A Message To The Other Side

My friend and I went to The Ryukyu Islands (now we call the place Okinawa). The place itself has many spiritual stories. We happen to meet a local Yuta (a spiritual person).

I am not too familiar with the term but my friend said that local Yuta depending on their practices have very strong power, "Is it like a priest?", I asked.

"Nah", my friend shook her head.

"A medic?... I mean like a witch doctor?", I asked again.

"No, no, no, they are people who are gifted spiritually and practiced to become more controllable and powerful" replied my friend.

What came to my mind is some Japanese anime characters... Of course I am wrong, but please read on, it is really strange.

So I greeted the Yuta with respect, and once I shook hands with the Yuta, she paused and asked "Is your father living far away?"

I paused a few second and nodded my head telling her she is right. "I see that he still loves his mother very much" the Yuta continued, that means my grandmother, well I am not surprised, because who will not love their family members even after they passed away.

"Indeed... Why is that?" I asked and my friend hit me on the shoulder telling me to watch my attitude. I raised my eye brows up because I am already feeling that this Woman in front of me who claims to be a Yuta is somewhat fishy.

"Sorry, did I offend you?" The Yuta asked.

"No, just curious... Tell me more about me and leave my family alone" I said with a little anger, my friend walked away from me like if she met a horribly rude person.

"I don't do fortune telling, my family was like yours. My grandmother and grandfather were both Kaminchu" the Yuta told me. Kaminchu, in Ryukyu language mean Gods' people, which translates that they are people whom work for people who need help spiritually. Yes, somewhat like my tribal grandmother, who belongs to a tribe call Tapirape, they used to practice Shermanic rituals.

She told me that through out the history when the Ryukyu Islands became part of Japan, every religious practice were illegalized. Making their culture hard to survive. The war and the increase population of Americans invaded their holy lands also made the Kaminchu hard.

The history of Yuta, was a different story, because as I understood Yuta is some what like a witch doctor and there are a lot of fakers. Well, this woman told me that I can think her a one of the fakers, but she did not want me to misunderstand their culture.

My friend came over and told her that I am a skeptic person and that I did not mean to be rude.

"No, don't apologize please, I know that he is a very kind person and that he respects the gods around", the Yuta replied.

Gods? I mean yes, I respect any religions especially tribal people whom had hard time throughout their live. " Maybe, not too much on gods... But I do respect the culture and your history" I said.

"You are being protected throughout your life, and the gods... I mean the beings around are talkative" the Yuta laughed.

"Did you say talkative? I live in Hokkaido on a land where Ainu people used to live" I said.

"Ah, Ainu! No wonder I am not familiar with them" she talks as if she sees the "being" around me and I am kind of starting to "believe" her, but still not 100% sure.

"Do you see what kind of people are around?" I asked.

"Well, there are a couple of different tribes I guess, I could not tell but the climates might be different on where the tribes live, and I am guessing the talkative ones are the Ainu" she smiled and bowed looking faraway. I am kind of guessing that the beings around me is not necessarily close to me, it is kind of like in a spiritual dimension? The talkative ones might be the ones chanting every night outside my room and the other I am guessing are the ancestors of my grandmother.

I went back to our first conversation about my father. "So you said my father still loves my grandmother... What is that about?"

"Just pray to you grandma and tell her you father still loves her, and let your father know that you have prayed and told your grandma that he still loves her, that will help to solve your father's problem," the Yuta replied.

That is really the end of our conversation and yes, I had called my father that night and my father told me a story that before my grandmother passed away, my father and my grandmother had a fight and my father's last words were, "thank you for all the love but today this love will be finished, I am done loving you mother." My father teared a little and thanked me for telling my grandmother that.

Strangely news from my sister in Brazil, it seems that my father became more brighter (happier and more jolly) after the conversation I had with him.