*Note this story is in Chavacano Zamboanga
“Este ya el lugar.”
Ya agarra si Miguel su primero pescao y ya resolla ondo. Grande el pescao, bien bale gad era manda envidia con aquellos otro pescadores, pero para otro día ya lang anay.
Ta resa ele el “panangyatang” y no quiere le manda man distorbo.
“Nono*, este pescao ya puede yo cogi, mi ofrenda, por favor recibi”
Ya espera si Miguel, necesita respeta el tradicion y mira hasta caba ele come su pescao.
Un hora ya pasa, y despues ya mira le el cajon. El su ofrenda ya acepta y ya volve ya ele na maga ondo parte para caba come su comida.
No sabe si Miguel si cuando gayot ya empieza el tradicion. Ta asombra lang ele pirmi, porque necesita dale el una cogida, maski pakilaya pa de grande.
Sabe ele na el cayuman amigo del aswang y ta come carne de gente cuando ta tiene hambre, pero simple miedo hinde bastante para explica el “panangyatang”.
Este respeto, puro y simple. Tiene cosa sobre el cayuman na ta manda dale reverencia con ele.
Ya pensa ele porque ta llama con el cayuman ‘nono’.
Baka gente ele antes, un maldicion del dios, y ta busca ele respeto del su maga descendientes.
Baka ele un espiritu vagante na ta lleva un abunda cogida de pescao con ellos quien ta recuerda el tradicion.
Baka ele un bestia sangriento na necesita alimenta antes ele empesa busca carne de gente.
Y cosa sobre aquel cajon na su detras? Ta guarda ba le su victimas alli hasta el hora de come, o baka tiene cosa mas misterioso ta sucede?
Maski cosa pa el contestacion, Alegre si Miguel na hinde ele el adentro del cajon, y mas alegre ele na pa volvida ya ele para su casa.
“Adios nono, hasta el proximo vez,” ya susurra ele suave con el rio.
- Nono: Means grandfather or ghost
=———————–=
English Version
“This is the spot.”
Miguel reached for his first catch and breathed deep. It was a large fish, something that he would be proud to show to the other fishermen, but pride could wait another day.
He was performing the panangyatang and he would not be disturbed.
“Nono* I present this catch to you. Please accept my offering.”
Miguel waited, he had to respect the tradition by witnessing it finish eating his catch.
An hour passed, then he saw the box. The offering had been accepted and it would be going back to the depths to enjoy its meal.
Miguel didn’t know when the tradition started. He always wondered why fishermen would give up their first catch, no matter how big.
He knew that the buwaya was a friend to the aswang and partook of human flesh when it was particularly hungry, but simple fear wasn’t enough to explain the panangyatang.
This was respect, pure and simple. There was something about the buwaya that commanded reverence. He thought to the reason why the buwaya was called ‘grandfather’.
Maybe it was human once, cursed by the gods, and it seeks the respect of its descendants.
Maybe it is a wandering spirit bringing a bountiful catch to those that remember the traditions.
Maybe it is a bloodthirsty beast that needs to be fed before it seeks out human prey.
And what of the box on its back? Does it just keep its victims there, until it is time to feed, or is there something more mysterious at work?
Whatever the answers, Miguel was glad not to be in that box, and even gladder that he was on his way home.
“Goodbye nono, until the next time,” he whispered softly to the river.
*Means grandfather or ghost
=———————-=
*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 Iñigo Jaldon
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Translation Copyright Iñigo Jaldon
Inspired by the buwaya description in El Folk-lore Filipino. Isabelo de los Reyes, trans. Dizon and Peralta-Imson. 1994. (Original Spanish Manuscript Printed 1889)
Buwaya Illustration by Kael Molo of Agla – The Graphic Novel