"Stories Under The Blue Moon"

 On one fateful night, my friends, Kathy, and Maya, wanted us to go on a simple evening get together by the beach to witness the blue moon.

I got out of my house at 11 pm and made my way to the village entrance where Kathy and I planned to meet. But, as I walked farther along the road, something unusual happened, I found myself back at the gate of my house.

What in the world? I thought to myself.

Thinking that my mind might have just played tricks on me, I attempted to walk towards the village entrance once more but, again, after several walks I made it back to the gate of my house.

I was starting to get goosebumps along my arms and legs when I suddenly thought about Kathy. I looked around the area and realized that there was a big old narra tree sitting beside my house’s gate. I then started to smell a strong scent of cigarette smoke.

“Unya, nalingaw ra ka Kath?” I shout, smiling.

“Oo, lingaw kaayo, Maricel!” Kathy shouts from above the giant narra tree.

She was laughing as she jumped her way down while she held a cigarette in her hand. As she got to the ground, I saw her pitch black, hairy skinned, 7-foot tall figure, wearing a black jacket with shorts.

“Kathy jud uie! Gikalingawan jud ko nimo og patuyok-tuyok!” I say.

“Mao na! Dugayan man kaayo ka mahuman ug ilis! Ang sabot 10:30 magkita unya karon kay alas 11 na,” she replied, rolling her eyes.

“Lagi! Sorry na. Asa naman si Maya?” I ask.

“Makig-abot ra daw siyas baybayon. Medyo madugay lang kuno siya. Gikan pa baya tus Naga.”

With that said, Kathy and I made our way to the nearest local beach and stayed along the seashore sand, patiently waiting for Maya. As we quietly sat there, I could not help but notice the sadness in Kathy’s eyes, she seemed to be thinking about something serious, and it bothered her a lot.

Kathy is a simple kapre who had stayed in a mountainous barangay somewhere around Talisay City. She met and befriended a 4-year-old girl named Tanya who played by the tree she lived in. Although the girl seemed to enjoy her company and loved her as a friend, Kathy always thought of Tanya as more than that, she treated Tanya as her daughter.

“Kath? Okay ra ka?” I ask.

“Ha? Okay ra man ko,” she replied with a slight smile.

“So… Kamusta man tung bata nga imong gi bantayan sa Talisay?”

“Ah, si Tanya? Wala naman siya,” Kathy replied with a sad look on her face.

“Ha? Naunsa diay siya?”

“…Namatay,” she says.

It turns out that Tanya died a few weeks ago. The young girl was orphaned and lived with her abusive uncle who had repeatedly molested her. Tanya only found comfort whenever she would go and play with Kathy. Unfortunately, one day, her uncle came home drunk, quickly grabbed his gun and shot Tanya repeatedly.

“Kahinumdum pa ko sa iyang tingog pag shagit niya og tabang. Kahinumdum pa ko sa pagbuto… usa… duha… tulo…,” Kathy says as she stares into blank space.

Suddenly, I felt several warm liquid drops on my head and shoulders. It must be about to rain, I thought, until I saw red stains on my shoulders and realized that what was dripping on me was not water, but blood.

Kathy and I turned our heads up, and saw Maya’s winged torso wearing a white sando, hovering above us, openly revealing some of her organs.

“Hi guys!” Maya says as she continues to hover with her giant wings while sucking on her blood covered fingers.

“Maya! Asa naman ang pikas sa imong lawas? Nagtulo nuon imong dugo!” Kathy asks.

“Gi bilin nakos Naga. Kapoy kaha lakaw padulong diri. Maong ni lupad nalang ko,” Maya replied.

Maya flew down and placed her torso beside us on the sand. Her wings started to form into a jacket, covering her bare shoulders, protecting it from the cold sea breeze.

“Nadugay lagi ka ron,” I say.

“Ni kaon ko kadali,” Maya replied.

“Unya, kamusta naman imong love life? Kamo gihapons imong uyab?” Kathy asks.

“Dugay naming ga buwag atu,” Maya replies with a laugh.

Maya had been in a relationship with Jake for 5 years, when she suddenly became pregnant. It all came to us as a surprise since none of us thought that it was possible for a manananggal to be impregnated, nor did we have any idea of what would happen. Maya tried her best not to change her form but, when she was only four months pregnant, her torso suddenly pulled away from the bottom part of her body on its own, ripping the developing fetus in her womb into pieces. She was devastated, and she simply lied to Jake that she miscarried since he had no idea of what she truly was.

“Nganong nagbuwag man mo?” I ask, curious.

“He cheated on me paghuman atong namatay among anak. A few months later, nabuntis ang babaye mao tu, gi biyaan ko niya,” Maya replied.

We sat there speechless, listening to the calm waves that came crashing into the shore. I dare not ask nor wonder whose baby became Maya’s meal that night.

“Ikaw diay, Maricel? Kamusta naman mo atung seaman?” Maya brings up.

“Ni… larga naman siya,” I say shyly.

“Ha? Pero pinangga man kayka atu. Wa diay mu ubra ang…,” Maya gets cut off.

“I let him go.”

“Cel…,” Kathy says, concerned.

“Two years nga sige siya ug sulting gihigugma ko niya… O, happy ko atung panahona pero, basta mu tutok ko sa iyang mga mata… he looked so empty. Wa na nako makaya kay unsaon man nako iyang gugma kung tungod ra diay tu sa akoang gayuma…,” I say as I grab a few pebbles in the sand and throw it out to the sea.

“Unya… okay ra ka?” Kathy asks.

“Yeah. I heard na… he met up with his childhood sweetheart then, magpakasal na kuno sila puhon. Ayaw na mo kabalaka nako uie… Atleast karon, uban na sila sa babaye nga gihigugma jud niya nga tinuod,” I reply.

We kept silent and redirected our attention to the sea as well as the bright blue moon that had illuminated the atmosphere. Its beauty had clearly reflected on the moving waters. The sound of crashing waves and calm breeze became music to our ears.

These are only a few stories of the lives of creatures like us told under a blue moon. The unquestioned lives of suffering, torment, and pain.