*Note this story is in Bicol-Naga
“Magigibo ko ini sa laog nin duwang minuto. Pirang piye na sana an harayo pasiring sa sunod na edipisyo asin marikas akong makakadalagan.” Namamatean mo an pitik kan saimong puso na nag-aalingahot sa saimong mga bitis, an saimong mga kamot malilipot asin ginaganot, asin an lipot sa saimong taludtod yaon na dyan sa laog nin sarong oras. An mga kusog sa saimong mga bitis nagpopoon nang mag-higot asin huminangos ka nin sarong hararom na hinangos bago magpoon kan saimong pagdalagan.
“Ini an tibaad huring hinangos ko.” An adrenaline nag-aagi sa saimong hawak. An lambang lakdang nagpapamate saimo na ika an pinakamarikas na tawo sa kinaban. Nguminirit an saimong lalawgon. “Ini na!” iniisip mo, “Nakagibo ako kaiyan!” An saimong obheto pira na sanang lakdang an harayo.
“O, dai.” Dai mo aram kun paano ini nakaabot duman na marikas. Sigurado kang marhay na malalampasan mo ini. An babae naghihiling saimo na may nakakurahat an mapula niyang mga mata asin an saiyang makatatakot na lalawgon nagbutas nin sarong kurahaw. “Dai!” An boses sa saimong payo nagkukururahaw man na “Dai dapat arog kaini!”
An saimong mga bitis dinadara ka sa ibong na direksyon, pabalik sa medyo ligtas na kahoy. “Taano ta dai ako nagpirme sa laog kan harong?” An mga desisyon gabos nagpopoon na magbalik tanganing mag-patakot saimo. “Taano ta dai ako nagpoon na magdalagan?”, “Taano ta yaon ako sa lugar na ini?”, “Taano ta dai ako nagdangog kan nagkaigwa ako nin pagkakataon.” An mga boses sa saimong payo dai mapundo sa pagkurahaw.
An kahoy mahihihiling na ngonyan. “Dai ini makakalampas sa mga sanga.” Narealisar mo na mayo pang limang minuto poon kan magpoon kang magdalagan. Mayo pang limang minuto an makakagibo nin pagkakaiba sa pag-ultanan ngonyan asin kan natatada pang parte kan saimong buhay.
“Saro pang lakdang asin yaon na ako duman.” Sarong huring pagdalagan sana asin dai ka na kaini madadakop. Igwa nin sarong momento nin pagduda bago ka mag-laog sa irarom kan kahoy asin bumagsak sa mga ugat. Dai mo namamatian an kulog huli sa saimong adrenaline. “Buhay pa ako.” Dai ka pa nanggad nagin mas mapagpasalamat.
Sagkod na ibugtak mo an saimong kamot sa saimong daghan. “Dai, dai, dai…” An saimong isip nagdadalagan. “Dai kuta ini nagin arog kaiyan karikas.” An dugo nagpupuon nang magbulos sa saimong mga moro pasiring sa iba pang parte kan saimong mga gubing. “Nakagibo ako, dapat ligtas ako.”
Inuruutro mo an mga tataramon na iyan sa saimong payo sagkod na magkaigwa nin sobrang pagkawara nin dugo.
“Dapat ligtas ako.” Iyan an saimong naisip bago ka nagkaturog, tibaad sa huring pagkakataon.
=———————-=
English Version
“I can make it in two minutes. It’s only a few feet to the next building and I can run fast.” You can feel your heartbeat reverberate to your feet, your hands are cold and sweaty and the chill down your spine has been there for the better part of an hour. The muscles in your legs start to tighten and you take one deep breath before starting your sprint.
“This might be the last breath I’ll ever take.” The adrenaline surges through your body. Each step makes you feel like you’re the fastest person in the world. Your face betrays a smile, “This is it!” you think, “I made it!” Your objective is just a few steps away.
“Oh no.” You don’t know how it got there so fast. You were so sure that you were going to outrun it. The woman stares at you with her bulging red eyes and her hideous face twists in a scream. “No!” The voice in your head shouts “It wasn’t supposed to be this way!”
Your legs take you in the opposite direction, back to the relative safety of the tree. “Why didn’t I stay indoors?” The decisions all start coming back to haunt you “Why didn’t I take up running?”, “Why am I in this place?”, “Why didn’t I listen when I had the chance.” The voices in your head won’t stop screaming.
The tree is in sight now. “It won’t be able to get past the branches.” You realize it’s been less than five minutes since you started running. Less than five minutes would make the difference between now and the rest of your life.
“One more step and I’m there.” Just one last dash and it won’t be able to grab you. There is a moment of doubt before you lunge under the tree and crash into the roots. You don’t feel much of the pain because of your adrenaline. “I’m still alive.” You’ve never been more grateful.
Until you put your hand to your chest. “No, no, no…” Your mind trails off. “It couldn’t have been that fast.” The blood starts to trickle down your fingers onto the rest of your clothes. “I made it, I’m supposed to be safe.”
You repeat those words in your head until there’s too much blood loss.
“I should be safe.” Was what you thought before you closed your eyes, maybe for the last time.
=——————————=
*Central Bicol, commonly called Bicol Naga, is the most-spoken language in the Bicol Region of southern Luzon, Philippines. It is spoken in the northern and western part of Camarines Sur, second congressional district of Camarines Norte, eastern part of Albay, northeastern part of Sorsogon, San Pascual town in Masbate, and southwestern part of Catanduanes. Central Bicol speakers can be found in all provinces of Bicol and it is a majority language in Camarines Sur.
Written by Karl Gaverza
Bicol Translation by Dominador N. Marcaida Jr.
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Translation Copyright © Dominador N. Marcaida Jr.
Inspired by the Abat entry in Creatures of Philippine Lower Mythology. Ramos. 1971.
Abat illustration by Leandro Geniston from Aklat ng mga Anito
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