Mimi's Chilling Tales For Grown Ups Only

For the month of  October ,  Mimi Illenberger-Mapa shares this true story of a young housewife and how she was saved from an almost certain death by an angelic intervention. When I was 23 years old, I accepted a new job that was a tremendous amount of responsibility. I was stressed out because my supervisor was acting like I wasn't doing a good enough job and I was working as hard as I could. My husband and I had just purchased a new home. This was another stress since financially we were really strapped and I couldn't afford to lose my job. One morning I was getting ready for work and was drying my hair. A strange thought came into my mind: Wouldn't it be hard to dry your hair with one arm? I was running late and jumped into my car. Being a seat belt user all my life, I thought I would wait until I get off of our street and pull up onto the highway to put on my belt. It was only a short way. Then I thought: Oh, what the heck. What difference will a few seconds ...

She was a seductive goddess and the sight of her filled me with a longing so primitive and compelling- I simply had to possess her! Before I realized what I was doing, I was already in deep water cavorting with a complete stranger . M A R I N E L A (Kadios and the Mermaid)  At the wake of my mother’s cousin in Valladolid, Negros Occidental, I was told this enchanting tale by Tito Robin over cups of steaming  salabat  (ginger tea) and crunchy  galletas  ( a local biscuit popularly served during wakes in rural areas) in an effort to keep me from falling asleep. It is a story of how a handsome barrio swain fell in love with a sea siren and decided to join her in her world below the sea. Tito Robin narrates:      Lolo Kalaw was the most sought after person in this seaside community. People didn’t seem to mind that he was already blind in one eye and hard of hearing because of advanced age. At 89, his mental faculties remai...

GHOSTS IN THE HIGH SEAS by mimi illenberger-mapa        It is a common notion that seamen are a superstitious group of people. Perhaps it is the nature of their profession – the loneliness for families and loved ones; the deeper awareness of their surroundings; the ever-present danger from unpredictable forces of nature; and having more time on their hands to ponder on things unseen. All these contribute to making them what they are reputed to be - lusty, superstitious and garrulous men.     There are many superstitious beliefs involving the sea and lakes around us. One universal belief among mariners is that when their bodies are given a sea burial, their souls rise as sea birds - albatross or sea gulls. Sea birds, then, according to sailors, must be treated with great kindness; otherwise they bring bad luck to the ship.        Stories involving ghostly sightings on board sea vessels are also commonpla...

Matilde had a pleasant home life until she bought an  ancient armchair  that came from an era where suspected witches were tortured and burned at the stake…… The Phantom Lover (and the horror of spectrophilia)           This was circa late 90s and I was somewhere in Granada Hills, California. I knew my $100 would go a long way since all I wanted to buy were second hand handicraft books and a few carpentry tools. But as it was, my wire basket was already full of cute stuff I knew my daughters would fancy as pasalubongs . These were not in my list but I was simply unable to resist the giveaway prices.           “Haay naku, Pinay ka nga …” my younger sister Rori teased, shaking her head in mock disbelief. “Akala ko ba, this time you will stick to your list. We’re  still checking on that advertised  garage sales in Beverley Hills remember?”      ...