School is out. Nena is ready with her mother, Martha to take a vacation in the home of his uncle, Tito Nanding. He is his mother’s older brother who lives in Quiapo, Manila.
It is Nena’s first time to ride the Light Rail Transit and on their way to Quiapo after four stops in the Padre Faura exit, there was an old woman in her 60s with a black purse and 2 vegetable baskets she bought at the Pasay Market. She was about to leave as a pencil thin mustached man with a brown backpack wearing a black t-shirt with red sign “No Fear” slashed the woman’s purse.
“Magnanakaw! Saklolo!” the woman shouted as Kulit immediately scampered out. Nena and Martha followed suit.
“Kulit! Kulit!” Nena shouted, “Come back here.”
As Kulit dashed as fast as lightning and bit the man in the crotch
The man squirmed in pain and crouched and Kulit bit him in the ear.
The woman pounded on the man with her vegetable bags. As Martha leapt and tried to strangle the man.
He leapt and punched on Martha as Kulit peed on his shoes and bit on his leg.
Nena came to the rescue and another burly man pinned him down.
“Thank you! I could not catch him without all of you!" the woman cried.
Martha took out the wallet from the man’s backpack and handed it to the woman.
A throng of students dressed in uniform approached them and security police came over.
“Sorry about this. We came in late!” remarked the security police.
“It is Ok. Without this pig, I lost my money and my wallet.” the woman remarked. “I had five thousand pesos here (150 dollars ) since I got money from my tenant and decided to go marketing at Pasay Market.”
“Iha, you can have five hundred pesos (20 dollars).” She handed her the money.
“Oh, I cannot accept it” Nena shakes her head.
“Please, if you would not accept, it will hurt my feelings. This is for your pig”
“Well, Ok.” Nena gave it to her mother.
“You can buy him treats. He is wonder!” the woman is petting Kulit.
“Her name is Kulit. She likes to help.”
“I am sure. I know she is heaven-sent.”
“Thank you.”
“Where are you all going?” the woman asked.
“We are going to Quiapo.” Martha said.
“It is easy just take a jeepney here and you will not miss it.”
As Martha, Nena and Kulit took the jeepney to Quiapo. Martha could not imagine being late for lunch.
“Nanay, could we eat here first? We are getting hungry.” Kulit wagged his tail.
“OK. There is a Jollibee there,” Martha said
“Let us go.” Nena said with Kulit in tow.
After eating Jollibee McChicken and Jollibee Spaghetti, Martha asked Nena
“What do you want to buy with the five hundred pesos?”
“I will get Kulit a nice pink flower blouse and some treats.”
“Oh yes. We can do that tomorrow.”
As they left and walked two streets down, they turned into Quinta Market with vendors bustling with coconut carts and vegetable and fruit stalls lining the streets.
After turning a few corners, they saw the Quiapo Church where its patron saint, The Black Nazarene, is famous for miracles.
“Nena, this is where the Black Nazarene has performed a lot of miracles.”
“Wow, Nanay, let us buy a sampaguita lei for Kulit, she likes flowers!”
“OK.”
As they were walking in the church square, they saw the “hired weepers” in the church square soliciting their services.
One woman hired three weepers to weep for the wake of her son and when she gave a down payment of five hundred pesos (20 dollars) , all three weepers run away from this woman.
“Peke!" Pulis! Saklolo!” she shouted.
Kulit leapt at one of the weepers, a fat lady in her 40s who stumbled immediately and
Nena kicked her in her buttocks.
Martha hurried to the scene with the woman.
Luckily, the lady kept the money and slid it in her bra and Nena grabbed it from her.
“Here you go.”
“Wow! Thank you. May God be with you!” the lady remarked
Nena shrugged her shoulders and Kulit wagged his tail.
“You know my son died in a freak accident and we do not know who killed him. He is only 17 and I am really feeling lost and empty.” The lady cried in the shoulder of Martha.
“Owww let us help you with that. I have a brother who is an espiritista (clairvoyant). His name is Nanding Como. He has an office near here.” Martha pointed out.
“In fact, we are going there!” Nena added.
“Would you like to come with us?”
The lady nodded.
Martha, the lady, Nena and Kulit got to a dingy old office building in Figueroa street and went up three flights of stairs.
As they checked the rooms in that floor, they stopped at number 310.
“We are here”, Martha motioned.
A pretty receptionist greeted them.
“Kamusta, how can I help you ladies?”
“We need to see Nanding. Is he available?” Martha asked.
“He will be back in a few minutes, he just led a client out.” she smiled.
“Could we wait here?” Martha asked.
“Yes. May I know if you have an appointment today?” The receptionist asked.
“Not really but he is expecting us. I am his sister, Martha, from Bulacan and we will be staying at his home for the summer.”
“Oh, are you the sister with a piggery business?”
“Yes.”
“Welcome to Manila. How do you like Quiapo?”
Kulit leapt and kissed the receptionist.
“Sorry about that, she is hyperactive.” Martha said
“I don’t mind, she is so lovable. What is her name?”
“Kulit, the champion against thieves.” Nena said jokingly.
“Really, that is impressive…”
A bald headed man with heavy set eyes came in the door.
“Nanding, Kuya how are you?” Martha said.
“Kamusta. Martha!” (Pause) Is that you? “
“Yes, Tito.”
“Who is this?" pointing to Kulit
“Kulit, the wonder pig.” Nena said.
“I knew it. There is a different vibe I get from Kulit." Nanding said.
“We are here also to help this lady…” Martha unable to finish her words…
“What is your name?”
“Felicidad Osorio”
“Are you going to ask me about your son?”
“How do you know?”
“I could read your mind. I know that something not ordinary happened to him…”
“Could you help me?”
“That is what I am here for…”
“Oh, thank you. Mang Nanding!”
“By the way, how much do you charge?” she asked.
“I will give you my fee later on after we solve your case.”
“When can we start?”
“Tomorrow, come back the same time.”
She thanked him and left.
“Now ladies have you both had lunch?”
“We already ate at Jollibee!” Nena said.
“Now is Kulit enjoying the city?” Nanding asked as if talking to a human being.
Kulit wags his tail.
“Let us go home so you can all rest. It is a long trip.”
“Thank you Tito.” Nena answered.
“By the way, hold all my calls. All my appointments are done for now. I will work tomorrow.” Nanding told his receptionist.
“Ok. Sir.” the receptionist, Lisa said.
Nanding, Martha, Nena and Kulit left the office.
An hour later, they arrive at an old Spanish house in Las Pinas.
“Nanding, you never change the house. It is still the same way as before!” Martha exclaimed.
“Of course, I need to preserve its antiquity. This is the house of our great grandmother and we need to keep living a simple life.”
“Nanding, where is your wife and two kids?”
“Leroy! Mariela! Susan! Come down here! We have guests!”
A 13-year-old boy and a 16-year-old girl raced downstairs and then a woman in her 40s walked slowly with a fan in her left hand and cigarette on her right.
“Martha? How are you?” Susan, wife of Nanding asked.
“We are Ok. We had so many adventures already before we got here.”
“You all look tired. “
“Meet your cousin, Nena” Nanding told his kids.
“I am Leroy, “the 13-year-old boy with braces said.
“Kamusta na pinsan, you are pretty tall now!” Mariela ribbed.
Kulit kissed the kids…and Susan.
“Oh my God!" Why did you bring a pig with you?” Susan shrieked.
“Don’t worry, he is house trained” Nena said.
“We need him.” Nanding answered.
“Are we cooking him tonight?” Susan asked.
“No. No. Susan. He is special. It is hard to explain right now.”
“There you go again.”
“Welcome, make yourselves at home.” Susan greeted.
“Your house looks like a temple!” Nena gushed.
“You know your uncle, he likes all the protection he can find.” Susan said sarcastically.
Kulit stared at the icon of Santo Nino or Baby Jesus.
“Hey Kulit, what is wrong?” Leroy asked.
Kulit was still and suddenly froze and fainted.
“Is he dead?” Mariela asked.
“No way!” Nena carried her into the bedroom upstairs.
Nanding felt a chill on his bones.
“Wait a minute. I think Kulit is not himself”
“What?”
“The lady whose name is Felicidad had a son who died. He died in a freak accident. Let
me see if I can use Kulit to reach thru her son.” Nanding send bluntly.
He carried Kulit in his room and made the room dark with votive candles
“Makapanyarihan bigyan mo ako nang daan! ”He shouted. (“Powerful One grant me the power to seek the way!”)
Suddenly the votive candles dimmed and Kulit came to lif.
“Go to the field in Tagaytay. I was riding with my girlfriend and she was breaking up with me. She flung acid on my face which caused me to lose control of my car. I could not imagine losing Sonia. I am sorry.”
Then the votive candles came to life.
Kulit came into consciousness and licked Nanding. Nanding was sweating profusely.
He opened the door and immediately called Felicidad and explained how Nanding died.
Nena and Martha were crying as they hugged Kulit.
The End
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