Jannah Reeham M. Macaumbos
The smell of death permeated the small dimly lighted room. Two elderly women sat still and quietly near the large bed. Their eyes were swollen, ringed with dark circles. Laid on the bed was a young woman covered in white. A group of men entered the room carrying a wooden casket on their shoulders. They placed it near the bed and worked carefully together to place the lifeless body inside.
Quiet whispers began to fill the house immediately after the men left the room in silence. People began to swarm at Babu Aina’s. Their relatives in distant places also arrived on that day and expressed their sincere condolences on the abrupt death of Babu Aina’s daughter – Amina.
Amina was the brightest girl in our town. An exceptionally smart and talented young woman with an innocent and angelic smile. However, one day, she lost all the colors in life and began to act like a madman. No one, not even a single soul, knew the reason behind her sudden change.
I remember that day when a scream echoed all throughout our neighborhood – a scream of torment coming from a frail body of a helpless young woman.
I was preparing my morning coffee that day when I suddenly heard a faint voice coming from Babu Aina’s house. Strange, I thought. I stood quietly for over a minute hoping to hear it once again.
“Tabang! Ina, help me!” There it was again. I held my cup and hurriedly paced into our living room, trying to make sense on what I was hearing. The words were clear when I heard it once again. “Oh! I beg you, please help me. Tabangi ako niyo.” Series of weeping sounds followed the chilling sound. I sat down near the window trying to listen intently to the muffled voices outside, hoping to grasp some details that would enlighten my curious mind of what transpires in our neighbor’s house.
I was flooded with questions when I heard a woman’s voice saying “Allahu Akbar! Poor child.” Her voice was masked with utter disbelief. “She totally lost it! Miyabethang so wata.” she added.
In a hushed tone, a man with hoarse voice said in incredulous manner “I saw her! They tied her wrists in the bedpost. There were bruises all over her body.” Resolute, he added “Jinn! A Jinn took over her body.”
As the chatters grew, a man’s voice erupted in midst of the small crowd caused an uproar “I told you! She is possessed by a Jinn.” I gasped upon hearing the news. “I agree. Have you seen the look in her eyes? She is definitely possessed. Astughfirullah! It was red! It was bulging as if the blood was coming out of her eyes,” a man’s voice loudly responded, affirming the claim.
I shuddered upon hearing the words of the people outside. I felt a series of cold sensation slowly creeping inside my body and my hands began to freeze “Audhubillah. May Allah protect us against all forms of evil.” I whispered quietly as I awfully sought comfort and warmth from my morning coffee.
“Ahhhhh, NO! Don’t touch me! Ina! Help! Help me, please!” I jerked upon hearing the deafening scream. I tried desperately to balance the cup I was holding in my hand to avoid spilling the coffee. I managed to place the cup on the table when the sound of a slamming door caused me to jump to my feet. My heart was racing uncontrollably. I look at the direction where the sound came from. I tried to calm my nerves when I saw my mother walking inside the kitchen.
“Oh! There you are. I was looking for you.” she said as she tried to catch her breath. “Where were you? I went to your room, and you were not there.” Her face was filled with worry as she marched towards me. “I was calling you and you did not even respo – ”
“Aydo! Tabangi ako niyo. Help me!” a loud scream resonated within the walls of our home.
I looked at my mother and muttered in almost inaudible voice, “Omie, something is happening at Babu Aina’s.” She replied with the same pitch and horrified look that mirrors mine. “Astughfirullah! Audhubillah! Their daughter is said to have been possessed by a powerful Jinn. Miyakasapher so wata sa marata.”
“You mean Amina?” My mother nodded in response to my query. “Audhubillah. Are you sure? She was fine when I last saw her with Aisha,” I added as I was clearly in doubt of the news I heard.
“There are things that reason alone cannot explain.” My mother replied as she placed her hand to mine. “Be careful, there are people out there that will do anything, even resort on doing something so evil just to ruin you.” Deep inside, I know exactly what my mother was trying to tell me. Amina was nothing but a perfect daughter. It was inevitable that people grew envious of her beauty and character. That might have been the reason behind her dreadful predicament. Her good nature tempted an evil soul to perform vile ritual to let the Jinn own her body.
That day had passed, but not as quietly as it used to. I thought it would end after the countless visits of a pamomolong. But I was utterly wrong. Days have turned into weeks. Sooner, it turned into months. Babu Aina did not give up on her daughter. She did everything in her power just to fix her daughter. She prayed day after day and gave charities to those in need, hoping that a miracle will happen, and her daughter will return to her usual self.
Due to the recommendations of her relatives, she invited known local healers from different towns and paid hefty amount of money only to expel the powerful Jinn that was said to have possessed Amina. However, not even one of them were able to explain the peculiar ordeal befallen in our small, secluded street.
One day, as I silently walked out from our house to catch a ride to school, I passed by a group of old folks, including Babu Halima, in front of Babu Zainab’s store. I heard them talking about Babu Aina’s daughter.
“Ehh she had it coming,” said nonchalantly by the old man. He was sitting on the wooden bench with his legs crossed and a cigarette in his hand.
“What makes say so?” asked Babu Halima.
“Have you seen how she present herself? Astughfirullah,” Babu Zainab replied.
“Yes! Oh God! Her dress was not appropriate at all,” said by the woman who stood next to Babu Halima. “She even laughs so loud. With men, if I may add.”
“With men?!” Babu Halima exclaimed. Clearly taken aback from what she had heard.
“Yes. She laughs as if those strange guys were her mahram,” replied by the woman with incriminating tone as she continued to say, “She doesn’t have any modesty left at all.”
“Sii rekaniyan bo tiyaman o Allah.” Babu Halima muttered.
“I warn you, Halima. You better talk to your daughter. That girl is her friend after all.”
“Astughfirullah! God forbid! Such hysterics have no place in our house.”
I didn’t pay much attention in their conversation. I continued my way to class as I was running late. My day went as usual. I saw Aisha, Babu Halima’s daughter, sitting weirdly and out of place at the student’s lounge. She looked lost and pale like a ghost. I sat near her.
“Hey, are you okay?” I looked at her worriedly. She lost weight excessively. Her cheeks were sunken, and her eyes were lost in complete oblivion.
I stood from my seat and decided to leave. Clearly, she needs her time alone to cope with what was happening in our neighborhood, especially to her friend, I thought. I left her alone and went straight home. I never would have expected what will happen a week after our encounter.
There was a huge commotion outside our home. Our neighbors were screaming for help and frantically saying that Aisha attempted to end her life. Fortunately, she survived.
It was difficult for our entire town to understand what was running in the minds of these two girls. The madness that corrupted their souls. Most people from our town were claiming that something evil was behind this string of tragic events, and that someone was trying to harm these poor souls.
Naturally, due to the recent occurrences concerning Aisha, her mother decided that for the time being, she will drop out at school. Since then, I never heard from her again… not until the death of Amina.
Babu Halima went to the diaga of Amina along with Aisha. I felt relieved upon seeing her despite the traces of loneliness that were evident in her eyes. She was sitting alone on the chair placed at the corner of the room trying to avoid any attention. I went to her to ask if she was doing well.
“Hey, Aisha. Is everything okay?” She was reluctant at first to answer. She tried to dodge my peering look but later sighed in resignation and replied, “Alhamdulillah. I’m okay.” I didn’t pry any further, afraid that she might feel uncomfortable. We sat quietly beside each other.
“You know, Amina was hearing voices… voices that she can’t explain.” I was puzzled by her words.
“She tried to fight it. Believe me, she tried so hard to fight it – to silence those voices in her head.”
“What do you mean?” I asked her curiously.
“Amina, that poor girl, was having episodes.” She looked at the distance trying to hold the tears that was about to fall from her eyes.
I tried to make sense of her words and asked, “What episodes are you talking about?”
“Schizophrenia!” She said trying to catch her breath.
“In her mind, voices murder her repeatedly, hunting her even in her sleep.” She cried.
“No one listened to her plea. For God’s sake! She was begging for help!” She said loudly as she stood from her seat. She looked at me with sadness in the depths of her eyes. Her voice began to crack.
“She screamed for help” she continued to say. “She was screaming for help… from her mother! From anyone… from me.” She was panting uncontrollably as she slowly lowered her gaze.
“Now, she is lying there, in her grave, because no one even dared to listen to her.” She was in tears. “I – ” she uttered with conviction and longingness “ – didn’t listen to her.”
Under the dark and gloomy clouds… it was quiet.
The screams of agony and madness were slowly forgotten, buried along with the memory of the girl with brightest smile. The whispers were finally silenced as I sat still, listening to the quiet sound of the girl who mourns the passing of her only friend.