Hagdan

I was raised in a co-ed Catholic school somewhere in Caloocan City. Lately nagbabalik sa akin ‘yung grade school life ko run. Yung pagtatambay namin sa Science lab kapag first Friday mass. Yung paggamit namin ng plastic color-coded chips in place of money so we could buy things in our school supplies and food stalls (as if we were spending them in a casino).

And then there was this very big framed picture of an African nun who’s supposed to have founded the school as far as I can remember. She was I think around 50 years old. Masyadong malaki ‘yung portrait niya. Her freckles and wrinkles were very visible. She was wearing a black habit. Her name was Mother Rita.

Nakasabit yung portrait niya sa pader ng isang cellar stair. There was a door under the stair na may double lock (kasinlaki ng armfist namin yung mga padlock). Sabi nila nasa loob daw ng maliit na kuwarto sa ilalim ng hagdan ang lumang ataul ni Mother Rita.

When I was in Grade 4 nauso ang mga apparitions ng Virgin Mary at mga dancing sun. Kaya nag-emerge din sa school ang pag-ungkat sa history ng apparitions ng Virgin of Fatima sa tatlong bata sa Portugal. It had opened our little minds to the supernatural. No wonder may nabalita rin noon na batang sinapian sa ibang section. That student was brought to the chapel to be prayed on and blessed. And they said nang basbasan siya ng holy water umusok ang uniform niya.

One day there was a clamor sa klase namin. Nagpakita raw si Mother Rita sa chapel. May isang student na nakakita kay Mother Rita na nakaupo sa pinakaunang pew sa harap ng altar. Nakayuko siya at nagdarasal nang mataimtim. E wala namang tao sa loob ng chapel nang mga panahong yun dahil naka-locked ito nang mga ganung oras.

That was around the time na may nabalitang na-possessed na estudyante. I also heard na umusok yung maliit na crucifix na nakapatong sa gitna ng altar table nung dalhin siya run.

May isang lugar sa school namin na ginawang off-limits ng administrators at mga madre. Ito yung hagdan sa dulo ng 4th floor sa north wing. Hanggang 6 floors ang school namin kaya nagtaka kami kung bakit ganun ang ginawa nila.

They locked up both ends of that stair. They said it was so steep and it might cause accident especially sa mga grade school students na hindi maiiwasang magdaan dun. In fact, may naaksidente na nga raw dun. Isang madre.

Sabi ng kaklase ko nahulog dun si Mother Rita at dun din siya namatay. Nagpapakita nga run ang multo niya. Bumababa sa hagdan.

My mind conceived of the story.

That Friday, I waited after school to execute my plan. It was almost 6pm, wala nang klase at busy ang iba pang students sa paglalaro sa quadrangle.

I went to the 4th floor alone.

I was walking in the quiet corridor; passing by empty classrooms. The chairs were messed up. Hindi pa siguro umaabot dun sa floor yung mga janitors to clean them up.
I was careful not to get near the hedge para dumungaw. Baka kasi may teacher na makakita sa akin at ma-prefect pa ako.

At the end of corridor there were some more offices for the highschool department. It was a Friday. Nobody’s around. And then in a moment I saw the fence that they built to lock up the ghost stair.

My heart was racing but I tiptoed towards it. The iron railing became bigger and bigger. The place was so silent. I thought I was in one of those black and white movies waiting to get spooked at.

And then there it was. Ang matarik na hagdan. Lumapit ako sa iron bars. I held them. They were icy cold. I looked at the mahogany steps. They were really steep. I looked farther up. Up until I saw the other end of the stair, also held by locked up iron bars.

I felt as if I was in a part of cemetery. That I was standing outside of a mausoleum gate looking in. I was trying to imagine a grave in the stairwell. Napatingin ako sa karugtong ng steps sa 5th floor. There was an office dun pero sarado na rin.

Wala naman multo, bulong ko sa sarili ko. Baka hindi magpapakita si Mother Rita. Tumalikod ako para magsimula nang maglakad.

Nang biglang may tumunog sa itaas. Kalansing ng bakal. Sinilip ko ng mga mata ko. hindi ako gumalaw. May nakita akong anino. Tinitigan ko. Baka may tao lang. Gumalaw ang anino papunta sa pader saka biglang nawala.

Imposibleng anino ng tao yung nakita ko. Tumagos sa pader e. Anino ba yun ni Mother Rita? Hindi ko alam. Ang natatandaan ko masyadong malamig at tahimik sa lugar yun.