Lita's life had been more sailing smoothly. Not as smooth as you can imagine, but at least the bump of her life or her husband was sent back to his own province. Lita's parents saw how their own selfish decision broke a piece of their daughter's heart.
People were angry when they heard what he did to his wife, they want him dead but; she doesn't want to. She doesn't have the heart to do so.
Lito, Lita's brother, the younger brother was one of the people who want Lita's husband dead. He still has that young fire to protect any part of his family. But their older brother, Leon, hold him back. Leon was only one of the people who was able to finish a secondary education. Their older brother seemed to be the only who has a bright future ahead of them. Leon was the one who calmed down the whole family.
Because he was the only one who held his peace, as he is a minister. He carries the word of God. All the people agreed then, that the brother-in-law should be sent home. Instead of him being punished in their place, his own men, from his own people from his province would get him; and they would punish him there.
Life went fine but his sister had to take care of her own children.
Lito on the other had to work hard also so that he can help his older sister, and his own family. He had been working on the same farm even since he was twelve years old. He quiets enjoy it because there would be no other way than to enjoy it. His farm was surrounded by different kinds of tree but it was mostly covered by pine trees, the pine trees were planted as if it was planned. The pine trees each seem to have measured distance from each other.
Lito had been wondering this too, every time he takes a break. The farm was shaped circular because of the trees but; what even amazes him is the oak tree. It has been like there since the beginning of time; planted there on the exact entrance.
Everything should be fine, except life is not like that. He would be sometimes bothered by an old woman. He always had this bad feeling every time this old woman approaches him. Sometimes she would approach him, nicely; then terribly.
Every harvest season, this old woman circle around his farm, mutter something, and would sleazily walk away. He just found out about this this month. He forgot his lunch that time so he just went home to eat. He was rushing at that time for him to reach his farm, but he heard something that made him stop. A creepy and horrible hum that is ringing around his farm.
Lito slowly and sneakily watched from behind what was happening. He watched as the old lady walk around his farm and bumble something. He hid himself and watched her as she slowly disappears among the woods. He checked and went around his farm, looking for something strange maybe. Out of ordinary, maybe, or anything. However, he can't find anything and just went on his own work. Nothing out of ordinary or whatsoever happened so he settled his heart down.
Then harvest time came, he was alone again as usual. Then,
"Hey, Lito son of ......You should be ashamed of yourself, you people, grabbing farms that you do not own and getting rich on because of grabbing someone else's farm"
This sound crept into his soul like termites that burrowed into his organs and even into his very own soul. A truly horrifying sound that echoed, shivered his body, and covered his whole farm that absolutely scared the shit out of him. And really horrified the heck out of him; because he felt like his soul left his physical body. And it seemed like his soul really left his body as…...
Later on, he found himself at home, sitting in front of the bonfire. He doesn't remember how he came home. For days all he knows, is that he had been working whole day, every day. And would be surprised to find himself at home facing the bonfire. Everything seemed normal, except not. His whole family has been worried for him. For days, he had been like a zombie. He never answered their questions but weirdly enough he had been working tirelessly. He became a machine, he works day and night; but has never has the humane thought to be human. Even his older brother, Leon had to secretly follow him if he had been really working, and he really was.
They had to do something, they had to help him, help him get his soul back. Accordingly, to what his family had observed, his soul escaped his physical body. His soul got scared because of the woman. It's not just him, but so with his soul. The woman's shout was not just an ordinary "hey".
It's a "hey" with a curse. They had to find it in a very difficult way. Leon had to watch him day and night, and that's when he found out about the woman.
Leon found out the problem after following him for days. Lito was working tirelessly as usual like a machine when an old woman approached him, and Lito just continued to work as if the old woman was not there. Leon observed as the old woman circled around the farm, planted something, then as went away as if nothing happened.
He kept his silence and watched as the woman went on her way.
Leon ran around the farm, checked where the old woman planted something, but found nothing. It doesn't make sense to him, since he saw the old woman digging. He was panicking, because he clearly saw the place, he was in the right place. So he simply uttered a prayer, a help from His God.
Miraculously, he felt something different about the soil where he was standing. He was just stepping right on it, he carefully looked at it then saw a bone, not just a simple bone because he can't identify it... A bone wrapped in a cloth, tightened with a human hair. A really long, black hair, that was wrapped around several times indicating how long it is, and it's a woman's hair to be sure.
He was panicky, he was scared, and was horrified as he watches his younger brother just doing what he was programmed to do. He was scared but he just can't leave his brother all alone here after what he found out.