Sidapa

Chapter I: Calista

Flashback: May 1994

It was a gloomy afternoon. The sun was easily devoured by the raging dark clouds racing at the mid-day sky. The wind was chaotic, it came from all directions, tossing every plant it saw and violently leveling the rice fields into a total mess. The Andres' rice fields were no exception. Young Calista saw how terrible the gust of wind uprooted the proud mango tree that stood in front of their iron-cast gate fell like nothing. 

Her father said a storm was coming. The radio broadcast said it was Signal number 1 but it looked like it was a 4, according to her mother. Now both her parents are arguing about the entire storm. Calista and her family are currently in the province visiting her grandparents and relatives when a sudden storm hit a day after they had arrived. Her parents are having second thoughts if they should stay there for another week after the storm passes as they were worried that it could hit Manila as well and that could affect their house and food business.

His father argued that they should not leave as it will be dangerous to travel. Her mother on the other hand, wanted to leave at once as the storm passes, as it will be a good time for them to check if there were any damages and losses that they can fix. It was creating a different ruckus in the ancestral home, their voices were getting louder, as loud as the thunder clapping in the sky. Calista couldn't stand for both, so she went into the living room instead.

The room was old. Her father told her about it. It was passed on from generation to generation. Lolo Ambo and Lola Pape's house was a remnant of the old Spanish times. The windows in the kitchen still has that sliding paper "things" attached to them. The creaky wooden floor boards are close to rotten, although a portion of it was already renovated.  The windows in the living room though, was renovated already with iron grills but the chairs and sofas were still old-fashioned. her Lola Pape, once bragged about the long bench sofa was carved from an old oak tree from Spain. Her father later told her that it was a mango tree from one of their haciendas long ago, but her lola kept on insisting otherwise.

The living room was poorly lit due to the gloomy skies, it almost looked like dusk arrived far too early. Still in the background as the thunder continues to roar it rattled Calista that sent her running to the kitchen were her lola was tinkering something.

"Oh! Calista, apo!" her lola dropped the thing she was holding and welcomed her with open arms to calm the scared little girl.

She sobbed in her lola's arms, " La, I'm scared. Mama and Papa are arguing and the thunder is so loud.", she said.

"My beautiful Calista, don't worry about them, Lola will talk to them later." Her lola gave her a warm smile. " I know how to raise your spirits! Would you like some sikwati [Hot cocoa]?"

She nodded. 

Her Lola's sikwati  was the best she ever had. No one can ever replicate it. Not even her mother. It was warm and sweet, like her Lola's hugs and kisses. Her Lola would often put a bit of cinnamon and warm carabao milk over the luscious cocoa. It was her Lola's favorite and now, hers. That concoction gave her a sense of peace.

The rain poured hard and loud, Calista cuddled near her Lola who was now back to tinkering a sort of old bottle. Calista's eyes were restless she watched careful as her Lola, put some things into the bottle. She cannot identify what she saw, but she can recall, a thorny piece of bark, chipped wood and some stinky oils into the bottle. She also saw a round metal ball that her lola dunked inside the bottle. Her prying eyes also made her mind run wild with questions. 

She took another sip at her sikwati and asked, " Lola, what are those thing you put inside the bottle? What's that for?"

Her Lola gently smiled and gestured her to come closer. She lifted her up for her chair and leaned over the table near her Lola, "It's for our protection." her Lola replied.