Engkanto

Slumbering like a baby in a tiny room, I awoke as my aunt shook my left shoulder. I didn’t hear myself scream, but the neighboring rooms might have panicked, and laughed as I shouted too loud. Perhaps they were wondrin’..what happened to me.

It was a quick, all mixed-up dream, but I was able to find links. My eldest sister bore a super tiny baby whom oddly unnoticed by my family members. I told her there must be something wrong with the baby because it looked too small. I tried counting how many months old the baby was- six months and still the size of a hand. There. The next scene was a struggle to the forest – perhaps I was looking for a cure to the baby’s condition.

A few scenes I barely remember and I stopped in a sink near the exit of the forest. There were even lovers plotting meeting nearby, who happen not to see me at all. Perspective’s back to the baby – it turned into a doll..and I wonder why I didn’t mind the transformation – I didn’t even give out a sigh. A stocky, brown-skinned woman with a wavy hair spoke as she looked intently,’Yari ka’.

I asked, just in my mind, ‘what? why?’ Yet loudly said, ‘What did I do?’

‘Pag hakbang mo nang tatlo at may makakasalubong kang lalaki, batiin mo. Pag babae, wag mong pansinin,’ she warned.

Unsettled, still puzzled, I was unable to do as I was instructed. Weird, ’cause I stepped more than three and I passed by some men who don’t seem to see me. All of a sudden, I came across with a girl, about my age, wearing all white long sleeves and pants, face I don’t remember ’cause I didn’t recognize. I must have uttered, “Thank you.”

I thought she didn’t notice nor hear me, but what a shock! She whispered to my right ear from the back! I believe that’s where I screamed. Good thing, my aunt was sleeping beside.

That was supposed to be a second nap for the day, which turned into a quite deep sleep. As I said, I rarely dream, and when I do I knew it meant something or it was caused by something. Of course, I knew why or do really I?

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