" She: An Influential Folk@85th "

---Written Yet Untold Philippine Mythology Literature---

I was up late at 9 o'clock in the morning. It was weird waking up with no one else at home. I was wondering where did mama, papa and our bunso go since they haven't told me anything about going out somewhere today when we had a talk last night after our dinner. The only thing I can remember is that we had so much a fun talk with my Lola who came to visit and have dinner with us. Lola Tansya was an 85 years old native Filipino. She is living with my tito Roro, papa's brother. 

All started when I asked her about mythical creatures such as "kapre", "tikbalang", "aswang" and "dwende", and told me and bunso that these were all true base on her ancestors mythical stories and her own experienced that made her believe that these creatures do actually exist in places like ours which is kinda rural area of a certain province. 

Lola Tansya: " It was one summer afternoon..."

Lola started talking. She had her cat massy, on her hand while sitting on a rocking chair in front of us. Me and bunso stopped what each of us are doing and gave Lola our full attention as if we're like watching a TV show. 

" I was 11 or maybe 12 years old that time and my little sister, your Lola Grasyana, was likely of bunso Ben’s age " She added and gave a quick glance on me.

" In like 50 meters away from our little cabin, was a very big acacia tree. it has a very large trunk, its branches are extended widely. The ground under can be seen a little dark and cool due to its abundant little leaves, the whole area, even including our cabin’s was so quiet that a single footstep could break the silence… up on it was an abandoned treehouse and a ladder. Though it is a big tree, it isn't too tall making it possible for a treehouse to be put up in it"

Bunso ben: " Oh was it a beautiful treehouse lala? can me and kuya play in there? " Bunso said interestingly as if the tree and the treehouse are still existing. 

Me: " Shhhshh, just shut that mouth and focus on lala's story okay? "

I replied irritated. Lola took a look on both of us and continued talking.

Lola Tansya: " We were once like the two of you, hardheaded and curious kiddos... your great great Lolo Tasyo told us not to go on that treehouse because it looks pretty much needed to be fixed and snakes could be up in there too… so by the time that your Lolo and Lola left home for a farm work, we headed onto that treehouse and find out for ourselves of what's in there. "

Me and bunso Ben became more interested. Lola posed for awhile, and brushed her hands on Massy's fur. I wanted to take Massy away so that Lola can continue talking without interruptions but I just couldn't. Lola then turned her looks on us with her glasses on.

Lola Tansya: " So we climbed on that acacia tree using of course the ladder on it, thankfully the ladder was still good so we didn't fall into the ground and break our legs he-he "

She laughed with her own joke for seconds while me and bunso were seriously just looking at her, and she continued. 

" So, as we arrived at the treehouse, we immediately get in since there was no door at all..."

(Grasyana@8: " Wowwww! ") She said as we get in.

(Tansya@12: " Really this is amazing…") I replied.

" The place surprised us, since we expected something different from what we’ve seen, The inside of the treehouse was browny bright like being lighted, the floor was a wooden glossy with no dust at all as if someone took a sweep on it before we come, walls just looked like those of being newly constructed ones, and the ceiling was made of a nicely polished plywood with no spider web at its any sides... overall it looked so much better than our cabin... everything was surprisingly amazing "

Me: " Woooooahh that's a tricky creepy "

Bunso: " Nahhh I already seen such treehouses on google kuya... go check for yourself ha-ha .” Bunso replied like nothing's surprising about what Lola just told us. Lola Tansya then continued to tell us wondrously.

Lola Tansya: " Hhmmmnn, but nothing's on that treehouse, it's all empty... so what we did was that, we came back home and get a "banig" and pillows so that we can sleep there for awhile since it's a very cool place to have a sleep on. Also some breads and lemon juices. As we came back on the treehouse everything looks still the same… All was good as we took our sleep after having our little treehouse snacks "

Lola Tansya stopped for a moment, took a look on my mama who came to listen too. Mama smiled on me and sit beside bunso. Lola smiled on the three of us and continued her story.

" Well, we didn't expect something to happen... in the midst, the little treehouse was so quiet still, Grasyana already fall asleep while I was too, not until I opened my eyes intentionally for a sec placing my pillow properly... I took a glance throughout the door and noticed that the outside seems to look like foggy. It was like a fog but it's quite not… that was unusual because we never experienced that before... so I woke Grasyana up and showed it to her. We then stood up and find out what it is... We found out that it was a smoke, but nothing seems like being burned as the smoke's color was pretty white like a snow, as we got in the treehouse's little railed side which is placed just beside the open door the fog was thickening, we looked at where it came from and it was from a big branch almost straight on the second side just after the railed side..."

Lola continued to tell us seriously. Mama didn't say any at all, she looks so interested on finding out about the smoke while bunso who was sitting on her lap, seemed to be scared.

" This became my most memorable experienced when we saw who made the smoke. it was someone, someone who is very big, pretty much like a giant sitting on a branch of the acacia tree with his feet almost in the ground... he was facing outwards, wearing nothing at all. Only the smoke covers his naked but hairy body in front of us... he has a short dark curled hair, skin was darker than a "moreno", he got big triceps muscles so as on his legs that if he happened to be a normal person he could have been a macho dancer as we called it these days he-he..."

Lola joked and made us all laughed. That wasn't so creepy as I thought. 

Me: " so how did he make the smoke lala? "

Lola Tansya: " Well he had his tobacco on his right hand and that's where the smoke came from... so, we were shocked that time, as we saw him none of the two of us did move a muscle... we can't almost believe that we just saw a real "kapre". Then he slowly moved his head to look on us, we didn't wait for him to see us..."

(Grasyana@8: " God!!! Sh-should we run now?!!!!! ") Grasyana said freaking out.

(Tansya@12: " Oh we should've listened to papa!!!! " I replied and quickly head down the ground.

" We both quickly stepped down the ladder onto the ground... I was the one who stepped down first and when we got almost 3 steps before the ground, Grasyana accidentally got a mistake way down, led us both to fell, but thankfully didn't make our legs broken that we still managed to run then he-he-he "

We all laughed again. Mama stood up, got over Ben. 

Mama: " Ha-ha that was creepy funny ma Tansya, I’ve never thought that a thing like that can be real..., gonna leave the three of you for now, the dishes are waiting for me to do them he-he " Mama said while heading towards the kitchen. 

Bunso: " So what happened next lala? Hi-hi "

So then Lola Tansya continued.

“ Well, as your great great Lolo and lola arrived from work, I told them everything, thankfully they weren't mad at all, not until I told them that the "banig" and pillows were left in there and that we'll be using nothing for the night's rest... so then your Lolo Tasyo accompanied me going to the treehouse again to get those things. I don't feel going there for the second time but since your Lolo was there, I feel safe and comfortable. As we reached up the treehouse, surprisingly everything looked so different, it became haunted and abandoned, making your Lolo Tasyo to not believe on me, even me to myself, about what I saw with Grasyana, yet we got home safe with the glasses and pillows that we used, and a "banig" on our hands... so that's it kiddoos……. Now Mark it's up to you to believe such things being real or not..."

She ended her story then played with massy. I was left thinking over and over again, while looking at my Lola Tansya. Bunso Ben just played back with his toys after then. 

Well anyway that was all about last night's fun talk with Lola Osing, I wish she visits again and share another of her own mysterious experiences. It was 28th of February, a summer vacation time. It was a very hot and lazy day for me. I decided to take a nap using carpet on the floor while waiting for mama and papa to come home for lunch. After almost 10 minutes I fully fell asleep, with the electric fan set facing towards me. I planned for a nap but it took me almost 2 and half hours before I was awaken. That was when the electricity was out and the fan stopped. No one woke me up, the hotness did. I tried to get up but I couldn't move any of my limbs, tried to shout for help, but something is like hindering for my voice to be heard by anyone at home. Only my eyes can do a movement and a little for my head too. After awhile, I saw something, it was a giant hairy man's legs up beside me... he was facing towards me from the side, I couldn’t see his face up as it's very foggy. 

I realized that things similar to my Lola’s just happened to me. I was so scared like freaking really bad but couldn't do anything to save myself. Then the giant man stepped his one foot on me, from my chest to the rest of my body,.. it made me so much hard to breathe, like I wouldn't get another hour being alive…and suddenly,

Bunso: " Kuya Maaaaarrrrkkkkk waakkkeeee uppp!!!!! " He shouted on my ear really loud and shake my head over and over and over again...and,

Me: " Ooohhhhh Thanks God I'm alive!!!!!! "I hugged my little brother really tight and saw a pair of boots he puts on his hands like gloves.

Bunso: " I was playing with these clean farming boots of papa, I even made them stepped all the way from your chest to wake you up... what's happening? I was struggling waking you up... and look, it's almost 9 am, we already did even have our breakfast… now you're gonna eat alone..."

Me: " It's still 9 am? and you didn't go anywhere with mama and papa? "

Bunso: " ummmhhn yes...and no for the second question,.. what do you mean?”

I replied a smile on him.