The Faith Healer

It was about eight weeks after I returned from Cebu that I heard about the deteriorating condition of Uncle Toto. She told me over the phone that Uncle Toto was in a bad situation and needed an operation. I send her the money without question.
Uncle Toto attended our wedding celebration last December. At that time we shared small talk as I knew he was sick and having stomach pains. He was the younger brother of Mama Marina and has spent the good part of his youth in the Middle East working for the oil industry. He has come back home to the Philippines after ten years away and started a timber business in Manila from the savings he has accumulated as an engineer. I did not ask much about the business; whether it flourish or not or who his partners were. The time spent working in the deploring conditions of the oil industry has taken its toll on him. He was really sick and he was back in Cebu.
The doctors worked on him and the medical report did not turned up well. The family was told to rest him and to prepare for the worse as they see no need to carry out the operation. We suspected stomach cancer.
Witch doctors and faith healers were practising further south in the Philippines and I was not aware it was also practised in Cebu. Two townships away in Li-loan was a woman faith healer who Chu mentioned was able to cure 'sickness'. She was also known to cast spells on the men who has extra marital relationships and to re-unite them with their family. Growing up in Singapore and exposing to high tech and Western medical doctors, I could hardly believe what I heard.
In despair the family turned to the faith healer hoping for a miracle. She came and she worked her magic on him. She mentioned that there was an envious man who has casted a wicked spell on him. She said his condition was bad and she prescribed medicine for him after what seemed like endless ritual. I do not want to comment on the proceedings and whether this was subjecting Uncle Toto to unnecessary stress. This was entirely the family matter; whether they left it to God or to the faith healer was their decision to made, not mine.
I met him for the last time on September 2004 when the family visited him in his home at Tabuelan. We told his family to take good care of his last days and to grant him whatever he wishes. We talked to him and adviced him to let go of his earthly things, love ones and to go in peace.
Even though in pain he was to endure another month before he passed away. The funeral was held in Tabuelan and he was layed to rest in his beloved home town amidst the disapproval of the Yongco family who wanted him to be buried nearer Mandaue so that the family can take care of his tomb.
It was indeed a very sad day for the family. Uncle Toto has left behind two wives and four children.
The faith healer was meanwhile going to play another big part in my relationship with Chu. During my absence from Cebu, Chu has demanded my faith to her. Even though I have declared my love for her she was still uncertained. As you are aware absence made the heart grow fonder and as you think about the person the mind would always tell you evil things. That's the devil side of the mind. I have 100% faith in her. It is her that I have to cultivate her trust in me.
To ensure that I was also faithful to her she has started seeing the faith healer. Did she use the faith healer on me so that I will always return to her side??