*Note this story is in Masbatenyo
Permi na ni Arturo nababatian ina na kinasadtu na isturya na kung paano mapapaanad ina na klasi san hayup na tanan na gusto mu iya sususnod nadaw bagan suruguon.
An dapat mo lang na paga himuon kay makuha na dili nya aram an iya na tuloy na dulae na buhik sa ulo, samtang nakasakay sa iya likod na dli ka makita hasta na mag- udong siya sin kakalukso na bagan maabut na niya an langit kag pakadtu sa kabukidan kag hasta sa kadagatan sa kasakit na iya nababatyagan.
Samok- samok na an iya isip, kay tungod sa kinahanglan niya san kuwartakag an iya nalang nabibilin na aram niya himuon na makabulig saiya kay an tikbalang. Pero aram niya man sa sadiri na may dili man maayu na mangyayari saiya kay kabalyu sani kay an iya na buhay. Magkakaigwa sya san sakit, pero nanu paman ba an iya na kinahanglan na kahadlokan? Dati naman sya may sakit na ina batyag, bilang nalang an iya na nga oras kinahanglan na igwa siya san pagahimuon. Kay sa tungod na habo niya mawara siya sa kalibutan na utang an iya nga maibilin kag problema sa iya nga pamilya.
Tumindog si Arturo sa atubang san Puno san danakit kag tinawag niya ini na lumuwas saiya nga balay. Pira man ka oras na nagahulat siya kag iya inparakita didtu sa madulom, napaus nalang siya san kakasiyak. Tapos may bigla nagpakita.
” Hoy buang na tawo, nanu kay adi ka didi,” hunga sani saiya.
“Nagkadi ako para mapapaanad ka nakon.” Sabat man ni Arturo.
Tumawa an tikbalang san grabe sa iya na mga sinabina makaharadlok bation, na miski san-o dili niya pa nabatian sa bilog na buhay niya.
” Damu na san mga tawo an nagtisting na himuon ina saakon pero tanan sinda wara sinewertehan. Kag nanu man an sumulod sa utok mo na naisip mo ako na mapapaanad?”
” Dili na kinahanglan pa na isipon ina kay nanu, Basta kay ako hihimuon ko an akon na gusto.”
“Sige tistengan ta daw an katag mo.”
Linumpatan ni Arturo sa likodan an tikbalang, graben likot sani, kaya nalilisodan siya na makahuyot sa buhok sani. Hapit na makabuhi an mga kamot ni Arturo maayu nalang gani kay nakabalik huyot siya san maayu para dili siya mahulog. Inadumdum niya an iya na pamilya kag aram niya na kinahanglan sya sani. Kaya dili gaud pwede na wara siya san himuon para sainda.
Pira ka sigundo an natapos si Arturo maayus na niya ini na kinabayuhan sa likod samtang inahuyotan an buhok sani sa likod. Binugnot ni Arturo an una na dulae na buhik. Sumiyak-siyak san grabe an tikbalang sa sobra na kasakit, pero dili gihapon umuding si Arturo, dili niya ini inpansin.
“Nanu kay inahimu ninyu ini saakon ha ,tawo?” Kahuna koba mabuot ka.” Nagbilog an boses san tikbalang na makusog-kusog kasabay sani an iya kakalumpat-lumpat.
“Hihimuon ko ini para sa akon na pamilya, Basta dili moko masasabutan.” Ginalaom ni Arturo na mapugongan nya ini hasta sa makuha niya. Kay pagamay- gamay na nagaluya na an iya kusog. Nababatyagan na niya na nagahuros na siya sa likod sani. Kag batyag niya an iya nga dughab na grabe an tulin san pitik sani.
” Nanu aram ninyu na mga tawo sa pamilya? Nasiraan naba kamu san isip.”
“Wara ako pakiaram kung nanu imu paga-isip. Kinahanglan ko na may mahimu ako para sainda ”
“Daw nababahuan kona lapit kana mawara, bilang nala imu nga mga oras didi sa duta. Dili kana madugay, Tama hanu ako?”
Wara magsabay si Arturo. Kay Tama man an isturya san tikbalang, tuna sa tuna may ina dara-dara na siya na sakit, pero Yana dili na ina imporante, an imporante mapaanad niya an tikbalang.
Nabugnot na niya an panduha na dulae na buhik kag amu niya pala napansun wara na gali sinda sa umahan banda na kung Hain an danakit. Dili niya aram kung na sinda banda san kabukidan na indarhan sani san tikbalang, nabigla siya sa tanan na nangyayari dara nalang pod san iya na pagtaka.
” Anna! Reymark! Julia!”
” Naga ayu kaba san bulig sainda?”
“Dili! Nadumduman kolang kung kasin-o ko ini inahimu!”
” Miski sin- o dili ko gaud kamu na tawo maabutan.”
Kag didto medyu nagkunay-kunay an tikbalang san kakalukso kag kakalukot pero dili man ini nagdugay. Napansun ni Arturo na may asu didtu banda sa may danakit.
” Balay ko ina, pero san nag abut kamu,” nababatyagan ni Arturo na may kaurit ini basi sa boses sani. “An gusto ko manla tani pabay- an ninda ako mag-usad, pero nanu inda inhimu pati an balay ko inda pa ginlabutan. Pati an akon pamilya.”
May usad pa na bibilin na dulae na buhik. An pagahuyot nya sa buhok san tikbalang kay inbalhin nya sa may liog banda kay dili sya masyado nakakapugong maayu.
” Pamilya ko yana an mas importante,”
Nadumduman ni Arturo na an inda balay nakabaligya na kay para nakabayad sa mga bulong kag gasto sa pagkaospital niya, kag paano si Reymark kag Julia nagbalhin san eskwelahan dahil man saiya.
Inpiyung niya an iya nga mata kag nanghuyot san maayu sa tikbalang.
Hanalapit na mag maaga, nagapakita na gamay an sikat san adlaw kag dili makatuod siya na nakadugay siya sa likod san tikbalang. Nagaluya naman ini sa kakapoy, naghinat na an iya napagahiwag kag dili na gaud malikot-likot parehu sa una.
San pawa na gaud an adlaw napaingkod ini tungod sakakapoy sa atubang san danakit. Kinita sani si Arturo, na huyot na sani an tulo na dulae na buhik
“Nahimu mo,”
Napahuyot si Arturo sa iya nga dughab, nababatyagan niya naga piot ini sa kasakit hasta iya likod pakadtu sa iya nga liog. Nagatulin an iya napaga ginhawa pati iya nga ulo naga Gaan na.
Nagkuot siya sa iya nga bulsa kag inluwas niya an isad na piktyur.
“Luwasa sinda”
” Sige akon Ikaw pagasunodon.”
Tungod sana bigla na nawara an tikbalang. Naabutan na san sirak san adlaw si Arturo. Kag makikita mo man saiya nga bayhun na malipayun na siya tungod sa nahimu na niya an iya na handom.
“Salamat”.
=————————–=
Arturo had heard the stories before. How the creatures could be tamed to become your loyal servants.
All he had to do was snatch the three golden hairs at the top of its head and then stay on its back until it was done jumping into the sky and going over the mountains and seas, easier said than done.
He was desperate, he needed money and he knew that the tikbalang could help him. He also knew that they would not forget him if he failed. They brought sickness, but what did he need to fear? He was already sick, time was slipping away from him and he needed something to hold on to. He didn’t want to leave his family behind with debt and regret.
Arturo stood in front of the Balete tree and called the creature out. It had been hours staring in the dark, his throat almost raw from shouting, but then he saw a figure.
“Foolish human, why have you come here,” the figure said.
“I am here to tame you,” was Arturo’s reply.
A wild laughter erupted from the creature, like nothing Arturo had ever heard before.
“Many humans have tried and failed. What makes you think you will be the one to tame me?”
“It doesn’t matter what I think, only what I will do.”
“Very well then.”
Arturo launched himself at the tikbalang, its chaotic movement challenging his grip. Arturo arms seemed to be failing him, but he held on. He thought about his family and how they needed him. He would not let them down.
Arturo managed to position himself holding the creature by the mane.
He picked the first golden hair. The tikblang screamed in pain, but Arturo didn’t mind it.
“Why are you doing this, human? I thought we were forgotten by your kind.” The creature’s wild movements matched the tone of its voice.
“I’m doing this for my family, something you will never understand.” Arturo hoped his strength would last, already he felt like he was slipping. He could feel his heart beating through his chest.
“What do humans know of family? All your kind does is destroy.”
“I don’t care what you think. I have to leave something behind for them.”
“I thought I smelled the stench of death upon you. You don’t have long do you, human?”
Arturo didn’t answer. Since the diagnosis, his whole life was defined by his sickness, today that didn’t matter. Nothing did except taming the tikbalang.
He picked the second hair and saw that they weren’t in the field with the Balete tree anymore. He didn’t recognize the mountain that the creature had taken them to, and he shook off the curiosity.
“Anna! Reymark! Julia!”
“Asking for help, human?”
“I’m remembering who I’m doing this for!”
“I will never understand creatures like you.” The creature calmed down just a bit, long enough for Arturo to look at the burnt husk of what he thought was a balete tree.
“That used to be my home, that is, until your kind came along” Arturo could sense the disgust in the tikbalang’s voice “All I wanted was to be left alone, but they took my home. My family.”
There was still one more hair left. The tikblanag’s mane didn’t give him a lot of traction, and he held tight against the creature’s neck.
“My family is all that matters.” Arturo remembered how they had to sell their house to pay for the medical bills, how Reymark and Julia had to transfer school because of him. He closed his eyes and gripped against the tikbalang.
The rising sun was visible in the distance and Arturo was surprised he lasted hours on the tikbalang’s back. The creature was getting tired, its movements slower and less erratic.
As the sun rose the tikbalang fell exhausted in front of its Balete tree. It looked at Arturo, now holding its three golden hairs.
“You have won.”
Arturo clutched at his chest; he could feel the pressure building up in his heart, spreading to his back and neck. His breaths were rapid, and his head felt light.
He reached into his pocket and took out a photo.
“….save them.”
“I will obey.”
With that, the tikbalang disappeared. Sunlight rested on Arturo, his face showing a look of contentment. He allowed himself one last smile.
“Thank you.”
=———————=
*Masbateño or Minasbate is a Bicol-Visayan language spoken by more than 600,000 people, primarily in the province of Masbate in the Philippines. It is very close to Capiznon, Hiligaynon/Ilonggo and Waray-Waray, all three spoken in Visayas. It is considered a Bisakol language, meaning a language intermediate between Visayan languages and Bicolano languages.
Written by Karl Gaverza
Masbatenyo Translation by Angel Papilosa
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Translation Copyright © Angel Papilosa
Inspired by the Tikbalang description in Creatures of Philippine Lower Mythology. Ramos. 1971.
Tikbalang Illustration by Ysa Penas