Credits to story owner: Aswang Story | Blogger
I can't believe it. Bryan, my intelligent, rich, Manila-raised Filipino-Chinese friend, called me in the middle of the day saying that the "Aswang" was true! "Noel, are you still there?", asked Bryan. I replied, "Oh, yes Bryan. I'm listening.".
Bryan continued, "Noel, I am here with a friend of mine who sells security gadgets like alarm systems, metal detectors and those kind of stuff. He also supplies at Tablas, Romblon!". Okay, so he went to Rombln as well. I was waiting for Bryan to say that his friend too got a visit from those creepy creatures in that island. "Noel, my friend said HE KNOWS THEM. He knows the Aswangs", saying it with emphasis. "Oh? How does he know them?", I asked. "He actually knows the entire family, Noel. It is an Aswang family!".
I paused. I couldn't believe what Bryan was saying. Now, I felt that I was the Bryan who was stuck in the concrete jungle of Manila hearing some weird stories from a Noel who is fresh off the boat from Romblon. "When was that incident again, Noel?". "Huh? Oh you mean that incident at Calatrava?". "Calatrava is the town, Jun", said Bryan in the background talking to someone. "And when was that?", Bryan followed up. "It was last February, Bryan. around 11:00pm", I replied. "February daw pare (February he said)", Bryan said to his friend. A few seconds of pause and I was still waiting for some reply on my cellular phone. "Wait Noel, he is going to call him. The father of the Aswang family". I can hear Bryan asking Jun, his friend, if Jun's Aswang-friend's phone was ringing already.
"Hello, sir. How are you?", Jun greeted his contact in Tagalog dialect. "I am here in Manila. I may go there to Tablas, Romblon next week.", Jun continued as I can hear him from the background of Bryan's cellular phone. "Sir, a friend of mine told me that something fell on the roof of his staff-house in Calatrava last February. He is from Manila and was there on a project. Did you happen to go to Calatrava sometime that month?", Jun said in Tagalog dialect. Then about a twenty second pause. "Okay, sir. I will tell him. Thank you. I will see you soon. Please give my regards to "kumare" (fellow-godparent). Bye!", Jun concluded his call.
I was still waiting on my cellular phone. What could have that guy in the other line with Jun said? I couldn't wait. I felt that I was the topic of that phone convesation. I can hear Bryan in the background talking to Jun but I couldn't hear the details well. I still waited for a while before Bryan started talking to me again.
"Noel, Jun already talked to him, the Aswang. He was in Calatrava that night. He dropped on your roof because your house was near the house he was going to go to. He also said that he knew you were not from there and he knew you wouldn't believe it was an Aswang on your roof. So he chose your house among the rest of the houses around that area. He left soon after because the dogs were howling too loudly which awakened the people living in the house he wanted to go to. He tried to go again the next day and during the weekend. He sends his apology to you and your staff for scaring you that night. He never had any interest on you or your staff. Sorry for the inconvenience he might have caused you. He also saw you in Odiongan walking from the town's intenet cafe at around 9:30pm one night. Where you with a foreigner?", Bryan asked. Huh, I have never mentioned this to Bryan! Not my boss! "Uhh, yes, I was with my boss, Mr. Pons. He is a Filipino-Spanish guy.", I explained. Bryan continued, "He knew that you were living inside the compound and he knew that you felt some weird presence. The compound you lived in was only a few blocks away from his residence.", Bryan said.
I was so shocked! I couldn't believe it. I thought that I was away from it all when I left Calatrava only to bring myself a "jump" away from the Aswang's residence! I sat down. I didn't know how to respond. "Man, are you okay?", Bryan laughed. "Jun said that the family is his friend. He got to know the guy during a baptismal of Jun's friend in Odiongan. They were both godparents. People in Tablas get these Aswangs as godparents so they won't eat their children", Bryan explained. I was numb. I was lost. I could not react to what was being narrated to me by this guy who told me that he never believed in this folklore.
"So, now you know it, Noel. Any schedule trips to Romblon? Jun can introduce you to them.", Bryan said with a giggle after. "Bryan, are you crazy?!!", I shouted. Bryan laughed. "Got to go man. Let's talk later".Bryan ended.
I couldn't say anything for about five-minutes. I was sitting on the drive-way of our office while all these revelations were being told to me. It now tells me the whole story of this five month saga of Romblon. I will never stay put on that island even at gunpoint.
I know what you are thinking. This is all folklore. I do not blame any of you. To me, I knew what it was and I know that somethings are beyond scientific explanation. Somethings are beyond what science have taught us. Somethings are beyond our comprehension which only concludes how we may still fail to see the dark side of the unexplained. The side we do not wish to dwell in.
I end my story here. As much as I love and cannot forget the beautiful beaches and friends I made at Tablas, Romblon, I will leave that permanently in my past. At least in that way, it may be safer for me. So to all of you who do not believe in "Aswangs", do not force yourselves to. Despite the fact that many who have read this blog have already confirmed these creatures' existence and have their own stories to tell, just do one kind favor for me. When some heavy thing drops and crawls onto your roof at night that sounds heavier that the usual cat, dog, monkey, leopard or tiger, just stay inside your house. Start praying to your Creator. Maybe that way, you will still end up like me. A crazy guy writing a blog about some weird creature called - "Aswang".
THE END
Ipinapakita ang mga post na may etiketa na An Aswang in my Midst Series. Ipakita ang lahat ng mga post
Ipinapakita ang mga post na may etiketa na An Aswang in my Midst Series. Ipakita ang lahat ng mga post
Sabado, Mayo 14, 2011
Martes, Mayo 10, 2011
An Aswang in my Midst Chapter 6: Close for comfort
Having a great time reading this series? Super thanks to the story owner! I'm really enjoying this! Credits to: Aswang Story | Blogger
I have never allowed myself to be left alone in our house in Calatrava. I even had to use my authority to ensure that at times. That incident in February 2008 was unforgettable and up until we left to transfer to Odiongan, that I felt safe. We were in the capital city of Tablas where there were a lot more people activity. We were there early March to set up another mill and Calatrava, as far as I was concerned, was history.
By end of March, I was done with the mill in Odiongan and I decided to leave for Manila - for good. As I boarded the ship bound for Batangas City that Wednesday afternoon, I can only say that my experience in Tablas, Romblon was a good one for me. It opened my eyes to the poverty that plagued the island, the corruption that continued to prevail and kept the island poor and of course, the unexplained mystery that I had to go through myself in the island.
Make no mistake, that even when I was in Odiongan, I felt that creepy feeling that someone or something was watching me at night. At times, watching me when I was alone in the staff house which was in the middle of a large compound. To keep me sane, I simply had to have faith in the Lord and shoo the thoughts away. In the end of it all, goodbye Romblon! I hoped that if these "Aswangs" were really real, that they stayed in the island and kept themselves there. I hope that people will someday overcome them and destroy their existence if they continue to harm innocent people.
I was in Manila with a new-found job. I was happy because I was nearer my family. I was glad to be back in the same civilization I came from. A civilization where dangers are real and can be avoided as much as we can. Romblon's last image was this picture I posted on this blog. That heavenly beach that I always wanted to have my rest-house on when I retire someday. But after that scary incident, I probably would settle somewhere else.
Bryan was a friend of mine. He is a graphics artist and a professional photographer. I was chatting with him once over lunch one day. This guy from De La Salle University was simple but talented. Rich but humble in many ways. He was a true businessman and a good friend.
"So how was Romblon?". Bryan asked. I said, "It was a beautiful place. I saw beaches there that was far better than Boracay." I also told him about how backward the place was compared to other provinces. I told him about the bad roads. About the bogus government projects that delayed the provision of a sound infrastructure for the province. I told him about what kind of people I had to deal with to get the project moving at a timely phase.
"I was visited by an Aswang.", I calmly told him. He looked at me and smile. "Common Noel! Do you actually believe in those things?" he exclamed. I told him, "That was the same thing I first said when it was mentioned to me by my staff!". Bryan couldn't believe any of it. I told him about that night in detail. I told him about the stories that seemingly was a part of everybody's knowledge in the island. I told him everything. Still, "You got to be kidding me, Noel!". I couldn't convince him. Bryan actually looked at me like I was some kind of a "probinsyano" who was left out by technology and reality. "Man, let's stop this. This is impossible.". So I laughed and surrendered myself to my friend who was probably more into reality than I was.
I told myself that I will never mention the "Aswang" incident to anybody but my close friends and relatives. It would probably be better and safer for me that way. I think that the "Aswang" incident made me a different person. Made me think differently about what is real and what is not. I think it would be better left in Romblon. I have never heard from Bryan for about two weeks after that chat over lunch.
My cellular phone rang one afternoon. "Noel! Bryan here!". I was a bit surprised. "Hey Bryan, what's up?". He continued, "Remember that Aswang story you told me about? The one that happened in Romblon?". I answered, "Yes, the one you couldn't believe!". I laughed after saying that.
Bryan continued, "It's true!"
I have never allowed myself to be left alone in our house in Calatrava. I even had to use my authority to ensure that at times. That incident in February 2008 was unforgettable and up until we left to transfer to Odiongan, that I felt safe. We were in the capital city of Tablas where there were a lot more people activity. We were there early March to set up another mill and Calatrava, as far as I was concerned, was history.
By end of March, I was done with the mill in Odiongan and I decided to leave for Manila - for good. As I boarded the ship bound for Batangas City that Wednesday afternoon, I can only say that my experience in Tablas, Romblon was a good one for me. It opened my eyes to the poverty that plagued the island, the corruption that continued to prevail and kept the island poor and of course, the unexplained mystery that I had to go through myself in the island.
Make no mistake, that even when I was in Odiongan, I felt that creepy feeling that someone or something was watching me at night. At times, watching me when I was alone in the staff house which was in the middle of a large compound. To keep me sane, I simply had to have faith in the Lord and shoo the thoughts away. In the end of it all, goodbye Romblon! I hoped that if these "Aswangs" were really real, that they stayed in the island and kept themselves there. I hope that people will someday overcome them and destroy their existence if they continue to harm innocent people.
I was in Manila with a new-found job. I was happy because I was nearer my family. I was glad to be back in the same civilization I came from. A civilization where dangers are real and can be avoided as much as we can. Romblon's last image was this picture I posted on this blog. That heavenly beach that I always wanted to have my rest-house on when I retire someday. But after that scary incident, I probably would settle somewhere else.
Bryan was a friend of mine. He is a graphics artist and a professional photographer. I was chatting with him once over lunch one day. This guy from De La Salle University was simple but talented. Rich but humble in many ways. He was a true businessman and a good friend.
"So how was Romblon?". Bryan asked. I said, "It was a beautiful place. I saw beaches there that was far better than Boracay." I also told him about how backward the place was compared to other provinces. I told him about the bad roads. About the bogus government projects that delayed the provision of a sound infrastructure for the province. I told him about what kind of people I had to deal with to get the project moving at a timely phase.
"I was visited by an Aswang.", I calmly told him. He looked at me and smile. "Common Noel! Do you actually believe in those things?" he exclamed. I told him, "That was the same thing I first said when it was mentioned to me by my staff!". Bryan couldn't believe any of it. I told him about that night in detail. I told him about the stories that seemingly was a part of everybody's knowledge in the island. I told him everything. Still, "You got to be kidding me, Noel!". I couldn't convince him. Bryan actually looked at me like I was some kind of a "probinsyano" who was left out by technology and reality. "Man, let's stop this. This is impossible.". So I laughed and surrendered myself to my friend who was probably more into reality than I was.
I told myself that I will never mention the "Aswang" incident to anybody but my close friends and relatives. It would probably be better and safer for me that way. I think that the "Aswang" incident made me a different person. Made me think differently about what is real and what is not. I think it would be better left in Romblon. I have never heard from Bryan for about two weeks after that chat over lunch.
My cellular phone rang one afternoon. "Noel! Bryan here!". I was a bit surprised. "Hey Bryan, what's up?". He continued, "Remember that Aswang story you told me about? The one that happened in Romblon?". I answered, "Yes, the one you couldn't believe!". I laughed after saying that.
Bryan continued, "It's true!"
An Aswang in my Midst Chapter 5: My staff investigates
Credits to story owner: Aswang Story | Blogger
I woke up in my room feeling the lack of good sleep. Work should be starting in one hour and I felt that I wanted to get straight back to bed. I went out to the yard and immediately looked to the roof that sustained that hard landing last night. It was then that I noticed Lina going around the perimeter of the staff-house. "Lina, what's up?", I asked. Lina had that smile and stopped, placed her hands on her hips saying, "Sir, did you hear that sound last night?". I immediately responded, "Yes! What was that?!", Lina turned to her side seemingly looking for footprints of some sort. "There are no trees nearby our roof. Not even branches where a large animal would have hopped from to get to our roof!", Lina added.
I heard Pepito shout from our kitchen as he was cooking our breakfast, "Aswang! That was what it was! Aswang!". Pepito started singing as if it was something usual to him. There was no way for anything to get to our roof and slam that hard but from the sky! The next taller house was about 50 meters from ours. There was no way for a cat, dock, monkey,turkey, leopard, tiger, or anything natural to do that! Lina was approaching me as I was scanning the backyard. "Sir, our neighbor has a new born. It might have been the reason why there was an Aswang here last night.", Lina whispered. I said, "How did you know that Lina?", I asked. "I got to talk to the lady while she was hanging their clothes a while ago. They too heard it last night. They intently placed their dogs to alarm them. It's definitely an Aswang, sir.", Lina narrated. "How sure are you it was and Aswang? Common, Lina! There could be some other kind of explanation to this." Lina looked at me with that stare and with an increased volume, "Sir, what else could drop that hard with that weight last night? Didn't you hear it crawl? Didn't you hear the weight it had on our roof?". I turned and looked at the roof. surrendering to Lina's conclusion without saying anything to her. Pepito called us for breakfast and we both went back inside.
Another day at work and we never mentioned anything about that horrible, mystic visitor during work. At 5:30pm, I told Pepito to buy a bottle of brandy. I needed to sleep early. Dinner was served as early as 6:00pm and we were drinking brandy soon after that. We were talking about it again. I was still skeptical but already had my belief inside me that it could have been that creature a few believed in. I told them that it should be something else just to pretend that I didn't believe. Both were almost getting mad at my remarks. But it was my way of shooing away the reality that I too was scared of the fact that I couldn't find any other logical explanation to what happened that night.
By 8:30pm, I was drunk. I could hardly get to the sink to brush my teeth! Pepito said, "Sir, you drank more than half the bottle!", Pepito said laughing. I couldn't remember how long it took me to sleep but it was too soon for me to notice. The next morning, I woke up feeling re-energized. It was 7:30am already. Ah...Saturday. No work. Pepito knocked on my door inviting for breakfast. Oh what a great morning! I went to the breakfast table with a smile. "Wow! Good food!", I told both of them. Pepito laughed at Lina while she looked at me with that sinister stare. "You were too drunk to hear that weren't you?". I said, "Hear what?". Lina said that the same thing dropped by again early in the morning. I was deep asleep and only the two were awakened. "So what did you do?", I asked both of them. Pepito replied, "What can we do?!".
Too much liquor can truly get you hungry in the morning. Gosh, I couldn't believe I gulped more than half that bottle of brandy last night. Romblon is bad for my health! I just munched away. Suddenly, Lina said that she was not going home this evening. She will be going to a distant town, San Agustin, to see somebody.. She will be back Monday before work. Pepito said, "Sir, I too won't stay here for the weekend. I will be going to Alcantara, my home town, to visit my folks. I will leave after breakfast. I will be back Monday morning as well." I looked at Pepito and said, "Oh is that so? Then I want to see Alcantara. I will go with you, Pepito." Then I kept eating. Pepito and Lina laughed without stating the obvious.
(End of Chapter 5)
I woke up in my room feeling the lack of good sleep. Work should be starting in one hour and I felt that I wanted to get straight back to bed. I went out to the yard and immediately looked to the roof that sustained that hard landing last night. It was then that I noticed Lina going around the perimeter of the staff-house. "Lina, what's up?", I asked. Lina had that smile and stopped, placed her hands on her hips saying, "Sir, did you hear that sound last night?". I immediately responded, "Yes! What was that?!", Lina turned to her side seemingly looking for footprints of some sort. "There are no trees nearby our roof. Not even branches where a large animal would have hopped from to get to our roof!", Lina added.
I heard Pepito shout from our kitchen as he was cooking our breakfast, "Aswang! That was what it was! Aswang!". Pepito started singing as if it was something usual to him. There was no way for anything to get to our roof and slam that hard but from the sky! The next taller house was about 50 meters from ours. There was no way for a cat, dock, monkey,turkey, leopard, tiger, or anything natural to do that! Lina was approaching me as I was scanning the backyard. "Sir, our neighbor has a new born. It might have been the reason why there was an Aswang here last night.", Lina whispered. I said, "How did you know that Lina?", I asked. "I got to talk to the lady while she was hanging their clothes a while ago. They too heard it last night. They intently placed their dogs to alarm them. It's definitely an Aswang, sir.", Lina narrated. "How sure are you it was and Aswang? Common, Lina! There could be some other kind of explanation to this." Lina looked at me with that stare and with an increased volume, "Sir, what else could drop that hard with that weight last night? Didn't you hear it crawl? Didn't you hear the weight it had on our roof?". I turned and looked at the roof. surrendering to Lina's conclusion without saying anything to her. Pepito called us for breakfast and we both went back inside.
Another day at work and we never mentioned anything about that horrible, mystic visitor during work. At 5:30pm, I told Pepito to buy a bottle of brandy. I needed to sleep early. Dinner was served as early as 6:00pm and we were drinking brandy soon after that. We were talking about it again. I was still skeptical but already had my belief inside me that it could have been that creature a few believed in. I told them that it should be something else just to pretend that I didn't believe. Both were almost getting mad at my remarks. But it was my way of shooing away the reality that I too was scared of the fact that I couldn't find any other logical explanation to what happened that night.
By 8:30pm, I was drunk. I could hardly get to the sink to brush my teeth! Pepito said, "Sir, you drank more than half the bottle!", Pepito said laughing. I couldn't remember how long it took me to sleep but it was too soon for me to notice. The next morning, I woke up feeling re-energized. It was 7:30am already. Ah...Saturday. No work. Pepito knocked on my door inviting for breakfast. Oh what a great morning! I went to the breakfast table with a smile. "Wow! Good food!", I told both of them. Pepito laughed at Lina while she looked at me with that sinister stare. "You were too drunk to hear that weren't you?". I said, "Hear what?". Lina said that the same thing dropped by again early in the morning. I was deep asleep and only the two were awakened. "So what did you do?", I asked both of them. Pepito replied, "What can we do?!".
Too much liquor can truly get you hungry in the morning. Gosh, I couldn't believe I gulped more than half that bottle of brandy last night. Romblon is bad for my health! I just munched away. Suddenly, Lina said that she was not going home this evening. She will be going to a distant town, San Agustin, to see somebody.. She will be back Monday before work. Pepito said, "Sir, I too won't stay here for the weekend. I will be going to Alcantara, my home town, to visit my folks. I will leave after breakfast. I will be back Monday morning as well." I looked at Pepito and said, "Oh is that so? Then I want to see Alcantara. I will go with you, Pepito." Then I kept eating. Pepito and Lina laughed without stating the obvious.
(End of Chapter 5)
Lunes, Mayo 9, 2011
An Aswang in my Midst Chapter 4: We Have a Visitor!
Credits to story owner: Aswang Story | Blogger
The night was pitch dark. The shadows of distant trees create moving figures on my window pane. Some “Thing” was up on the roof. It was slowly crawling from the far end of our staff house going to the other end – the same area where my room was. Folklore of real? Okay. It could have been a cat. Yes, but a cat that weighed at least a hundred pounds. I didn’t know. I was caught between the exact sciences I have been brought up and educated with and was now faced with the mystery of the creature that was only defined to me by stories in the past. Was this it? Was this the “Aswang” that haunted people at night wanting to feed on children? If it ddin’t find a child to feed on, would it resort to other creatures? Will it choose me instead?
I did not know what to do. I am glued to the corner of my room hoping that my back was protected by the walls of make-shift fort. I didn’t know what to think. I was faced with something I did not know how to react to. What if it showed up in my window pane looking at me - salivating on every opportunity to reach me. What will I say? Will I shout at it hoping my volume will scare it away? Will I start reciting “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want…” as the actor David Soul did in the vampire movie “Salem’s Lot”. All these thoughts came out in that few seconds I had as the cranking roof sound gets more audible. Nearer to me by every crank I hear. The dogs continued to howl. They actually sounded like wolves that night. In no exaggeration, I never heard such long howls in my entire life. I have never heard dogs paused for a second to breathe only to continue howling on that being above me.
Suddenly, a blue light popped out. Huh! Lina’s room was lighted. It obviously came from the light of her cellular phone. She was awake! I was not alone! Lina’s room was underneath the area where that thing landed. Should I call out for Lina? Should I call out for Pepito? But that would alarm whatever that crawling thing was above all of us. If my call was heard by it, will it decide to desperately move in and use all of its muscles to get one of us and start chewing? I really didn’t know. If it was a robber, I would have known what to do. But this thing is different. If seemed supernatural.
Lina’s cellular phone light was my saving grace. It kept me on guard seeing the roof above me. It was the longest night of mine in Calatrava. I used my back-pack and bags to guard the bamboo partitions in front of me thinking it may insert it’s long tongue from underneath! For the first time in my life, I hoped that one small crucifix Lyn bought from “Quiapo” standing beside my widow would be my last resort. My only resort. It was the only thing I knew and believed would have saved me. I waited and waited and waited for its next move. The next thing I knew, I woke up and it was 6:00am. It was a sunny Friday morning. Yes, I was still alive. Yes, my entire body was still intact.
The night was pitch dark. The shadows of distant trees create moving figures on my window pane. Some “Thing” was up on the roof. It was slowly crawling from the far end of our staff house going to the other end – the same area where my room was. Folklore of real? Okay. It could have been a cat. Yes, but a cat that weighed at least a hundred pounds. I didn’t know. I was caught between the exact sciences I have been brought up and educated with and was now faced with the mystery of the creature that was only defined to me by stories in the past. Was this it? Was this the “Aswang” that haunted people at night wanting to feed on children? If it ddin’t find a child to feed on, would it resort to other creatures? Will it choose me instead?
I did not know what to do. I am glued to the corner of my room hoping that my back was protected by the walls of make-shift fort. I didn’t know what to think. I was faced with something I did not know how to react to. What if it showed up in my window pane looking at me - salivating on every opportunity to reach me. What will I say? Will I shout at it hoping my volume will scare it away? Will I start reciting “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want…” as the actor David Soul did in the vampire movie “Salem’s Lot”. All these thoughts came out in that few seconds I had as the cranking roof sound gets more audible. Nearer to me by every crank I hear. The dogs continued to howl. They actually sounded like wolves that night. In no exaggeration, I never heard such long howls in my entire life. I have never heard dogs paused for a second to breathe only to continue howling on that being above me.
Suddenly, a blue light popped out. Huh! Lina’s room was lighted. It obviously came from the light of her cellular phone. She was awake! I was not alone! Lina’s room was underneath the area where that thing landed. Should I call out for Lina? Should I call out for Pepito? But that would alarm whatever that crawling thing was above all of us. If my call was heard by it, will it decide to desperately move in and use all of its muscles to get one of us and start chewing? I really didn’t know. If it was a robber, I would have known what to do. But this thing is different. If seemed supernatural.
Lina’s cellular phone light was my saving grace. It kept me on guard seeing the roof above me. It was the longest night of mine in Calatrava. I used my back-pack and bags to guard the bamboo partitions in front of me thinking it may insert it’s long tongue from underneath! For the first time in my life, I hoped that one small crucifix Lyn bought from “Quiapo” standing beside my widow would be my last resort. My only resort. It was the only thing I knew and believed would have saved me. I waited and waited and waited for its next move. The next thing I knew, I woke up and it was 6:00am. It was a sunny Friday morning. Yes, I was still alive. Yes, my entire body was still intact.
Biyernes, Mayo 6, 2011
An Aswang in my Midst Chapter 3: Mystery in our Backyard
Credits to story owner: Aswang Story | Blogger
Rod came in at 7:15pm together with two of his friends. Our staff house was suddenly filled with laughter after days of silence. Rod came not on the night he said he will be joining us but two days later. He surprised us and was kind enough to bring a bottle of brandy.
We started talking about our company's purpose. I told him about the benefits it will bring to the people in terms of employment and additional earnings. It was all about business for half an hour or so. We drank the brandy with some fried fish Pepito prepared.
"Do you have somebody else living with you here now?", Rod asked. I said, "For now, it's just the three of us since Lina isn't back yet from Santa Cruz". He giggled and looked at his glass. "I saw somebody walk by your front yard just a few seconds ago.", Rod said in a worried tone. I looked at the jalousies behind me. There was nothing except for the leaves and the branch of the tree about 10 meters from the window. "Rod, don't start it. You're scaring my boss!", Pepito said. I laughed. I told Rod that I have been in many strange places in my life but I have never seen a ghost up close and personal.
Rod said that the lot that our staff house was built on formerly stood an old, dilapidated house. Nobody lived in it for years until the owner decided to tear it down. For a while, the site was said to be haunted. Ghostly apparitions scared the passers-by at night. A lady in white would show up at times as if she was walking back and forth behind the window of the old house. Rod said that he couldn't believe the stories but people who told him about them seem to have similar experiences. It was until he saw it himself one night coming from his sister's house. He had to run because the street then was very dark and the next light post was on the other corner. He never looked back until he got into his house. When the house was demolished, there seem to be no sightings reported. Except for what he saw just a few minutes ago. I said that it might have been one of the chickens or we are already drunk. He laughed. He said, "I still know the difference between a chicken and a white dress!". "Agrh!!!", Pepito shouted, "That's enough Rod. Let's just drink and discuss something else."
I was actually a bit worried about what he saw. He never opened up a topic about "Aswang" but the apparition gave me the creeps. I said to myself, "What if that lady shows up at my window".
I actually wanted to get drunk. Besides what Rod brought, we started another bottle of brandy. I told myself that I wanted to too drunk to think about it. It was still 9:30pm. Early for someone from Manila and late for Romblomanons. We discussed a lot of other things after that and scary stories were not included.
Rod and his friends left our house at around 10:30pm. Pepito escorted them to the gate while Lyn cleaned the table we used. I sat at the bench for while and I was already tipsy. I brushed my teeth and went straight to my room. As I looked at the window, I realized part of it was opened. I locked the jalousie and just closed my eyes. Next thing I knew it was morning already.
During breakfast, I asked Pepito and Lyn if they had any experience similar to what Rod said. Pepito declined. He said that Rod was probably testing me. I laughed. But Lyn wasn't laughing. She said that she cannot confirm nor deny it. She said that one evening when she went to the porch to get the towel she hung there to dry, she somewhat saw something or someone swiftly passed on the side of the house. "I knew I saw something from my side. It's just too dark not to notice something white just passed by". Pepito said, "Lyn, why didn't you tell me about this?". Lyn said, "I knew you will laugh if I did!".
True or not, I told myself "So what else Mr. Carpio? What else will you have to endure? "Aswang", white lady apparitions, and they can be in your own backyard." I had no where else to go but stay in this hell hole for a few weeks. I am still on my third day and all these are already making my adventure a horror story. I told myself that I will have to be drunk everyday to endure this or it will be long creepy nights for the rest of my nights in Calatrava.
No white lady showed up for days. Not even during the weekend. So I guess Rod was just testing me. I guess Lyn was just imagining things. Weng had to report back to Manila that week for an emergency and Lina was here with us. Lina was born, raised and educated in the province of Quezon. Pepito teased her and said that Lina was a member of the New People's Army (NPA). I laughed. Lina denied it but she said that she already talked with Ka Roger once in Quezon. Ka Roger is one of the leaders of the NPA band in that region. She had to do this as it was part of her job with the Non-Government Agency she used to work for.
It seems to be another night of boredom. It is only 7:00pm and as always, there was nothing to do. I told Pepito to open that brandy we bought that morning. Lina wanted to join us. We drank only for an hour or so. I guess I wasn't in a "go-get-drunk" mood. So we wrapped things us and called it a night. I went to my room and laid down. I was thinking of my family, my job and my stay in Romblon. The lights were closed. I couldn't sleep and was struggling to sleep for at least two hours.
"Baaaggg!". Something fell on our roof. I felt the weight because one of the foundations near where I laid vibrated. "Shit, what was that?", I told myself. Two dogs of our neighbor started howling. These were long, creepy howls. I could hear the roof crank as if that being or thing was walking toward the ceiling above me.
(End of Chapter 3)
Rod came in at 7:15pm together with two of his friends. Our staff house was suddenly filled with laughter after days of silence. Rod came not on the night he said he will be joining us but two days later. He surprised us and was kind enough to bring a bottle of brandy.
We started talking about our company's purpose. I told him about the benefits it will bring to the people in terms of employment and additional earnings. It was all about business for half an hour or so. We drank the brandy with some fried fish Pepito prepared.
"Do you have somebody else living with you here now?", Rod asked. I said, "For now, it's just the three of us since Lina isn't back yet from Santa Cruz". He giggled and looked at his glass. "I saw somebody walk by your front yard just a few seconds ago.", Rod said in a worried tone. I looked at the jalousies behind me. There was nothing except for the leaves and the branch of the tree about 10 meters from the window. "Rod, don't start it. You're scaring my boss!", Pepito said. I laughed. I told Rod that I have been in many strange places in my life but I have never seen a ghost up close and personal.
Rod said that the lot that our staff house was built on formerly stood an old, dilapidated house. Nobody lived in it for years until the owner decided to tear it down. For a while, the site was said to be haunted. Ghostly apparitions scared the passers-by at night. A lady in white would show up at times as if she was walking back and forth behind the window of the old house. Rod said that he couldn't believe the stories but people who told him about them seem to have similar experiences. It was until he saw it himself one night coming from his sister's house. He had to run because the street then was very dark and the next light post was on the other corner. He never looked back until he got into his house. When the house was demolished, there seem to be no sightings reported. Except for what he saw just a few minutes ago. I said that it might have been one of the chickens or we are already drunk. He laughed. He said, "I still know the difference between a chicken and a white dress!". "Agrh!!!", Pepito shouted, "That's enough Rod. Let's just drink and discuss something else."
I was actually a bit worried about what he saw. He never opened up a topic about "Aswang" but the apparition gave me the creeps. I said to myself, "What if that lady shows up at my window".
I actually wanted to get drunk. Besides what Rod brought, we started another bottle of brandy. I told myself that I wanted to too drunk to think about it. It was still 9:30pm. Early for someone from Manila and late for Romblomanons. We discussed a lot of other things after that and scary stories were not included.
Rod and his friends left our house at around 10:30pm. Pepito escorted them to the gate while Lyn cleaned the table we used. I sat at the bench for while and I was already tipsy. I brushed my teeth and went straight to my room. As I looked at the window, I realized part of it was opened. I locked the jalousie and just closed my eyes. Next thing I knew it was morning already.
During breakfast, I asked Pepito and Lyn if they had any experience similar to what Rod said. Pepito declined. He said that Rod was probably testing me. I laughed. But Lyn wasn't laughing. She said that she cannot confirm nor deny it. She said that one evening when she went to the porch to get the towel she hung there to dry, she somewhat saw something or someone swiftly passed on the side of the house. "I knew I saw something from my side. It's just too dark not to notice something white just passed by". Pepito said, "Lyn, why didn't you tell me about this?". Lyn said, "I knew you will laugh if I did!".
True or not, I told myself "So what else Mr. Carpio? What else will you have to endure? "Aswang", white lady apparitions, and they can be in your own backyard." I had no where else to go but stay in this hell hole for a few weeks. I am still on my third day and all these are already making my adventure a horror story. I told myself that I will have to be drunk everyday to endure this or it will be long creepy nights for the rest of my nights in Calatrava.
No white lady showed up for days. Not even during the weekend. So I guess Rod was just testing me. I guess Lyn was just imagining things. Weng had to report back to Manila that week for an emergency and Lina was here with us. Lina was born, raised and educated in the province of Quezon. Pepito teased her and said that Lina was a member of the New People's Army (NPA). I laughed. Lina denied it but she said that she already talked with Ka Roger once in Quezon. Ka Roger is one of the leaders of the NPA band in that region. She had to do this as it was part of her job with the Non-Government Agency she used to work for.
It seems to be another night of boredom. It is only 7:00pm and as always, there was nothing to do. I told Pepito to open that brandy we bought that morning. Lina wanted to join us. We drank only for an hour or so. I guess I wasn't in a "go-get-drunk" mood. So we wrapped things us and called it a night. I went to my room and laid down. I was thinking of my family, my job and my stay in Romblon. The lights were closed. I couldn't sleep and was struggling to sleep for at least two hours.
"Baaaggg!". Something fell on our roof. I felt the weight because one of the foundations near where I laid vibrated. "Shit, what was that?", I told myself. Two dogs of our neighbor started howling. These were long, creepy howls. I could hear the roof crank as if that being or thing was walking toward the ceiling above me.
(End of Chapter 3)
Huwebes, Mayo 5, 2011
An Aswang in my Midst Chapter 2: The Town of Calatrava
Credits to story owner: Aswang Story | Blogger
It was a cool morning in Calatrava, Tablas Island, Romblon. My staff were still preparing for breakfast and I was at the porch of our staff house. The area where I was was dominated by coconut trees. The very reason that I was in Romblon - to set up a virgin coconut mill. It was your usual provincial atmosphere. There were just a few people passing by. There were goats, dogs and other domestic animals moving around. The air was so clean. So sweet. You can take a deep breath and savor that health intake of natural gas into your system.
My staff, Pepito, was the best cook in town. He was also my Field Supervisor in-charge of operations. He asked me if I preferred any particular meals. I told him that I would eat anything - anywhere. He laughed. He said, "Sir, here in Romblon, you don't just eat anywhere or with anyone". That made me pause as I looked at him while he was frying fish for breakfast. I asked, "And why is that? What if we were caught in the middle of the road during our trips from one town to another? What would we eat? Coconuts?". Pepito said, "Ha ha ha, I think sir, we would be better off with coconuts". Pepito placed our breakfast properly on the table and called Lyn to join us. Lyn was our Liaison person who was responsible for talking with the town folks and convince them to sell to us their coconut harvest.
I sat on one side of the table with that kind of jolly mood being my first breakfast with two of my staff who I hardly knew and who hardly knew me. I asked where my other staff member, Lina, was. Pepito said that she was in Santa Cruz which was in the far south of the island handling some business matters there for the while. Lyn said that Lina will be back within the week to join us.
As we were eating our meal, I couldn't help but continue our topic of "eating anywhere". I said that I am not a picky person. I told them that I am not sensitive to what I ate so long as it was not spoiled. Pepito said, "Sir, you don't know people in Romblon", as he looked at Lyn with a sinister smile. Lyn said, "Sir, believe Pepito. He was born and raised here". So I asked, "What Pepito? What do I have to know?", as I swallowed a spoon-full of food. Pepito went, "Sir, people know that you are not from around here the moment you stepped into our port. They know that you are not a "Romblomanon" (a citizen of Romblon) despite your effort to look as local as you can. Sir, you do not just eat anywhere. There are people here who mix food with somethings you shouldn't be eating yourself.". Pepito laughed after that. And as I was chewing on my meal, Pepito continued; "Have you heard stories about Aswangs?". That stopped me. I looked at my two staff who seemingly were playing a joke on me as they laughed at how I looked after Pepito's last phrase. After a sip of my chocolate drink, I said, "Pepito, get real. This is the age of the internet. The age of hi-tech cellular phones and cyberspace. This is the year 2008. Those actors and actresses who starred in "Aswang" movies are either too old or dead". Lyn replied, "Sir, maybe in Manila. Not in Romblon! Look around you. See how backward things are? You couldn't even see a car pass by every 10 minutes. Ha ha ha." Lyn's statement only drew curiosity deeper into the topic. I went, "What do they mix? Poison?". Pepito was laughing again as if I was a naive kid he was teaching first grade math to. "Sir, they mix human parts!".
I was laughing out loud. I couldn't believe what they were telling me. I said, "Pepito, that is pure bullshit. You have to do better than that. Let's wrap it up. This is just too much folklore for me for breakfast!". Pepito replied, "As you said so, Mr. Vice President!". I was giggling as I went back to my room to prepare for my morning bath. It was only 6:10am. We will start working at 7:00am. Our work station is only a block away from where we lived. Lyn was cleaning the table while Pepito was relaxing at the bench looking at me with a smile. "Pepito, we can talk about this over some drinks tonight". Pepito said, "Sir, we can talk about this as early as 5:00pm!".
After a long work day, I realized that Pepito was precise. Calatrava closes at 5:00pm. Every store, shop, billiard place, everything was closed at 5:00pm. The only thing that was open was the beach! We had no television, no internet, no radio, nothing! If that remote cellular signal site died down, we would be cut-off from the world! I walked with my staff to the beach as they wanted me to see it. The beach was fantastic. Though it wasn't the best view of the island, it was a nice place to reflect. There were youngsters and teenagers in the shore playing around or taking a dip. I thought that it was probably the prime afternoon relaxation for everybody. As if they had a choice. Pepito was orienting me about the town. He pointed where the Vice-Governor's house was. He also showed me where the only store that was open at night was. "Good Pepito! Go buy some beer!". Pepito laughed, "Sir, we don't have beer in Calatrava. We only have local whiskey, brandy and gin!". I said, "It's your call. Get anything!", as I reached to him a hundred pesos. Lyn shouted, "Peps, we will go back to the staff house. See you there."
As Lyn and I were walking back, I noticed people staring at me. I felt like a celebrity! I was already wearing simply clothes and still they looked at me as if I was someone connected to their Vice Governor. The night was young. The sun was still setting. A man approached us and greeted Lyn. "Lyn, how are you?". Lyn replied, "Hi sir Rod. Sir Noel, this is Sir Rod, brother of the Vice Governor". I replied, "Oh my pleasure to meet you, sir. You might want to join us for drinks at our staff house later. I had Pepito buy some drinks." He replied, "Why not. Let me have dinner with my wife and kids first then I will catch up with you later".
Rod seemed to be nice person. Simple looking but you know he is somebody when he spoke. Lyn and I got to our staff house soon after. It was a slow and short walk from the beach. a fifteen minute walk which would have taken me around 3 minutes if I walked the same distance in Manila. I went straight to my room and laid down on my 2-inch cushion. It's roughly six o'clock in the evening and there is nothing else to do! I already finished all my reports at the work station. So there is really nothing to ponder on here. I took my cellular phone and started playing "Golf", a game stored in it. I heard Pepito come in. Pepito was a good singer. He was singing out loud as he placed his purchases on the table. I heard him ask, "Where's the boss?".Lyn asked, "In his room"m said Pepito.
Our staff house only had partitions. It was made of bamboo, rattan and wood. There were no ceilings. Your room is right underneath the galvanized aluminum roof which was around twenty-five feet from the floor. A lot of clearance there. But I liked our staff house. It was cool, comfortable and neat. It was hardly three months old. We rented it from the owner who was just a few meters from the house. It was elevated from the sandy ground. I had six solid foundations and the floor was made of thick bamboo strips with about one forth of an inch distance from one another. You can see chickens crossing underneath as you stood above. So the air would pass through the windows and through the floor! Wasn't that cool enough! Natural air-conditioning was what you can call it!
Pepito made dinner. I can smell it from my room. Believe you me, I felt that I was just too excited to eat dinner. I wasn't hungry. But it was the only thing to do! And what was best about it, it smelled so nice. I peeped from my door and saw Pepito's salad. It was a mix of "kangkong", tomatoes, onions and some "dilis" or small sea fishes.
"Dinner!", shouted Pepito. I stood up and went to the dining room. "Pepito, you're a master chef!".
It was a cool morning in Calatrava, Tablas Island, Romblon. My staff were still preparing for breakfast and I was at the porch of our staff house. The area where I was was dominated by coconut trees. The very reason that I was in Romblon - to set up a virgin coconut mill. It was your usual provincial atmosphere. There were just a few people passing by. There were goats, dogs and other domestic animals moving around. The air was so clean. So sweet. You can take a deep breath and savor that health intake of natural gas into your system.
My staff, Pepito, was the best cook in town. He was also my Field Supervisor in-charge of operations. He asked me if I preferred any particular meals. I told him that I would eat anything - anywhere. He laughed. He said, "Sir, here in Romblon, you don't just eat anywhere or with anyone". That made me pause as I looked at him while he was frying fish for breakfast. I asked, "And why is that? What if we were caught in the middle of the road during our trips from one town to another? What would we eat? Coconuts?". Pepito said, "Ha ha ha, I think sir, we would be better off with coconuts". Pepito placed our breakfast properly on the table and called Lyn to join us. Lyn was our Liaison person who was responsible for talking with the town folks and convince them to sell to us their coconut harvest.
I sat on one side of the table with that kind of jolly mood being my first breakfast with two of my staff who I hardly knew and who hardly knew me. I asked where my other staff member, Lina, was. Pepito said that she was in Santa Cruz which was in the far south of the island handling some business matters there for the while. Lyn said that Lina will be back within the week to join us.
As we were eating our meal, I couldn't help but continue our topic of "eating anywhere". I said that I am not a picky person. I told them that I am not sensitive to what I ate so long as it was not spoiled. Pepito said, "Sir, you don't know people in Romblon", as he looked at Lyn with a sinister smile. Lyn said, "Sir, believe Pepito. He was born and raised here". So I asked, "What Pepito? What do I have to know?", as I swallowed a spoon-full of food. Pepito went, "Sir, people know that you are not from around here the moment you stepped into our port. They know that you are not a "Romblomanon" (a citizen of Romblon) despite your effort to look as local as you can. Sir, you do not just eat anywhere. There are people here who mix food with somethings you shouldn't be eating yourself.". Pepito laughed after that. And as I was chewing on my meal, Pepito continued; "Have you heard stories about Aswangs?". That stopped me. I looked at my two staff who seemingly were playing a joke on me as they laughed at how I looked after Pepito's last phrase. After a sip of my chocolate drink, I said, "Pepito, get real. This is the age of the internet. The age of hi-tech cellular phones and cyberspace. This is the year 2008. Those actors and actresses who starred in "Aswang" movies are either too old or dead". Lyn replied, "Sir, maybe in Manila. Not in Romblon! Look around you. See how backward things are? You couldn't even see a car pass by every 10 minutes. Ha ha ha." Lyn's statement only drew curiosity deeper into the topic. I went, "What do they mix? Poison?". Pepito was laughing again as if I was a naive kid he was teaching first grade math to. "Sir, they mix human parts!".
I was laughing out loud. I couldn't believe what they were telling me. I said, "Pepito, that is pure bullshit. You have to do better than that. Let's wrap it up. This is just too much folklore for me for breakfast!". Pepito replied, "As you said so, Mr. Vice President!". I was giggling as I went back to my room to prepare for my morning bath. It was only 6:10am. We will start working at 7:00am. Our work station is only a block away from where we lived. Lyn was cleaning the table while Pepito was relaxing at the bench looking at me with a smile. "Pepito, we can talk about this over some drinks tonight". Pepito said, "Sir, we can talk about this as early as 5:00pm!".
After a long work day, I realized that Pepito was precise. Calatrava closes at 5:00pm. Every store, shop, billiard place, everything was closed at 5:00pm. The only thing that was open was the beach! We had no television, no internet, no radio, nothing! If that remote cellular signal site died down, we would be cut-off from the world! I walked with my staff to the beach as they wanted me to see it. The beach was fantastic. Though it wasn't the best view of the island, it was a nice place to reflect. There were youngsters and teenagers in the shore playing around or taking a dip. I thought that it was probably the prime afternoon relaxation for everybody. As if they had a choice. Pepito was orienting me about the town. He pointed where the Vice-Governor's house was. He also showed me where the only store that was open at night was. "Good Pepito! Go buy some beer!". Pepito laughed, "Sir, we don't have beer in Calatrava. We only have local whiskey, brandy and gin!". I said, "It's your call. Get anything!", as I reached to him a hundred pesos. Lyn shouted, "Peps, we will go back to the staff house. See you there."
As Lyn and I were walking back, I noticed people staring at me. I felt like a celebrity! I was already wearing simply clothes and still they looked at me as if I was someone connected to their Vice Governor. The night was young. The sun was still setting. A man approached us and greeted Lyn. "Lyn, how are you?". Lyn replied, "Hi sir Rod. Sir Noel, this is Sir Rod, brother of the Vice Governor". I replied, "Oh my pleasure to meet you, sir. You might want to join us for drinks at our staff house later. I had Pepito buy some drinks." He replied, "Why not. Let me have dinner with my wife and kids first then I will catch up with you later".
Rod seemed to be nice person. Simple looking but you know he is somebody when he spoke. Lyn and I got to our staff house soon after. It was a slow and short walk from the beach. a fifteen minute walk which would have taken me around 3 minutes if I walked the same distance in Manila. I went straight to my room and laid down on my 2-inch cushion. It's roughly six o'clock in the evening and there is nothing else to do! I already finished all my reports at the work station. So there is really nothing to ponder on here. I took my cellular phone and started playing "Golf", a game stored in it. I heard Pepito come in. Pepito was a good singer. He was singing out loud as he placed his purchases on the table. I heard him ask, "Where's the boss?".Lyn asked, "In his room"m said Pepito.
Our staff house only had partitions. It was made of bamboo, rattan and wood. There were no ceilings. Your room is right underneath the galvanized aluminum roof which was around twenty-five feet from the floor. A lot of clearance there. But I liked our staff house. It was cool, comfortable and neat. It was hardly three months old. We rented it from the owner who was just a few meters from the house. It was elevated from the sandy ground. I had six solid foundations and the floor was made of thick bamboo strips with about one forth of an inch distance from one another. You can see chickens crossing underneath as you stood above. So the air would pass through the windows and through the floor! Wasn't that cool enough! Natural air-conditioning was what you can call it!
Pepito made dinner. I can smell it from my room. Believe you me, I felt that I was just too excited to eat dinner. I wasn't hungry. But it was the only thing to do! And what was best about it, it smelled so nice. I peeped from my door and saw Pepito's salad. It was a mix of "kangkong", tomatoes, onions and some "dilis" or small sea fishes.
"Dinner!", shouted Pepito. I stood up and went to the dining room. "Pepito, you're a master chef!".
An Aswang in my Midst Chapter 1: The Adventure Begins
Credits to story owner: Aswang Story | Blogger
I was born and raised in Manila. My parents have spent their hard-earned money to bring us to exclusive schools. I went to La Salle Greenhills, an all-boy school in the middle of the metropolis. Up until today, La Salle Greenhills is known to be one of the best schools for Primary and Secondary Level education.
Since I was young, I heard many horror stories. Some from my grandparents. Some from friends and relatives. But as I grew older, I found them all entertaining. Some stories told to me by my brother, Neil, were the only ones that really got my hair standing. Though they were actual accounts by my brother, I still considered them entertaining.
One of these horror stories that truly entertained me were stories of "Aswangs" or creatures that are humans by day and are said to turn into animals at night when they start hunting for their prey. According to common stories, "Aswangs" feed on farm animals, young children and unborn children. "Aswangs" were said to look for pregnant women and eat their unborn child while they were asleep. They are said to have long tongues that would slowly go through holes and spaces on the roof of the house and can slice its way into the stomach of the sleeping mother.
Entertaining isn't it? Well, not until I had a taste of my own experience.
Tablas Island, Romblon Province. This island about fifty nautical miles from the province of Batangas is the largest of the three major islands of the province. The sole province under Region 4A, Tablas Island can be reached by boat or by plane. But due to the insufficient number of travelers to the island, there are only about two flights that go in and out of Tablas. The more common means of traveling to the island is by "Ro-Ro" or Roll-On, Roll-Off vessels which are basically ships that can accommodate vehicles in its hull while passengers stay in the upper decks. These vessels are slow, uncomfortable, and most of the time, overloaded with passengers. Most of the trips to Tablas Island leaves Batangas City at 5 o'clock in the afternoon and gets to the island at 3 o'clock early in the morning if the weather is good.
I was the Assistant Vice President for Operations for an agri-business company. I was tasked to start up a Virgin Coconut Mill in the town of Calatrava which was about an hour jeepney ride from Tablas' center-city, Odiongan. I was bound for the island mid-November 2008 and was actually a little excited about it. I have never been to any part of Romblon and this to me was an adventure. I was to meet up with my staff in Calatrava.
The adventure trip actually turned bad as soon as I stepped into the "Ro-Ro". I paid the full fare and was given a ticket to get on board. However, I noticed that my ticket had no seat number. I then realized that the ship was overloaded. Since I had no seat, I had to settle myself to sit on a bench attached to one of the dining tables of the ship's eating area together with three strangers sitting in front and beside me. I felt so bad. I hated it! I asked myself, "What is a Lasallite like me doing is a hell-hole like this?" But when I saw that many had to sit on the staircase and beside the railings of the ship, I thought, I was lucky already. No wonder there are a lot of maritime accidents in the Philippines!
The ship started to sail for Romblon at around 5:40pm. As I stood beside the port-side railings to view Batangas Bay, I saw dolphins swimming beside our ship as we slowly left for the sea. The sun was setting and I already started to miss my family. It was a time to reflect actually. I started to think if this kind of job was something I wanted to do for a long time. But as I look way ahead towards the horizon, I told myself that it was just the start of my journey. I will decide when I get through it later.
(End of Chapter 1)
I was born and raised in Manila. My parents have spent their hard-earned money to bring us to exclusive schools. I went to La Salle Greenhills, an all-boy school in the middle of the metropolis. Up until today, La Salle Greenhills is known to be one of the best schools for Primary and Secondary Level education.
Since I was young, I heard many horror stories. Some from my grandparents. Some from friends and relatives. But as I grew older, I found them all entertaining. Some stories told to me by my brother, Neil, were the only ones that really got my hair standing. Though they were actual accounts by my brother, I still considered them entertaining.
One of these horror stories that truly entertained me were stories of "Aswangs" or creatures that are humans by day and are said to turn into animals at night when they start hunting for their prey. According to common stories, "Aswangs" feed on farm animals, young children and unborn children. "Aswangs" were said to look for pregnant women and eat their unborn child while they were asleep. They are said to have long tongues that would slowly go through holes and spaces on the roof of the house and can slice its way into the stomach of the sleeping mother.
Entertaining isn't it? Well, not until I had a taste of my own experience.
Tablas Island, Romblon Province. This island about fifty nautical miles from the province of Batangas is the largest of the three major islands of the province. The sole province under Region 4A, Tablas Island can be reached by boat or by plane. But due to the insufficient number of travelers to the island, there are only about two flights that go in and out of Tablas. The more common means of traveling to the island is by "Ro-Ro" or Roll-On, Roll-Off vessels which are basically ships that can accommodate vehicles in its hull while passengers stay in the upper decks. These vessels are slow, uncomfortable, and most of the time, overloaded with passengers. Most of the trips to Tablas Island leaves Batangas City at 5 o'clock in the afternoon and gets to the island at 3 o'clock early in the morning if the weather is good.
I was the Assistant Vice President for Operations for an agri-business company. I was tasked to start up a Virgin Coconut Mill in the town of Calatrava which was about an hour jeepney ride from Tablas' center-city, Odiongan. I was bound for the island mid-November 2008 and was actually a little excited about it. I have never been to any part of Romblon and this to me was an adventure. I was to meet up with my staff in Calatrava.
The adventure trip actually turned bad as soon as I stepped into the "Ro-Ro". I paid the full fare and was given a ticket to get on board. However, I noticed that my ticket had no seat number. I then realized that the ship was overloaded. Since I had no seat, I had to settle myself to sit on a bench attached to one of the dining tables of the ship's eating area together with three strangers sitting in front and beside me. I felt so bad. I hated it! I asked myself, "What is a Lasallite like me doing is a hell-hole like this?" But when I saw that many had to sit on the staircase and beside the railings of the ship, I thought, I was lucky already. No wonder there are a lot of maritime accidents in the Philippines!
The ship started to sail for Romblon at around 5:40pm. As I stood beside the port-side railings to view Batangas Bay, I saw dolphins swimming beside our ship as we slowly left for the sea. The sun was setting and I already started to miss my family. It was a time to reflect actually. I started to think if this kind of job was something I wanted to do for a long time. But as I look way ahead towards the horizon, I told myself that it was just the start of my journey. I will decide when I get through it later.
(End of Chapter 1)
Mag-subscribe sa:
Mga Post (Atom)
LinkWithin
