*Note this story is in Bikol
“Tolong aldaw bag-o an pagkabuhay liwat, an diablo magibo kan agihan paduman sa puso kan mga tawo. Mag-ingat kamo sa mga inkakadto nindo na lugar asin sa mga nasasabat nindo na tawo.”
Napipilaw ako habang nagbabati kan sermon. Dai man karuruyag na adi ako ngunyan sa misa. Pinirit lang ako ni lola. Kun adto kuta ako sa balay, maruruyag pa ako sa hampang kan kompyuter. Pwede pa ako magkanam diit bag-o magpaduman sa masunod na misa.
“An mga aki kan diablo naglalakaw ngunyan sa kinaban. Dai kamo kasala kay maski nano na kamugtakan kukuwaon ninda tanganing mapatobod kamo na naghahagad lang sinda kan tabang. Garo dai sinda magibo kan maraot alagad babaligtaron ninda an totoo na marahay. An pakikisaro sa diablo madara lang kan kasakitan nan kamondoan.”
Bagan gustuhunon talaga san padi magtaram. Nawawara-wara pa ako. Pig-iisip ko kun pan-o ako makahale digdi. Makudat an mga ingkudan asin raot an aircon. Pararehas an mahihilingan mo sa mga tawo: kalmado pero nagdadangog pa man giraray.
“Giromdoma nindo ini na patanid. Sa tolong aldaw na ini mapasiring dini an mga sorogoon kan diablo. Napangirondoman ako san sarong istorya kun sain an diablo nakisaro sa saro pa na diablo. An aki nin kadikloman gutom sa laman kan mga tawo. An kada pagsuriyaw niya makaibo san dakol pa na kapareho niya.”
Garo may iba. Natutukalan an boses san padi, ngana na mas hararom na ngunyan. Dai ko aram ano an pigtataram niya pero garo talaga naapektohan siya sadto.
“Saro an sakuyang ina sa mga biktima. Mapagalon pagtioson minsan an kabayadan san kasalan. Alagad an Kagurangnan dai mapadara kan mga sorogoon kan diablo para sa mga gibo niya. An Kagurangnan mapatawad, dai mangraraot. Giromdoma nindo na
mapapasaindo gabos an liwanag kan pagkamoot.”
Ngunyan medyo napapahibi na an padi. Nagbasol ako na dae ako nagdangog poon sa mga unang parte kan sermon. Garo darahonon siya sa pigtataram niya.
“An diablo mahanap paraan para magkawarara kamo, asin iyo man an saiyang aki. Itao niyo an saiyong pagsarig sa Kagurangnan ta sa Iya lang kamo makakahanap kan tunay na kaligtasan.”
Duman na natapos an sermon kan padi. Medyo kinulbaan ako ta nag-iba an padi habang pigtataram an sermon niya. Naglakat-lakat muna ako sa park kan bigla may napansin ako na malin iba.
Igwa kan sadit na aki. Malin binilin magsaro. Kaluluoy man. Nagrani ako para makita kun pwede ko matabangan para mahanap an mga magurang. Nababati ko pa hanggang niyan an mga tinaram kan padi manungod sa aki. Alagad lain ko na lang inpansin.
An aki na sadit..dai man ako mapapakulugan. yah
English Version
“In the three days before the resurrection, the devil will make his way into the hearts of man. Be careful of the places you go and the things that you meet.”
I’m half asleep as I listen to the sermon. Mass hasn’t been the most exciting thing I’ve done today, but lola dragged me here. I wish I was back home in front of my computer doing something interesting. I could squeeze in a few games before the next mass I have to go to.
“The children of the devil walk the earth at this time, make no mistake, they will take forms that will entice you to help them. They hide under the shroud of innocence and they pervert what will be good. The product of a union with the devil will only bring pain and misery.”
The priest seems to really like talking. I’m still drifting in and out, thinking about anything else that will get me out of this place. The pews are hard, the aircon’s broken and everyone has the same look on their face: placid, but still listening.
“Remember this warning. In these three days the agents of the devil will come. I am reminded of a story where the devil had a union with another monster. This child of darkness seeks to devour the flesh of man and it screams will create more like it.”
This is strange. The priest is changing his voice. It seems a lot deeper now. I don’t know what he’s been talking about but it really seems to be affecting him.
“My mother was one of its victims. The price of one’s sin is sometimes too much to bear. But the Lord would never send agents of the Devil to do his work. The Lord will forgive, not destroy. Remember the light of love will be with you all.”
The priest is softly crying now. I wish I had paid more attention to the earlier part of the sermon. He seemed to be caught in a trance.
“The devil will seek to lead you astray and his child is no different. Always put your trust in the Lord. For only in Him will you find true salvation.”
The sermon ends with that. I’m still a bit shaken from the change that the priest had while he was saying it. I take a small detour to the park where I notice something strange.
It’s a baby. It seems to have been left alone, the poor thing. I go near it to see if I can help it find its parents. The words of the priest still echo in my ears, but I ignore them.
A baby can’t hurt me.
*The Bikol languages or Bicolano languages are a group of Central Philippine languages spoken mostly in the Bicol Peninsula in the island of Luzon, the neighboring island province of Catanduanes and the island of Burias in Masbate. There is a dialect continuum between the Visayan languages and the Bikol languages; the two together are called the Bisakol languages.
The Tabaco-Legazpi-Sorsogon (TLS) dialect is spoken in the eastern coast of Albay and the northeastern part of Sorsogon. TLS is the dialect that has been most influenced by the Inland Bikol languages.
Written by Karl Gaverza
Tagalog Translation by Krishna Shai Azurin
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Translation Copyright © Krishna Shai Azurin
Inspired by the Patiyanak entry in Bikol Beliefs and Folkways: A Showcase of Tradition. Nasayao 2010.
Patiyanak Illustration by Leandro Geniston from Aklat ng mga Anito
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