"There is nothing that speaks hell like a crowded provincial bus going to the big city." thought the 75 year old Euguio as he shuffles inward to make way for a standing passenger trying to make it to the bus door for his stop. The grueling four hour ride seemed like an eternity for the senior citizen who spent most of his life in the province where air is sweet and your next neighbor can be found in the next 10 km of dirt roads. As such, he hated public transport with a fury, and if it was not for a friend he would not have bothered to come here. Euguio was a Cabeza in his barrio and was in charge of keeping the peace in their small part of the town. He would occasionally break fights and lecture them and would also share his harvests every year with everyone in his barrio. As such he was called Tatay Gio (Dad or Father Gio) by almost everyone because he was the oldest and also considered the wisest. After his wife died eight years ago, Gio is often visited by his numerous grandchildren and four children at irregular intervals. Sometimes they would call to ask how he was doing, sometimes they would also show up unannounced. Despite being alone in his house, he was not lonely as he believed that his wife is always watching as the vegetable plants and fruit trees which she planted bear fruit time and time again. He took it as a sign that his wife is still there making food for him. Also, he is looked after by the young ones in his barrio, many of whom grew up looking up to him as a sort of father figure. He also looked at them as children and would occasionally help them if they come to him for consultation on farm and animal husbandry matters. It was so quiet and peaceful in their town that the last serious crime commited in their barrio was 12 years ago when a seemingly lunatic outsider tried to enter the home of a family in the dead of the night and was shot to death by one of their barrio men. Well, that is until last week when a fellow barrio man he was quite fond of was brutalized beyond recognition by someone... or something. Authorities suspected foul play dismissing his widowed wife's statement that he was killed by a "Tiktik". A monster in Philippine folklore know for eating unborn children with its elongated tongue. It is also know for its exceptional ability to smell a pregnant woman from miles away among various enhanced abilities such as shapeshifting, super strength and abnormal agility. From these claims alone, it is to no surprise that the police would put the wife's statement on the dismissing platform. However, Gio did know this couple distinctly as hardworking and honest ones. The husband, Jaime or "Ime" as the barrio folk called him would often visit Tatay Gio bringing vegetables and fish that his wife would grow in their garden. He would also frequent the senior bringing his fighting cock for tips on its diet and various other information. He would often treat Ime to some homegrown "Tuba" or Coconut wine and lately he has been telling Tatay Gio about being nervous in his upcoming role as a father. As such, Gio would consider him almost as his own son and even if he does not know his wife a lot, he also considers her as his daughter-in-law. Nevertheless, the news shocked their little barrio to the point where even the wife, who has not been living there for long, is suspected of killing Ime because the baby she is carrying belongs to another man. Such is the way gossip and naysaying travels in rural towns. Sure enough, it is one of the toxic culture that the Filipino people possess. Nevertheless, when Nena approached Tatay Gio in tears begging for help to eliminate the monster and also to protect her unborn child, he just could not say no. Fortunately, he does know someone that specializes in such mystical cases where law enforcement fails to reach. He knew was that he is now living in the city and has led a quiet life, now that the modern era has driven the folklore into obscurity. And since he had not travelled to the city for almost 10 years, the roads might have changed a lot since he last came into the specialist's abode. For good measure, he brought a 1.5 liter ketchup container containing Tuba to hopefully start a good conversation.
"I wonder how that Joaquin is doing..."
"That's right i remember him having a son. What was his name again?" Tatay gio thought to himself.
While lost on his thoughts, the bus stopped at a nearby town - the last town before the big city, where a lot of people took off, making the jam-packed bus more breathable again. Relieved, Tatay Gio opened the bus window after the window seat passenger left. "Finally some air.." Tatay Gio sighed as he sleepily eyed the concrete houses on a nearby subdivision. The air around here might not be as good as in their town, but it sure beats no air at all.