*Note this story is in Tagalog
“Anong nakita mo?!”
“Lolo, tama na, marami na siyang pinagdaanan.”
“Inilalagay niya sa panganib ang pamilya natin. Hindi pa ba sapat na namatay ang tatay niya?! Ngayon naman binubulabog niya ang mga kaluluwa. Hindi ninyo naiintindihan kung gaano ito delikado.
“Lolo, hindi niya alam kung ano ang ginagawa niya. Curious lang siya.”
“Ni hindi natin alam kung anong ginawa niya, baka—”
“Nakita ko.”
“….Kuya, anong nakita mo?”
“Anong ginawa mo?”
“Sinunod ko yung instruction. Pinuntahan ko ang pinutol na puno para sa ataul ni Papa tapos inilagay ko ron yung mga gamit na dala ko.”
“Anong mga gamit kuya?”
“Galing sa ataul ni Papa. Noong gabi ng lamay niya, pumunta ako ron at nakita ko mismo.”
“Sabihin mo sa akin anong nakita mo.”
“Nakakita ako ng mga alitaptap at nakita ko rin ang pagtapon ng mga bituka. Mayroon ding lumulutang na mga ulo, mga braso at mga binti. Nakita ko uli si Papa, pero nilampasan niya ako. Nakita ko ang mga anino na nabuhay at pinalibutan ako. At doon nakita ko.”
“Anong nakita mo?!”
“Nakita ko ang buso.”
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English Version
“What did you see?!”
“Lolo, please, he’s been through enough.”
“He’s put this family in great danger. Wasn’t it enough that his father died?! Now he goes invoking the spirits. Neither of you understand how dangerous this is.”
“Lolo, he didn’t know what he was doing, he was just curious.”
“We don’t even know what he did, he could have—“
“I saw.”
“….Kuya what did you see?”
“What did you do?!”
“ I followed the instructions. I went to the tree that was cut down for Papa’s coffin then I put the pieces that I took there.”
“What pieces kuya?”
“The ones that I took from Papa’s coffin. On the night of his funeral I went there and I saw.”
“Tell me what you saw.”
“I saw the swarm of fireflies and I saw the intestines being spilled. I saw floating heads and arms and legs. I saw Papa again, he walked right past me. I saw the shadows come alive and wrap around me. And then I saw it.”
“What did you see?!”
“I see the buso.”
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*Tagalog is an Austronesian language spoken as a first language by a quarter of the population of the Philippines and as a second language by the majority. Its standardized form, officially named Filipino, is the national language of the Philippines, and is one of two official languages alongside English.
Written by Karl Gaverza
Translation by Reina Mikee
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Translation Copyright © Reina Mikee
Story inspired by the Buso entry in Creatures of Philippine Lower Mythology. Ramos. 1971. and Bagobo Myths. Journal of American Folklore. 1913.
Buso Illustration by Leandro Geniston from Aklat ng mga Anito
Watercolor by Mykie Concepcion
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