“Get ready, we have to leave before sunrise.”
Papa woke me up from a nice dream. I was flying over the mountains and going through the woods like a superhero. But dreams always have to end, now it’s time to face another day. I start my routine, grabbing a meal and preparing all the supplies for the day. My hands got tangled in the nets again and Papa scolded me for being slow. Just like yesterday.
“We’re going by the cove today.”
That was strange. Papa and all the older fishermen would always avoid going near the cove. They say it’s dangerous since the current is unpredictable in that area. But I know we don’t really have much of a choice. The catch of the day has been getting smaller and smaller and I don’t know how long we can live off the ocean. I think I’m going to tell Papa that I should go to the city to find work. It’s better than wondering if we can catch enough fish to feed ourselves.
“Be careful and make sure you don’t follow the lights.”
It’s the warning that we fisherman say before we go out on the water. I don’t know what it’s supposed to mean but it’s always comforting to hear. I think I’ve heard it every day since I was old enough to be on a boat. The nets seem lighter today, a sign that I’m getting stronger. Maybe I can find work in a construction site in the city.
“Cover your ears!”
Papa’s shout scared me. I don’t know why he was covering his ears. The music was so beautiful. It was like a chorus of angels floating all around me. I feel so free, so in touch with the world. I want to go to whatever’s making such a beautiful sound.
“Don’t go in the water!”
I think that’s what papa said, but I didn’t hear him so well. He tried to pull me back by the arm but I need to go find the singer of this wonderful song. He needs to stop doing that, always holding me back. He doesn’t know how hard it’s going to be in the future. We don’t have anything left here. The sea isn’t going to keep giving us fish, not anymore. We need to go somewhere else somewhere where we can hope.
“The lights! Don’t follow the lights!”
I can see them now, they’re so beautiful. The glow under the water is calling me. Papa doesn’t understand. He’s too old to see the future. Not like I can. I’ll follow the light and it will save us all. I can make enough money to feed our family. He’ll see. They’ll all see.
“Why did it have to end this way, he was just a boy. He was my boy,” the old fisherman yelled at the sky. He knew the danger and the futility of staying on his boat, but he had to try to do something, anything to save his son.
He grabbed his net and prayed he wasn’t too late. He couldn’t see the lights anymore, which was a sign that the monsters were finished.
The old fisherman held out hope that God would be merciful to his son. He was a kind child, only wishing what was best for his family. The fisherman knew that if he couldn’t save his son, there would be no way he could face his family ever again.
He managed to see a faint glow by the cove and he acted swiftly. It was cold comfort that the kataw liked to play with their food before finally devouring the poor men that they lured.
The body of his son was slung across a rock, the slimy creature still singing her alluring song. He hoped that the singing meant that his son was still alive. The old fisherman didn’t know how something so beautiful could come out of a mouth like that.
The stones were slippery as he tried to sneak his way into the cove. His own uncle was captured by one of these creatures and he vowed he would not make his mistakes. He gathered some seaweed and stuffed it in his ears to block the sound. He prayed that would be enough.
As he approached, he cursed himself for a fool, there was more than one kataw, and he was not strong enough to fight them both off.
There was only one chance to save his son.
The old fisherman’s throat nearly burst from the volume of his shout. The creatures were distracted, they had stopped singing their song. The beasts would not allow this intrusion into their lair, and screamed as they readied their claws for the attack.
“Run! Take the boat and go back home!”
Those were the last words of the old fisherman to his son as he fought off the monsters from the deep.
Written by Karl Gaverza
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Story inspired by Kataw/Catao entry in Creatures of Philippine Lower Mythology. Ramos. 1971.
Kataw Illustration by Leandro Genisto from Aklat ng mga Anito
FB: That Guy With A Pen
Watercolor by Mykie Concepcion
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