*Note this story is in Cebuano
“Humana ta.” Akong gitutokan ang mga pulong sa akong selpun ug di ko kani makatu-ohan. Abi ko man og nagbinu-ang lang siya. Lima nami ka-tuig ug lisod tuohan nga iya lang sayangan tanan tungod kay nakakita siya og laing laki. Lisod sabtun nganu.
Ni-drive ko padulong sa ilahang balay. Taas ang oras padulong sa ila, naa siya sa Manila ug ako nag gikan pa sa Laguna, apan nabuhatan man namo ug pa-agi alang sa among relasyon, o basin akong pagtu-o lang. Sa akong pag biyahe wala ko’y laing gihuna-huna kun dili ang maong panghitabo, di-in ma ko nasayop. Ako ba’ng sala? Nagkalagyo naman mi sa mga ni-aging buwan, ang kalagyoon ug ang among mga trabaho mao’y mga hagit sa among relasyon.
Gihuna-huna ko ang mga butang nga akong isulti. Wala ko’y pake kung unsa man akong buhaton, ang ako lang mobalik siya kanako. Ka baynte naku gipislit ang doorbell arun makahibalo siya nga ana-a ako. Nag pung-ot ang iyang igsoon sa dihang iyang gi-ablihan ang pultahan. “Wala diri si Myra”, pulong niya. Ako siyang gihangyo nga sultihan ako kung asa ang iyang igsoon ug human sa usa ka oras iya na akong gi-ingnan nga ana-a si Myra sa usa ka dapit sa Manila bay. Sige na siya’yg adto arun maghuna huna o mag unsa ba,” saysay sa iyang igsoon.
Nibiyahe ko padulong sa baybayun ug nakita ko siya nga nagsul-ob og puting bestida. Mao kana ang iyang gisul-ot sa among unang pagkita. Dili ko gayud makalimtan kung unsa siya ka-anyag atung panahona. Nigawas ako sa sakyanan ug mura man siya’g nakigstorya og laing taw. Kung mao man kana ang iyang laki hinaot lang nga andam siya mo sukol nsku. Nangumo ko sa akong mga kamot ug nagsurok ang akong dugo naglakaw padulong ka niya.
“Gihigugma taka” pulong pa niya ug diha natagak ang akong kasing-kasing. Dili ni puwede mahitabo. Dili karun, dili ing-ani ka paspas. Kinsa manang lakiha nga nahimo man niyang yanong tapuson ang 5 ka tuig alang kaniya? Wala ko’y laing nakita kun dili puwa.
Akong gilabni si Myra sa iyang bukton ug gitan-aw kung kinsa man ang iyang kastorya. Ngitngit apan kahibalo ko nga naa siya’y kastorya sa tubig. “Raf ayaw!” gisuwayan ko niya pagwakli “Kinahanglan kang mobiya!”
“Nganong nabuhat mo man kini, nato?” Nagsugod nag katagak ang akong mga luha sa mata ug dili gayud mo hunong. “Wala ba gayud ako’y bili diha nimo?”
Ug sa kalit, nakapamati ko’g basa sa akong li-og. Wala ako’y makita kung unsa kato, apan dili ako makaginhawa. Anaa’y nagtu-ok kanaku apan wala ko makahibalo kung unsay nahitabo. “Hunong, mapatay nimo siya!” siyagit ni Myra ug paminaw ko nisulay siya og tabang kanaku, apan puro itom lang ang akong makita.
Nakamata ko pagkabuntag daplin sa baybayun. Wala gihapon ko kabalo unsay nahitabo ug kung kinsa man to ang kastorya ni Myra kay nahanaw na. Nibiyahe ko pabalik sa ilang balay ug suma pa sa iyang mga igsoon wala pa nabalik si Myra sukad pag gabi-I ug hangtud karun wala gihapon ko’y kalibutan kung unsa may nahitabo. Nabalaka ko ug akong gisaysayan ang iyang mga igsoon. Kung kinsa man katong lalakiha, bayolente siya ug di ko ganahan mahiduoul siya ni Myra.
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English Version
“We’re over.” I stared at the words on my phone screen and I couldn’t believe it. I thought she was joking. We’ve been together for 5 years and I refuse to believe she would throw everything away just because she met some random guy. It doesn’t make sense.
I drove to her house right away. The drive was a long one, she lived in Manila and I had to come from Laguna, but we managed to make it work, at least I thought we did. All through the drive I think about what happened, what I did wrong. Was this my fault? We have been getting more distant the past few months, the distance and our work lives haven’t been the most forgiving to our relationship.
I think about the things I’m going to say. I don’t care what I need to do, I just want her back. I ring the doorbell 20 times to make sure she knows I’m there. Her sister is visibly annoyed when she answers the door. “Myra’s not here,” she says. I beg her to tell me where she is and after an hour she finally lets me know that Myra is at a spot in Manila bay. “She’s been going there a lot to think or something,” her sister explains.
I drive by the bay and I see her in her white dress. It’s what she wore on our first date. I’ll never forget how beautiful she looked then. I get out of the car and it looks like she’s talking to someone. If it’s the other guy then I hope he’s prepared for a fight. I clench my fists and my blood boils as I walk to her.
“I love you,” I hear her voice and my heart drops. This can’t be happening. Not now, not this fast. Who the hell is this guy that he just makes her drop 5 years of being with someone? I don’t care anymore I just see red.
I grab Myra by the arm and try to see who she’s talking to. It’s still dark but I think she was talking to someone in the water. “Raf no!” she tries to shove me away “You have to leave!”
“How could you do this to me? To us?!” The tears start falling down my face and they don’t stop. “Is this how little I mean to you?”
Suddenly, I feel something wet around my neck. I can’t see what it is, but I can’t breathe. I’m being suffocated and I don’t know what’s happening. “Stop, you’ll kill him!” Myra shouts and I think she tried to help me, but all I see is black.
I wake up the next morning by the bay. I still don’t know what happened and Myra and whoever she talked to is gone. I drive back to her house and her sisters say she didn’t come home last night and I’m still clueless. I’m worried and I tell her sisters. Whoever this guy is he’s violent and I don’t want her to be around that.
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*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 Esperanza Bonifacio
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Translation Copyright © Esperanza Bonifacio
Inspired by the Siyokoy Legends
Siyokoy (Tentacled) Illustration and Watercolor by Marc Magpantay