ATANG (the offering)

Because of my father’s condition, staying in the hospital for almost a month, my sister decided to ask the opinion of a faith healer. My mother and I went to our relative who is also a faith healer. And she said, my father disturbed some spirits in the fish pond where he worked before the incident. They (the spirits) followed him (my father) after his work until his body gave up, and that was the time that he sends himself to the hospital. According to the healer, we will offer something to the spirits and to ask their mercy not to punish my father. So she (the faithhealer) gave the necessary things that we have to prepare for the offering.

On April 3, 2010, after we completed the necessities, we called the faithhealer and scheduled the ceremony. Around 5 pm, together with the faithhealer’s group, we were in my sister’s lot where they will do the ceremony. They prepared the food for the spirits. After the preparation, they started the ceremony, we did do nothing but to observe because it’s my first time to witness such activity. The healer warned us to be brave because there might be something unusual to happen. While the healer is praying, my brother felt that someone passed by in his front and according to him, it smells like a tobacco (according to the healer, there was a big man in a tree smoking with a tobacco). After the prayer, the healer invited the spirits to “eat” our offerings. But “they” did not came due to some “reason”. The healer made bargaining with “them”. “They” even ask for additional offering in which the healer asked that such additional offering be given before our sister built their house. Some of “them” did not gave importance our offering, while some of “them” came. One of “them” even tapped the shoulder of my brother just like saying “excuse me”.

After the ceremony, the healer placed the offerings in the different spots. They also lighted a candle and placed beside the foods. Then, the healer told us what to do with the foods that were offered.

So, we did….. hoping for the immediate recovery of our father.

Now, while I’m writing this post, he’s already at home, still on his recovery…