning. Sure enough, the man walked to the clinic on his own the next day, accompanied by several people. Perry gave him additional medicine to take for the next four days. Not long after that, the man recovered fully from his acute malaria.
From that moment on, many people from the Malay community began coming to the clinic for treatment. The area was indeed largely populated by Malays, who typically lived along the coast and worked as fishermen. The Chinese in the area were mostly farmers or ran small shops. The Madurese lived in a separate village and generally worked in agriculture. The Dayaks were usually located further inland, deep in the forests.