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Leave Nothing But...
Scares
By Roda Novenario
Have you heard about the story of a barkada who went off to a town up North for a vacation? They were goofing around inside a jeep, waiting for their ride to fill up, when an old man tapped one of them at the back of his shoulder. The teenager remembered a story he heard from friends about this practice, that it was a way for warlocks and witches to leave a curse upon their chosen victim. So he got out of the jeep, ran after the old man and tapped his shoulders to pass back the curse.
On any given day, in any small provincial town, that would be such a sight, right? An old man and a teenaged boy playing tag on the street, it's funny.
But what if it really happened, and what if the practice is true? What if witches and warlocks do exist and they can lay claim to our fate? I'm sure if it ever happened to me I'll run after whoever and play tag on the streets for as long as it takes.
I think most of us were raised with enough mystical awareness to not take these possibilities for granted. I like that our belief system is healthy that way - wherein most practice established religions like Catholicism and Islam while being keenly aware of what is beyond faith.
I remember a climb at Mt. Cristobal, the legendary "evil" mountain among Manila mountaineers. If it's true that everyone has a third eye, you could say that mine was as closed as it can get. Eye wide shut. But I was scared of course, what with all those stories I've heard!
At around 3am, I was awakened by my tentmate's snoring. It freaked me out actually, a guttural sound coming from such a petite woman. I had to check if it was still her beside me. Assured that it was her, I tried to go back to sleep.
I couldn't. I began to hear the galloping of horses, circling our campsite. At 3AM? And at the summit/campsite? That's when I switched from trying to sleep to praying for sleep!
I woke up fine the next day and tried not to speak of what I'd heard - until others offered up their experiences during the climb. Our wash-up at the foot of the mountain brimmed with baffled stories and, dare I say, renewed respect for the mythical. It was great :
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On another note, I hope the disputes over at Sibuyan Island in Romblon can be resolved soon. Mining affects the environment, even when this activity is supposedly kept outside the perimeter of the preserved area. Landscape changes; soil is eroded; groundwater is contaminated; and this is just the start. To do this near a preserved area lacks ecological soundness; and puts to question mining as a sustainable industry within Sibuyan Island. Definitely, there are other industries that can boost local economy without sacrificing the environment - like eco-tourism. To those against mining in Sibuyan Island, you can sign the petition here: http://www.petitiononline.com/wayamina/petition.html
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It's a scary world we live in - from entities beyond our understanding to the abuse and inequity we see everyday. There's a feeling of powerlessness that eats me up sometimes. But we can overcome these. We do what we can, within ourselves and for the ideas that we believe in. We will overcome.
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