*Note this story is in Bicol-Naga
“Madya, uya digdi!” Nagdadalagan si Jason sa bulód. Namatî ni Nick na garo maputok si saiyang puso. Bakô man sya an pinakamakusog na akì, asin dai nya gáyong muya na pagparaparumdumon saiya ito, alagad iyo an parati nangyayari, asin ta si Jason an saiyang pinakadayupot na amigo, kaya lugod an pagtulod saiya na guminibo nin bàgo sarong katotoohan nin buhay.
Naghingua makasakat si Nick sa mga huring tangga kan bulod asin tuminumba kan makaabot sa puntok. Yaon kataid si Jason, siring man parati, naghahapot kun okay sya, alagad ngunyan mas kinauugma kaini na ipahiling kay Nick an ibabâ kan bulód. “Ay uragon mo ta pinatúkad mo ako sa mga bulod nganì sana—” dangan nahiling na ni Nick.
Sarong kurukamposanto, alagad bakong ordinaryong kurukamposanto. Mga nasa dosena, tibaad ginatos pang mga kalansay nin karabaw an nagkawararak sa pamitisan kan bulód. “Iyo, tama ka, mauragon na gayò,” hinghing ni Nick. “Tinataraman taká,” simbag ni Jason, “Pero bakô pa iyan an pinakamaurag.”
Pinang-inutan sya ni Jason paagi sa kinalansay na kadlagan. Narisa ni Nick na dai kumpleto an mga tùlang, dakulang parte kan mga ini an nawawara, kadaklan hali sa likod, naisip nya na bakô na ini marhay sa pagmatì, alagad tinutubudan nya si Jason kaya nagigin okay man an gabos. Kadaklan na beses.
“Tuninong ka sana. Padigdi kita,” hinghing ni Jason. “Seryoso?” Hinihiling ni Nick an gapô na muyang sakaton ni Jason na garó baga may lalawgon. “Tuninong bayâ, habô tang magimatá ini.” Ipigtakop ni Jason an saiyang kamot sa nguso ni Nick. “Seryoso akong gayò.”
Biglang nagyugyog an dagâ. Kinaputan ni Jason an takyag ni Nick asin ginuyod nya ini sa irarom kan haraning kahoy. “Ano ito?!” Nariribaraw na si Nick. Tinukdo ni Jason an itaas asin nahiling ni Nick an kawsa. Makatakot, makangirhat. Tuminupong ini sa taas kan mga kahoy asin uminungal na garó boses kan daguldol.
“Dai kita kaiyan mahihiling sa irarom kan kahoy na ini, halaton ta na sana sagkod mangiturog giraray ini,” taramon ni Jason. “Nagdara ako nin kakanon.”
Naghangos nin hararom si Nick. Paratì na sana nangyayari an siring basta yaon si Jason.
=——————=
English Version
“Come on it’s over here!” Jason was running over the hill. Nick felt his heart almost burst. He wasn’t the most athletic child and he didn’t like being reminded of that fact, but this was always how it went and Jason was his best friend so being pushed to do new things was a fact of life.
Nick struggled up the last few steps of the hill and he dropped as soon as he reached the top. Jason was by his side as always, asking if he was okay, but this time he was more exited to get Nick to look below the hill. “What could be so cool that you made me walk through a bunch of hills and—–“ Then Nick saw it.
It was a graveyard, but not by any normal standards. Dozens, maybe hundreds of carabao skeletons were scattered around the foot of the hill. “Okay, you were right, this is really cool,” Nick whispered. “Told you so,” Jason replied, “But you haven’t seen the coolest part.”
Jason led them though the skeletal forest. Nick noticed that the bones were never complete, there were giant chunks of them missing, mostly from the back, he didn’t think this was a good idea, but he trusted Jason and that always worked out fine. Mostly.
“Be very quiet. It’s through here,” Jason whispered. “Seriously?” Nick was looking at the rock face Jason wanted them to climb. “I said be quiet, you don’t want to wake it up.” Jason clamped his hand over Nick’s mouth. “I’m dead serious.”
Suddenly the ground shook. Jason grabbed Nick’s arm and he dragged him under a nearby tree. “What was that?!” Nick was starting to get frantic. Jason pointed upwards and Nick saw the cause. It was terrifying. It towered over the trees and it roared with a voice like thunder.
“It won’t see us from under this tree, we should wait until it goes back to sleep again,” Jason said. “I brought food.”
Nick sighed. Stuff like this always happened with Jason.
=——————=
*Central Bicol, commonly called Bicol Naga, is the most-spoken language in the Bicol Region of southern Luzon, Philippines. It is spoken in the northern and western part of Camarines Sur, second congressional district of Camarines Norte, eastern part of Albay, northeastern part of Sorsogon, San Pascual town in Masbate, and southwestern part of Catanduanes. Central Bicol speakers can be found in all provinces of Bicol and it is a majority language in Camarines Sur.
Written by Karl Gaverza
Bicol Translation by Jeremiah Cordial
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Translation Copyright © Jeremiah Cordial
Inspired by the Bungisngis entry in Creatures of Philippine Lower Mythology. Ramos. 1971. and in 101 Kagila-gilalas na Nilalang. Samar. 2015
Bungisngis Illustration by Leandro Geniston fromAklat ng mga Anito
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