Ang Multo ng Fire Exit

Dahil sa mga bagyong nagdaan, kinailangan ko ring lumikas mula sa bayan ng Obando. Masyado nang mataas ang baha roon at imposible nang magbyahe araw-araw papuntang opisina. Tumuloy ako sa unit ng aking nakababatang kapatid sa Mandaluyong City. Hindi ko akalain na dahil sa lugar na ito ay magkakaroon ako ng bagong istorya.

Sa ilang buwan na paninirahan ng aking kapatid dito ay normal naman ang lahat. Normal hanggang dumating ang aking…

Unang gabi. Graveyard shift ang aking kapatid kaya ako lamang mag-isa sa bahay noon. Matapos kong ayusin ang mga gamit ko, ay nakatulog na ako. Napanaginipan ko na nagkwe-kwentuhan daw kami ng aking mga kaibigan tungkol sa “The Grudge” movie. Hindi ko na matandaang mabuti pero sa aking panaginip ay tinanong ko daw sila nang “Anong date?” at may sumagot na “April 29!”.

Pagkarinig na pagkarinig ko ng petsa na ‘yun ay bigla akong sumigaw - sa panaginip at sa bigla kong paggising. Nagising ako nang tuluyan at parang may babaeng sali’t-salit na bumubulong sa aking dalawang tenga. Tumayo ako at binuksan ko na lang ang pinto ng kwarto at ang mga ilaw. Sa awa naman ng diyos ay nakatulog akong muli matapos magdasal at maglagay ng rosary sa aking bulsa. Hindi ko muna ito ikinwento sa kapatid ko dahil baka matakot din siya.

Sumunod na araw, dumating ang mom ko para magdala ng iba pang gamit. Nasa opisina ako nun at natutulog naman ang aking kapatid. Habang naglilinis ang nanay ko sa kusina, naramdaman niya na parang may dumaan sa likuran niya. Wala naman daw siya nakita paglingon niya.

Nalaman ko lang ito nang magkwentuhan kami noong sumunod na araw. Ikinwento ko rin sa kanila ang nangyari sa’kin nung unang gabi.

Biglang umamin ang aking kapatid. “Sige sasabihin ko na.” Sabi niya. “Dati daw kasi, may nahulog at namatay dyan sa fire exit (habang itunuturo ang bintana). Lagi daw nagpapakita ‘yun sa elevator o kaya sa lobby.”

Kinilabutan na lang kami sa aming narinig.

Habang isinusulat ko ‘to ay mayrong namuong katanungan sa aking isipan: Naganap kaya ang kanyang pagkahulog sa fire exit noong April 29, ang petsa sa aking panaginip?

Seeing the Unseen, Hearing the Unheard

I had lunch today with a fellow Bicolano who's father was my Mom's seatmate in school. It was our first meeting and what was notable about it was we got so comfortable our conversation turned to ghost stories. For some strange reason our IT talk on CDO turned to ghost stories.

We both agreed that the hotels there have ghosts like the one I stayed in last year for a roadshow. Upon entering the room I already felt a presence. Since I was so tired I just shrugged it off and ignored it, went out to have lunch with Jonas. Upon returning to my room I took a nap and got up to take a shower. There was someone in the shower. As I was taking a shower I could feel eyes boring through my back and it was awfully cold despite the warm water. I didn't feel though that it meant any harm. It just probably wanted to scare me off. So I managed to ignore it.

Good thing I was out the rest of the day for a speaking engagement and meet-ups. Ended up having dinner with Jonas at Limketkai and managed to go back to the hotel before midnight. I was too tired to mind the little child running around in my room. I couldn't see him, but I certainly felt him. I thought he just wanted some attention. What caught my attention was the noise from the disco across the street. It was so annoying that I just left the TV on mute. Of course, I had all the lights turned on as well.

I managed to get in a few hours of sleep, but the noise from across the street was still ringing on my ears when I woke up. Upon meeting my roadshow mates at the lobby I ranted to Jonas that it was so noisy outside my window. We were on the same floor and faced the same object of annoyance. He told me, "What noise?" I described to him the disco sounds that wrecked my slept. "There wasn't any," he said and said that the bar in front of the hotel was closed. "Looks like it burned down or something."

Oh my gawd.

15/F

There was this time na inabot ako hanggang 11pm sa office…nagka-problema kasi sa mga payables nun so I had to stay and finish everything since rush yun. Around 9pm ako na lang ang tao sa 15/f floor...ang mga taga-Marketing na kasama ko eh before 5pm pa lang nagsialisan na since its Friday…gimmick day! Yung mga taga-Publishing naman hanggang 6pm lang yata nag-overtime so ayun mag-isa ako sa floor na yun tanging kasama ko eh si Kuya yung guard na nasa lobby. From time to time naman he checks up on me…isa pa di ko na rin pansin na nag-iisa ako since I was exchanging text messages with a friend & chatting with Ai while processing those payment requests.

Sa dami nang ginagawa ko nun at sa pagpapanic na rin (pero nakuha pang mag-text at mag-chat!) eh dko na pansin na gumagabi na pala at mag-isa na lang ako sa office…until nagstart silang magparamdam sa akin.

Bumukas yung gripo sa may pantry na halos katabi ko lang…tinawagan ko agad si Kuya to ask if may naiwan pa sa loob aside from me…only to find out na nag-iisa na nga lang ako dito at wala ring pumapasok…then may mga naglalakad sa may harap ko…empty space yun at that time...the old fulfillment place…DEAD MA lang. Ayokong pumasok ng weekend kailangan kong tapusin yung ginagawa ko.

My friend actually told me na umuwi na since it’s late at nag-iisa pa ako sa office sinabi ko sakanya na ayoko nang ibitin yung trabaho ko..ayokong umuwi nang di ko pa natatapos yun. Ai on the other hand is giving me words of encouragement na talaga namang nakatulong sa akin.

11pm na nang matapos ako…dali-dali kong shinut down ang pc ko…kinailangan kong umakyat sa 16/f since naka lock na yung exit dito sa 15/F…habang inaakyat ko ang hagdan papunta sa lobby ng 16/F ka-text ko parin yung friend ko…not looking back kasi alam kong may kasunod ako…isa sa mga naglalakad sa may empty space sa harap ko sinamahan akong umakyat (isang babae)…when I finally reached the lobby inabutan kong natutulog yung guard doon…oblivious to the man sitting on the couch…

“Ma’am Anne, ginabi ka yata?!” sabi nung guard…I just smiled and asked, “Manong me kasama ka pa ba dito?!” He shook his head and said, “Tayong dalawa na lang Ma’am ang nandito sa DPC…ngayon iiwan nyo na ako matutulog na uli ako wala naman kasi akong kausap.”

While we were talking the woman who came with me is just staring at me from the glass door...I guess she felt sorry for me since I was alone...sinamahan pa niya ako hanggang sa elevator.