Ang Mga Kaibigan ni Mama Susan by Bob Ong is a journal of a 16 year old guy named Gilberto P. Manansala also known as Galo. An engineering student who just broke up with his girlfriend. Just like a typical student, house, school and mall are the settings for his daily life.

Through this diary he narrated his experience for the past few months. Because it’s a requirement to Ms. Lao, his professor in college, Galo wrote his own journal and became his hobby. He lived in Manila for the sake of studying in a good school, with his Aunt Auring and Uncle Dindo, together with his cousins Julius, Ariel and Jeng. By living with them, he witnessed how spoiled and tamper are his cousins, and how stubborn and formidable are his aunt and uncle. He felt that he is not part of the family because of their approach to him. His day starts and ends with their dog named Clinton.

After he survived the first semester, Aunt Auring mentioned to him that her grandmother was too weak because of her age. So he settled and went at Tarmanes to visit her.

It was Tuesday when he arrived at the bus station. Because of many circumstances, he traveled longer than he expected.

It’s already four o’clock in the dawn when Galo arrived at Tarmanes after he traveled many miles. He was shocked after he saw several changes in his grandmother’s features, she became thinner, her curly hairs became whiter, more wrinkles, and she walked slower. The image of a morbid and weak lady who showed the signs of aging. His grandmother welcomed her grandson to her huge house; it had been four years since he last saw him.

Not only his grandmother but also the huge mansion changed a lot. He saw many statues like Nazareno in a room, together with Latin prayers written on papers; he realized that his grandmother was so religious that she offered rice cakes to them. Galo wondered who ate those rice cakes. Galo explored the place and felt the serenity and beauty of Tarmanes. The garden changed in a different way that he saw it before.

Every night he experienced weird stuffs that he can’t explain. The murmur, whisper and noise in the dark. One day he promised to himself to finish all the mysteries and questions in his mind. He secretly spied at the offered rice cake. Then he saw a hungry ten year old lad and a five year old girl who just ate it. They introduced themselves as Nico and Jezel. They’re the son and daughter of Tinay, a servant in the house that died years ago. Nico and Jezel are so thin and small for their ages, their skins are pale, and they look hungry and naïve. Surprisingly, he discovered that Jezel has a third eye, she saw people that they didn’t saw. Through them, Galo was entertained enough to ease the boredom.

It was Friday dawn, Galo witness her grandmother, together with several town people who are mostly women and old that wears violet baro, to perform a religious ritual that looks like a cult. They prayed the rosary in their own way, they recited prayers in Latin, they lifted his grandmother and sway her while praying and crying, they called her mama The weirdness bothered his conscious mind, shocked by their organization named Kataas-taasang Iglecia Santissima ng Kapatirang Banal ng Sansansinukob. Her grandmother introduced him to the people near them.

One night, his grandmother talked to him. She frankly told the true story, she said that his biological mother died long ago when she went to Iraq, she was forced to jail because of a case, and died by having her sentence. Galo’s irresponsible father was married to another woman, brought his son to her and treated him as her true grandson. His foster grandmother told him to regularly call her Mama Susan rather than grandmother.

Galo serendipitously saw a secret room. The place that made his spine tingled. A room with a table full of rotten rice cakes circled by twelve female statues wearing violet baro. He was shocked also to saw a bouquet of flowers for the dead with the full name of Mama Susan.

Galo was enough for more weird experience. He lately knew that Tarmanes was abandoned by the government; they didn’t pay taxes and lost their benefits. And also by the Catholic Church, they performed anti-Christian values and devoted to false god known as Apo. So the Church left them and locked the gates. Then Galo planned to go back to Manila, because everything got worst and those gruesome revelations and experiences. Before dawn, he packed his clothes. But Niko and Jezel really want to go with him, feared of what might happen next. So Galo left the house with them even if it’s raining hard, but unfortunately they can’t go without the boat because it’s too dark to travel, so they returned to Mama Susan’s house. On their way back home, they met Aling Delia, one of the helper who was concerned with Mama Susan’s current condition.

Aling Delia checked the condition of Mama Susan, they discovered that she was already dead. Delia brought Nico to the nearest hospital because he got high fever. Before they left, she told Galo to take care of Mama Susan because she supposed to wake up later. Galo ignored her and focused on how he can leave the place with them.

It’s already dark when Mama Susan woke up and asked Galo for her artificial eye. Aling Delia’s prediction was right, she was alive. Shocked by the incident he silently prayed the Lord’s Prayer, but she told him that his God will not save him. Galo’s instinct made him run together with Jezel. Their fears conquered their body when Jezel told him that she saw an old man who followed them. Mama Susan’s friends came, in that place where they can’t find help and hope. Galo begged to pray for his soul to whom may read his journal. The last page of his diary was ended with Latin words that he didn’t write, mysterious words that was written by no one and came from nowhere.