The unexplained and unexplainable often walk right beside the rational and mundane. But every now and again, we bump into things, maybe even entities that feel much bigger than we are. For one Texas man, his late-night drinking buddy might’ve been something more than just a dude to cheers with.
Over the caption, “I need a Mexican ASAP,” Chumbolex (@chumbolex) tells an eerie story of a late-night encounter with who he describes as an unhoused-looking Mexican man who seems to be able to dole out generosity and pain at will. Chumbolex’s TikTok, which currently has 1.8 million views, is a reminder that truly “there are more things in heaven and earth…than are dreamt of in your philosophy.”
Yep, that is Shakespeare acknowledging things get weird after dark.
What Happens At The Bar Stays At The Bar?
“This is for the Mexicans, and the Mexicans only,” Chumbolex says at the beginning of his video.
Then gives the backstory. After grabbing a drink with his buddy (Leonard), Chumbolex wasn’t ready to call it a night. So he says he hit up another bar. And that’s where things took a paranormal turn.
At the bar, he says he ended up talking to a Mexican dude who only spoke Spanish. Chumbolex, thinking it was a great opportunity to practice his own Español, says he started asking basic bar questions, like “Where are you from?’ and “What do you do?”
Then out of nowhere, after a fairly normal conversation, he says the man asked him, “Do you know about the Santisima Muerte?”
Chumbolex did not.
He says his new friend then told him that Santa Muerte “is actually life itself, and there can be no Santa Muerte without God because God created everything. So if you believe in Santa Muerte, you believe in God.”
But this isn’t the part of the night that freaked Chumbolex out.
Do You Have The Teeth To Chew It?
As they settled into the late part of the night, things got deeply unsettling. Like get me some sage and holy water weird. The man basically bullied Chumbolex into staying for another Shiner Bock and paid for it by peeling bills off of “the biggest wad of cash I’ve ever seen in my life,” says the TikTok creator.
The man said he has “things to tell” Chumbolex.
Then he launched into a screed, per Chumbolex. “‘Nobody can take anything from me,'” Chumbolex recounts him saying. “The Santa Muerta protects me because I don’t want anything from her.”
“‘OK, cool,'” Chumbolex recalls responding.
Then his drinking buddy reportedly continued, “‘You don’t understand what I’m saying. You have the power. As long as you don’t want anything, you have the power to give and take whatever you want.'”
Next, the man started talking about his wisdom teeth and how he hasn’t had them taken out because he doesn’t let anyone take anything from him.
Chumbolex suggested that getting his wisdom teeth out might be a good idea. And the disheveled man says, “No.” Then he allegedly challenged Chumbolex, “You think [unpulled wisdom teeth would hurt]? I will give you my pain,” he promised.
And the minute he says this—the absolute moment the words leave his mouth—Chumbolex swears he felt a searing pain where his wisdom teeth once were.
The pain goes on for about 10 seconds.
“But,” the man says, “I don’t want to give you that pain. So I take it back and release it to the universe.”
And they go back to having a perfectly pleasant evening… except for the part where Chumbolex isn’t certain if he maybe joined a secret society of some sort.
Blessings, Curses, And Grandmother Death
“The second you described him as homeless and old rags I knew you met a warlock,” commented Matt (@nopalenlafrente). “There are many of us in Mexico and the US who practice witchcraft (western term) my grandparents both practiced and would take me to brujas all my life when I needed them. It’s very respected and truthful practice that shouldn’t be taken lightly whatsoever.”
“Belief is a powerful thing. You met that man for a reason. You did in fact encounter Santa Muerte through him. He probably kept you there for a bit longer to protect you from something,” affirmed another viewer, Rikki (@rikki_rad).
But then the serious tension in the comments section was broken by Genna (@del6en), who said, “I know you’re being serious, but ‘I need a Mexican’ is fryyyyying me.”
But perhaps it’s Blackwood (@emilynooo) who gave up the most pertinent information: “Santa muerte is deity from Mexico she is like grandmother death. All that lives returns to her. She protects those who serve her and respect her. She is highly demonized due to heavy Catholic presence of Mexico. The man seems like he meant no harm if anything those ten seconds were meant to keep you away from a harmful situation outside.”
What Should You Do If You Think You Encounter A Bruja Or Witch
According to the Pew Research Center, .3% of Americans consider themselves to be pagan or Wiccan, reports The State Press.
Thus, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that you could run into someone who purports to be in contact with the extraordinary. And you’ll probably be fine—maybe even protected in some way.
But if you suspect something malicious, one Reddit user (u/hockeybelle) suggests “building a magical fortress around yourself.” And if you do nothing else, burning a little incense and casting a simple protection spell (like a bowl of red apples) can’t hurt.
Perhaps the site Mexconect sums it up best: “If you are traveling around in Mexico you might want to be especially nice to little old ladies.”
TBH that probably goes for disheveled but chatty men, too.
BroBible reached out to Chumbolex via his TikTok direct message. We’ll update this if he gets back to us.
@chumbolex i need a Mexican ASAP #mexican #santamuerte #folklore #pain