Sidapa

Chapter 3: Her Circumstance

Flashback: May 1994

"Who's there?" Calista enthusiastically ran towards the door located at the back of the kitchen. Suddenly, her Lola grabbed her and held her back. 

"Don't open the door, apo." her Lola whispered. " Go with your Papa and get to your room."

Her father carried her in his arms. Calista could feel the uneasy feeling in the air. His father was sweaty and her Lola, the ever smiling one was pale and terrified by the knock. Her Lola grabbed her father's shoulder and whispered something in his ear. Alas! She was not able to hear it. Her father hurriedly strode towards the room while she heard two more loud knocks before the sound faded into the noise of the rain.

Later that evening, the rest of the family gathered around the long table. The Andres' clan were all present during the dinner time. The house was crowded with children but no one was making a ruckus. The dinner table was solemn as if a novena was undergoing.  Everybody was focused on their food not even pausing to start a conversation. Her father which was known to be loud and boisterous during their family gatherings was very timid at that time. 

When everyone had their fill the adults were gathered in the living room and asked the children to stay inside her Lola's  bedroom. It was the first time Calista went inside such a huge bedroom inside the house. The bedroom rivaled that of the living room by its size. There was a wooden cabinet installed at the right side of the room when you enter. It was vast,  at the end of it was  a mirror as tall as her father. It was old and tainted but still gives a good reflection when she tried to view it. Her Lola's bed was an old At Chay  branded bed made of a sturdy wood. Across the room, there was a huge altar. The altar had images of Birhen Maria, An old wooden crucifix, broken saints and wood-carved Holy Trinity  with unlit candles and a withering sampaguita hanged over a mini Santo Nino. It also housed trinkets and bottles with roots and and unknown liquids. 

Calista and her cousin Nica opened one of the bottles, the liquid spilled a little bit in Nica's dress. It stank horribly. Her cousins Boknoy and Terio teased Nika for opening bottle, Nica was about to cry when Manoy Justin intervened and scolded them for teasing Nica. The adults have not finished their conversation yet and most of them are getting drowsy. Manoy Justin being the eldest, huddled them up in their Lola's bed and tried to settle them with a story. Calista had no idea of what stories one would tell in the province. She knows about princess and castles and ll the glittery Disney stuff. She wondered if it'll be the same?

"Uy! This story I will share with you came from Manong Ambing, about the manuktukay ."  he started as the other children huddled closer together.

"Manuktukay? What's that? Is that a princess." Calista curiously asked him.

"Prinsesa?!There are no princesses on Manong Ambing's stories!" Boknoy retorted. " Those are for babies." as he stared at Nica and purposefully made faces to tease her. 

Manoy Justin flicked Boknoy's forehead and sternly told him to just listen. " Ahh..Yes, Calista, a manuktukay is a ghost that haunts houses..." while intimidating the girls with his scary voice.

The girls embraced each other tightly in fear. Justin was pleased to see this reaction and continued along with the story. 

" Mang Ambing told me that about a night ago, while he was sleeping peacefully in his nipa hut, he heard a faint knock on his door. He got up immediately and out of his grogginess he asked if who was there." Justin made a pause and looked at his audience as they longingly waited for the rest of the story. 

Boknoy and Terio was attentively listening to him not even moving an each while their eyes demanding to continue the story. Justin glanced over the girls who were huddled to each other, not moving as well and their eyes asking for the story to stop. Justin felt a sense of accomplishment delivering a tight story. After a minute of silence, he continued.