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I am sure many of you are familiar with that phrase, having been exposed to the adventures of our favorite boy wizard. But this post is not about Voldemort, or even Harry Potter. This piece is about a Filipino superstition that is still being practiced (and believed) in these modern times.While munching on some snacks late one afternoon, I suddenly saw a rat speeding across the kitchen floor towards the fridge. It was a small one, juvenile by their standards but a rat nonetheless. Not wanting to alarm my mom (she usually overreacts), I said nothing. Late that night, I secretly set up two pieces of sticky flypaper with a bait of sugar at the center. This usually worked. I read somewhere that sugar is the best bait for mice and it has never failed me since. However, the bait was untouched when I checked it the
next morning. Instead, I was greeted with a quizzical expression on Mom’s face. She had seen my flypaper traps and was waiting for an explanation.
"There is a rat in the house. It went under the fridge last night and I swear I’m gonna get him, that son of .." But before I could finish my rant, I was stopped with an authoritative and stern SHH. "Don’t talk about hmm. The hmm might hear you and do more damage. Don’t even curse him, for that will make him even angrier!" I stood there, surprised. For a split second there I didn't get her point. "Why is she humming? Why is my mom acting this way," I asked myself. Then I remembered the (stupid) superstition. I’ve heard of this when I was a child but, in this day and age, is it still relevant? And do rats understand our language now? Or maybe they have interpreters on standby. He he. She then gestured for me to keep my mouth shut. OMG, I never thought I’d be playing charades with my mother at her age! He he.
Later, I found her whispering to Dad in English about the hmm (yup, they still used the word “hmm”), talking about buying some hmm poison to kill the hmm that night. I stood there laughing. “How do you know the rat can’t understand English too? Maybe he even has a Google translator, or even a college degree. He he.” It was then that I noticed the look on Mom’s face. It was that stop-or-you’re-gonna-get-it look! Yikes! I got the message and never talked about the hmm after that.
The hmm poison got him. We found the poor hmm sprawled near the dining table the next morning. Good thing he was killed before he did any damage. But even after his death, we still didn’t speak his name, still playfully referring to him as hmm. Why? His family might still be lurking around, and we didn’t want a “revenge of the hmms”!
Have you heard of this superstition before, or is your family another victim of this foolish belief? I have since referred to it as the "Harry Potter superstition". He he.
Later, I decided to give the hmm a name. From now on, he will be called Voldemort! (Or should I call him Harry Potter?)
Update: This article was originally posted six months ago. However, I decided to repost it (with a few revisions) after watching a replay of the last episode of 'The Amazing Race Asia 3' a few minutes ago. In one their challenges, Geoff and Tisha had to look for a specific carpet design from a stack of hundreds. As they started their task, several small rats jumped out. As Tisha jumped and screamed, I heard Geoff referring to them as 'friends'. I couldn't help but laugh. Yup, we call them 'friends' too as part of the (stupid) Filipino superstition to never offend those pesky little rodents, in words and in deeds for they might retaliate! But I couldn't believe that Geoff followed the superstition too. After all, he grew up in New Zealand. Or is this superstition followed in other cultures too? Tell me, please.
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