*Note this story is in Hiligaynon
Gin instorya ko liwat sang landong.
Sang tigpalanyaga na. Ga preparar ko sang chop suey kag ini naghambal sa akon nga kwa on ko ang sundang kag bun on ang “waitress” nga gapakadto para kwa on ang dason nga order. Ginhutikan ako sni sang malalain nga tinaga parti sa iya kung panu ya ako ginalibak; kung pano sya magistoya sa mga tawo nga ako isa ka buang kag amu na ang rason nga gin bayaan ako sang akun nga nobyo; kung paano wai may gapalanga sa isa ka buang nga peros sa akon.
Naghambal ko sa boss ko nga lain akon pamatyag kag ginpasugtan ya ako magpuli. Ang pagpapuli ko balik sa akun apartment daw impyerno. Sala man ang ginhimo ko nga pagtindog sa binta sang isa ka oras kag ginatulok lang ko ka mga tawo. Ginatulok ko nila kag nagaduko nalang ako. Indi ko gusto sang atensyon.
Tama na, nagimpake ko sang akun mga gamit kag nagpabook sang flight papuli sa Iloilo. Isa lang ka oras ang flight kag nagsakay ko sa una nga bus papuli. Isa ka daku nga parti sa akun gahambal nga buang ko para ubrahun ko ini, himo nga pagbato sang halimaw sa isa man, pero naghipos nalang ang parti nga ina.
Nag istorya naman liwat ang landong.
Naghambal sya nga hapos lang kadtu on ang driber kag pwersahan nga ibungo ang bus sa galabay nga salakyan ukon mas mayu nga ang building. Mas gakusog ang hutik pero ginpwersa ko nga tabugun sila. Gakahadlok sila. Dapat lang.
Naka abot na ko sa banwa gab-i na. Lapit na tungang gabi, pero indi na ko mag usik sang tyempo. Nag dalagan ko sa tunga sang kampo. Nabal an ko nga ara to, parehos sang ginpatay sini ang akun utod nga babayi. Naghambal sya sa akun nga magdalagan pero indi ko sya gusto pag baya an, abi ko mabuligan ko sya. Permi ko madumduman ang iya pagsingit samtang ginkagat sini ang iya landong.
Ang hutik sa akun dalungan naging singit na. Gapangakig na ang landog kag indi na ko makahulat. Nagkuha ko flashlight halin sa akun bag kag ginbutang ko ini sa akun atubang. Sa pila lamang ka minuto, na simhutan ko na ini. Ang baho sang gakag agnas nga unod kag sunog nga panit. Ang baho sang akun kaluwasan.
Gapangakig ang sigbin. May matalom ini nga unto kag gadalagan na pakadto sa akon kag sa isa ka ti on nabal an ko ang tuod tuod nga kataw hay. Natabo na, tawhay na ako.
Pag katapos sang isa ka tion may na batyagan ko nga may sala. Gulpi lang na nakabatyag ako sang kakulba.
Ginkagat sini ang sala nga landong.
English Version
My shadow spoke to me again.
This time it was during lunch. I was preparing the chop suey and it told me to take the knife and stab the waitress who was going to pick up the next order. It whispered terrible things about her, how she talked behind my back; how she told people I was insane and that’s why my boyfriend left me; how no one would ever love a freak like me.
I told my boss that I was feeling sick today and he let me go home. The commute back to the apartment was hell. I made the mistake of standing by the window and people stared for an hour. They looked right across me and I just kept my head down. I didn’t want the attention.
Enough is enough, I packed my bags and booked a flight back to Iloilo. The flight only lasted an hour and I took the first bus back home. A big part of me thinks I’m crazy for doing this, trying to fight back a monster with another one, but that part is quickly silenced.
The shadow spoke again.
It told me how easy it would be to go up to the driver and force the bus to hit a passing car, or better yet a building. The whispers were getting stronger but I force them away. It’s getting scared. It should be.
I reach the town late. It’s close to midnight, but I can’t waste any more time. I run towards the field. I know it will be there, just like it was when it killed my sister. She told me to run, but I didn’t want to leave her, I thought I could help her. I’ll always remember her scream when it bit her shadow.
The whispers in my ears turn into shouts. The shadow’s angry and I can’t wait. I take the flashlight from my bag and set it in front of me. A few minutes later I smell it. The smell of rotting flesh and burnt skin. The smell of my salvation.
The sigbin is vicious. It bares its teeth and rushes past me and for a second I know true peace. It’s happened, I am finally free.
A moment later I feel something wrong. The sudden realization leaves me gasping for air.
It bit the wrong shadow.
*The Hiligaynon language, also colloquially referred often by most of its speakers simply as Ilonggo, is an Austronesian regional language spoken in the Philippines by about 9.1 million people, mainly in Western Visayas and SOCCSKSARGEN, most of whom belong to the Visayan ethnic group, mainly the Hiligaynons. It is the second-most widely spoken language and a member of the so-named Visayan language family and is more distantly related to other Philippine languages.
Written by Karl Gaverza
Hiligaynon translation by Allen Suating
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Translation Copyright © Allen Suating
Inspired by the Sigbin entry in Creatures of Philippine Lower Mythology. Ramos. 1971., Myth Museum. Medina. 2015. and 101 Kagila-gilalas na Nilalang. Samar. 2015
Sigbin Illustration and Watercolor by Nightmaresyrup
Tumblr: http://nightmaresyrup.tumblr.com/