I Fell in Love with a KAPRE

I Fell In Love With a Kapre

Prologue

Mang Indo was a hunter that frequented the forested area of Siargao Island not so long ago. This night is not so different from any other night that he stalks wild pigs in this place except that he crossed a forbidden area in which their ancestors cautioned every kid not to venture in. Going here is a conscious effort on his part, after all he is not a kid anymore. He is already a middle aged man in his late 40’s. And besides, since most of the other hunters avoid this area, it is most certainly crawling with preys. He smiled just thinking of the spoils that he could catch in this area. He was slowly stalking a trail when he heard a tree branch snap. He stopped and held his breath. He scanned the trees for pythons and any other animals that are heavy enough to snap a branch like that. Nothing.

He slowly resumed walking, cautiously looking above the treeline when he heard another tree branch breaking on the gigantic acacia tree on his right side. Just like before, he stopped and observed that particular tree. That’s when he saw a smoke coming from a burning ember on top of that tree. Mang Indo was horrified to see a towering dark-skinned humanoid figure next to the ember which appears to be smoking a huge tobacco. The smell could not be mistaken. He fell on the shrubs as he scampered to leave the area. The creature on top of the tree laughed malignantly. It is as if he’s playing with Mang Indo and is enjoying his reaction. Mang Indo ran as if his life depended on it. In fact, it is because he has heard of the likes of this creature before. These are the tree dwellers called Kapres. They are one of the malignant spirits that their ancestors warned them about. Mang Indo kept running.

Mang Indo was found dead that morning by other hunters just in the perimeter of the forbidden area. He died of exhaustion, based on the police autopsy, he kept running in circles until his heart failed.

Introduction

My name is Ricafin, 44 years old now, still single and I know that I am not young anymore. I am pestered by questions like why I remain single up to now. Some people blame me for having too high standards. I am from the teardrop shaped island, Siargao Island located in the province of Surigao del Norte in the Philippines. The ominous shape of the town coincides with the deep sorrow I am experiencing because I lost two men who loved me with all their hearts.

The first one is Harold, who is my childhood friend. We were classmates from elementary to highschool. He taught me how to surf and later revealed his true intentions of wanting to marry me which I refused because I am attracted to another.

The other one was a malignant spirit, a Kapre. He’s very tall, dusky, and dark-skinned. Despite my bad vision, I could tell he was incredibly attractive. He had a particular scent of tobacco that drew me in yet was despised by my grandparents.

I lost both of them, and here's how it happened.

Act 1: A Cold Shoulder

Since I was a child, my life has been full of sorrows. My parents clashed and separated, and they abandoned me with my grandparents, never to return. They began their lives without me. Perhaps it is the major reason I am wary about falling in love.

I remembered an instance when I was surfing with Harold, my childhood friend and some tourists approached and harassed us. Harold never attempted to protect me. He left me and ran away. I felt that he was a coward. That is one of the reasons why I don't like him.

He has been courting me for years but I don't feel any thrill with him. There is no adrenaline pump whatsoever. The only reason that I talk to him is because he taught me how to surf.

Act 2: A Tragic Turn of Events

My worst sorrow happened when my grandparents were murdered by two druken men. They went to our house and asked for money to buy more liquor. They were both unarmed but when my grandfather tried to scare them using his jungle bolo, they were able to take it away from him and then struck him in the head.

Blood splattered when my grandfather's head was struck by the bolo. He fell to the ground as my grandmother faced the men and begged them to leave. The man holding the bolo also hit my grandmother in the head. He repeatedly swung the bolo until her head separated from her body.

“Hey, that is not part of our plan!” the other man said. “Let's go.”

They were about to leave when one of them was thrown to a tree and his body was pinned to a broken branch. His chest was nailed to the branch as he cried in pain and tried to move his hands and feet to remove his body from the branch of the tree until he lost his breath..

The man who was holding the bolo cried in fear. “Kapre!” He attempted to defend himself by swinging the bolo to any direction as the humanoid vanished. Then the huge hairy figure appeared and held his arm and broke it. He slammed the man to the ground repeatedly like a hammer until his head was smashed.

I felt good when I saw the men who killed my grandparents being tortured by the gigantic being. My sadness was lessened as I was able to see both of them dead. Honestly I did not feel scared of him and even felt secured and protected. Now that my grandparents are gone I needed someone like him at my side to protect me.

Act 3: A Strange Courtship

After both of my grandparents were laid to rest, I felt lonely since I always miss them as I was alone in our house. Harold visited me on occasion, but his presence did not make me feel any better. I was annoyed that he was away when I needed him most.

One night I woke up and was astonished to find out that my bed was on top of a huge Narra tree. I almost panicked but the sight of the stars and the moon calmed me. I smelled tobacco smoke and saw the eight foot man near the tree. The leaves of the trees were rustling even if there was no wind. He has long course black hair and his eyes look like that of a burning cigar tip.

He nodded and handed me some fruits. There were bananas, mangoes, and papayas in abundance. When I peeled and ate the banana, he smiled. It was the tastiest and most delectable one I'd ever eaten. Since then, the gigantic entity has visited me every night and given me fruits and veggies to eat. He also offered me some gold coins and assured me that his realm had more of them.

Harold came to see me one night and found my secret. He chose to destroy the tree where my friend was living. One morning, he chopped down the tree with an axe.

I was not able to stop him because I was away from the market to sell some of my gold coins. When I returned the tree was already down. I hated Harold for what he had done but he confessed that he did it because he loved me. I never talked to him again.

Act 4: The Vengeful Tree Demon

Harold returned one night, inebriated. He has a heavy heart because of what happened between us. I told him that I don't want to see him any more. He yelled at me, stating that he is willing to die for me and fight the Kapre.

A dog howled and I smelled a strong smell of tobacco. My heart jumped because I knew that the kapre came to exact his vengeance on Harold for cutting down the tree. For the first time Harold was no longer a coward. Maybe he realized that this night is also his final shot of taking my love back from this entity. He suddenly brought out a jungle bolo similar to that of my lolo’s.

“Come on!” Harold looked around as he shouted. “I’m here. Fight! It ends tonight. One has to die.” he slashed his bolo around the air. “Show your --” Harold was not yet finished with his sentence when he was interrupted by a sudden jolt on his right leg. He was immediately thrown on the wall.

The Kapre slowly manifested himself, standing in the center of our front yard is a bulky humanoid creature that has a very dark and hairy skin. His skin was emitting a sulfur-like scent, his eyes were red and sulking. The creature was enraged and threw his over-sized cigar on Harold.

Harold landed on the ground, with a dislocated left shoulder. He cried from the sharp pain and realized that he was still in danger. He ignored the pain and immediately looked for his bolo sword. His right hand chanced upon the sword on the ground and he picked it up and raised it above his head. Harold was determined to kill the Kapre, he lunged on it as he slashed his sword in the air.

The Kapre grabbed Harold’s right hand and tore it away from his body. Harold grimaced in pain and was in shock. He was about to shout when the Kapre finished him off by twisting his head and severing it from his neck.

The events were so quick that I was not able to interfere. I felt sorry and pity for Harold whose death was for love's sake. I cried again, this time because I lost my childhood friend.

Epilogue

That same night, the Kapre asked me to come with him to his domain. I know that this is a one way trip. Once I left with him, I could never come back. Because of this, I refused and the Kapre left me. Deep inside I have forgiven him for what he did to Harold and I am always waiting for his return. I never married in the hope that the Kapre would return. I am now 100% sure that I love him and am willing to come with him and not to return to this world forever. He never did. Maybe he got jealous when I cried when Harold died and taught that I love Harold more than him.

I know and feel that the Kapre still watches and guards me from afar but it seems he would not let me see Him. So here I am now, in sorrow, looking out of the window and waiting until the love of my life returns.