*Note this story is in Chavacano Zamboanga
Un noche, un cuago ya man tika de este cabeza desde un gueco na pono. El ulan ya man hinay na un taliti.
Siendo con hambre, ya estrecha este su maga alaz y ya vola na maga rama donde puede este encontra presa.
Ya imagina este su una sena este noche, quilaya hinde ya este ta puede espera machaca su presa y traga con este entero. El idea ya hace conele realmente almareao.
Ahora el cuago tiene bien bueno sentido de oida, de echo este experto oi maskin el pinakadiutay movimiento para cogi de este presa.
Mientras ya vola este encima de un sitio, ya puede este oi un sonor familiar.
El claro ritmo de ‘kik kik kik’.
Ay hinde era con este pone atencion el cuago como igual este pirmi ta hace, pero este curioso y ta queda ya fuerte el ulan. El maga cuago de vejes ya habla con el maga bata que este maga criatura hinde ta mete kanila, solamente na maga gente. Ya describe sila con detalle de este largo lengua, perchando na maga techo de maga casa de gente y el diila sonor otro clase.
Cerrando de este maga ojos, el cuago ya concentra para busca dond estaba el sonor, acordando cosa debe este busca.
Cuantos momentos despues, este confianza que ya puede loca donde el criatura.
Entonces, ya esta este donde el ventana y ya mira con el maga siguiente suceso.
Tiene tres gente ta dormi na costao de a uno’y otro. Un bata, un mujer que claro kay preñada y un hombre.
Maskin entrey alboroto del ulan, el cuago claro ta puede oi el sonor del tulo del un liquid na barriga del mujer. El cuago ya mira con ele levanta y pone tabo donde le parte. El mujer ya move y ya encontra otro lugar donde para dormi, pero otra vez el cuago ta puede oi el tulo ta tupa na su barriga na un tempo familiar.
Y aqui ya queda listo el orejas del cuago.
Y talla. ‘kik kik kik’
Dol aquel este un hutik, como el sonor ya traveza grande distancia para llega na diila maga orejas.
Ya enfria el sangre del cuago.
El hombre y el bata ya desperta na sonor y por instinto, el hombre ya saca un bolo y ya corre pa afuera.
Ya vola el cuago en frente del casa para mira cosa hace el hombre.
Ya grita el hombre, “Si ebo hinde deja dimiyo familia, ay anda yo na de bos casa mañana!” Este mientras ta taya le con su bolo el ulan.
En seguidas este ya para, y el cuago ta oi ya lang el taliti mientras ta dale este baña con el luna del medianoche.
El criatura ya sale, incapaz de sacar de este comida, y el cuago ya habla su cuerpo na este ay hinde socede conele este noche.
Mientras el cuago ya vola para busca presa, este ya pensa:
Sabe ba gayot el hombre donde el casa del tiktik?
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English Version
One night, an owl poked its head out of its tree hole. The rain was weakening into a manageable shower.
Hungry as it was, it stretched its wings and flew to the perches where it could find prey.
It imagined its first meal of the night, how it couldn’t wait to crush their prey and swallow it whole. The thought made it positively giddy.
Now the owl had a very good sense of hearing, in fact it was adept at listening for even the slightest hints of movement to catch their quarry.
As it flew over a human village it heard a familiar sound.
The unmistakable cadence of ‘kik kik kik’.
The owl would have ignored it as it always had, but it was curious and the rain was starting to get stronger. The elder owls told the young that these creatures are harmless to their kind, only targeting humans. They described in detail the long tongue, perching on the roofs of human houses and their confusing sound.
Closing its eyes, the owl concentrated to find the source of the sound, remembering what it should be looking for.
After a few moments it was confident that it located where the creature would be.
So, it stayed by the window and watched the events unfold.
There were three humans sleeping side by side. One child, a woman that was clearly pregnant and a man.
Even through the noise of the raindrops the owl could clearly hear the sound of some liquid dropping on the stomach of the woman. The owl saw her stand up and put a dipper where she was. The woman moved and found another place to sleep, but again the owl could hear the same sound of droplets hitting her stomach in a familiar tempo.
And then the owl’s ears piqued.
There it was. ‘kik kik kik’
It was almost like a whisper, as if the sound traveled great distances to settle on their ears.
The owl’s blood ran cold.
The man and the child both woke up to the sound and almost through instinct the man grabbed a bolo and rushed outside.
The owl flew to the front of the house to see what the man would do.
The man shouted “If you don’t leave my family, I will go to your house tomorrow!” All the while swinging his bolo through the rain.
And in an instant, it stopped, the owl could only hear the pitter-patter of the drizzle as it washed over the midnight moon.
The creature left, unable to get its meal, and the owl scoffed and told itself that wasn’t going to happen to it tonight.
As the owl flew to its hunting grounds it wondered.
Did the man really know where the tiktik’s house was?
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*Chavacano or Chabacano refers to a number of Spanish-based creole language varieties spoken in the Philippines. The variety spoken in Zamboanga City, located in the southern Philippine island group of Mindanao, has the highest concentration of speakers. Chavacano is the only Spanish-based creole in Asia.
Written by Karl Gaverza
Chavacano-Zamboangueño Translation by Marion Bais Guerrero
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Translation Copyright © Marion Bais Guerrero
Story inspired by a story told by Gil Geolingo
Tiktik Illustration by Gil Geolingo