Leon and Lito had just attended wedding, their neighbor's wedding.
They consider him as their neighbor even though their house are miles away. He was their nearest neighbor. Gregorio, their neighbor invited happily invited them. They were not just neighbors any way they help each other, they help each other during planting, harvesting, and any other work.
They are good friends.
Gregorio is a hard-working and a handsome man, he just got married at the age of 21. His marriage is a happy one, his love for his wife and his wife's care for him is incomparable.
Their marriage is a union incomparable to any one, it is a happy union and it could had been a happier one if they could have kids, except they can't. It's not that her womb is shut or Gregorio has a problem. It's not a problem about their health. They have a problem about willingness to have a kid.
This has been bothering Gregorio for a time, he would go out of their house happily and would be on his way thinking how to surprise his wife. But suddenly he would lose interest or feel sleepy once he sees his wife's face. It was incontrollable, he would be sleepy that much to the extent that he can't hold anything. He would be dropping anything that he is holding at that moment.
Lito and Leon once again asked for his help so he went. He was on his way when his eyes suddenly caught the big old oak tree in the entrance of Lito's farm. He had been passing by this several times that he never took notice of it but he doesn't know why he was suddenly attracted to it. Then a....
"pssst, pssst, pssst" a sound seemed that seemed to had originated from the tree.
It's a simple and scary sound but it kept on pulling him near the tree. His mind went blank and he just kept on walking towards it.
"uuuwaaaaak, uuuwaaaaak" sang the raven
That quite amazingly woke up Gregorio, he doesn't understand why his hands are touching the tree.
Then, continued walking towards the farm, he found Lito and Leon already had planting.
They had a productive day, so they decided to go to Lito and Leon's house. They were greeted by Lita as she was able to go home earlier. She prepared a hot camote, ₁sabeng to ease their hunger first.
She did everything to help them before she bade them that she would be resting first. She finally relaxed and knew she finally doze off. Then just right after sleep fell unto her, a dream, a realistic dream appeared. A beautiful woman was standing over her, looking over her. She knew in her dream that she was also looking back at her, mesmerized at her beauty.
A fascinating beauty, out worldly beauty, really out of the universe for Lita saw her hand, and it was like the color of an oak tree. It doesn't even look like it, it really is a oak tree. She felt how rough it is when she caressed my arm. Lita was already screaming in, it really is painful, and scary. While this outwardly other woman still has that beautiful face but now with danger when Lita saw a smile crept into her lips, a very genuine smile.
Lita's warm tears flowed abundantly from her eyes, and that woke her up when she felt the warm liquid already reaching her neck.
Lita gasp, and found herself still crying when she woke up. In an instinct she looked and felt her arms. Her arms were fine, but not totally fine. She found traces of oak bark. It is no longer a mystery to her, it is not a dream. She kept quiet for a while and thought about the reason why, her.
Gregorio was on his way home, was a little bit excited. He was really excited, as he was always been every time he thinks about his wife. He actually wanted to say sorry. He still doesn't understand himself why he got easily annoyed at her these past months. He knows he loves her, and she knows they love each other, however these past months became challenging to their relationship. Gregorio doesn't even understand himself why every small matters seems annoying to him.
Josepha, Gregorio's wife was preparing their dinner as usual, even the food is usual nothing special; they still enjoy each other's company. Josepha heard already his husband's whistle outside so she ran towards the door to greet him. She can decipher the whistle's message; he is in an up tone mood. Everything went well during his day. She opened the door expecting a smile.
And she was truly greeted with a smile. Gregorio returned it with a glorious smile. She wasn't expecting this at all. They happily ate their dinner just as happy when they were newlywed. Gregorio is the one who fixed their bed for tonight. He unrolled the mat and laid the blanket. It was quite a chilly night that night so he pulled out the extra blanket that they had been keeping.
They both started the night by sweetly cuddling each other and added with even sweeter conversation through whispering, and of course a little bit drops of giggling. Then Josepha suddenly felt itchy. It's like there are bark of woods under their mat, constantly pricking her. And so with Gregorio, so he thought that their floor wasn't cleaned properly. It was too much task to light a candle, and too expensive to be melting a candle so they just instinctly using their sense of touch. They had been wiping and cleaning for quite some time but it's as though its unending.
And it will never truly end, as I horribly watch, peeping in a hole in their wall. This creature, I can't remember what kind of creature this is. Its dangerously and disgusting that that she keeps on shedding her skin and these two poor humans are dealing with it. They had been wiping but they can't remove it because this creature was just standing over them scratching her own skin, her own skin flakes, or should I say bark skin; allowing it to fall exactly where the supposed couples had been laying.
It's a horrific and disgusting scene even for me.
₁sabeng – It is the fermented filtered, and water of boiled sweet potatoes