The Mysterious Hooded Man

Small Barrio

Chapter 1

Even if it's against my will, I need to go and live with my grandparents house in our province. I have never been there, this will be the first time I'll see my province. But I love my grandparents, they were my favorite people in the world. It's just that I love the City more.

I have no choice but to be with them, because my parents are both leaving and going to Canada to work there as nurses. This is not the first time they both left me. Before, if my mom needs to go abroad my dad stays here and take care of me and vice versa. But not this time, they're both leaving me.

Right now, they are driving me to my grandparents.

"Two years lang anak. Babalik din kami agad ng Daddy mo."

My mom is sitting on the passenger seat. She turned her head to see me sitting at the back.

I just nodded. I'm just looking outside the window. Furthermore, I think we are near because I can see a lot of trees.

I opened the window and let the cool breeze touch my face. Smells healthy but I can feel the boredom.

"Huwag ka mag-alala anak, lagi naman kaming tatawag sayo. Face time tayo lagi."

I looked at my Dad who's driving. He glanced at me in the rear view mirror.

"I'm okay. I can manage Mom, Dad. Don't worry about me."

I don't want them to worry about me. Even if it's hard for me to let them go, I just couldn't tell them that. They're doing this for my own sake. I know they love me so much. I can feel that.

My dad stopped. I can see some checkpoints. 'Barrio MatangHari' I read it.

My dad told me, that this Barrio is the safest place on earth. No crimes with 2000 population.

My window is still open. We are lining up for checkpoints. Suddenly, I saw a person standing on the dark side of the street and wearing black hoodie. This place is kind a cold than the usual place in the Philippines.

It was 7pm, so I can barely see his face. But I know it's a guy. The build and height looked like a guy. I think he noticed that someone was staring at him, he moved his face to check who it was.

I can't see it clearly ngunit alam ko na nagkatinginan kami. Then, some of the patrol man turned on his flashlight and light my seats. Napapikit ako dahil tumama ang ilaw sa aking mga mata.

"Ay, sorry po! Akala ko walang tao." He is checking how many people are going to enter their barrio.

Muli kong hinanap ang lalaki. The man with the black hoodie. But he's not there anymore. Nagpalinga-linga pa ako, ngunit hindi ko na siya makita.

"Sir, wala ba talang poste ng ilaw sa banda dito?" my dad asked the Patrol man.

"Sira lang ngayon boss, bukas ay maayos na rin naman." Kinalampag nito ang sasakyan.

"Okay na boss. Pwede na kayong pumasok."

Then my dad drove off.

Masaya kaming sinalubong ng Lolo't Lola. Pinagmasdan ko ang kanilang tahanan. Malaki at gawa sa kahoy. Kung sa palabas ay pagkakamalan na itong haunted. May pagkaluma na ang labas na materyales nito.

Nagmano ako at humalik. I carried some of my luggage. There are five step stairs before you enter the front door.

They opened it. I was amazed! It looks like a house from the Spanish era. Old furniture but modern design.

Binaba ko ang aking bagahe sa isang sofa.I can't help myself, but to walk around and touch everything that caught my eyes. I touched the top of an old piano. I know my grandpa is really good at piano.

I looked at my finger, it's clean. Everything here is clean.

It's a bungalow type house.

"Apo, mayroon kang sarili mo na telebisyon sa kwarto." My lola held my hand and I felt that she missed me.

I smiled at her.

"Salamat po, Lola. "

Hindi ako makapaniwala sa aking silid. It's all pink. I don't like pink because it's so girly. But I appreciate my grandparents’effort. I felt like I'm a princess. In my bed there's a net hanging in the middle of the ceiling. And around it, there's a pole surrounded by artificial flowers.

Hindi ko maiwasan ang mapangiti.

I was roaming around then, I felt like someone's looking at me. I went to my window. It's a clear sliding window I opened it and looked outside.

It's dark.

There's a light pole along the street, but it's blinking. I looked around. I am not quite sure, but I think I saw a shadow behind the tall grass across the street.

I felt the coldness in my body. I hugged myself and decided to close the window and slide the curtain to cover it.

I cleaned myself first then I took all my clothes in my luggage and started to put them in my closet.

My mom and dad already left. My lolo said they can leave tomorrow, but they want it tonight because their flight is tomorrow night. This is really happening. I need to stay in this boring life for 2 years.

(Third person's Pov:)

CATALINA, can't help but to think how's her life in the City.

She's happy-go-lucky. Hindi istrikto ang kanyang magulang. Kaya naman she can go out and have fun. She knows how to drink any kind of alcohol, she sometimes smokes. She is only 19 years old, ngunit marami na siyang nagiging karelasyon. Not to a point that they would do s*x. But she thinks she's good at kissing and satisfy a guy in her own way.

Like now, she needed to break up with her boyfriend because she's not into long distance relationships. Besides, what she felt for him is not that serious. (third person's Pov end)

I WOKE UP because of the sunlight coming in from my window. I remember shutting it close before I went to bed or maybe my grandma opened it.

Hinayaan ko na lamang na ito'y bukas. I went straight to my bathroom and cleaned myself up before I went out to eat my breakfast. I checked my phone and it was 6am. First time I woke up this early.

I went straight to the kitchen and I saw Hot dogs, eggs and sinangag. I don't eat much in the morning. So, I just took one hot dog with my hand and went to the fridge to find some fresh milk.

Muli akong naglakad-lakad habang hawak ko ang hotdog at bitbit ang baso ng gatas. Dinig ko ang mahinang pag-uusap ni Lolo at Lola sa kanilang hardin. Kaya naman pinuntahan ko sila.

"Good morning Lolo, Lola."

"Good morning apo, kumusta ang unang gabi mo?" my grandma replied to me. Hawak nito ang grass cutter. Ang lolo naman ay hawak ang pandilig.

"Maayos naman po. Masarap ang aking tulog." I bit my hotdog to finish it.

Inilapag ko ang aking baso ng gatas sa maliit na lamesang naroon. At agad pinagmasdan ang kabuuan ng labas ng bahay. Mas maganda ito sa umaga. Ang dami rin halaman ni lola. Nagmuka tuloy itong nagbebenta ng halaman. Lumang bahay ngunit ang mga bintana ay clear sliding glass window. Wow! Pwede pala 'yon?

"Apo, papasok muna kami sa loob at maghuhugas ng kamay. Maiwan ka muna namin dito," my lolo spoke.

I just nodded.

(Third person's Pov: )

Catalina was about to smell her grandma’s roses when someone approached her.

"Hey!”

Lumingon siya sa babaeng lumapit sa kanya. They don't have a concrete fence. Mayroon silang wood fence na hanggang bewang lamang ang taas at gawa sa kahoy. Open ang hardin nila. Province style.

"Hi," she answered.

Maluwag ang pagkakangiti ng babaeng bumati sa kanya.

"Ikaw ang apo ni, Lola Juanita?"

"Yes, ako nga."

"Dumating ka na pala. Ako nga pala si Sonia." Inalahad nito ang kamay.

"I'm Catalina." Inabot niya ang kamay nito.They shake hands.

"Halika, upo tayo." She offers the chairs beside the small table.

Sumunod naman ito.

"Alam mo, sa umpisa ka lang maninibago sa katahimikan dito. Masasanay ka rin. Dito, six to seven ng gabi halos tulog na ang mga tao at wala ka nang maririnig na ingay."

"Pagdating nga namin kagabi ay sobrang tahimik na."

"Minsan lang maingay dito, kapag mayroon lang okasyon. Hinahayaan na lang namin kahit umabot pa ng madaling araw dahil minsan lang naman."

"2000 population lang ang mayroon sa Barrio na 'to?"

"Oo. Alam mo safe dito, born and raised ako rito at wala akong nalaman o narinig na mga krimen. Petty crimes like, pagnanakaw or nag-away na mag-asawa lang."

She paused for a bit na parang nag-iisip.

"Mayroon pala. Six years ago," Sonia continued.

"Huling nagkaroon ng krimen dito ay six years ago pa. Cassandra case ang tawag nila."

"What happen to her?" She is just listening.

"Ang sabi, pinatay daw ng kasintahan. Obsession."

"Crime of passion?" Catalina asked.

"Exactly, iyan ang tamang salita," pagsang-ayon ni Sonia.

"And what happened next? Did they catch the person? How was she killed?" She's very curious.

"Hmm. Tatlong saksak sa vital organs niya..." Tumayo ito bago nagpatuloy.

"...Hindi nahuli ang pumatay, inisip na lamang nila na tumakas na ito. Sino ba namang tanga ang mananatili sa lugar kung saan siya pumatay, hindi ba?"

Catalina had goosebumps. She's a bit nervous. Sonia noticed it.

"Hey. It was six years ago. Nagkalat na rin ang mga bantay na nagpapatrolya rito. Kaya hindi mo kailangan matakot."

Sasagot pa sana siya nang dumating ang kanyang Lolo at Lola.

"Oh! Sonia nakilala mo na pala ang aming apo."

"Opo, Lolo Nato." Nagmano ito sa dalawang matanda.

"Sa iisang paaralan lamang kayo papasok ng aking apo," excited na banggit ng kanyang lola.

Nagpatuloy ang kanilang kuwentuhan ngunit siya, ay hindi mawala ang isip sa nasabi ng bagong kaibigan. Kinikilabutan siya sa tuwing maiisip kung paano pinaslang nang tatlong saksak si Cassandra. (Third person's Pov end)