The Ghost of Mary Cherry Chua

This is a very popular urban legend here in the Philippines. This was made even more popular when the book, True Philippine Ghost Stories, published the story. Now whether you believe the story or not, is up to you. I will try to retell the story here as much as I can.

Mary Cherry Chua was a young high school student in a prestigious all-girls school here in Manila. She was very well-known in her school because she was not only pretty, she was also very smart and kind. She also came from a rich family. In short, she was Miss Popular in her school. In the stories, she was described as a young girl with long black hair, creamy white skin, chinky black eyes, and was always smiling.

One day, Mary Cherry had to stay late in school because of an activity. It was near dusk already when she said goodbye to her classmates. Later that night, the frantic parents of Mary Cherry called her classmates one by one asking if they had seen their daughter, since the girl has not arrived home yet and this was very unusual since Mary Cherry diligently goes home after school. However, not one of Mary Cherry's classmates were able to say where she was.

The following morning, Mary Cherry's body was found behind a shrubbery in the school's spacious yard. She was strangled to death with her own necktie, her skirt all the way up to her chest and her panty was found below her ankles: clear indication that she was raped. Her mouth was still open, evidently she struggled for breath as her assailant choked her. Her grieving, outraged parents of course cried justice for their daughter. It was a huge scandal at that time. The school had to do damage control because what happened would not only put a black mark on the name of the school, if they wanted to keep their students (which I mentioned were all girls), they have to catch the culprit and they have to do it fast.

It was the school's good luck that the rapist went forward on his own accord. It turned out to be the school janitor who was recently fired because of being caught sleeping on the job. He decided to rape a student because he knew that it will reflect negatively on the school and he just chose Mary Cherry because she was the one of the most popular girls there. He felt really guilty after doing his crime and since his conscience continued to plagued him, he decided to surrender. The janitor was put into prison and to serve as a token to Mary Cherry's memory, the school administration erected a stone bench on the exact spot where her body was found with the words "In Memory of Mary Cherry Chua" engraved on it.

However, the story doesn't end there. According to the students of that school, those who dared to sit on that bench will be possessed by Mary Cherry Chua. She will be made to feel how Mary Cherry felt during her last minutes in the world. Some of those who happens to pass that stone bench during dusk sometimes sees a figure of a young girl, crying nearby, perhaps crying because her bright future was taken away from her.

-Sheldon

Unbearable

"...I can't afford to lose you, I want you back..."

We had a fight about me giving you three roses. You assumed that I was giving you those because I’ve done something wrong but my intentions were only to make your day perfect.

The night before I gave you those roses, I was with my friends having a good time at a bar. We met 5 girls and got along just well. We asked them if they would like to get out and have some fun somewhere and we ended up at Nico's place. Booze was everywhere, we had fun and everything went well. You never went out of my head and I kept sending messages of how fun the night is going. I wished that you could be with me tonight. You are only about 80 kilometers away from me, so it is nearly impossible for you to be immediately be with me tonight and besides, I'm pretty sure you are already sound asleep.

I came up with an idea to just drive to your place and drop a rose before you wake up. I was excited to see how you would react once you see them right at your bed. I think your cousin saw me, I just told her not to make any noise. I have no idea how did I make it despite of all the alcohol in my system then.

I left your place and a couple of minutes later, a text message from you grazed my phone saying "what did you do this time?" I was surprised on how you reacted. I have not done anything wrong but you did not buy it. You were convinced that I did something wrong overnight and having a couple of girls at Nico's place has something to do with it. You didn’t want to talk about it and stopped replying on my messages and I was dead drunk and fell asleep.

I woke up with a message of you breaking up with me. “I’m sorry, this has been bothering me for a long time and did not know how or when to tell you, but I guess there is no better way of telling it but to start with the key variables. I think I don’t love you anymore. I don't think I can reciprocate what you feel about me. I know this is harsh, but I don't think I can make it." In denial of what I have read I asked you to send it again and pretended that I’ve accidentally deleted it. I even asked you if you are really sure about it. You said yes and you do not know when you started feeling this way.

I was numb and didn't know how to react. I may be in denial or just can't absorb what I have read.  I know that you do not mean it and this is another way of you saying "stay away from me". So I left you alone and later the next day you sent me another message. “I know that I have told you that I do not love you anymore, but you are confused and its driving you nuts thinking about it over and over again, so for now, I just want you back.”

I got to your place and we talked about it and you just said. “It’s just unfair that it is unbearable just thinking of living without you". I didn't know how to react to those words, but I was always astonished on how you display your feelings for me. Not all the time you say or do it, but when it happens it gives me the chills. 

-Howard

Being Content

I work near Makati’s so called Red Light District. Whenever I go to lunch or grab something to eat, I see a lot of girls standing along the street and patiently wait for their would be customers.

Now, an officemate asked me why would those women resort to prostitution when they can look for a much “better” job?

By better jobs, you mean desk jobs?”

“I don’t know, maybe. Basta hindi ganyang nagbebenta sila ng laman."

I didn’t answer her directly but instead I told her a simple story:

There was a rich industrialist who was disturbed to find a fisherman sitting lazily beside his boat. "Why aren't you out there fishing?" he asked.

"Because I've caught enough fish for today," said the fisherman. 

"Why don't you catch more fish than you need?' the rich man asked. 

"What would I do with them?"

"You could earn more money," came the impatient reply, "and buy a better boat so you could go deeper and catch more fish. You could purchase nylon nets, catch even more fish, and make more money. Soon you'd have a fleet of boats and be rich like me."

The fisherman asked, "Then what would I do?" 

"You could sit down and enjoy life," said the industrialist. 

"What do you think I'm doing now?" the fisherman replied as he looked placidly out to sea.

“Ano kinalaman nung kwento mo?”

I told her this;

Life is not about what you do in life. If prostitution makes her happy, so be it. If that’s the kind of job that makes her provide for her family, so be it. She is doing her job because it is her choice. She can always be anything what she wants to be and whatever that is, we are in no position to judge her. 

-Sheldon

The risks we have to take

We make sacrifices for whatever or whoever. A strong force that makes you do things that you never realize you can do. You never realize it until you are already in the spider's web, unable to move out and just waiting for whatever the hell would happen.  

I am an attorney, married to a doctor and has two kids. We run a fishing business at the port that is being managed by our children Mathew and Mark.  The town respects us for what we do and most or the people admires how my husband helps out the people with their medical needs.

It all started at a windy morning when  I was at a bookstore looking for a book that my son needed. There I met Ramon. He helped me look for the book. He was like a librarian and knew all corners of the bookstore and a certified bookworm. It saved me time and had all the books I needed for Mathew.

Ramon is also an attorney and he was new in town. I was surprised that we are working at the same law firm. He just moved in with his family. His office was right in front of mine so it was easy to accept lunch invites and coffee breaks and all of those times we shared stories and its like going back to childhood days that we laugh all day long and never thought that there is another group of people at the other table annoyed at how loud we are. He was funny and easy to get along with. We became office buddies and partners in crime.

One Saturday I realized that the book Mathew needed is in my office so I dropped by and Ramon was there. He was there watching a movie and spaced out. He just realized that I was already standing right beside him asking him what's he doing in the office on a Saturday? He told me that he was just working on a case and he just decided to play a movie to loosen up a little bit. He has been working on this case for so long he needed something to relax his head off. I decided to sit down and see the movie with him until we held hands! I never realized it until he was holding it so tight I cannot let go. I did not feel anything but my heart beating nervously. I do not know how or what to feel, but somehow the feeling was right. I leaned towards him and put my head on his chest. We cuddled and found ourselves kissing and it happened.

I never realized I could do that to my family. I never realized that I am capable of doing this. I have my perfect life then Ramon came into the picture. We have this secret for years and could not understand myself why am I staying in his arms? I have everything that I need and all that i cared for but Ramon is an entirely different story. He can do things unimaginable and brings me to a different side of my life that I have never discovered and I would still like to discover these things with him. I never thought i could love a man more than the things that I have dreamed of and  more than what I have and if it's not what or how i feel for him, what drives me to do these things just to be with him. Despite all the risk.

-Howard

'Free

I recently received mp3 copies of Sugarfree’s concert – the “Sugarfree Live! with the Manila Symphony Orchestra.” Sugarfree was composed of Ebe Dancel on guitar and vocals, Jal Taguibao on bass guitar, and Kaka Quisimbing on drums. For hardcore fans, they were best remembered for “Mariposa,” “Burnout,” “Huling Gabi,” and “Ikaw Pala” but for occasional listeners, they’re best remembered for belting out “Prom,” “Makita Kang Muli,” “Wag Ka Nang Umiyak,” and the national anthem of my life, “Hari Ng Sablay.”

90’s kids had Eraserheads, Rivermaya and Parokya Ni Edgar. New millennia lads had Bamboo but for me it was Sugarfree. When I picked up a guitar and tried my best to play songs I love, and doing all that I could to perform in front of people, they were my inspirations. Not-so-good-looking bunch of musicians, with a not-so-fine voice quality, but are able to rock the crowd even if there are just 3 of them.

Ebe, with his poetic lyrics and combination of simple and eccentric guitar chord patterns, Jal with his jaw-dropping bass lines patterned with Mitch’s and Kaka’s groovy beat, Sugarfree songs makes you sing their song, copy how they do it, and brag with your music enthusiast friends.

But sadly, as they say, every good thing never really lasts. Sugarfree had disbanded a couple of years ago. It’s sad, so sad for someone who aspired to be a musician, for a fan, for a musician-wannabe, for someone who grew up listening to their songs, seeing them breaking up was so hard. It was like breaking up with your girlfriend ng paulit, ulit.

Yes, I haven't moved on. I still listen to their songs. I still play them in my guitar. I still request them in bars. I still perform their songs when I can. I was rebellious I never even tried to listen to Ebe’s new songs. I want them as they were.

I wished I could see them play – together – again. Kung kelan kaya ko nang bumili ng tickets ng gigs nila, kung kelan kaya ko na bumili ng albums nila, saka pa sila nawala.

I want to let go of them, like all the pains, the frustrations, the fears, the guilt, that I am feeling. I want to move on. I hope I could. I hope I could listen to another song. I hope I could find a way to burst these out and be able to say goodbye. Be able to tell myself, “wala ng Sugarfree…’gang kinig ka na lang, gang d’yan na lang yan” much like my desire to tell myself, “it’s over dude, you’ve done your part. One way or the other, you’ll get hurt or cause pain. Get up, apologize, man up, and let go.”

Lord, kindly please, can you please cancel the Sugar, so that I could now just be - Free.

-Raj

Vagabond Version 2.0

Cigarettes:        Php70.00

Beer or Liquor: Php180.00

Chips:               Php50.00

Noodles:           Php30.00 (for the after inuman chillout)

Now that is just a simple list of what I spend whenever me and my best buds hang out. Well, of course they would need to chip in to buy additional drinks or cigarette or ice so let's just say that I should have at least Php200.00 in my wallet to spend for my vices. Now that amount will account for nothing if I were to go out and drink let's say in a bar or a pub. I would need at the very least, around Php500.00 and that's only if I'm with my friends and everyone will chip in to pay the bill. Another Php500.00 if I was able to pick up a hot chick at a bar and bring her to a cheap motel. Now, that's just me. I don't know what your vices are, but I'm pretty sure you still need money in order for you to do them, or enjoy them.

So does that mean if you don't have money then you have no right to enjoy your young life? No, of course not! You can still have fun even though you don't have that much money. But of course, beggars can't be choosers. If you don't have money to spend for your vices, then look for a cheaper alternative. 

Or better yet, get a job!

Now here's what grinds my gears.

What's so hard about getting a job? Why do I see guys, bumming around, slacking off, jobless for years, bane of the society and still, have the guts to drink, smoke, score chicks, gamble?

And complain that their life sucks.

If you are in your 20s and you got yourself a girl, and you got vices, and you're jobless for more than a year, then you should just kill yourself. Being part of the male species, we should take pride in our capabilities, our strength, our birth right to being the dominant species, the alpha. And what these fuckers are doing is destroying what we, the good followers of Barney Stinson, help build. Don't get me wrong though, being a bum for a month is okay, maybe even two, but you should have a valid reason as to why it took so long for you to get a job. This is not just a responsibility, it is a MORAL RESPONSIBILITY. 

From the words of the Stiffmeister of the American Pie franchise: Live life, get paid and get laid.

-Leonard

The Dona Juana Rodriguez Street Project

There was an article in one of the famous Horror Books in the Philippines that I wanted to investigate. I’m sure most of our local readers have read the story but for the benefit of those who haven’t, here’s how it goes, copied and pasted from the pages of True Philippine Ghost Stories.

http://philurbanlegends.blogspot.com/2013/02/dona-juana-rodriguez-street-haunted.html

Now, as a Paranormal Researcher, all that’s left for me to do is to re-trace the steps the anonymous writer has left us and where do we start? The place of the incident of course.

My wife’s family lives in San Juan so to avoid the traffic of Araneta Avenue, you have to drive along the quiet side streets of New Manila and driving along that area always gives me the creeps.

Dona Juana Rodriguez is just three corners away west bound from Balete Drive – another famous street by reputation and Dona Juana is no different. With its row of Old Houses enclosed in high walls and trees meeting each other on the roads, who wouldn’t be scared?

I tried looking for the house that matches the description of the story but to no avail. I even asked street sweepers and nearby Barangay Officers if they knew of a place that seems eerie but they all denied that there was one.

So what’s next in my agenda is to go to the National Library and look for the Newspaper Archives that is described in the story but what surprised me is that the archives never contained the article published in the 70’s paper. I asked one of the resident staff and they told me that they had no idea what happened.

Scared?

-Sheldon

Inherited Discipline

I know that all of us experienced the nagging and beating from our guardians; brutal experience that we are all going to remember as we grow up and there is no doubt that these are lessons that we are all going to pass on to our children. Not all of them are good, so we filter the ones that we want and remove the things that we wouldn’t want to pass on to them. But did our guardians filter the lessons they gave us?

Did they think that the lessons, teachings, beatings and nagging they gave us will work? Whatever the case is, it worked did it? Or as the forerunners of the next generation, we have something better in store for our children? As times goes by, everything definitely improves and has their share on change but let us also focus on what we have today.

Our adults today were equipped with their own set of knowledge that they have acquired from the day they set foot on this earth which as they say the catch phrase "been there, done that" and that their experience is unparalleled. This attitude alone gives them the right to brag, nag and lecture you until all hell turns into mayhem. This is what we have created today. As I have read on "Mama's Boy Presidents” by Stanford Erickson", Since John F. Kennedy, seven of the last nine presidents of the United States have been Mama’s Boys. Gerald Ford and George H.W. Bush can be characterized as Daddy’s Boys. Lyndon B. Johnson, Jimmy Carter, Richard M. Nixon, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama, all experienced a unique relationship with their mother that some psychologists refer to as Mama’s Boys. During times of crisis, many of our greatest presidents have been balanced Mama’s Boys and balanced Daddy’s Boys. Does it end here? I guess not. If we list down successful people that has good relationship with their parents, it may take more than 500 words, more than needed to finish this article. Some of these people may have been there by chance that they have good relationship with their parents, but not actually the big factor of their success.


Not all they say is right! Not all their practice is the best and they do not always set the best example. There are a number of times that despite how and what they tell us, at the back of our heads we know something better and we end up not following what we were told. It is not that they are wrong; we just know something’s better than experience or rather not everything can be covered by experience. We are living in the information age and anyone who knows how to use a computer can get the information that he or she needs in only a few keystrokes. Some people are really intelligent. They can look at a situation, come up with original creative solutions to problems, and cope with new and unexpected challenges. Does everyone agree that arranged marriages work? Or by getting a woman accidentally pregnant, your parents automatically obligate you to be married. Parents that believes in the traditional healing practices is similar to relying in Quackery or the promotion of unproven or fraudulent medical practices. Random House Dictionary describes a "quack" as a "fraudulent or ignorant pretender to medical skill" or "a person who pretends, professionally or publicly, to have skill, knowledge, or qualifications he or she does not possess; a charlatan". Let us accept the fact that even at this time we have our elders who still believes in this process regardless of their stature in life. Why? Because it worked for them once not knowing the potential danger they face and the alarming number of victims that are still increasing.


“Never argue with stupid people, they will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience.”― Mark Twain

-Howard