*Note this story is in Waray-Ninorte Samarnon
“Kinahanglan naton magpadayon” gin-aagda ak ni Manuel nga magpadayon kudi kay pagal naak. May mga pira na hani kaoras am’ pagdinalagan bagan waray la kasayuran kun matatalwas paba labi dida nga namatay naman si Johann.
Nagdudagan ak kasing-kasing. Diri ko aram kun hain iton, kudi aram ko nga nag – ininaw iton sa amon. Malan kinaruruyagan siton Mantahungal pagdinugyatan iya pagkaon, nababati namon ni Manuel an tunog san iya mga kulo sa kada paglalarang namon sin pagpahuway.
Hugot kaupay an kakapot ni Manuel san iya pusil bisan nano sin kabatid sini nga butang, diri ini matugbang san bala nga maupay an kabutang, kudi mas maupay nala nga matalwas kay nga magbasol. Nawara na si Johann ngan diri na gud matugot nga makaghimo na liwat sin kapakyasan.
Katutnga na san kagab-ihon ngan kadayaw an bulan. An hayag sini nagbulig sa amon pakadto sa kagurangan. Ginpakadto kami ni Manuel san baybayon, didto mayda sin mga lungib nga pwede namon pahuwayan nga masisirungan ngadto pag-abot san kaagahon. Kunta umabat man sin kapaglanan iton Mantahungal ngan pumakadto sin lain nga dapit.
Sayod si Manuel kun ano an ak kapaglanan ngan gintagan ak niya sin Lima ka minutos pagpahuway antes kami magdayon. Sini nga takna naiimod ko na an hayag san bulan na natugdon sa baras sa baybayon ngan nagginhawa ak sin halarom. Makakagawas kita dinhi nga buhi pa gihapon.
Masayonay la hanapon an lungib. Sa sulod sin tunga kaoras nakapanginano na kami sin kampo ngan suwerte gudla nga aada pa tanan na amon kinahanglanon nga higamit. Nagkahampang si Manuel ug ako nga magsaliwanay kami pagbantay. Para mas mas masayon nga madepensahan an amon kalugaringon kun sudlon kami siton Mantahungal sa lungib.
Ako an una nga maturno, nabubug-atan akon kamot siton pusil, kudi kay si Manuel an nag giya sa amon sa kagurangan sin pira ka oras. Buot la nga siya naman an pumahuway. Pinmwesto ak sa atubangan siton sada san lungib ngan naghinulat. Sa pira la ka oras in masirang na an adlaw ngan dida namon mababaroan kun nano an sunod nga amon pagbubuhaton..
“Malan rudal ka.” Nababati ko in tingog sin babaye gikan sa kun diin. Tingali hunahuna ko la. Ini nga dapit in waray ‘unta nalastar. Pagal naak sin tuda para makapanumdom sin maupay.
“Sssshh. Oras na para kumaturog.” Nababati ko na liwat an tingog. Sini nga takna, mas murayaw na ini. Nababati ko ini nga naharantiyaw sa bug-os nga lungib.
“Pahuwayi, waray na kabarak-an.” Naaaraman ko nga nagigirik-irik an akon mga mata san bug-at. Bisan pa ak nahihingagaw tungod san ak mga nababati, diri gihapon makadahig in pira ka minuto. Mahihigamata manta ak dayon.
Ginpiyong ko ak mata.
An adlaw nga suba natama sa akon kahimo ngan nagpapabugtaw sa akon. Malan maupay man an tanan, waray nagbag-o san sada ngan bagan ginbayaan na kami san Mantahungal. Ginbuot ko nga pukawon si Manuel ngan planohon an masunod nga bubuhaton .
Mayaon usa nga problema.
Waray na siya.
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English Version
“We need to keep moving,” Manuel tries to encourage me to keep going but I’m too tired. We’ve been running for hours and it doesn’t seem like we’re any safer than when Johann died.
My heart is racing. I don’t know where it is, but I know it’s watching us. The Mantahungal seems to like playing with its food, Manuel and I can hear the sound of its hooves whenever we try to rest.
Manuel holds his shotgun close and no matter how smart this thing is, it won’t be a match for a well-placed bullet, but it’s better to be safe and sorry. We already lost Johann and there’s no way we’re going to make any mistakes with that thing around.
It’s already midnight and the moon is full. The added light helps us move through the jungle. Manuel’s leading us toward the coast, there are caves in the area and we can stay in one of them for shelter until the morning comes. I hope by then the Mantahungal gets tired and moves on to something else.
Manuel can see how tired I am and he gives us five minutes to rest before we continue. At this point I can see the moonlight settling on the sand at the beach and I breathe a sigh of relief. We’re going to make it out of here alive after all.
The cave wasn’t hard to find. Within half an hour we were able to set up something resembling a camp and thankfully we still had all our supplies. Manuel and I decided on taking turns keeping watch. We would be able to hear the Mantahungal if it entered the cave, making it easier to defend ourselves.
I take the first shift, the shotgun feels heavy in my hands, but Manuel’s been leading us through the jungle for hours. He deserves a break. I take position by the cave entrance and wait. Sunrise should be in a few hours anyway and we can figure out what we’re going to do then.
“You seem tired.” I hear a woman’s voice from somewhere. I’m probably hearing things. This whole are is supposed to be uninhabited. I’m too tired to think clearly anyway.
“Sssshh. It’s time to go to sleep.” I hear the voice again. This time it sounds a lot calmer. I can hear it echoing through the cave.
“Go rest, everything’s all right.” I can feel my eyelids getting heavier. Even if I am hearing things a few minutes won’t make a difference. I’ll just wake up right after.
I close my eyes.
The morning sun hits my face and wakes me up. Everything seems to be okay, the entrance is undisturbed and looks like the Mantahungal left us alone. I decide to wake Manuel up and plan our next move.
There’s only one problem.
He’s gone.
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*Waray is the fifth-most-spoken native regional language of the Philippines, native to Eastern Visayas. It is the native language of the Waray people and second language of the Abaknon people of Capul, Northern Samar and some Cebuano-speaking peoples of eastern and southern parts of Leyte island. It is the third most spoken language among the Visayan languages, only behind Hiligaynon and Cebuano.
Written by Karl Gaverza
Waray translation by Angelica Cardenas
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Translation Copyright © Angelica Cardenas
Story inspired by ‘The Fairy and the Fisherman’ in Philippine Folk Literature: The Legends. Eugenio. 2002.
Bulalacao Illustration by Nadine Cabe
Watercolor by Mykie Concepcion