Night Fright

Eric used to have Night Terrors.

Do you know what those are? They’re when you’re little brother goes to sleep, then jumps up suddenly, kind of awake but not, and proceeds to massively freak out. He can’t be soothed, can’t be consoled, and absolutely cannot be pacified. Then he goes back to bed as if nothing has happened. Also, he never remembers anything the next day.

It’s Bizarre.

There he would be, sleeping quite peacefully, not a care in the world. His curly head on a pillow, his legs and arms thrown every which way…just as normal children do when they finally pass out exhausted after a long day’s play.

Suddenly, in the middle of the night, a bloodcurdling scream, he would get up, jump up and down all the while screaming, screaming, and more screaming… almost as if he was trying to get away from something terrifying as he remains running in place. He would absolutely not respond to questions of what the hell is going on, then he would lay back down and go back to sleep unconcernedly, peacefully even

…leaving you all freaked.

We brought him to the doctor, then, to one of many “hilots” and finally, someone sent for one of those “spiritual” guides, a faith-healer, otherwise called your friendly neighborhood albolario

I remember she got a bowl of water, lit up a greenish clumpy candle, apparently blessed, and dripped the candle wax into the bowl. It formed a misshapen clump of stuff floating on top of the water. She looked around the house, into the garden, behind houses, and over and under the furniture. She prayed and read her bowl of water-wax, mushed up some leaves and finally declared that Eric had been beset by a nuno sa punso or a dwende who he had managed to offend while he was playing in the garden.

You know how tiny mounds are supposed to have nuno sa punso living in them, and how small dwendes were always around and you had bend down a bit, with our hands held out in front slightly parting the air in front of you and whispering “ makikiraan po” or " tabi tabi po" to the invisible little people who you may haplessly injure if they weren’t prepared for your coming, whose tempers so easily piqued that they would follow you about and play nasty tricks on you for revenge.

As proof of all this invisible activity, the albolario asked Eric to stand with his feet together. Heel level with heel. Low and behold, and this was very strange, Eric’s right foot was much smaller than his left foot. The tips of his right toes were about an inch lower than his left toes. Weird… but proof was in the pudding or in this case…in the footing. (Sorry couldn’t resist. He, he, he)

Anyway, she proceeded to waved a bit of stuff smoky stuff about the house, moaned and groaned over her water-wax bowl, whispered around corners, danced a bit here, and jiggled a bit there (just kidding) then she went home.

I guess her shenanigans made the dwende’s laugh out loud and appeased their anger…

Because Eric never had the night terrors again.