BOYS WILL BE BOYS
When I was a young boy, maybe 7 or 8 years old, we went to my cousin’s place in Quezon City, as we usually do at summertime, to bond and catch up with each other for a day or two. We always go to visit during the Christmas season also, but it’s a different kind of thing altogether. Christmas is a celebration and gift giving and family get-together, while summertime is being with friends and talking all sorts of kids stuff, ice cream and finding nice places to go swimming.We do all sorts of fun stuff when I go to visit: we play basketball, bike outside, hang out in the mall and eat every time we get hungry, which is often.
I love riding around in a bicycle in the province, so it goes without saying that I enjoy the once-a-year city rides I’d like to believe is a gift for a job well done at school. I did well at school but had some health issues so I didn’t really feel that great.
An Unusual Night
We had a blast that day running up and down the block and on the sidewalks and small streets. Everywhere was our playground. So, it wasn’t surprising that all of us were exhausted by the end of the day.
After eating dinner, we washed up and went to bed early, eager to wake up for another fun day.
I woke up at midnight that night all sweaty and breathing hard because it was a hot and humid night. The electric fan was breathing out hot air and the air conditioned room was full so some of us slept in banigs at the living room.
I went to the bathroom to pee and got a glass of water from the refrigerator to refresh my throat and hopefully get back to sleep again.
Walking back to my sleeping space, I noticed that the light in the garage was open so I peeked outside from the window to see if the adults were having a drinking session as was often the case in the party place, or maybe someone shooting free throws at the makeshift basketball ring and backboard some of the older cousins put up in the large tree.
I looked left at the garden table and chairs; no one was there. I then looked right, at the half-court basketball court; no one there. It’s obvious that I was the only one awake.
I then saw the wooden swing hanging from one of the big branches of the big tree swinging back-and-forth, but no one was there.
I looked harder and I saw a lady sitting at the wooden swing, but disappeared as quickly as I blinked my eyes.
I felt shivers…
I immediately went back to sleep and never spoke about it ever again.
It was only when I was already a teenager that I heard about the story of the Lady in Balete Drive. A movie was even made about it by Peque Gallaga and Lore Reyes, which you can read about here
Urban Legend
So, who is the lady and is it a true story?
In the 1950s, a story came out in the papers about a man who drove in the infamous street and stopped by a nice young lady who waved at him, seemingly to hitchhike, to somewhere. He started to drive and wanted to know where the lady was going but nobody was there when he turned around to ask where she is going. This might all have been a hoax except the man was the captain of the Manila Police Department. This and other personal stories by taxi drivers who had similar stories started circulating and the legend was born.
There are many versions of the story behind this urban legend, some saying that the lady was raped and killed by a Japanese soldier. Another version said that it was a taxi driver who did the crime. In another variation of the story, the lady was the daughter of an affluent family living in the area who was killed with her boyfriend when they were hit by a taxi while they were joyriding in their car.
Conclusion
It just so happens that my cousins’ place is quite near the corner of Balete Drive and E. Rodriguez Sr. Avenue. And, they also had a giant Balete tree in the property that I, thinking about it years later, thought might be where this lady hanged out if she wasn’t out looking for a ride.
What do you think?
Is this possible?
It might just be the long and tiring day that made me dream that unusual night, or maybe even a nightmare. Another possible explanation that I though about was, I was already tired from the long travel from our place south of Manila, but still joined in fun to make me even more tired. I thought, over-fatigue can mess with one's mind and create an experience that might never have happened.
So, I will end with that. Thank you for reading my story. I’ve had a lot of good and happy memories in that house where we spent our youth and had parties as young adults; and, sometimes, played guitar till the sun rose while drinking adult beverages for every occasion we could find as an excuse.
The house was sold a couple of years ago.
We are now facing a something even more frightening than stories of ghosts and other mythical creatures; invisible, but deadlier than anything we’ve ever had to face before. Accordingly, we need to be doubly careful and truly care for our fellowmen for all of us to survive.
Keep safe everyone!
This is my entry to @mrnightmare89's contest on the @hiveph community. Read about it here ---> TELL ME ABOUT THE PHILIPPINES : "MYTHICAL CREATURE" (EXTEND)