Circa 1977. Almost 1978. The month was desolately dark and gloomy. There has been weird thefts occurring around the ghettoish slum … and everyone was very upset about it. No, it wasn’t the underwears or bras this time. But raincoats. Only black raincoats.

The strange phenomenon has instigated some grave concern, that there might be some sex depraved maniac out there stealing raincoats to indulge in their kinky exhibition of flashing acts. Or even worse, prowl on unsuspecting housewives… waiting to rape and sodomize them for their own sadistic gratification.
(though it’s kinda impossible because housewives are known to travel in big groups and elicit ear piercing noises that very few could tolerate…)

But nobody could do anything about that - for the purported ‘thief’ proved to be as elusive and cunning as any professional criminal… and more raincoats would continue to go missing without trace. Why only black raincoats ? Why not other priced belongings ? The mystery befuddled even the most veteran residents that has seen everything…

Until one day, somebody saw 2 silhouettes of some midget sized being (wearing a cape) in a dark squalid corridor … prancing slowly staring at each other. Each of them was holding an elongated object … of what seemed to be somekind of glowing plastic sword… and were making hissing noises as they went about … Then, without warning, both would start to slash at each other in a series of feigned swordfight moves, with plenty of exaggerated oral sound effects.

ZIIIIIIUUUUUZZZZZ ZZIIIUUUUZZZZZ

The swordfight would later be joined by another few more cape wearing members, and the whole place would be inflamed with those ’sword’ wielding fanatics yelling and fighting each other.

Sure enough, upon closer inspection, that ’somebody’ noticed that those were actually a bunch of kids playing… and the capes they were wearing ? Those were the black raincoats that has been disappearing from the motorcycle shacks. Well, what makes those kid to have a sudden craze on black raincoats ? 2 words :

Darth Vader.

It was the Star Wars fever that has infected the kids. According to my mom, basically, every single kids in our residential area worshipped the dark force back then… and idolized the masked tyrant as god. It was the period where the sales of batteries and electrically powered glowing plastics swords soared like never before. And black motorcycle raincoats as well.

So guys, if you own a motorcycle ? Remember to lock your raincoat up. It will happen again this coming May…