We tried to buy a set of plastic from LCC Expressmart in Camalig, Albay to make several ice packs. The structure opened several days ago with fully air-conditioned atmosphere. It can cater people who would want to purchase food, food-related items, and several things like for personal hygiene.
I was a bit sweaty and panting lightly when I entered the building. Cold air made my body cooler. People cruised around and others fell in line when someone patted my elbow and said, “Boss, su akus mo, nawalat su tsinelas sa luwas.” (Boss, your son’s slippers were left outside.)
It had taken several seconds before I realized something. People were looking at me and my friend’s nephew, and then I looked down. I pondered to myself, “Pago lamang, warang tsinelas!!!” (Damn, no slippers). They saw the kid standing barefooted. I felt like a tomato being smashed to the wall when people were laughing at us.
I was holding his hand; he is such an innocent 3-year-old kid. To my embarrassment, I left him to my friend who was with us that time and went back to the entrance. I told everyone while trying to be cool, “Buludun.” (People raised in a mountain / attitude acquired from a mountain people). My gestures were like apologizing.
As I walked back to the door, the guard and the baggage boy were smiling at me. My head turned redder. Sweat started to drip again. One of the shoppers even said, “Disiplinado baga (an akus mo).” (Your son is indeed disciplined). Then I replied, “Eyo ngani po.” (Yes, I agree). I said that with a guise of big fake smile.
People here in our culture are taught that it is also modest to do when slippers or sneakers are left outside before entering the house. It is one way of giving a huge respect to the house members.
After a few strides, a pair of orange slippers then appeared which was left and put closely together by the kid. I was still projecting so cool with a dog-like grin when I picked those up. I walked back to my friend who was then conversing with a saleslady. “Sir, wara po kami na plastic para sa hielo pero nagpa-order na po ako.” (Sir, we don’t have that plastic but I just ordered already.) I said to myself, “Gayun sana” (Very nice).
Then we hurriedly exited from the store, from a ridiculous scenario pretending that it never happened. I just shut my mouth up and my friend was still laughing loudly about it. We went there just to put myself in mockery.
The fact that Halloween is just more than a month away may not be exempted from the talk about monsters. Chupacabra, sasquatch, vampire, layog, wakwak, or mananganggal, whatever you call them, they are classified as aswangs (monsters).
It started from the dusk that I was with my two neighbors in one of the barangays (small villages) in Albay. A guy came up with his stories about a creature which can transform itself through incantation. I listened excitedly and willingly while the other two who appeared scared did not have any enthusiasm as mine.
“Seré, seré, warang Diyos na banggui” (Seré, seré, no God at night), these are the words which have magical effects on a creature like layog. This incantation can transform itself from a human form to distinctive features of aswang. Along with that ritual, chicken poo is applied all over its body in order to change its present form successfully. “Maamputun ang parong ninda” (They are pretty smelly), a guy said to us.
After altering layogs’ appearance, they can fly with their wings like the bats’ and would be able to catch their prey. Be sure not to walk alone but one should put his hands at the back of the head if layog latches the legs around its target. He can free himself from those powerful locking extremities by resisting with and sliding your arms. If you got caught, you may be a dead meat.
In case the layog sprawl its presence around your house at night and you notice their peculiar odor, make a way to frighten them. A good threat may do – “Huna mo, dai ta ka midbid. Dakul na nakaaram na aswang ka. Pag dai ka pa naghali dyan, dumanun mi ika sa harong mo. Halatun mo sana na suluun mi ika.” (You think that I don’t know you. Villagers already knew you are a monster. If you are not going away from here, we’ll come to your house and burn you to death). With this, one can drive it away. The guy clearly pointed out that before dawn, it already transferred to other place. Layogs are also afraid of people as much as people are of them.
Even it has gotten so dark, the guy still continued describing what his father told him that it can also move pretty fast. Do not be surprised if it can easily pass the river and go to the other side in just the blink of an eye.
However, on daytime, you can also spot them if they try to avoid any eye contact by always looking at the ground so as not to reveal their piercing bloody red eyes. They also don’t possess any shadow or reflection from the mirror as their spirits were already devoured by the devil.
After the guy’s story was already over, it lingered on my mind. What if those are real and the attack happened to me? I hope I never ended up hanged upside down in someone’s kitchen.
Obviously, they are just folklores. They never existed and they never will. These may be real but they are just specks of stories created by playful imagination of people.
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