*Note this story is in Cebuano
Naa koy bagong amiga.
Iyang pangalan kay Aura unya bata pod sya parihas nako pero karon pako kakita niya diris amo.
Na tingala ko ana niya sauna kay sigeg bitbit ug payong bisag asa sya muadto pero nawala na dayon akong mga ingunana nga pag huna huna katong iya kong gi kuyog ug lupad gamit sa iyang payong. Lingaw kaayo to!
Niana to sya pwede mi mag dula sa ilang balay dayon iya kong gidala ug dakong bato. Abi nako ga binuang ra sya pero pag hikap niya sa bato kay nahimo dayon ug dakong palasyo. Nakuratan kog minaayo!
Katong papuli nako daghan kaayo syag gihatag nako nga mga sinsilyo nga pilak dayon iya kong gipa saad nga wala koy ingnan kung asa nako nakuha. Niana sya nga enki-… enko…. Engkantada sya dayon kung naa koy ingnan kay daghang mga daotan ang mahitabo nako.
Akong gitago ang mga sinsilyo sa ilalom sa akong katre pero murag dili man to maayo nga mga sinsilyo. Sukad sa pag dawat nako atong mga sinsilyo kay sii Lola nagka sakit dayon ni padulong na dayon sa langit. Si kuya kay na aksidente sa sakyanan dayon karon naa syas hospital. Si Mama kay nikuyog ni kuya pero murag padulong napod to syag sakit.
Ganahan ko mutugan ni Papa tungod ni Aura kay basun naa syay gihimo pero kada gabie, sa gawas sa akong bintana, kay maka dungog kos hangin ug sa iyang payong.
Maka dungog kos iyang agikik.
Murag dili kaayo sya maayo nga amiga.
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English Version
I made a new friend.
Her name was Aura, she was a kid just like me but I never saw her around the neighborhood before.
I thought it was strange that she always carried an umbrella around, but then she took me flying with it. It was so much fun!
She told me we could play in her house and she took me to this big rock. I thought she was joking but when she touched it, it turned into a big palace. I was so surprised!
When I was about to leave she gave me so many silver coins and she made me promise not to tell anyone where I got them. She told me she was an enki-… enko…. engkantada and that bad things would happen to me if I told on her.
I kept the coins under my bed but I don’t think they were good coins. Since then, Lola got sick and went to heaven. Kuya had a car crash and now he’s in the hospital. Mama’s with him but I think she’s getting sick too.
I want to tell Papa about Aura and that maybe she did something, but every night I can hear the sound of the wind and her umbrella outside my window.
I can hear her laughing.
I don’t think she’s a very good friend.
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*The Cebuano language, alternatively called Cebuan and also often colloquially albeit informally referred to by most of its speakers simply as Bisaya (“Visayan”, not to be confused with other Visayan languages nor Brunei Bisaya language), is an Austronesian regional language spoken in the Philippines by about 21 million people, mostly in Central Visayas, western parts of Eastern Visayas and most parts of Mindanao, most of whom belong to various Visayan ethnolingusitic groups, mainly the Cebuanos. It is the by far the most widely spoken of the Visayan languages, which are in turn part of wider the Philippine languages. The reference to the language as Bisaya is not encouraged anymore by linguists due to the many languages within the Visayan language group that may be confused with the term.
Written by Karl Gaverza
Cebuano Translation by Pia Villareal
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Translation Copyright © Pia Villareal
Story inspired by:
“The Fairy Maiden” in Philippine Folk Literature: The Legends. Eugenio. 2002.
Aura Illustration and Colors by Rabbit Heart
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