Guine, Guine

"I'm afraid she won't make it,” Phoebe’s hands trembled and her eyes started to well as soon as she heard those words from her Dad.

"It can't be... We still have so many plans, lola. How could you leave me so suddenly?" She cried at the thought of her grandmother leaving her—her grandmother, her safe haven, the person who raised her and loved her unconditionally.

"Hey, Sushi," called Jessica.

Phoebe took a deep breath. "Hi, Sashi. Y-You called?"

"Oh, it's nothing. I just wanted to—wait, you’re stuttering… and sniffing. Phoebe, are you crying?" Jessica heard Phoebe sniffing.

"No, no. I'm not. I'm just a little bit sick," said Phoebe as an excuse. But Jessica knew her too well, she can't lie to her.

"Nope, something's bothering you. I'm your best friend, Sashi. I know you. Let me help you," Jessica's words sent comfort to Phoebe, but the news was just unbearable that she couldn’t bare to evince a smile.

"Aw, thank you. I really appreciate your concern, but I doubt you could do anything about it. I mean no offense nor anything, it's just that..."

"That...?"

"Remember my grandmother? Lola Therese?"

"Oh, yeah! She makes the most amazing empanadas. Why? Did something happen to her?" Jessica asked, her tone was blanched. Jessica and Phoebe grew up together—they have been the best of friends, since who knows when. They even treat each other like sisters, so sensing the idea that something bad must’ve happened to one of Phoebe’s pivotal family members tore down Jessica’s intuition.

Phoebe let out a deep sigh. "She got a heart attack out of nowhere, and now, she’s in the hospital with dad. He just called before you, saying she might not make it..."

"Oh, I-I'm so sorry to hear that. I'll be sending you my prayers. It's the least that I can do,” said Jessica.

"Thank you, I really appreciate it, Jess." Phoebe managed to let out a small smile.

"You're welcome— oh, I almost forgot! I called you because I wanted to tell you something peculiar," Jessica said with enthusiasm, she sounded very excited to tell Phoebe something.

"Oh? What is it?”

"Have you heard about the myth of the old willow tree named Guinevere behind our town hall?"

"The myth that if you knock on the tree three times, whisper Guinevere's nickname two times, and tell her your one wish for a whole week, it'll be sure to come true?" Phoebe asked, even if she never really believed those myths. She thinks they're just stories made up for children.

"Exactly. I wanted to try it out with you and wish for some BTS merch, but now that this has happened with your grandmother... you could try and wish for her to get well?" Jessica recommended.

Phoebe thought it was a frivolous thing to do so. How can a tree help her grandmother? It's not like it was a doctor or something. She then shook her head at the thought.

"Huh, don't be silly, Jess. That myth was targeted for young children and hopeless people,” said Phoebe. She found it hilarious that Jessica really believed in those myths. After all, as Phoebe said, science can explain everything.

"I'm not so sure about that—and I don't want to give myself some false sense of hope. I don't want to disappoint myself," Phoebe said. She did not want to waste her time on a tree. It's just a tree, what's so special about it?

Jessica pouted her lips. "I suppose. Anyways, if something comes up, you know who to call." Phoebe was really thankful to have a friend like her—the reasonable one, not the delusional one.

"Yes. Thanks, Sushi," Phoebe smiled to herself. She was indeed very lucky to have Jessica.

"Anytime, Sashi. Bye." Jessica hung up the call.

The next day, as Phoebe was walking home from school, she came across the willow tree that Jessica was talking about. The tree seemed odd, it glowed a lovely shade of cyan and purple. Phoebe never saw anything like it. A glowing tree? That's odd. Phoebe was enamored at the sight of the tree. Her mind was filled with thoughts, that she didn't even realize that she was already walking up to the tree. She then remembered what Jessica told her.

"The myth that if you knock on the tree three times, whisper Guinevere's nickname two times, and tell her your one wish for a whole week, it'll be sure to come true." Jessica's words echoed in her mind.

Phoebe felt an odd connection between her and the tree. As Jessica's words echoed in her mind, she thought to herself, giving it a try won't hurt. She then decided to try it even if she never really believed in it.

"I shouldn’t be trying this… but for lola, I will." She said to herself. She went up to the tree and did what Jessica told her. Phoebe began to knock on the willow tree three times. She close her eyes and whispered,

"Guine, Guine. I wish for my grandmother’s well-being. I hope she survives from what has happened from her." It's as if reality washed over her as she stood a bit away from the tree. She felt stupid doing it, it's just a myth, it's not gonna come true, she thought.

"This is stupid, I shouldn’t be doing this—" She was cut off by the sound of her phone ringing. It was her brother calling.

"Hello, kuya?"

"I have news, Phoebs. Lola is now in a stable condition, but we are still unsure whether this would continue. She is still unconscious so we still need your prayers." Her eyes widened and her heart started to beat rapidly. That's weird, it can't be, it's just a tree, how can it help my lola? She thought. Her mind was filled with thoughts once again.

"O-Okay, that’s nice to know. And yes, I’ll continue praying for her." Phoebe answered. After their phone call, she looked at the tree and analyzed its form.

"Was it you? How can a tree help lola? It must've been a coincidence. It can't be. You're not a medicine or a doctor or something." She sounded like she was convincing herself. She shook her head and left the tree to go back home. Her thoughts continued to bother her for the whole night.

The following day, Phoebe thought to herself, maybe it really was the tree. She asked, what if it really was the tree? At this point she was a bit convinced that Guinevere did grant her wish.

As she was on her way home, she went to visit the tree. And like what she did the previous day, she wished.

Within the next four days, she already felt emotionally attached to the tree. There was really something unexplainable with it. The tree became her safe place.

On the seventh day of her wishing ritual, she felt excited to come back to Guinevere’s tree. But when she got there, she was shocked and dismayed by what she saw.

The tree was nothing but a stump. Somebody had cut down the willow tree Guinevere inhabited. Tears sprung from her eyes.

“No, it can’t b-be,” she stuttered. “How am I supposed to wish for lola? A-And my safe haven… It’s now gone,” she cried.

She sat down on the field with dismay. Her heart was shattered, and her hope for her grandmother to get well started to fade.

“Why are you crying, hija?” whispered a familiar voice.

Phoebe opened her eyes. She looked up from the voice she heard. “L-Lola?” Her eyes fixated on the sight of her grandmother, with Jessica on her side

Her grandmother smiled at her. “Jessica told me that I might see you here. Well, she was definitely right—” she didn’t let her grandmother finish her sentence. She stood up with glee and embraced her grandmother tightly. Afterwards, she walked to Jessica with gratefulness, yet confusion in her eyes.

“The myth said ‘to wish for seven consecutive days’. Today was just supposedly my seventh, but my wish had already been fulfilled. How was that possible?”

“Remember the time when I called you,” said Jessica. “Well, I took it upon myself to start earlier. I happened to see an announcement in our notice board in the town hall that the tree was going to be cut down today.”

Phoebe squealed. “Jessica, you are the best!” She hugged Jessica tightly. “I wonder what will happen to Guine, though.”

“Oh, don’t fret,” Lola Therese said. “Guine’s spirit has been with us ever since the start of humankind. She is the cause of the times when we imagine silly things—causing us to space out. Oftentimes she is referred to as guni-guni.”

Phoebe’s eyes grew large. She wasn’t expecting to hear it. “Whoa, that is amazing!”

Lola Therese laughed. “Well, it’s really every day we learn something new,” she wrapped her arms around Phoebe. “Let’s go home. I’ll make you some of my amazing empanadas.”