By Zeean Firmeza
Nuno sa puso is a dwarf-like creature that lives in a rock or an ant mound. It is based on Filipino folklore. Suman is a Filipino dessert made of sticky rice and coconut milk with condiments. It is typically wrapped in banana leaves.
In the late afternoon, Kristin sat idly on the front porch as the rest of her family lounged in their two-story apartment. The house was of modest size, located just in the outskirts of the busy part of the city. There were two other apartments next to her house and her family respectively lived between them.
The usual late afternoon ambiance calmed Kristin down. Although she loved her family dearly, they were too much. She and her four other siblings ceaselessly bickered to no end -- to the point that the neighbors would threaten to report them to the barangay. Kristin doesn’t blame them, though. Once, she and her brother Michael argued about who can make the loudest music ensemble of pans and kitchen utensils. Needless to say, Kristin won but at the cost of her mother taking away her radio.
After her older brother, Jason, spoke about the story of the nuno sa puso, she could not help but wonder about the rock behind their family’s yard. Could a man - or a dwarf - really reside in a rock like that and what was so offensive about pointing at it?
The sun was beginning to settle down. There were a few tricycles passing by the small streets and it marked that dinner was about to come in soon. Kristin sighed as she stared at the dried, dead leaves blown away by the afternoon breeze (she realized she would need to sweep the ground again with all those leaves). Peeking through the downstairs window, she can see Michael and Jason sitting on the couch watching television as her mother cooked in the kitchen.
She rose up from the porch and patted down her knees. Determined to find out the mystery of the man who lives in a rock, she entered her house.
“Kristin, dinner will be ready in fifteen minutes,” her mother yelled out as Kristin made her way to the patio that leads to the backyard.
The looming shadow of a tree blocked out the ever-disappearing sunlight, only seeping in between the leaves and branches. The said tree was rooted in the middle of the yard and its dominating presence makes it look like it will swallow the world as a whole. Behind it was a beaten-down shed where the Abarquez family stored their junk and gardening tools - a place where nobody dares to venture out to.
A mosquito whizzed past Kristin and she swatted it away. The overgrown ryegrass tickled her ankles as she navigated her way behind the shed.
With much deliberation, she finally found what she was looking for. Wiping off beads of sweat, she marveled at the sight of the rock. It was three feet in height, but extremely round and smooth. Often, she would go behind the shed during the afternoon in order to contemplate and lean against the rock. But, after Jason explained the nuno sa punso, her curiosity piqued even more.
Kristin inched forward, her foot snapping some twigs in half.
She raised her hand up ever so slightly and stared intently at the rock. Jason might call her insane for attempting this, but what can you do to stop a young, determined person? Absolutely nothing.
“Here goes nothing,” Kristin whispered out loud.
Closing her eyes, she pointed at the rock.
Earlier today
Kristin had to scrub the dishes clean because she had accidentally flung her brother’s mirror to the window: “Your fault.”
Kristin glared at Michael then jabbed his ribs. Michael rubbed his sides, groaning at the impact of his sister’s finger.
“Who started it in the first place?”
The two were punished by their mother, who grabbed them by their ears and planted both of them in the kitchen. Their mother barked orders: Kristin was to clean the dishes while Michael washed the leftover dirty clothes in the basket. Ironically, the Abarquez family does have a washing machine. But, it was broken and no one wanted to pay to buy a new one or have it repaired by a technician. Whenever everyone had to do their laundry, they would actually need to clean it by hand: fill a plastic basin with water, dip the clothes, add the laundry detergent, and then rub the clothes furiously.
“My dears, bickering won’t do you two any good,” a gentle voice interrupted the two siblings’ quarrel. They paused and turned around, their eyes lighting up at the source of the voice.
“Kuya!” Jason, the third oldest child in the family, lived in Puerto Galera - a couple of hours away from Quezon City. He pursued the life of the island, trying to be an advocate for the Philippine environment and extensively researches for possible solutions. While he visits from time-to-time and on rare occasions, Kristin thought that he was one of the wisest people she ever met in her fourteen years of life. Between all of her siblings, Jason’s general aura and presence can calm any hyper children around. Perhaps their parents would not feel as overwhelmed if he still lived in the house.
“My dears, I brought some suman on the way to the house,” Jason said.
He held up a white plastic bag and the two younger siblings beamed happily. Placing it on the table, he grabbed four suman out of the bag and handed it to Kristin and Michael.
Unwrapping the banana leaf, Kristin began, “So, kuya, any interesting stories you would like to tell us since you are back?”
Jason contemplated for a second, before settling in his chair. Tapping on his chin, a mischievous smile appeared on his face.
“Well, have you two heard of the man who lives in a rock?”
“No,” the two said at the same time. Michael stuck his tongue out and, surely, Kristin was ready to smack her suman on his face.
Jason chuckled and continued, “Well, it is said that if you point at a very large rock, you will anger the old man that lives there.”
“How so?” Kristin asked, tilting her head.
“Pointing is quite disrespectful, at least for them, and they may curse you.”
It was odd, for Kristin, to think that a man can fit inside a rock in the first place. Never mind that, how can he be offended by just the mere act of pointing at his house?
“Hm, if that man ever shows up, I would literally kick his butt!” Michael threw his fist in the air. Jason ruffled his brother’s hair and turned to Kristin.
“And, what would you do?”
Kristin pouted. To be frank, instead of trying to kick him like Michael, she would probably befriend the man. Then, a question sparked in her mind at the thought of ever meeting the creature.
“First of all, kuya, why does he live in a rock?” She questioned, “That would be my first reaction.”
The question took both her brothers by surprise. A threatening creature who is offended by a mere pointing of a finger is being treated nicely?
“I am not all too sure, but,” the eldest began, “make sure to bite the tip of your finger and say tabi-tabi po to apologize.”
Silence. She peeked her right eye open and nothing happened.
“Huh,” Kristin lowered down her arm and crossed both of her arms. The rock stayed unmoving on the ground, seemingly staring back at her. Bending over to pick up a branch, she gingerly poked it. It remained completely still. No man, no dwarf.
Sighing, her shoulders slumped. A feeling of disappointment weighted in her chest. If this rock surely had a man living in it, then that would mean that she would have someone to talk to. Although her family was large, Kristin could not speak to them about her thoughts. Maybe Jason, but he moved out from the house and it left her alone.
Turning on her heel, she began to walk back to her house until a gruff voice called out.
“Young lady, why must you point at me?”
Kristin’s eyes widened. She whipped her body back to face the rock and, lo and behold, a figure that was around two feet tall was sitting on the rock. He had a wrinkly skin with a large nose along with a long beard. His hair was grey, tucked behind a bamboo hat. If he were to be taller, he could be akin to how a typical farmer looked.
Kristin was speechless, her body frozen in place. The wind gust over and she felt her soul ascend from her body. The tiny old man furrowed his bushy eyebrows - making his skin wrinkle even further. Realizing her rude manners, Kristin quickly fixed her posture and put her hands behind her back.
Chuckling nervously, she began, “Ah, good evening sir, I apologize for the disturbance.”
The man shook his head and hopped off the rock. He examined the girl with a scrutinizing look.
“Do you know who I am?” The dwarf-like creature stroked his beard.
“My brother said you were the nuno sa puso.”
“I will curse you, are you not afraid?” He glared at the child.
Kristin scratched her head. To be honest, the old man did not look slightly terrifying. Peculiar, yes. She was more so baffled at how the man resembled an old farmer, not how a curse-giving creature would look like.
In reality, she pitied the old man. Kristin scanned the surroundings of the rock: overgrown grass pointing towards it and secluded from the world. No wonder the man was a grouchy one!
“Are you not lonely?” She fired back.
The old man frowned at this. Who raised this child to be daring and forward?
“Child, I can curse your family and future generations to be ill of a sickness that cannot be cured,” he threatened.
Kristin sighed. She knew the man was putting up a front, deflecting her question.
“You know, manong, people tell me you are scary but you really are not,” she began, “you seem to try to live up to that expectation.”
The old man nodded his head and adjusted his bamboo hat. He sat at the rock and contemplated. As he reached for his pockets, a tiny pouch came into view. He motioned the girl to extend her hand.
“If you wish, it will be granted,” he began, “Thank you for chatting with me.”
Confused, the girl was about to ask another question with what’s on the pouch when she can faintly hear her mother’s voice calling her name. She scrambled to get up from the ground, after kneeling to get down on the old man’s level. When Kristin turned around, the man disappeared and the rock stood still.
The crickets began to chirp. She stood there, puzzled at the events that just transpired, with a small leather pouch in her hand. Kristin untied the ribbon and reached inside.
It was a small little golden coin. She rubbed the surface of it and closed her eyes.
Then, she wished.
“I wish for the old man to not be so lonely!”
Author’s Note
While there may be conflations between duwendes and Nuno sa punso, I wanted to highlight my own family’s version of the story. My grandmother would tell me not to point at a rock and if I do, I must bite the tip of my finger.
This was written in a style of a folktale. To be honest, the Nuno sa punso is actually a terrifying thing that can curse people and give sickness. But I wanted to make a wholesome story that captures a glimpse of how life was back where I grew up.
Sources
Cover Image from Anito on Tumblr
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