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TABACO CITY: This story may sound incredible, but it’s true.
Maricel Berzosa-Bellen, 24, of Sto. Cristo gave birth to twins, one
a healthy baby girl, the other a seven-inch python.
Maricel, who had previously given birth to
normal babies twice, narrated how on February 28 she went through
labor pains and gave birth to snake before twilight.
“I was shocked and frightened when I saw
the python come out of my womb. My husband Gil took the baby snake
and placed it in a bottle of Ginebra San Miguel. A day after, I gave
birth to a healthy baby girl at the Ziga Memorial Hospital, “ she
said.
The child-snake was born on February 28 while
the human sister was born on February 29 at around 9:00 a.m..
Maricel is a native of Sangay town in Camarines
Sur province while Gil, 28, is a native of Sitio Banoyo, barangay
Cawayan, Cagraray Island in Bacacay, Albay.
A week before she gave birth, Maricel continued
her narrative, she dreamt twice that her daughter is a snake. “In
a dream, I was told that my baby was a snake. When I woke up I told
my husband. But Gil laughed it off and teased me that it might be a
“sawa” (python).”
“Two days before I gave birth, I again had
this dream that my baby was a snake so I told our neighbors.”
Maricel said.
The “partera” or ‘hilot” (midwife) told
her that her baby were twins and even encouraged her to be ready for
any eventualities.
Unsure of the consequences and fearing the
possible stigma as a likely consequence, Maricel decided to send the
snake to Camarines Sur. “I asked my mother (Merlinda) to bring the
snake to Camarines Sur because the snake sneaked out from the bottle
and slept beside her twin sister (Jacquelin),” she continued.
On March 1, while her husband was still
sleeping, a worried Maricel requested her mother to take the snake
to Camarines Sur after people who had heard about what happened,
some even gambling aficionados, came and offered to buy the baby
snake at P50,000.
Her husband, Gil, confirmed that the snake was
healthy at first, although it reportedly fell sick since it was
brought to Camarines Sur.
“I placed our child snake in a bottle but it
slithered beside her sister. I am not afraid of our snake child
that’s why at first I was mad at my wife when she gave the snake
to my mother-in-law. I will take care of our child snake and I
believe that she will give us luck in our business and will be our
protector,” Gil stressed.
Gil said the snake refused to eat pork and rice
and prefers to have milk instead.
The couple lives in a squatter area where they
run a “goto” business with three workers, earning at least a
thousand a day.
This story has strong similarities to one
mentioned in Warriors, Gods and Spirits from Central and South
American Mythology written by Douglas Gifford where he mentions a
snake sister.
-- Rhaydz B. Barcia
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