Pinoy Horror Story

Ang sumusunod na pangyayari ay base sa mga totoong experience ng aking kaibigan noong 1984.

Nakatira kami sa isang panglalakeng dormitory na nsa 3 kilometro ang layo mula sa UPLB Campus. Sa mga panahong iyon, madalalas ay naglalakad lang kami papasok at pauwi mula sa aming mga klase. Wala pang mga sasakyan noon. Itinayo ang dorm namin sa gilid ng isang burol at sa di kalayuan ay matatanaw mo ang nakakahumaling na ganda ng Mt. Makiling.


Isang araw habang naglalakad ang aking kaibigan na si Jhun pauwi ng dorm ay may nakasalubong itong napakagandang babaeng may dalang mga hilaw na mangga na kanyang ibinebenta. Sa pagkahumali nya sa ganda ng babae ay nagpasya siyang bumili nito para maging daan upang makausap nya ito. Mukha siyang mabait at palakaibigan.

Magmula noon at mga ilang linggo pa ang lumipas ay walang paltos nitong nakikita ang babae sa ibat-ibang lugay sa campus o di kaya pag pauwi siya mula sa kanyang klase at madalas ay bumibili siya ng mga benta nitong hilaw na mangga na kinagawian nya nadin. Sa mga oras na iyon ay ni hindi sumagi sa isip nya na may kakaiba don sa babae sapagkat hindi siya katulad ng ibang mga ordinaryong kababaihan bunga ng kanyang mga kaakit-akit na itsura. Subalit ang nakakapagtaka ay kapag nasasambit nya ang kwento ng magandang babae sa kanilang campus sa kanyang mga kaibigan ay tila ba wala namang nakakaalam o nakakakita nito. Doon na siya napaisip.

Isang araw nakita nya ulit yung babae sa lobby ng Department of Agronomy Building. Suot nya yung kadalasang suot nyang puting blosa at bulaklaking palda meron din siyang suot na katutubong bracelet at kwintas na gawa sa hibla ng kawayat at balat. Sinubukan nyang makipag usap at tinanong niya ito kung saan siya nakatira at kung nagaaral din ba siya sa UPLB. Sinagot siya nito ng pabalang at malalabong sagot. Ang sabi nya "Oo sa malapit lang ako nakatira, at estudyante din ako".

Pagkatapos ng kanilang pag-uusap ay iniwan na siya nito habang paparating naman ang isa pang kaibigan ni Jhun kaya tinanong nya ito.

"Ano pre anong tingin mo sa kanya?"

Sumagot naman ang kaibigan nya

"Ha? anong sinasabi mo? Eh nakita kitang mag-isa lang tapos napapaisip ako kasi para kang may kinakausap na iba?!"

Ikinagulat ito ni Jhun. Nanindig ang mga balahibo nya at di na nakapag salita sa takot.

Kinahapunan ng isang araw ng Sabado nang malaman namin ang katotohan. Habang natutulog si Jhun sa aming kuwarto sa Mt.Isarog. Isa yun sa 8 kuwarto na aming dorm na pinangalanan hango sa mga ibat-ibang bundok sa Pilipinas. Napanaginipan nya yung babae pero sa mga oras na iyon ay tila ba totoong nangyayari ang kanyang panaginip. Sa kanyang panaginip ay ipinakilala ng babae ang tunay nitong pagkakakilanlan -  isa daw siyang tagabantay sa mga lantay na puno ng mangga sa tapat ng bintana. Sinabi nya na nagugustuhan nya daw si Jhun at inanyayahan siyang maging prinsipe ng kanyang kaharian.

Nagulat si Jhun at marahan nyang tinangihan ang kanyang alok ng biglang nagalit ang babae at ito'y nag-iba ng anyo sa isang napakapangit na itsura. Unti unti nya itong hinihila upang sumama sa kanya. Nag sisigaw si Jhun at sinubukang buksan ang pintuan. Tumakbo din papunta sa kwarto ni Jhun ang aming nga kaibigan pra buksan ito pero di nila ito mabuksan.

Hanggang sa magbukas din ang pinto. Nagulantang ang lahat sa kanilang nakita pagbukas nila ng pinto. Nakita nila si Jhun sa sulok takot na takot na tila ba'y nakikita ito ng multo. Nakita din nila ang mga bakas ng kalmot sa kanyang mga braso. Litaw din ang mga marka sa kanyang leeg na tila ba'y parang may sumakal sa kanya.

Magmula noon ay di nya na nakita ulit yung babae. Siya nga pala.. ang pangalan ng babae ay hindi Maria... kundi Mirasol.

 

-- English Translation --

 

This is a true story that happened to a friend of mine when I was in college back in 1984. We lived in a men's dormitory called Coop Housing which is about three kilometers off but inside the UPLB campus. The residents walk to and from their classes because there's no transportation that goes to the dorm. It was built beside a hill and not very far away one can see the enchanting Mt. Makiling.
One day while walking back to the dorm, my friend Jhun Banaay crossed paths with a very beautiful girl who's carrying some green mangoes to sell. He was so enamored by her looks that he decided to buy some mangoes and tried to befriend her. She seemed quite kind and friendly too.
Since then and for several weeks onward he would invariably see her in different places in the campus or on his way home and whenever he could he'd buy a few of her green mangoes which he came to acquire a fondness for. Not for a minute did he think of anything unusual since she looked like any ordinary girl but for her attractive features. However, whenever he would tell the other guys about this new friend, nobody seemed to know or have seen her anywhere in the campus so this intrigued him a little bit.
One time he saw her again at the lobby of the Department of Agronomy building wearing the usual white blouse and floral skirt he's seen her wear before along with some native bracelet and necklace made of twine bamboo and leather. So he made some conversation with her and tried to ask a few questions about where she lives and whether she goes to classes there as well. He only got curt and vague replies. She said she just live very close by and yes, she's also a student.
After this conversation she left him and one of Jhun's friend happen to pass by and so he asked him what he thinks of her. To Jhun's surprise and amazement his friend replied that he didn't know whom he's talking to because he just saw him alone earlier and even wondered why he's so animated as if talking to someone else. This definitely sent goosebumps all over Jhun but he didn't say a word.
The moment of truth finally came one Saturday afternoon while Jhun was sleeping in his room in Mt. Isarog, one of the eight housing units that make up the dormitory, named after the mountains in the Philippines. He dreamed of the girl again like always but this time its as if the dream was real. In his previous dreams he'd be making love to her and this really turned on his manhood a lot. But this time she finally revealed who she was - the guardian of the barren mango tree across his window. She took a liking for Jhun and offered him to become the prince of her domain.
He was incredulous and politely turned her down. But this made the girl, now transformed into an ugly looking woman very mad and started dragging him to come with her. Jhun screamed at the top of his lungs and this startled his dorm mates. They went to his room and tried opening the door but it wouldn't budge. In the meantime, Jhun was trying his best to open the door from the inside and this went on for several minutes.
When those outside we're finally able to open the door they were shocked to see Jhun look as if he's seen a ghost and aside from scratch marks on both of his arms they also saw hand marks on his neck as if somebody tried to choke him. He never saw the girl again. By the way, the girl's name is not Maria. It's Mirasol.