A Tale of Fortune and Misfortune: The Double-Edged Sword of a Mysterious Statue
In the quiet evening, as light faded into darkness, I decided to attend mass at Santo Niño. I did not wake Bernard, knowing how exhausted he was from work. His duty schedule had changed, making it difficult for him to adjust, especially with sleep. I cooked dinner for him in advance, fearing we might miss each other upon my return.
My fervent prayer was for our life to become more peaceful. For a long time, we had been praying to be blessed with a child. This was our greatest desire, hoping it would be granted by the Lord. After the mass, I went to the candle area and took three candles. Beside me stood a pregnant woman with a large belly, accompanied by her husband. I felt a pang of envy.
The Fear of Loss and a Glimmer of Hope
I feared being left behind by Bernard. He is five years younger than me, and I am now forty years old. The possibility of not being able to conceive due to age was high. I had been waiting for a long time, but there was no change. I could only hope for a miracle. "Ma'am, we have a lucky charm here," said an elderly woman. She was holding a sack near the exit of Jollibee, displaying various antique items for sale.
I stopped and stared at what she held. It was a small statue of a woman covering her eyes while holding a horn overflowing with gold. This was the first time I had seen such a statue. I did not know its purpose. "Buy it, Ma’am, even for just two hundred pesos. You won't regret it because it's genuine. All your requests and wishes will truly be fulfilled," the old woman added. "Who is that, and what is it for?" I asked further. The elderly woman smiled and caressed the statue.
"Buena Fortuna. Is this your first time seeing it?" I nodded. "It will bring great fortune to your life if you keep it. This is very rare because it's extremely antique. All luck will surely come." I purchased the statue for two hundred pesos and placed it on the table next to our bed. Every night, I recited the words taught by the old woman to make my wishes heard.
A Surge of Fortune and Unforeseen Consequences
"Lady Fortuna, I turn to you with trust. I ask for your powerful mercy. Hear my prayer for grace and success. Give me strength to love you with all my heart. Buena fortuna, buena fortuna, buena fortuna, ven a mí."
A month passed, and I was shocked when I saw the result of the PT test. There were two clear red lines. Bernard and I felt indescribable joy because our long-held dream had finally come true. After this great news, a series of fortunate events followed in our lives. Bernard was promoted at work. Not only that, he also won the jackpot prize in the lottery he had been playing, amounting to 10 million pesos. Who would have expected it? I also won in an online game I had joined. I thought it was a joke, but it was legitimate. My prize was a brand new car. One stroke of luck after another.
When our son was born, we had nothing else to ask for. One morning, I was surprised because Bernard had not yet woken up. I left our son with our helper, Dodong, and checked on my husband's condition. He was still asleep but muttering incomprehensible words. I tried to wake him, but he only became agitated. I patted his face vigorously to make him wake up, but when he did, great fear was etched on his face. "A woman. A woman with long hair. She attacked me," he said in a frightened voice. I did not understand what he meant. That was the beginning. A series of misfortunes followed. Misfortune after misfortune.
Suddenly, Bernard's health deteriorated. All the money we had saved was exhausted for medical treatments. The bitter truth was that the doctors had no clear findings. It reached the point where my husband stopped breathing. The pain was unbearable. I did not know how to face life without him. My eyes caught the Buena Fortuna statue. I took it and brought it outside. In my anger, using a hammer, I smashed it to pieces. This was the cause of everything. (END)
