The Open Coffin: Prelude to Murder

CHAPTER 6

Homer trodded the paved path leading to the front door of the Almendares house. He looked up at the old house where he grew up. Despite its grim history, Homer cherished that house. He had many fond memories of that old house. It was originally owned by old Jose Pastores, whom his dad fondly called Uncle Joe. The house itself had been renovated twice. His father, the late Zandro Almendares, told him how he came to own the house and other properties of Old Joe.

"Uncle Joe sold this house and his other properties to me for just twenty pesos. I promised to him that I'm gonna take care of this house, which he loved so much," Zandro explained to him.

"Twenty pesos, Dad? That's unbelievable!" Homer recalled his disbelief.

"I and your mother risked our lives in saving this house from the devil," his dad said. Then he told Homer about that terrifying day when he, Rachel, Felix Camba (no relation with Victor and Vincent) and a certain Father Lopez tried to drive away the demon that possessed Old Joe's house. His narration commenced with the time when he, Rachel, Felix, Father Lopez and a certain Lakay Emil got inside the demon-possessed house.

Father Lopez led us into the living room, while Felix started scanning the entire living room with his detector. At first, we only heard a series of statics. But when he aimed the detector at the foot of the stairs, it produced a staccato of bleeps.

"He's there!" Felix cried.

"Let's begin," Father Lopez said. I raised the crucifix and aimed it at the spot pointed out by Felix.

Father Lopez started the ritual "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."

"Amen!" we all responded.

Father Lopez said the opening prayer, "Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven."

We responded, "Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the power, and the kingdom , and the glory, now and forever, Amen."

Father Lopez went on, "Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit."

We again responded, "As it was in the beginning, it's now and ever shall be, world without end, Amen."

He opened his prayer book and began to read, "I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth. He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: He that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold, He that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore.

O Lord to whom vengeance belongeth; O God, to whom vengeance belongeth, shew Thyself. Lift up Thyself, Thou Judge of the earth:render a punishment to the proud."

Suddenly there was a strong rush of cold wind that almost knocked us down. Then the demon reappeared.

He cried, "You fools, your god can't help you! He can't prevail over me." He guffawed and began blaspheming God. He shrieked, "Your God is nothing, because He's just a fucking son of a bitch!"

And my anger was kindled against the demon because he dared blaspheme God, "Shut up, you evil spirit! You blaspheme the name of the living God! The Lord God Himself will destroy you!"