How Mang Tasyo Turned to God(First Draft)

How Mang Tasyo Turned to God

   Many years ago on the island of Bohol, there was a man named Mang Tasyo. He worked as a cook in the river town of Loboc. He was very insecure seeing that he was fat, short, and seemingly had no neck. His fear of rejection and low self-esteem made him bitter; often he appeared very bothersome as he would point out others' faults and tell them how great he was. Thus he was known as "Mang Putot" all around the village, for he was a short man inside and out.

   Now you would think that Mang Tasyo would be alone all his life but thanks to his father's matchmaking, this would not be the case. He married a young, kind woman who mothered his children and cared for him. Sadly, Mang Tasyo did little to repay his wife and often went gambling and drinking with his friends. He was an incompetent father and an ungrateful husband. Sooner or later this would catch up with him.

   A day finally came when no one would dare gamble. It was All Souls Day and everyone knew that if you did not honor the dead in Church and did not pay respects to the resting places of family, the souls of Purgatory would come for you. This did not bother Mang Tasyo as he did not believe in myths. He had skipped this entire charade before and came home without a scratch. Mang Tasyo promised his wife that later in the afternoon, he would go to church. He was, instead, planning to go to a friend's house to play mahjong and drink beer.

   This did not sit well with his wife as this was the same lie he gave years ago. So she said:

   "The souls of the damned are coming

   They're hungry for company for they have nothing

   Honor the dead and you will be protected

   Go the other way and you may be collected!"

   Mang Tasyo felt irritated and shouted "Alimuot ka! Can you stop?!"

   He then traveled on to his friend's house. His family, on the other hand, went to church and the graveyard beside it, following tradition as they've always done for a dozen years now. They would be safe, unlike Mang Tasyo, for on this night the souls were more rabid than ever.

   Meanwhile, Mang Tasyo was having fun and did not have a care in the world. He sang, drank, and threw away his money. He was being reckless.

   Late at night after his merriment, he caught a jeepney to go home. After three stops, a beautiful woman dressed in white came in. She had long, straight, jet-black hair, and her lips... her lips were redder than blood. The lady was silent and could not be seen by anyone else except Mang Tasyo. He did not notice the peculiarity of this woman since he was very drunk so he spoke to the pale beauty.

   "Hello," he said groggily. "Pakiss naman, baby girl?" The slender woman put a smile on her face and stated "I will give you a kiss and feed you if you come to my place." Mang Tasyo took up her offer with excitement and followed her back to her home (which seemed more like a palace). Once he arrived, he saw plenty of food inside her house – it was a fat man's dream. Even though he wanted to eat, he could not as he was too full so he ended up lying on a couch.

   This did not please the lady and she was infuriated that this plump fool could not eat sooner. Trying to convince the man, she grabbed a bayabas fruit and petulantly asked "I'll give you a kiss and in exchange, you'll eat this fruit?" Mang Tasyo found this request very strange but he complied anyway. He gave her a kiss; her lips were cold, and upon opening his eyes, he saw that she didn't have a canal under her nose! Mang Tasyo remembered a story his father told him about the evil spirit people who didn't have philtrums. With this knowledge, he quickly backed away from the lady and recognized what she was. "You're an Encantada!" shouted Mang Tasyo. "You were going to feed me and keep my soul!" Legend has it that whoever ate any food from the spirit world would be trapped in their realm, serving the spirit who deceived them, forever.

   Upon realizing the imminent danger he was in, he ran for the door from whence he came. The entrance was now the exit. The door though was unreachable and Mang Tasyo felt as if he was in an endless hallway. Knowing his attempt to escape was futile, he prayed to God, "Lord, please. I am sorry for everything." He prayed to all the saints he knew, a paltry sum. And without even thinking, he pleaded "Father please protect me."

   The lady was nearing, her dead eyes peering into the soul of Mang Tasyo. He could see the lady in white, her face nothing but a rotting skull that oozed dark inky blood. Mang Tasyo was terrified, he knew that this may as well have been his end. The lady was nearing, ready to devour his soul when suddenly a bright flash of light appeared. Mang Tasyo's father emerged, smiling at him with his crooked teeth, wearing a straw hat.

   "Ay Tasyo, why have you strayed from the good path?" asked his father. "I'll hold her back. The village is looking for you. Go!" Mang Tasyo, crying, quickly uttered, "thank you Itay" and ran as far away as possible. When it seemed to him that the lady was out of sight, he started shouting "Help, I'm here! Mang Putot is here!"

   Suddenly he could hear incoherent shouts and footsteps from the dirt road nearby. The whole village was looking for him and as the people came closer, he could see the glowing lights from their torches. They were here to save him!

   Just as he felt relief that he would be okay, he heard rustling behind him. He looked back to see what it was but to his horror, the Encantada's wide mouth was all he could see—a vortex of absolute darkness. Before any harm was done, the parish priest of the town leaped forward bearing a cross.

   The priest recited with conviction:

   "We cast you out, unclean spirit. Your satanic power and your evil desires are not welcome in the name and by the power of our Lord Jesus Christ. We command you, begone and fly back to your demon, for all souls made by God in his image shall be saved from thy perversion through the sacred blood of the divine lamb."

   The priest then sprinkled holy water on Mang Tasyo. As the glow of the cross grew, the Encantada let out a hair-raising shriek and vanished. When Mang Tasyo looked back, he couldn't see the lavish home he was once in and he saw the ruins of a burnt-down Bahay Kubo instead. Moreover, Mang Tasyo's close friends had told him that what felt like a night to him had been seven days for them.

   Mang Tasyo gave a short prayer of thanks before reuniting with his family. The villagers held a celebration at the town center for Mang Tasyo's long-awaited return. He was very grateful. All his life, Mang Tasyo felt like an outcast, but to him, that night's events proved that people cared for him; he actually belonged.

   From that day on, he vowed to live an honorable life, being the best father he could be and a helping hand for any of his neighbors. This chilling encounter changed him forever, and he lived happily ever after.