Maria clutched her rosary tight. She said her prayers in front of the statue of the Virgin Mary with an almost manic fervor.
She prayed for the soul of Juan, their servant who said that a lady with golden hair invited him to spend the night with her.
Maria had heard stories of them before; the people of the forest, evil beings that were agents of the devil.
The sounds had almost stopped when she said her 80th Hail Mary. Something was causing a rain of stones to fall upon her house. She knew it was the woman.
Pedro would tell the other servants to go and look for whoever threw the stones, but they would find nothing. The people of the forest were as cowardly as they were tactless. They would hide in their trees and wait for another chance to get what they want.
Maria didn’t particularly like Juan, he was younger than most of the servants and a bit clumsy at times, but she was a woman of faith and she would not let those creatures steal a soul from under her.
She ordered Juan to be shut in a room and not be allowed to go into the garden. She hoped that the woman would lose interest and find another poor soul to torment.
That night’s supper was a hearty meal of menudo and rice. After they said their prayers Maria felt something wrong in the air. Before she, or anyone at the table, could react a mass of horse manure splattered across the table. No one would eat that night for the food was covered in the dung.
Maria almost vomited at the revolting sight and she held her rosary close. It seemed that this fight would not end soon and she was determined to see it through with the grace of God.
On the fourth night two guardia civiles were called by Pedro to sit with Juan. In a heartbeat the boy disappeared. Fearing the worst Maria ordered every able bodied servant to look for Juan.
They finally found him in a large basket used by hens as their nest. Juan’s words were pure nonsense. He talked about how he would have danced last night if he knew how and he thought the eggs in the basket were pearls.
This was too much for Maria. She knew that the boy would have to seek guidance lest his soul be lost forever. She sent Juan to the church and made him confess his sins and receive communion.
The next morning Maria accompanied Juan personally to hear mass. She prayed so hard the gates of heaven bent at her missives.
She prayed for the soul of the boy, caught between the lord and the heathen spirits. She prayed for her husband Pedro that he would not have to suffer through another night of falling stones. She prayed for herself that she would be strong enough to face the challenge that God had set upon her.
After the mass was over there was nothing to do but wait.
They waited a day and no stones showered over their house.
They waited a week and Juan did not vanish into thin air.
They waited a month and the woman with the golden hair was nowhere to be seen.
Maria thanked God for the miracle He had given their household. No longer would they be tormented by the spirits of the forest.
She knelt in front of the statue of the Virgin Mary and continued her prayers, contented with the Lord’s work.
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Written by Karl Gaverza
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Adapted from ‘Juan and the Engkantada.’ in Philippine Folk Literature: The Legends. Eugenio. 2002.
Engkantada Illustration by Armand Dayoha
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