A Filipino man walks through the backyard of his childhood home in rural Hawai\u2019i, his footsteps swooshing through the grass. Birds chirp, contributing to the tropical din, as he approaches a shrine at the base of a starfruit tree. He bends to inspect a framed black-and-white photograph of a woman, her hair in a 1950s side part. <\/p>\n\n
Suddenly, a gust of wind shakes the tree\u2019s branches, knocking over the contents of the shrine. The man steps back, trips on a root, and hits his head. When he awakens, he\u2019s in a dark, misty forest, a woman wearing a clay mask standing over him, brandishing a sword. <\/p>\n\n
\u201cWho are you who dares to sleep under the sacred tree?\u201d she asks in Ilocano, a Philippine language widely spoken in Hawaii\u2019s Filipino community, while holding the sword at his throat. He replies that he\u2019s lost and turns to flee. She chases, alternating between running and floating through the air. He falls again. She advances, sword held high. He throws a rock at her, shattering the clay mask and revealing half her face. <\/p>\n\n
\u201cMom?\u201d he asks. <\/p>\n\n