*Note this story is in Bicol-Naga
Magtubod ka sakuya! Nahiling ko ini digdi, nagtutuga ako”
Ipiggala ni Jia an saiyang manga mata. Duwang oras na puon kadtong mahiling ni Jaime an ‘sarong bagay’ sa manga poon asin nagdesisyon na butungon siya.
“Tibaad sarong usa sana man idto. Hilinga , dai mayo akong nahiling na anuman na kaagid sa ‘bagay’ na nahiling mo. Maninigo na daw tabi kita magbalik?”
“Ay ta, ta’wan mo sana ako nin kadikit na oras, mahihiling nyato ini, aram ko an gigibuhon ta!”
Pig-isip ni Jia kun ano an ‘ini’ na kukunon niya.
Midbid na ninda an lambang saro puon kang mag-adal sa elementarya, alagad nagpuon sana sinda magin magkatood sa inot taon kan hayskul. Puon kadto, pigbuhos ninda an kadaklan sa saindang anwa*, sa pagtaram manongod sa saindang manga pamilya asin katood, an boot sabihon kan manga bituon, asin an hinuna nindang magigin kaarog kan saindang nuanoy.
Dai naghaloy, harayo na an memorya kan hayskul. Pigsusudya sinda kan saindang manga kag-anak na mag-adal sa manga unibersidad na harayo sa probinsya, na magkaigwa nin marhay na nuanoy, o kaya inisip ninda. Ipigpasa ni Jaime an kadaklan sa paglaog sa unibersidad asin nag-irok sa sarong eskwelahan sa Maynila mantang napag-uyunan si Jia na magduman sa Unibersidad nin Silliman sa Dumaguete.
Dai pa nin sarong bulan, masuwayan na sinda nin dalan. Iyo man, maninigo man sindang mag-ulay paminsan-minsan dangan hilingon an lambang saro sa pista-opisyal pag nagbisita sinda sa saindang pamilya. Alagad ini na an kasagkuran, asin siguro mawot sana ni Jaime nin mas kadakol na oras sa saiya.
O tibaad…
‘Hala. Ah, dai man baya.’ naisip ni Jia.
Narumduman niya an paagi kan paghiling niya sa saiya. Kaidtong nakaaging bulan, igwang nagbago. Parati na sana nahahandal manongod sa nuanoy si Jaime. Gabos na bagay sobra an pig-isip sa punto na nadadaog na siya kaini (asin an gabos na harani sa saiya). Alagad ibahon na siya, dai pa man nahaloy. Dai mayo na an manga pusog na hapot na nagamit niya. Tuninong sana sinda kan magkakairibahan sinda.
Igwa siyang romantikong pana’naw manongod sa pagkamoot na dawa an katotohanan dai nakikipagkompetensya asin tibaad iyo an rason kun tano ta nungka siya nagkaigwa nin bata. Pag napag-uulayan ninda an nuanoy, parating naglalaog an urulayan kun siisay an makakatapos sa sainda.
Kaidto pa man, pigsambit na ni Jia na dai mayo siyang labot na aktibong maghanap nin sarong tawo. Daing sirbi an manga Dating app, magtatapos an manga online chat sa pang-goghosting niya; sarong aldaw igwang makakakapot sa saiya. Sa ngunyan, igwa siyang buhay tanganing mabuhay.
Magtatapos si Jaime, na tapat sa saiyang sadiri, sa sarong oras na pagsasalaysay manongod sa kun pa’no dapat hanapon an pagkamoot sa gabos nin lugar. Nakakaugma asin medyo nakakaayoayo kung pa’no siya kasiguro sa paghahanap nin tunay na pagkamoot (o kasing totoo kan mahahanap kan sarong hagbayon).
Pero siguro nagibo na niya.
Nadugangan an gabos.
Pirang oras na sindang nagsosolosolo.
Napag-uurulayan na ninda an saindang manga plano para sa unibersidad.
Tibaad ini na an huring tyansa na magkakahirilingan sinda.
‘Sasabihon niya sakuya na padangat niya ako’ nagdadalagan sa isip ni Jia.
Napaisip siya kun ano an sasabihon niya. Kun sasabihon niya sa saiya na dai niya namamatian an parehas na paaging ini, makukulgan an saiyang puso, asin moot niya pa nanggad siya bilang sarong katood. Tibaad iyo an sasabihon niya na maninigo idto na sarong pagpipilian sa maabot na aldaw, pwede nindang balikan ini pag nagin mas mature na sindang duwa. Nagkaigwa man nin pagpipilian na sabihon na haloy na niya ining midbid kaya dai na niya ini maisip na iba apwera sa sarong pigura nin tugang.
‘Okay’ napaghuropan niya. ‘Kaya ko ini.’
“J, pwede daw tabi na magpundo kita?”
“Ta’no, pagal ka na? Maninigo man kitang magpahingalo nin kadikit, tibaad pagal man an bagay na idto. Baka maabutan ta pa ‘to.”
“Aram ko kun manongod sain talaga ini.”
“Bako ining usa! Midbid ko an usa, nakahiling na ako nin kadakol na manlainlain na usa. Kun ano man ini, bako ining sarong usa.”
“Magpundo ka na, aram kong bako ining pasil para saimo.”
“Ha?”
“Masuwayan na kita pagkatapos kan bulan na ini. Tibaad dai na magkasabatan giraray an satong manga landas. Pinapaduman mo ako sa lalaw na paghapag na ini ta igwa kang mawot na sabihon sako.”
“Iyo, pigsasabi ko saimo na yaon duman an bagay na idto asin pwede tang madakop ito!”
Nagsenyas si Jia sa sarong dakulang gapo dangan nagtukaw sindang duwa. Nasakitan siyang hilingon ini sa mata, alagad mas marhay na tangkason na niya an band aid ngunyan.
“Aram kong sasabihon mo na namomoot ka sakuya.”
“Syempre namumutan taka J. Magkamidbidan na kita kadto pa man, dai ko maisip an sarong urog kamarhay na katood na arog mo.”
“Dai, an boot kong sabihon. ‘Padangaton mo ako’ padangaton mo ako.”
“Ano?”
Makaagi an pirang segundo, sa luwas kan manga poon, sarong lalaw na nilalang an nagsugod sa atubangan ninda. Kasingdakula ini kan sarong dakulaon na kanding, igwang manga piad na kabaing kan kanbing na kumpleto sa manga kuko, alagad naglalakaw ini sa pangmahurihan na piad. Igwa ining balukag sa bilog na hawakn asin sa liwanag nin hapon, haros tawo an lalawgon kaini. Naglukso an nilalang sa atubangan kan duwa dangan nagbutas nin matinis na kurahaw bago naglukso pabalik sa kadlagan.
Pig-abot nin pirang minuto bago nakamukna nin manga kataga an mga hagbayon. Nagtindog si Jaime dangan inugmahan sa saiyang trayumpo.
“Sabi ko saimo! Sabi na! Tunay ini asin pigsabi ko saimo! Iyo! Iyo!”
“Dyosmiyo, totoo man nanggad.”
“Iyo! Hilnga? Dai ako mahaman nin arog kaiyan!”
“Nago, nago, tama ka. Ano an bagay na idto?”
“Dai ko aram pero siguradong bako ‘tong sarong usa.”
“Dai mo kaipuhan na magin surupugon manungod digdi.”
“Iyo! Nagsayang ka nin 3 oras sakuya, nagsasabing dai ka nagtutubod sakuya. Nom, ‘say nagngingirit ngunyan.”
Napahangos nin hararom si Jia. “Ika baga.”
“Hamag yan, tama ako. Nagduman siguro to sa dalan na idto kun nagdalagan kita tibaad makua ta ‘to bago maglubog an saldang. Sa hiling ko nagwalat ini nin bakas, bayai akong busision an daga.”
“J, ano ‘tong pigsasabi ko?”
“Arin na parte?”
“Itong— nadarodara** ka sakuya.”
“Ah, hahahahaha mauragon man yan.”
“Ano?”
“Masinuba ka J, dapat komedyante ka talaga.”
“Boot daw na dai ka— uh—– romantikong interesado sakuya?”
Nagngisi nin makusog si Jaime kasabay kan pagkurahaw kan nilalang.
“Bako ka sana an sakuyang tipo.”
Note:
* – anwa means time in Old Bikol Sentral
** – darodara means fall in love in Bikol Sentral
=————————————-=
English Version
“You have to believe me! I saw it here, I promise!”
Jia rolled her eyes. It had been 2 hours since Jaime saw ‘something’ in the trees and decided to drag her along.
“It was probably a deer. Look, I haven’t seen anything that resembles the ‘thing’ that you saw. Can we please go back?”
“C’mon, just give it a bit more time, we’ll find it, I know we will!”
Jia wondered what ‘it’ he was getting at.
They had known each other since elementary school, but they only started to be friends in the first year of high school. Ever since then, they spent the majority of their time together, talking about their families and friends, the meaning of the stars, and what they thought their futures would be like.
High school was soon to be a distant memory. Their parents encouraged them to go to universities away from the province, to have a better future, or so they thought. Jaime had passed most of the university entrance test and settled on a school in Manila while Jia decided to go to Silliman University in Dumaguete.
In less than a month, they would go their separate ways. Sure, they might chat from time to time and see each other on holidays when they visit their families. But this was the end, and maybe Jaime just wanted a bit more time with her.
Or maybe…
‘Oh no. Oh god no.’ Jia thought.
She remembered the way he looked at her. In the past month something about it changed. Jaime was always one to worry too much about the future. Everything was overthought to the point of overwhelming him (and everyone close to him). But recently he was different. Gone were the soliloquies that she had gotten used to. It was just silence when they were around each other.
He had this romantic view about love that reality couldn’t compete with and maybe that’s why he never had a girlfriend. When they talked about the future, the topic of who they’d end up with would always come up.
Jia had always said that she didn’t care enough to actively seek someone. Dating apps were useless, online chats would end with her ghosting; one day someone she could handle would find her. In the meantime, she had her life to live.
Jaime, true to his nature, would end up with an hour-long spiel about how one should seek love in all places. It was funny and a little bit cute how he was just so sure about finding true love (or as true as a teenage boy could find).
But maybe he already did.
It all added up.
They’ve been alone for hours.
They’ve talked about their plans for university.
This may be the last time they might see each other.
‘He’s going to tell me he loves me’ Jia’s mind raced.
She thought about what she was going to say. If she told him she didn’t feel the same way it would break his heart, and she still loved him as a friend. Maybe she would say that that might be an option in the future, they could revisit it when they both became more mature. There was also the option of saying that she’d known him for so long that she couldn’t think of him as anything else other than a brother figure.
‘Okay’ she thought. ‘I can do this.’
“J, can we please stop?”
“Why, are you tired? We can take a small rest, maybe the thing’s tired too. We might catch up to it.”
“I know what this is really about.”
“It’s not a deer! I know deer, I’ve seen many different kinds of deer. Whatever this was, it wasn’t a deer.”
“Stop okay, I know this isn’t easy for you.”
“Huh?”
“We’re going to be apart after this month. Our paths might not ever cross again. You’re sending me on this wild chase because you want to tell me something.”
“Yes, I’m telling you that the thing is there and we can catch it!”
Jia motioned to a large rock and they both sat down. She had trouble looking him in the eye, but better she rip the band aid off now.
“I know you’re going to say you’re in love with me.”
“Of course I love you J. We’ve known each other since forever, I can’t imagine a better friend like you.”
“No, I mean. ‘Love me’ love me.”
“What?”
A split second later, out of the trees, a wild creature dashed in front of them. It was about the size of a large goat, with legs like a goat complete with hooves, but it walked on its hind legs. It had hair all over its body and in the afternoon light its face looked almost human. The creature jumped in front of the two and let out a shrill scream before bounding away back into the forest.
It took a few minutes before the shellshocked teenagers were able to form words. Jaime stood up and enjoyed his triumph.
“I told you! I knew it! It was real and I told you! Yes! Yes!”
“Oh my god it was actually real.”
“Yes! See? I wouldn’t make something like that up!”
“Okay, okay, you were right. What was that thing?”
“I don’t know but it sure as hell wasn’t a deer.”
“You don’t have to be so smug about it.”
“Yes I do! You spent 3 hours with me saying you don’t believe me. Well who’s laughing now.”
Jia sighed. “You are.”
“Damn right I am. It went that way if we run maybe we can get to it before sundown. I think it left a trail, let me check the ground.”
“J, what about what I said?”
“Which part?”
“The— you being in love with me one.”
“Oh, hahahahaha that was a good one.”
“What?”
“You’re full of jokes J, you should really be a comedian.”
“So you’re not— uh—– romantically interested in me?”
Jaime laughed as loud as the creature screamed.
“You’re just not my type.”
=——————————————————————=
*Central Bicol, commonly called Bicol Naga, is the most-spoken language in the Bicol Region of southern Luzon, Philippines. It is spoken in the northern and western part of Camarines Sur, second congressional district of Camarines Norte, eastern part of Albay, northeastern part of Sorsogon, San Pascual town in Masbate, and southwestern part of Catanduanes. Central Bicol speakers can be found in all provinces of Bicol and it is a majority language in Camarines Sur.
Written by Karl Gaverza
Bicol Translation by Joseph Villanueva Ciudadano
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Translation Copyright © Joseph Villanueva Ciudadano
Inspired by the Oguima description in Diccionario mitológico de Filipinas in Volume 2 of Retana, W.E. Archivo del bibliófilo filipino by Ferdinand Blumentritt (1895)
Oguima Illustration by Abe