“Were the guardians of their culture – the babaylan. They were ostracized or killed. The spirits they worship then were neglected and soon left the realm.” Mawi absentmindedly said, totally unaware that his statement has made the old woman look at him with a different light.

“You…How do you know that – that part of history?” with a trembling voice, Lola Yma pointed out to Mawi.

However, before Mawi was able to answer, a shout cut off their conversation.

“Lola Yma! Lola Yma! Are you there? I need your help! Someone is being possessed!” shouted. It came from a young man around the same age as Mawi.

“Where is the person possessed?” hearing the urgency in the young man’s voice, Lola Yma immediately asked the location of the possessed.

“She is in chairman Buboy’s house.” Answered the young man.

“Okay, let me just get my things and I will go. You stay here and watch over Sabel.” Instructing the young man who came to fetch her, she then hurriedly went inside the bedroom, and a few breaths later came back with some paraphernalia on her person.

“Mawi, come with me!” Lola Yma then went out hurriedly. As soon as she stepped out of the house, the old woman started to sprint. This action caught Mawi off guard, to see an old woman move so quickly is a first for him…at least for now. Then out of nowhere, Mawi saw a silhouette of a person that also moved as fast as Lola Yma.

“What are you spacing out for, come quickly or I will leave you behind!” Called out Lola Yma who stopped after a couple of meters when she noticed that Mawi was not following her.

“Ah! Okay!” Snapping out of his daze, Mawi also started sprinting.

Seeing that Mawi started to sprint, Lola Yma also resumed her running, keeping her speed fast enough so that Mawi would not get left behind. Meanwhile, the young man that was left in the house was surprised not by Lola Yma’s speed, but by Mawi’s. It was his first time seeing someone able to barely match the speed of the old woman. Not even if he ran using his top speed could he catch the old woman’s shadow, but the young man that Lola Yma brought with her is able to do so.

“Who could that person be?” Wondered the young man.

It took about five minutes for Lola Yma and Mawi to reach chairman Buboy’s house. Some tens of meters before they arrived, Lola Yma considerably slowed her speed and without looking behind her said:

“It seems that there is more to you than meets the eye. To be able to match my speed, despite me having reduced it, it is still impressive for you to keep up with me.” Not even a hint of panting could be heard from her.

Mawi on the other hand was panting considerably. He too was surprised that he was able to keep up with the old woman’s speed, and to even have the stamina to maintain it. However, he has no idea how he was able to do it.

“Let us go inside.” Lola Yma then started to walk towards chairman Buboy’s house.

Mawi, walking closely behind, observed the house that they were going to. It was not a big house, but it is bigger than Lola Yma’s. There is an unfinished concrete fence in front. The foundation has already been laid, but the metal furnishings have not yet been installed as evidenced by the bamboo gate installed on its entrance. A weird sight to behold if a foreigner would see it, but this type of gate/fence is not uncommon as Mawi has observed some houses to be the same. From the gate, there is a good four to five meters of vacant space before the house, apparently, they have a wide front yard. Mawi was not able to totally observe the house as it was full of people.

The whole place is abuzz with murmurs and hushed whispers, mixed with these sounds is a low guttural and somewhat rough voice that alternates between shouts, laughter, and roars. Whenever the voice changes into a shout, it becomes shrill – noting that it is a girl’s voice; when it shifts to that of a laughter or a roar however, the voice becomes deep like that of a man.

“Excuse me! Let me pass through!” Lola Yma said in a commanding tone.

“It is Lola Yma! Let her through!” Someone noticed Lola Yma and started to spread the word of her arrival. The people who were blocking the entrance then started to make way for Lola Yma and Mawi. Though they have no idea who Mawi is, since he was brought by Lola Yma, the people did not try to block him when he also went inside the house.