Tall and Handsome in the Dark

      Usually, girls would have dibs for men who are tall, dark, and handsome. This is generally the criteria to pick men of their taste. But, I think it would be a different story if the man would be tall and handsome in the dark. There is actually a being which fits the criteria. The only problem is that he might not actually be handsome if seen clearly in broad daylight.

          The mysterious man in the dark is actually one of the Philippine mythical creatures. It is famously called as the Kapre. The Kapre is a very huge man that is said to be living in large trees in the forest. They are usually spotted smoking large cigars and their skin color is described as charcoal black. They are also hairy creatures comparable to chimpanzees. 

         Unlike other Philippine mythical creatures that are very vicious and dangerous, the danger that the Kapre poses is lesser.  Mananangals and Aswangs would hurt people and would even eat their innards but the Kapre is not morbid like them. The Kapre only scares children who are still outside their homes at night. He scares the children because he simply enjoys their scared faces. In other stories, he is even believed to be a friendly creature and would even grant people’s wishes if they can find his white stone.

       To determine if a Kapre is around is to observe the trees around. If there is no wind breeze yet the leaves of the trees are moving then a Kapre is around. Also, if you could spot unusual smoke behind large trees then possibly a Kapre is around.

       There was this encounter where I could possibly be convinced that the Kapre is real. It was a Saturday when I woke up seeing many people gathering at our neighbour’s house. I stormed out our house and went directly to the crowd of people. It so happens that my aunt was also there so I asked her what is happening. Before she was able to explain the situation to me, I saw a very huge leaf cigar at the window.

       I observed that the tip of the cigar was already burned. It was different from other cigar since it was really enormous compared to other normal cigars. Its size can be compared to a thick rolled magazine.  When my curiosity reached the top, I went back to my aunt and finally listened to her explanation. According to my aunt, it was from a Kapre that passed by our place that night.

     When I heard her explanation, I laughed at first. For me, it was only made by a neighbour who just wants to make some pranks. I kept on thinking about it and had some second thoughts. Who would actually waste their time of making a very huge and unusual cigar just for the fun?

      Anyways, if the Kapre is really real and actually friendly, then I would like to meet one. I would even find the white stone and have one of my wishes granted. It may be cool having a huge yet friendly creature as your friend.