My ‘Out-of-this-World’ Experience No. 10

Have you ever had experience a phenomenon that cannot be explained no matter how you tried to understand it?  Are you familiar with the phrase ‘beyond one’s imagination or understanding’?  If you have this some sort of experience that makes you feel that hair-raising/eerie or déjà vu feeling, please share through email message to merlinagp@gmail.com.  It is my pleasure to post your experience in this Blog.  Let the circle of sharing begins.

Experience No. 10: “The Walking Dead”
(Shared by Reyne June Bawisan <junebawisan@yahoo.com>)

Have you ever heard a story about dead persons walking?  Yeah right, I know what you’re thinking, but it isn’t the one you’ve watched on TV series titled, the “Walking Dead”. 
The story of a person who died but still walking during nighttime is a rumor back then in my province.  Whether you believe it or not, it’s up to you to find out by reading my story.
Sometimes in 1995, my cousin’s husband who was then in his late 30s, died due to cardiac arrest.  He left his wife and his three children behind that early age.  When he was alive, he spent most of his time cultivating the land, which is just a kilometer or two away from their home. As a farmer, my cousin’s husband is one of the persons I know who is very hardworking.  His day starts at 3:00 o’clock in the morning by feeding flocks of chicken and a number of livestock in their backyard.  At 4:00 o’clock, the breakfast for his family is ready.  At 5:00 AM, he is already at the farm to start his long hard and hot day.  This was how my cousin told us as she recalls the daily routine her husband.  Until one day, they had lost them due to heart attack.  He could have been saved if he was rushed to the nearest hospital, but it’s impossible, their place is too far for him to survive.  I remembered going to their place, from our house, we took an hour of motorcycle drive and another 1 hour of walkathon.  We need to cross at least three rugged rivers to reach their home.  This is how far-flung their place is --- anyways, in the province, this is just ordinary.
During the wake, some of the cousins are present.  Of course, some of the closest relatives of both sides are there too.  The elders were sitting near the casket chatting animatedly as they reunited again after so many years.  Some adults are busy playing cards on the other side.  Under the big tree, just near the transient structure built for those attending the funeral is a group of children (myself included) playing “truth or dare.” 
It was around 12:00 midnight and we’re already hungry.  Thanks God, the midnight snack is served.  We rushed into the table to get our share, a cup of coffee and some pieces of biscuits --- hahaha the most awaited part of the night.  While eating and chatting, one of the older cousins joined us and shared with us some creepy stories --- very common in every funeral.
Some of his stories are sigbin, santelmo, and manananggal, etc.  But what frightened me most was the story of the “walking dead”.  Who the hell wouldn’t be scared about it?  We’re in the funeral that time.  According to him, dead people shouldn’t leave unattended during the night as they will rise and walk.  Being terrified with his story, we ran away and I cowered at the back of my mother who was near the casket that time together with the other relatives.
It was 2 AM and only 6 of us are still up.  Until eventually all of the other five need to go home or sleep.  I am still up and still terrified.  Should I sleep, or should I look for the dead? What if the story is true, and I witness it happening?  Haha I could be scared to death. Eventually I forgot everything as I fell asleep on the table outside the house.
It was around 7:00 o’clock in the morning, the sun is already up.  I heard some frightened voices inside the house.  As I entered the living room where the body was lying, a group of people including my cousin staring at the body and talking among themselves.  As my cousin started to wipe something out from her husband’s pants, I asked what happened.  One of people present there that time told me that they found something unusual on the remains. Out of curiosity, I tried to force myself into them so I can see the body.  They’re right, his pants from the knee down to the bottom hem was full of something like, dried mud?   Some wild grasses locally known as amorseko (weeping lovegrass) were also attached to his pants.
The people surrounded the casket were asking, did he rise and walk while everybody are sleeping?  But I am awake until 2:30AM and I saw nothing unusual.  We’re already scared at that moment, but my cousin and some of the relatives pretended as if it was a normal occurrence.  Maybe because they want everybody present there not to panic.
I didn’t personally witness my cousin’s husband walking but the evidences before us can tell that the story could be true, or maybe it was just his spirit who tried to go back to his dead body.
This is one of the a little bit scary experiences I couldn’t ever forget. From then on, I rarely visit funerals, and if I do, I skip looking at the body. 
Impossible but it happened to me!