Yohan parked his motorcycle and paused. He then gazed up at Yva's house and noticed that the lights were off, which he found relieving. Earlier, he had overheard a conversation that had left him unsettled, as it seemed natural to them but shocking to him.
This made him question if he was the one who was abnormal in finding it so unbelievable in this modern age. However, he remembered his father's stories about anything being possible.
He was astonished and taken aback by Yva's sincere belief in spirituality. Perhaps there were signs that he had missed, as he had assumed Yva was simply interested in the culture. It turned out that she was well-versed in the belief and culture because she was a part of it. He couldn't help but find it strange that a young woman like her would be involved in this kind of business, although he had to admit that he was impressed by her involvement, considering that he had only known older individuals, particularly men, to be involved in this field.
Nevertheless, the information he had learned that day began to frighten him.
Yva was still uncertain about what the problem could be, and it was bothering her greatly. If she could, she would have ignored it, but she couldn't. This was one of the drawbacks of her gift. She felt compelled to take action because she would be the one to suffer. She arrived at her place late at night, with the sky filled with stars and the moon shining exceptionally bright, indicating good weather for the next day. The pleasant weather helped her realize what the problem might be.
It was almost midnight when Yva woke up. The single light on her patio illuminated a part of her front yard. The night provided her with the opportunity to contemplate what might have gone wrong with the process they had undertaken. She walked around her yard several times and paused to gaze at the stars before finally taking a seat when an idea came to her mind – a *tenmongaw*.
According to belief, unseen spirits like *tenmongaw* reside in mountainous regions, on large rocks, or even in creeks. These spirits are invisible and dislike dirt or pollution, much like humans. They have the ability to afflict individuals with illness or curses, making them unfortunate throughout their lives, or simply causing sleepiness. Although it may sound amusing, it would no longer be funny if an afflicted person felt sleepy even during the daytime for the rest of their life.
Tenmongaws are unseen creatures that live like humans, with their own social world, families, and dwellings. They can marry and, unfortunately, give birth. These spirits also have their own abilities and weaknesses. They have the advantage of being able to see humans and afflict them according to their power. However, they are at the mercy of humans if their dwellings are disturbed by cutting their trees or displacing their rocks, or if the creeks run dry. In such cases, they have no choice but to find new dwellings. Another advantage for humans is that the tenmongaws will voluntarily leave a place if it becomes polluted or if there is an excessive human presence compared to their population.
Yva was astonished to discover that there were still tenmongaws in that location. Numerous houses already occupied the base of the mountain they visited, and human trails crisscrossed the area. It was evident that some people were clearing patches of trees for farming, despite the prohibition on farming in the area due to it being a watershed. Additionally, some residents were even burning their trash under the magnificent, numbered, old, oak trees.
Upon learning this, Yva was so intrigued that she didn't wait for sunrise to enjoy her morning coffee. By 2 o'clock in the early morning, her kettle was already whistling. She pondered where the tenmongaw could have been living and where the intern might have been. She even considered if there was a spot where the intern could have sat down or relieved herself on the mountain. She was so engrossed in her thoughts that she almost called Sir Marcelo before realizing it was still dawn and not an appropriate time to call.
Yohan admitted that he was starting to become afraid of Yva. It wasn't the call of nature that roused him, but rather the sight of Yva's silhouette roaming and seemingly peering down at his location in the early hours of the day, which kept him awake until he could see the faint light of day. It was quite an early morning for him.
With a sharp mind and wide-awake eyes, he decided to take a morning stroll, or perhaps even a jog. He rationalized that he would wash his sleepwear later, so he wore it along with a jacket that he also intended to launder. The jacket was his work attire,so he felt it looked fancy but needed to be worn enough to justify adding it to his laundry. Since it was just a leisurely stroll, he opted to wear his slippers.
After walking for what he perceived to be halfway through his stroll, he chose to sit and rest. When he sat on the ground, he felt sweat dripping, prompting him to remove his jacket to cool down. This revealed that his upper sleepwear was already damp with sweat, his pants were clinging to his skin, and he was audibly panting as he struggled to catch his breath.
In this moment, he was reminded of how he arrived at this point in his life as an overweight, sweaty, single man in his thirties still completing an internship. It was overwhelming for him to dwell on at that moment. The only reason he knows was that he was in pain. He was hurt.
Then, he heard footsteps approaching from behind. Someone was jogging toward him, so he hastily covered his head with his jacket to avoid being recognized.
"Manong Yohan?" a voice inquired.
Yva halted and gazed at Yohan, waiting for him to acknowledge her presence.
Upon realizing it was Yva, Yohan covered himself even more. He wasn't sure whether he was scared of her or embarrassed to be seen in his sorry state. Nevertheless, he knew he couldn't keep this up for long, especially since he could still sense Yva standing in front of him.
He removed his jacket from his head and found himself alone in that spot.