MY GUARDIAN DEAR

The statue of San Miguel was gone.

Jun stood there, not knowing what to do. Bile started to rise up his throat and he forcefully choked it down, gulping in massive quantities of bitter air in the process.

“Jun, is everything okay?” Leni, his wife, asked. She stood by their bedroom door, and looked at him quizzically. “ It’s 1am and you’re out here in the hallway.“

“Oh. I just thought I heard something scratching at the door.” Jun said. “But it’s probably just my imagination”

“Hey, what happened to the statue of San Miguel?” Leni nodded towards the empty space by the front door, where the statue of San Miguel usually stood guard.

“Uhm. I had it fixed.” Jun said. “Don’t you remember? I told you yesterday that I was going to have Bong bring it to Mang Kanor’s workshop so they could fix the scratches and have the broken parts replaced.”

“You did?” Leni pursed her lips then laughed softly. “I guess I’ve become forgetful. I blame the epidural. Giving birth was harder than anything I’ve ever done.”

“It’s okay, honey.” Jun reassured her. “I may have forgotten to tell you too, it’s just that there’s so many things on my mind lately.”

Suddenly, they both heard crying from the room.

“Well, there goes your daughter, exercising her lungs again.” Leni turned to go back into the room. She stopped, and then looked back at Jun.

“I hope San Miguel comes back soon” she said. “Call me superstitious but I feel so much safer with him by the doorway.” She went into the room and closed the door behind her firmly.

Jun sighed. He eyed the vacant spot that the statue of San Miguel had occupied since he was a boy. He remembered some of the stories he’d heard from his yaya, of nocturnal battles between monsters and angels. And he remembered seeing gouges on that same statue 30 years ago, when Sammy, his baby brother was born.

Jun shuddered as he checked the locks on the front door. It was all he could do for now. That, and pray that when morning came, San Miguel would miraculously be back.  Because Jun was pretty sure that if San Miguel wasn’t back in the house by dawn, something else will be.