We lived in National City, California, in a two bedroom/one bath, pink duplex. Another Filipino family lived right next door.

We had a green couch we laid on, with our mother at night, to watch TV. She didn’t like to sleep alone, so we often fell asleep on the couch snuggled next to her. (I was always the one chosen to sleep on the edge of the couch because I was “so brave”.)

I don’t recall my mother reading us children’s books or fairy tales, instead we watched “The Twilight Zone”; “Alfred Hitchcock”; or “The Outer Limits”, with her. (To this day, I love those shows! I feel very nostalgic whenever I watch them.) 

I believe I was 4 years young when the Man in Black appeared. I had fallen asleep on the couch. I remember opening my eyes in the dark and sensing I wasn’t alone. He stood right next to me. The light of the moon silhouetted his ominous presence. He was tall and slender. He wore a wide brimmed black hat, and a black trenchlike coat. He had on dark pants and shiny black shoes. His skin was very pale. His hair was white. He had very serious, angry, eyes. His eyes were all black. He leaned close to my face and said, “If you tell anyone you can see me, I’ll kill you and your family…” My response was a innocent child’s “Oh hell no!!!” I screamed bloody murder!!!

My mom came running in. Through my gulping tears, I told her about the Man in Black, and what he said to me. She looked frightened and proceeded to turn on all the lights.

After examining the entire house, she told me it must have been a bad dream and did the sign of the cross, mouthing a silent prayer. She took me into her bedroom, laid me on the bed, and told me to “Go back to sleep.” That’s when I saw him standing right behind her! He grinned, his finger - with no nail – was up to his mouth shushing me. I screamed, pointing behind her!!! As quickly as she turned around, he disappeared and reappeared by the bathroom. I whispered in my mom’s ear, “He’s in the bathroom!” She yelled something in Tagalog and went down the hall with a high heel in her right hand, ready for combat. I was so scared!

I recall pulling the covers over my head, trying to be invisible. All was silent. Where was my mom? Suddenly, there was this humming/buzzing sound in my ears. I could sense he was right next to me. His energy was strobe-like. I dare not move. I pretended I was asleep. It felt like I was stuck in mud. Through the covers I could feel his cold, yet burning, breath as he whispered, “I told you if you told anyone about me, I would kill you and your family.”

“HELP! HELP ME!” I prayed to God with all my heart.

“Our Father who art in heaven, hallow be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day, our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us…”   

My mother pulled back the covers. She startled me. I was so frightened, yet happy to see her. I held her so tight. I wouldn’t let her go. I was inconsolable. Nothing she did calmed me down. Feeling helpless, she called the neighbor, and they took me to the hospital. The ER physician couldn’t find anything wrong with me, and said I was “…as healthy as could be.” We returned home and I fell asleep.

The next night, the Man in Black reappeared. He was not nice. “Why did you tell anyone about me? I told you I would kill you and your family if you did” he asked. That’s when I saw his teeth, they were razor sharp. I screamed!!! My poor mother… (I bet my father was overseas at the time.)

The next day, my mom took me to the Catholic church to have me blessed by a priest. The priest looked at me with great kindness and concern. He asked me what I had seen, I told him. He didn’t discard it. He blessed me with holy water. I felt safe afterwards.

It wasn’t the last time I saw the Man in Black. I find it interesting that even though I never told my children about him, each of them has experienced a visit with him. He said thing to them, “If you tell anyone you can see me, I will kill you and your entire family.”

He did show up right after my first grandson was born. My daughter and I were sitting in the hospital lobby. All of a sudden, it felt like time had paused. Everything and everyone were moving in slow motion. I could not help but see the Man in Black moving at a normal pace. He was just about to exit through revolving doors, carrying a black briefcase. It was him. Same man. Same black hat. Same black trench coat. I couldn’t believe it!!! He must have felt my attention through an aka cord, because he stopped, took an audible deep breath, like he was smelling fresh bread coming right out of the oven. His head tilted and turned slowly, looking me right in the eyes. He tipped his hat, smiling with those sharp, pointed teeth, making the “shush” gesture with his finger, then disappeared. You know what’s weird? I swear he was wearing a wig. I think he was bald. He was so pale.

As a seasoned Golden Seer, I noticed that he was able to walk through the people coming into the hospital. That’s really creepy if you ask me.

And then there’s Mr. Peabody………

Many Blessings,

Mamakeeya