*Note this story is in Cebuano
Samtang nagtutok si Aimee sa linalang, wala siya masayud kung angay ba siyang magpabilin o mudagan.
Nagtan-aw kini kaniya uban sa daghang mga mata niini, nagdungan ni’ng tanan ug pamilok ug si Aimee nisibog. Asa diay siya? Gi-unsa niya pag-abot ni’ng lugara? Asa iyahang mga ginikanan?
Ang kinatapusan niyang nahinumduman naa siya sa sulod sa lawak sa usa ka tambalanan gipalibutan sa iyahang pamilya. Naghilak iyahang inahan, ug ang iyahang amahan misulay sa pagsulti kaniya nga mamaayo ang tanan, apan iyahang panagway giluib sa iyang tinuod nga gibati.
Kini dili makiangayon. Ngano’ng siya? Batan-on pa kaayo, puno kaayo sa saad.
Sa sunod nga semana unta siya muadto sa Enchanted Kingdom kauban iyahang mga higala. Sultihan unta siya ni Lala kung kinsang ulitawha ang nahiayon kaniya ug sila mangatawa sa Ferris wheel.
Daghang plano ang nabuhat, daghang tawo nga wa siya migugol ug igong panahon.
Nagsugod na ug hilak si Aimee, inubanan sa pagputos sa kaugalingon ug miluhod.
Ang ungo, kung mao man gani, naglakaw paingun kaniya, apan niadtong panahona wala siya’y pagtagad. Ang bugtong butang nga makahuluganon kaniya mao ang iyang kasakit.
Nakapamati siya ug humok na pagsikdo ug gibuka iyahang mga mata.
Ang linalang gabitbit kang Musang! Gatuo siya nga nawala na kini niadtong namalhin sila ug balay sa unang higayon. Gikuha niya ang mananap ug gihuptan, usa ka mainit nga dapit sa kahupayan sa iyang kamingawan sa kasubo.
Gitan-aw ni Aimee ang linalang, karon uban sa pasalamat. Ang matang wala gayod mu-istorya apan nagtudlo paubos. Mitan-aw siya ug nahibulong nga makita ang iyang kaugalingon.
Naghigda siya sa usa ka higdaanan sa tambalanan, gi-alirongan sa iyahang pamilya. Sunod kanila usa ka babaye nga dili kaila nga nagsaysay ug mga pulong nga dili masabtan ni Aimee. Ang iyang mga ginikanan nagunit sa usa’g usa nga luhaan sa ilang mga mata. Bisan si Ralph nasubo, usa ka butang nga wala niya damha gikan sa iyang manghud.
Gisulayan ni Aimee ang pagkab-ot kanila, aron mahibal-an nila nga maayo ra siya. Apan dili sila makadungog kaniya. Iyang gidokdok ang babag tali kanila hangtud nga ang iyang kumo hapdos. Gusto lang ni Aimee nga makig-uban sa iyahang pamilya.
Sa kalit lang nakadungog siya ug daw huni nga tingog.
“Aimee Peñas, anak ni Marlon ug Sandra.”
Milingi siya ug gisuwayan ug pangita kung kinsa ang mikanta.
Gipanganak Agosto 4, 1999.”
Ang nakita lamang ni Aimee mao ang kangitngit.
“Mahigugmaon sa mga mananap ug higala sa tanan.”
“Ania ako! Ania ako!’’ Misiyagit ug kusog si Aimee,
nanginahanglan siya makakita og usa ka tawo nga andam motabang kaniya.
“Gidala niining ginsakpan tungod sa usa ka makalilisang nga sakit.”
“Oo! Ako na! Ako si Aimee Peñas! Naa ko diri! Palihug tabangi ko! “Misugod siya sa pagdagan sa direksyon diin gikan ang tingog.
Gipiyong ni Aimee ang iyang mga mata ug midagan ug kusog sa madala sa iyang mga tiil, ang linalang sa kilid niya nagpadayon hangtud nga midagan siya ngadto sa butang nga dili niya makita.
“Aimee Peñas?” Ang babaye gikan sa lawak sa ospital! Si Aimee angay unta nga nakurat sa iyang unang reaksyon, apan iyang gigakos ang babaye sa pagpasalamat. Siya ang unang tawo nga nakita ni Aimee niining tibuok nga kalisud ug siya mapasalamaton nga nakakita sa laing kalag.
“Oo! Ako si Aimee. Kinsa ka? “Gitan-aw ni Aimee ang nawong sa babaye, tigulang na kini, apan daw dunay usa ka lig-on nga pagbati sa katungdanan. “Mianhi ka ba aron tabangan ko?”
“Oo bata, ako. Dad-a ang akong kamot ug kita mobalik sa imong pamilya. Ang ritwal nga gudguden* dili molungtad og dugay ug ang adlaw pasubang na. Kinahanglan kita magdali. “
Nagdala gihapon si Aimee ug Musang ug kinahanglan siyang mangutana. “Nahibal-an ba ninyo unsa kini nga butang?”
Gitudlo niya ang daghan nga mga mata nga mananabang.
“Kana ang akong katabang, ang daligmata. Nakita ko nga kini nakatabang kanimo sa pagpangita sa usa ka butang nga imong nawala. “Gitudlo sa babaye ang Musang.
“Nakatabang kaayo kini.” Mipahiyom si Aimee.
“Siyempre, gidala ko niya sa nimo.” Ang babaye mipahiyom. “Karon panahon na nga kita moadto, kuhaa ang akong kamot bata ug kita mupanaw sa uniberso.”
“Maayo ba kita?”
“Oo bata, nakahimo na ako niini sa makadaghang higayon kaniadto. Apan kinahanglan una kong mangutana, gusto ka bang mopauli? “
“Labaw sa tanan. Gusto nakong makita ang akong mga ginikanan, gusto kong sultihan sila nga gihigugma nako sila. Gusto nakong makita ang akong higala nga si Lala ug mangayo ug pasaylo sa tanan nga mga panahon nga akong gipasubo kaniya. Gusto pa nakong makita ang akong manghud nga si Ralph bisan kung makalagot siya. “
“Mao lang kana ang kinahanglan nakong mahibal-an.” Gikuha sa babaye ang kamot ni Aimee ug silang duha minglakaw.
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Engilsh Version
Aimee stares at the creature and doesn’t know whether to stay or to run away.
It looks at her with its many eyes, all blinking at the same time and Aimee steps back. Where was she? How did she get here? Where are her parents?
The last thing she remembers is being in a hospital room surrounded by her family. Her mother was crying then, and her dad tried to tell her everything was going to be okay, but his face betrayed his true feelings.
It was unfair. Why her? She was so young, so full of promise.
Next week she was supposed to go to Enchanted Kingdom with her friends. Lala was supposed to tell her which boy she had a crush on and they would laugh about it on the Ferris wheel.
There were too many plans that were made, too many people that she didn’t spend enough time with.
Aimee started to cry, she wrapped her arms around herself and fell to her knees.
The monster, if it was one, walked towards Aimee, but by then she didn’t care. The only thing that made sense to her was her pain.
She felt a soft nudge and opened her eyes.
The creature was carrying Musang! She thought he had been lost when they moved houses the first time. She grabbed the stuffed animal and held it close, a warm oasis of comfort in her desert of sorrow.
Aimee looked at the creature, now with gratitude. The thing didn’t talk at all but it pointed downwards. She looked and was surprised to see herself.
She was lying down on a hospital bed, her family surrounding her. Next to them was a strange woman saying words Aimee couldn’t understand. Her parents were holding each other with tears in their eyes. Even Ralph looked sad, something she didn’t expect from her little brother.
Aimee tried to reach out to them, to let them know she was alright. They couldn’t hear her. She pounded at the barrier between them until her fists were raw. Aimee just wanted to be with her family again.
Suddenly she heard a melodic voice.
“Aimee Peñas, daughter of Marlon and Sandra.”
She turned around and tried to find whoever was singing.
“Born August 4, 1999.”
All Aimee could see was darkness.
“Lover of animals and friend to all.”
“I’m here! I’m here!’ Aimee shouted at the top of her lungs, she needed to find someone willing to help her.
“Brought to this realm by a terrible sickness.”
“Yes! That’s me! I’m Aimee Peñas! I’m here! Please help me!” She started to run in the direction where the voice was coming from.
Aimee closed her eyes and ran as fast as her feet could carry her, the creature beside her kept apace until she ran into something she couldn’t see.
“Aimee Peñas?” It was the woman from her hospital room! Aimee should have been shocked as her first reaction, but she hugged the woman in thanks. She was the first person Aimee saw throughout this whole ordeal and she was thankful to see another soul.
“Yes! It’s me, Aimee. Who are you?” Aimee looked at the woman’s face, it was old, but somehow carrying a strong sense of duty. “Are you here to help me?”
“Yes child, I am. Take my hand and we will find our way back to your family. The gudguden* ritual will not last much longer and the sun will be up soon. We must hurry.”
Aimee was still carrying Musang and she had to ask. “Do you know what this thing is? She pointed at her many-eyed benefactor.”
“That is my helper, the daligmata. I see it has helped you find something you lost.” The woman pointed at Musang.
“It was very helpful.” Aimee smiled.
“Of course, it lead me to you.” The woman smiled back. “Now it is time for us to go, take my hand child and we will travel through the cosmos.
“Will we be okay?”
“Yes child, I have done this many times before. But first I must ask, do you want to go home?”
“More than anything. I want to see my parents, I want to tell them that I love them. I want to see my friend Lala and say sorry for all the times I made her sad. I even want to see my little brother Ralph even if he’s annoying.”
“That is all I needed to know.” The woman took Aimee’s hand and they both took a step forward.
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*This is a nightlong seance where a possessed medium journeys around the cosmos, singing the sick person’s personal history and looking for the abducted human soul.
* Kini usa ka pagpahuway sa usa ka gabii nga diin ang usa ka gipanag-iya nga panaw naglibot sa uniberso, nga nag-awit sa personal nga kasaysayan sa masakiton ug nangita sa gikuha nga tawhanong kalag.
*The Cebuano language, alternatively called Cebuan and also often colloquially albeit informally referred to by most of its speakers simply as Bisaya (“Visayan”, not to be confused with other Visayan languages nor Brunei Bisaya language), is an Austronesian regional language spoken in the Philippines by about 21 million people, mostly in Central Visayas, western parts of Eastern Visayas and most parts of Mindanao, most of whom belong to various Visayan ethnolingusitic groups, mainly the Cebuanos. It is the by far the most widely spoken of the Visayan languages, which are in turn part of wider the Philippine languages. The reference to the language as Bisaya is not encouraged anymore by linguists due to the many languages within the Visayan language group that may be confused with the term. The Komisyon ng Wikang Filipino, the official regulating body of Philippine languages, spells the name of the language as Sebwano.
Written by Karl Gaverza
Cebuano Translation by Dominic Gonzaga Quilantang
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Translation Copyright © Dominic Gonzaga Quilantang
Inspired by the Daligmata entry in 101 Kagila-gilalas na Nilalang. Samar. 2015 and CURRENT RESEARCH IN ETHNOMUSICOLOGY, Vol. 4 = Jose` S. Buenconsejo : Songs and Gifts at the Frontier : Person and Exchange in the Agusan Manobo Possession Ritual. Philippines. Routledge, NY & London, 2002. Pg 113
Daligmata Illustration by Julius Arboleda