*Note this story is in Ilocano
Sabali a purok, sabali manen a masaker.
Mangtedak iti naulimek a daton kadagiti espiritu dagiti pimmanaw, ngem ammok nga awan metlang serbinan. Siasinoman a kararua nga agtaltalinaed koma ket kinnan dagiti Gatui. Napnuan dara iti aglawlaw, magmagnaak iti panagpipinnatay ken makitak ti kinamanagpakatawa iti daytoy a gundaway.
Agkaiwara iti nagado nga ulo. Kasla naputed dagitoy ti wasay a kas iti us-usaren dagiti mammugot. Binalbaliwan da dagiti Gatui dagidiay guardiada. Impagarup dagiti pumurok a sabali laeng a panangraut dayta. Kayatko a panunoten nga indepensada ti bagbagida, ngem awan met ti depensa kadagiti espiritu ti ipatay.
Madik ammo no apay nga sursurutek isuda, dagiti Gatui ken dagiti adipenda. Siak laeng ti nabatbati a sibibiag kalpasan a dinadaelda ti purokmi. Intedmi kadakuada dagiti umno a daton, inaramidmi amin nga umiso.
Pinagpapatay da kami latta.
Ti laeng nangngegko ket diay katawada kalpasan a niraot na diay puso ni manongko ket agkakatawada. Isu laeng ti malagipko agingga a simmipnget laeng ti makitakon.
Awan nabati kaniak itan. Saan a bayat nga aggargarawda. Naminsan imbaga ni nanangko kaniak a dagiti Gatui ket dios ti angaw a kas met laeng iti dios ni patay.
Paset ti biagko ti mangipagarup a no surotek latta isuda maalak diay panagrabak.
=—————–=
English Version
Another village, another massacre.
I give a silent offering to the spirits of the departed, but I know it is useless. Any souls that would have lingered were eaten by the Gatui. The air is thick with blood, I walk through the carnage and I see the humor this time.
Heads, everywhere. It seems like they were cut by an axe, like the ones the headhunters use. The Gatui must have transformed their guards. The villagers must have thought it was just another raid. I want to think they defended themselves, but there’s no defense against the spirits of death.
I don’t know why I follow them, the Gatui and their servants. I was the only one left alive after they devastated my village. We gave them the proper offerings, we did everything right.
They slaughtered us anyway.
All I heard after they ripped the heart out of my brother’s chest was their laughter. It rang in my skull until all I saw was black.
There is nothing left for me now. Not while they roam. My mother once told me that the Gatui are as much gods of jokes as they are gods of death.
Part of me thinks that if I keep following them I’ll get the joke.
=——————–=
*Ilocano is the third most-spoken local language of the Philippines.An Austronesian language, it is related to such languages as Malay (Indonesian and Malaysian), Tetum, Chamorro, Fijian, Maori, Hawaiian, Samoan, Tahitian, Paiwan and Malagasy. It is closely related to some of the other Austronesian languages of Northern Luzon, and has slight mutual intelligibility with the Balangao language and the eastern dialects of the Bontoc language.
Written by Karl Gaverza
Translation by Nelmar A. Mallari, MDC
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Translation Copyright © Nelmar A. Mallari, MDC
Inspired by the Kikilan description in Philippine Mythology by Jocano.1969.
Kikilan Illustration by Leandro Geniston from Aklat ng mga Anito
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