*Note this story is in Ibanag
Kinovovuk mangana sakan na aninu’.
Sangaw, ta pangumma mabi gapa. Ta paddaguk-ku nga pallutu turi ta chapsuy, nekagi na niakan nga ekku kanu apan yuri ila anna ekku duddugan yuri weytres nga mangalawa turi ta tumunuk nga order. Neana-anabik na ta talinga’ yuri marakay nga gannu-gannug nga meannung turi ta babay, nu kunnasi kanu yayya nga maguvovuk ta likuk ku; nu kunnasi na kanu nga nekagi ta totolay nga ulapa nga’ kanu yatun ta pinanawan sakan na nobyo’; nu ngatta kanu awan tu magiddu ta kagitta’ kanu nga palla.
Nekagi’ ta boss ku nga marakay i gawa-gawayyak-ku yatun ta pinalabbe na sakan. Infiyernu yuri biyahe’ nga palabbe ta apartment ku. Kunnud, liwa gabba yuri pinaggiak-ku ta biko na bentana. Gafu turi, dinul-dulangan sakan na totolay ta patangoras. Inni-innad-da sakan, ngem nakkummak nga’ laman. Manaki ku garay ta agini-iningan onu atensyon na totolay.
Kustu ngana. Ta olang ku, nagempake nga’ anna giminatang nga’ ta tiket na eroplano nga mattoli ta Iloilo. Patangoras laman yuri biyahe, kunnud, nattakay nga’ gapa turi ta olu-olu nga bus nga mallabbe ta giam-mi. Dakal nga billay na baggi’ i makkag-kagi niakan tu maguyoyung nga’ megafu taw ta kiningwa’ nga makipabbakal ta tadday a ari-masingan. Ngem, yaw nga nesimmu ay mabi nga naimammo.
Naguvovuk mangana yuri aninu.
Kinagi na niakan nu kunnasi i kalogon na nga fuwersan yuri drayver na bus nga dompian i kadafung mi nga kotche, onu mas nakasta paga, madompi i tadday nga balay. Mas nassika-sikan anna naggalla-gallu yuri ana-anabik ira ngem finuwersa’ nga wawanan. Makanassing ngana yayya. Mepangngo nga makanassing yayya.
Aranni ngana nga mattangnga-gabi ta paddattal ku ta ili. Kengak-ku ngana i oras ku. Enna’ nappalaju turi ta tana. Ammu’ nga egga yayya turi, kagitta na gari kustu enna pinatay yuri wagi’ nga babay. Nekagi na wagi’ nga mappalaju nga’ ta arayyu, ngem, manaki ku yayya nga ibattang, abbo ku gapa nu mauffunak-ku yayya. Ari ku makattamman yuri kulle na wagi’ kustu nakaga yuri aninu na.
Yuri ana-anabik ta talinga’ ay nabbalin tu kulle-kulle. Napporay ngana yuri aninu anna ari nga’ gapa ngana makennak. Ekku ina yuri flashlayt ku anna nessibo ku ta arubang ku. Nappasa i piga nga minuto, ay naguk ku ngana yayya. Maguk ku i nalabbak nga pattak anna natuggi nga tabbi. Maguk ku i pakapaliag ku.
Naguyoyung yuri sigbin. Nepasingan na yuri ngipa-ngipan na anna mabi na nga tinalebaran sakan, kunnud, ta patangasegundo, ay nammuak-ku i imammo. Nesimmu ngana, mattalimoray nga’ ngana.
Mangananwan, marakay i natageno ku. Ganganalaman, gavva tu ari nga’ makenango’.
Tanakwan nga aninu i enna kinaga.
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.
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*The Ibanag language (also Ybanag or Ibanak) is spoken by up to 500,000 speakers, most particularly by the Ibanag people, in the Philippines, in the northeastern provinces of Isabela and Cagayan, especially in Tuguegarao, Solana, Abulug, Cabagan, and Ilagan and with overseas immigrants in countries located in the Middle East, United Kingdom and the United States. Most of the speakers can also speak Ilocano, the lingua franca of northern Luzon island. The name Ibanag comes from the prefix “I” which means “people of”, and “bannag”, meaning river. It is closely related to Gaddang, Itawis, Agta, Atta, Yogad, Isneg, and Malaweg.
Written by Karl Gaverza
Translation by Jake Calubāquib Coballes
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Translation Copyright © Jake Calubāquib Coballes
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/