Filial 'Beggar Boy' , Singapore Ah Q

"The State Coroner Earnest Lau said in his findings that Ah Boy had panicked and somehow fallen to his death. On 18 Dec, he recorded a verdict of misadventure."

Thus ended the real story of a young teen, in a dysfunctionalfamily compounded by autism in his short and sad live.As a footnote I try to piece his tragic events because his life need not be forgotten.In this time and age, every life tell a story,no matter how insignificant,especially Sebestian, as he also falls through the social safety net, in fast paced Singapore. Click here for who is Ah Q .

Fell to his death

Sebestian Yeo Wei Xiong was only a bit on 14 when he felled from the 12th floor of a Block 646 on Ang Mo Kio Street 61.(tomato town).See Map.He must have thought the police was pursuing him.Being autistic affected his communication and social skill. He must have thought the men in blue were pursuing him. In actual facts, they were there for his safety at when at 1 am past midnight,all were supposed to be asleep in their warm bed and pillow.Here he was, dirty and mop haired and tired.

Sebastian Home.

However, for Sebastian, home is the stairways ,chairs and bustop, out in the open, chased out of a loving home and love by his own mom, 30, petite ,jobless and divorced. He did not fight it. He just took it as a matter of facts, when they moved into the rented two rooms 2 years back. Mum started staying away from the job when finally, she could not find any.Then the whole world dropped. The food on the table became smaller and tinnier. Between the two of them, Sebastian knew then that he had to go hungry and get the food for himself. Out in the streets below.

Cycle of errors

The cycle of errors started when the men in blue responded to a call by a man ,about a skinny long hair girl ,hanging around coffeeshop neighbouring Block 632 past midnight. He is a religious man and a good family, and so his natuaral instinct kicked in. It is no place for the young girl, to be out past midnight. There were reports and many cases of crime around Singapore and so ,he dialed 999.

Skinny Girl

It is actually Sebestian ,malnourished due to lack of food, small and long hair, because haircut is not a priority when money is not around. And because his Mum did not care or said to cut his hair. He was as usual sleeping rough and out. In the same worn out shirt, short and dirt on his body. He had done it many times already, until he became a fixtures by the stallholders.Undersized boy , wearing the same set of clothing , day after day, never growing taller and never schooling. They noted the slender boy, asking the diners and customers for small change. "Uncle", he would say," can you give me money for food". Momentarily stunned, they usually obliged, by giving some small change. For what kind of heart would refuse to give a little change to a skinny boy ? He was always polite and most aunties and uncle and gave, stuck by pity and plenty. But Sebestian did not ask the stallholders directly for for food, instead he went to the commerce cycle of money in exchange for food as the stallholders would give food if Sebastian asked. They never fail to observe his dealings and most gave a bit more on the takeaway. He then head to an empty table, and ate heartily, and making sure that a portion is left behind . He then repacked it again with the rubber band and headed for home. Then he went back , up the lift to his home ,to his mom taking the lift.

Moved in 2 years ago

They were seen moving in 2 years ago. Mother and son. Neighbours a few doors away always noted that Sebestian seem to be the sole food bringer, of food, toilet papers and other essential items for his mum, when your child would be playing xboxs and playstations. She was seldom seen out, once only to borrow the phone from next door. Sebestian was enrolled in special school before, said his mom. However, due to financial issues , the mother was heard by neigbours to stop his schooling ,especially when she had two other children besides Sebestian. The two much younger siblings were not staying with them here.

Food on the door handle

He was alway seen to place the packed food on the handle of door,and knock.The neighbours also noted that the door never open to him. Yet he knew that the food packet needs to be deliver, for his mom, for her tummy. He was thus forced out, of schooling and home by his dysfunctional mom and lack of help and society. They saw it all , the knock, the begging, the unopen door. One neighbour even offered him a place to sleep , went the doors was still not open late in the night, but Sebestian was alway politely did not take up the offer. When concerned neighbour asked where his mom was, he always replied, at home.

Stairways and Bustop

Thus the stairways and bus top, chairs and tables of the areas around became his home, playground, of a 14 years old boy. Should it happen in Singapore ? Or must it be hidden in the back of the mind and politely blanked out, this unkempt young beggar,in our midst of plenty. Now back to the midnight hour. The men in blue noted that he was a familiar figure around the areas. But when asked by Officer , Sebestian for some reasons gave the wrong address, not his real block. Now what goes on in the mind of Sebastian, the 14 years old at 1 past midnight ?

Mind of Sebastian at 1 am

The uniforms must have frightened him, these mind in blue. Being autistic and lack of schooling and adult supervision , he must have communicated badly. He was quoted as saying he wanted to walk back by himself, pointing to a wrong address. He wanted to break free from the men in blue. Sebastian must have taken it badly the presence of the men. He was seen moving in the direction of the block 646. Concerns made the officer follows just for the record, but it only made Sebastian nervous.He was seen darting between pillars, to escape their sights.

Seen at Elevators Up

The last he was seen in the elevators going up. When the officer finally figure out ,a thud was heard. It was Sebastian, on the concrete ground. He had fallen from up above. There on the the 12 floors, they found a slipper wedged on the outer parapet, as if Sebastian was trying to hide by climbing out of the stairscase and onto the parapet.

Refuses to open door

Initially when the police went to inform his mother, she refuses to open the door and the body was left in the mortuary. Alone is life as in death. Only 3 days later when the mom wanted to borrow the neighbour`s phone, was the police able to inform her of her son`s death. The neighbours quickly inform the police that the mother was out of the house. At the Mortuary, two social workers were enlisted to accompany her . Just as expected, when she broke down on seeing his body, and she had to be put on a wheelchair.

Stallholder Remembers

Meanwhile, the stallholders who heard about the fall , remembers him nominally as Ah Boy, or Beggar Boy. Look into his background and he should be called Sebastian the disadvantaged Boy.

Neighbours also remembered his big eyes , in a small undersized and underfed frame. Austistic he may be but it does not stopped him from noticing his dire state. He was heard saying to a little girl in Mandarin that he was not ok. When pressed furtherd about his mom , his stock answer would be at home, for how could he describe in one words all that had happened in his house, without a home, poor,fatherless and being unfed all the time.? The stallholders would remember that sometimes, the customers would sometimes buy him food and then he would cheerfully clutch it and head for home. The knock on the door might not open but nevertheless, Sebestian hang it on the handle of the flat, maybe the door would be open later when her mum awakes.The tragic death fall news spread quickly to the neighbourhood and stallholders, even before the mandarin drama series at six. All misses his impished presence ,his malnourished body and long
hair as of a sad state of affairs in fast spaced Singapore.

Moved to the quick and souls

Some stallholders were moved to the quick and the souls by raising a collection for his funeral.
A bit here and there and soon $3000 was collected . A local noodle sellers made the funeral arrangements. A monk was hired to conduct prayers for his young soul. And finally after the cremation his ashes placed in a nearby temple. Sebastian had gone to a better place, a place without pain, begging and eternity, a playground in the sky. The even sadder ending is that the mother was unable to go to the niche as she does not know how to find the way there from her home.
Episodes

Thus Sebastian rest in peace, more a victim of the failures,he had fallen through the crack of the social safety net. Perhaps ,in hindsight , non uniformed officers be deployed to handle children case's . It does not helps the men in blue images, when in tv shows , it depicts arresting episodes by the men in blue.Such stereotype create fears in children. Sebastian must have seen the episodes on the community centre or coffeeshops .

Previous Case

Interestingly,a similar case was noted when a minor, was noted for glue sniffing, and jumped down from a height when the day for reporting to the police station arrived. The officer in the case regretted for having written the report that led the minor to jump down. Thus ended the life of Sebastian . Internet logged and not forgotten !