The Exorcism of Emilyn

     I woke up to the soft rays of sunlight peaking through my wooden blinds.  It was Friday.  Greg had gotten up ahead and was already in the shower.  I called for the yaya to come up to the room.  I had to get ready for work.  Another maid came up.  Not Lyn.  She looked distraught and pale.  I asked her why it was she and not the yaya who had responded to my call.  Mam, hwag nyo pong ibigay si Vito kay Lyn.  Kahit ano po ang mangyari, huwag na huwag po. (Mam, whatever happens, don't ever give Vito to Lyn.)  Her voice shook and she wrung her hands so tightly while she spoke.  I asked why.  Basta mam, ako nalang ang hahawak kay Vito. Huwag na huwag niyong ibibigay si Vito sa kanya. (I'll take care of Vito.  Just don't give Vito to her.) Her concern was genuine.  Ok, this was beginning to scare me.  I asked a final time, why.  After a moment’s pause she said, nasaniban po si Lyn kagabi. (Lyn got possessed by an evil spirit last night.)   WTF, right? Was this a joke?  What is this, a local parody of the exorcism of Emily Rose?  I went down to the kitchen to find out for myself exactly what had happened the night before.

     At this time I was still living with my parents.  They were away with my sister and brother on a Euro trip.  It was just me, Greg and Vito in the house.  Just my luck, right? Stuff like this always had to happen under my watch.  I called a staff meeting—5 maids, 1 driver and 1 house boy.  Everyone looked tired and on edge.  They had had a rough night.  Each telling a piece of what was to be an incredulous story of Lyn’s possession.  Our manang, the laundry woman, was visibly frightened as she recounted what she had seen—Lynn shaking vigorously on her bed, her eyes rolling back in their sockets stark white, her body stiff and uncontrollable.  They tried to make her stop shaking but couldn’t.  They all gathered (including the driver and house boy) around Lyn and prayed until the “evil spirit” left her.  After which they weren’t sure if she was alive because she lay so still and didn’t seem to be breathing.  They all kept vigil by her side til morning. 

     Clearly she wasn’t dead (!).  She was right there standing with the rest of them, the picture of perfect health, while all her kasamas were faint from the fear and exhaustion of the previous night.  I asked Lyn if she remembered what happened to her.  She did not.  She only learned about it after the others had told her.  She said this hadn’t happened since 3 years ago when she was 15.  She suspected that she had been “visited” again because she lost her panglaban (an amulet or talisman to protect against evil spirits).  She said the albulario (witch doctor) from her hometown had given her a bullet tied with a string as a weapon against the visitor.  She had misplaced it which would explain the possession.  I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.  There had to be a logical explanation to this besides the one that they were offering.  Piecing together everyone’s story, I suspected that Lyn had had a seizure.

     I scheduled an appointment with a neurologist the next day.  I took Lyn for a check up.  The doctor recommended some tests to complete his diagnosis.  He too, suspected it was a seizure related to an undiagnosed epileptic condition.  When asked if anyone from her family had had a similar condition, Lyn replied yes.  Her grandfather had suffered a similar fate and was “taken” by “it”.  The doctor said that the attack could have been triggered by Lyn’s exposure to TV.  Since Lyn had been spending the past 2 months taking care of Vito, she had been watching a lot of TV with him.  The doctor explained that flashing and bright lights can trigger a seizure.  Until he could run the tests on her, Lyn would have to take extra precautions.  She would not be allowed to cook, wash clothes or baby sit Vito.  She was also advised to have a companion at all times wherever she went and whatever she did.  Lyn sat there and listened, but it was obvious she wasn’t buying it. 

     I would never find out about Lyn’s true condition.  Before her scheduled tests could be done, she decided to go home.  She said her mother wanted her to see the albulario so that she could receive treatment.  Only the witch doctor could put an end to her suffering, she said.  There was no persuading her.  So I let her go. 

     That is as close as I would ever get to the real life possession and exorcism of Emilyn.