Beyond

The Spirit of Aunt Iliang

Much had been said about the spirits of the dead staying or coming back for some unfinished businesses. The length of their stay depends upon the intensity of their earthly attachment.

Too much love for someone, craving for vices, attachment to wealth and power, unable to give the last will or instructions were just among the reasons why they can't move on to another plane of existence.

My aunt Iliang was among them.

Close relatives confirmed the continued presence of her spirit after her death. Notable incidents were the footsteps coming up the stairways, dusting of the bed in her room and the experience of my dad with her in the storeroom which I chose to narrate in this story.

.................

When the last drop of rice wine was consumed, my father, still a teenager and the youngest, was ordered by his brother to refill the pitcher.

He stood up, got hold of it and the gas lamp.

"No, no, no Juan. Please leave the lamp. It's too dark here." Dolpo, the oldest of the three, refused to let my dad leave with the single lamp. He was too afraid to stay in the dark under the huge mango tree in spite of Pedro's presence.

"But it was even darker inside the storeroom, brother." My father protested.

"Just use your hand to find your way. You know where the container is. It was never moved to another place."

My father didn't argue anymore. He put down the lamp and turned his back from them.

The moon had not appeared for the past nights and the tall trees added darkness to the vicinity. He adjusted his sight to the surrounding before he walked a few steps to the storeroom, which is occupying the whole ground floor of the house.

He pushed the door open and a complete darkness greeted him. Memories of Iliang playing hide-and-seek with him among the piles of sacks flashed in his thoughts.

He stood for a while, hoping his eyes could further adjust to the darkness. The cool air rubbing against his nape coupled with the unnatural silence further enhanced his fear.

He started walking in. Using his right hand as his eyes, he made his way touching edges of the sacks of palay grains.

Upon reaching underneath the stairs, he felt uneasy. As if he was seeing his sister in the dark blocking his path.

Since he knew how the sacks were lined in a pile, he easily found his way to the wine container.

There was nothing unusual; but it was eerily silent. He put the pitcher down on the long table so he could open the container. But when he reached back for it, the pitcher was gone.

He thought for a second, I'm not drunk to forget where I placed it,' His hand continued to search.

The thought of touching the cold hand of Iliang or even a sudden apparition came into his mind again but it didn't stop him. He must bring wine to his brothers. Backing out was not an option.

The effect of windowless room was now taking its toll on him. Beads of perspiration from his forehead started to drop. He wiped them off with the sleeve of his shirt.

But it didn't take long for the temperature to drop and the unusual coldness wiped away his perspiration.

'Oh my, this is for real.' He stood steadily, guessing what was happening.

An even colder thing, he presumed an arm, wrapped over his shoulder. He was more surprised than frightened.

The scent of candle light and old clothes shadowed his breathing.

His body hairs rose and his heart began to palpitate erratically.

He shook his body off to put away the coldness beginning to numb his body and the arm over his shoulder. "I know you are here, sister, have you any message?"

The stillness of the room remained. Having received no response, he continued his search for the pitcher and even his feet helped searching on the ground. He moved further away and finally he found it at the farthest end of the table. He took a deep breath and nodded, "Okay, Iliang I got your message."

His sister was not keen on her brothers drinking wine.

He walked back to the container and put the seal back on. "There, you got your wish, sister." His fear was replaced by calmness. He groped his way out, happy to have a moment with his sister.

Juan put the empty pitcher down on the table in front of the two. "I got nothing."

"You didn't find it? It's just there!" his brother Dolpo was a bit irritated at my father's failed mission.

"I found the container... couldn't open it"

"It's easy..."

"Do it if you want. Iliang is sitting on it." Juan turned and headed for the stairs.

The two understood what Juan meant.

The drinking session adjourned.