As Christmas approached, Antony walked quickly back to his remote mountain hamlet on Negros Island, Philippines. At around 6 o'clock in the evening, it was already almost dark.
He was returning from Dumaguete where he had fulfilled some administrative tasks, taking the opportunity to buy a few meager gifts for his wife and children. Antony was Captain of his Barangay and as such, he sometimes had to travel to town to meet other Captains and to report on his management.
Going to town was always quite an expedition. Left at dawn, you first had to walk several kilometers on dirt roads sometimes soaked by the night rain, then ride a habal-habal which took you to the higway, then spend several hours in one of these jeepneys, folk in the eyes of tourists, but very old, sluggish and sometimes so crowded that there was only room on the roof. On the way back, the same ordeal in the opposite direction awaited the traveler who hoped to be able to reach his destination before dark night.
In the Philippines, someone who enjoys an advantageous position with a certain authority often arouses the jealousy and envy of an ousted political opponent. Unfortunately, it happens that a few thousand peso bills are enough to convince a poor fellow to solve the problem in a radical way.
Suddenly, Antony heard behind him the sound of a motorbike advancing with all lights out chugging along the deep ruts in the path. A little worried, he turned to see who was coming, but saw only two vague figures. In a few seconds, the motorcycle was at its height and it was then that two brief flashes accompanied by a sharp snap emanated from one of the passengers.
Antony sank into nothingness.
A little later, lying by the side of the path, he emerged from the subconscious. The fiery pain he felt in his chest made him suffer cruelly. He was thirsty. He then remembered that the only liquid he had on hand was this little bottle of Tribal Miracle Oil 100% Pure Himag he had bought in town in the hope of alleviating some of those arthritis pains that came to him more and more often. Some good friend had told him how effective it was. He took a sip. The pain loosened his grip a little. He passed out again.
Over the next few hours, Antony came out of his coma a few times. Each time, he brought the little bottle to his mouth until it was empty. The blood he had lost had severely weakened him, but he was still alive.
Early in the morning, two neighbors passing by saw him and understood what had happened when they saw his injuries. Without much hope, they managed to transport him to the place where, luckily, a rare vehicle was passing. The driver - a foreigner - agreed to pick him up and drive him to the nearest medical center as quickly as possible. From there, in a stable condition, but still in a coma, he was transported by ambulance to the Provincial Hospital in Dumaguete.
Three days after the attack - it was December 27 - Antony opened his eyes to discover in front of him a small artificial Christmas tree with some colorful decorations and a thin garland of lights. He learned from a nurse that he was in intensive care at the hospital.
A few hours later, he was visited by the surgeon. "How come you are still alive, he said to him ? With the wounds you had, you should be dead !" So Antony turned his head to his bedside table where the nurses had put his belongings, namely the little bottle that - he was now sure of it - had saved his life. On the bottle the doctor read : Tribal Miracle Oil 100% Pure Himag.
******
This story is true, albeit fictionalized for the sake of narration. We saw the traces of gunshot wounds. The character's name has been changed for privacy and security concerns.
Tribal Miracle Oil 100% Pure Himag has great hemostatic power. It has been used successfully, namely to stop bleeding due to an ulcer, for example.