*Note this story is in Hiligaynon
Ang babayi kabalo kung ano ang iya ginahimo.
Kabalo gid siya permi.
Pagpasa lang gid sang sumpa ang paagi para maka halin sya sa iya pagkakalain nga pagluntad.
Isa lang gid sa ila pamilya ang maka kuha sang sumpa.
Kag dira na masulod si Anita.
Abi ya ang mga ulu-istorya pang imahinasyon lang gid, kay si lola Ading may dimentia kag ang tanan sa kaparientihan gina entirtenar lang ang iya mga delusyon.
Si lola naga pakitlo-oy kag naga puru-gait sang kasakit kada-gabi.
Ang mga paka-isahan naga bulos-bulos tinlo kag pakig-istorya sa iya.
Subong nga gabi ang turno ni Anita sa pag tinlo kag pakig-istorya kay lola.
Naka basa si Anita nahanungod sa “X linked Dystonia Parkinsonism” Kag nag huna-huna sya nga amo ni ang may ara si lola, dugang sa iya nga dementia. Ini kalabanan tungod sang pag tig-a sang kaso-kasoan kag sang kabilogan nya nga kamot kag tiil.
Gusto ini pabalo ni Anita sa iya pamilya, nga basi pwede si lola dal-on sa isa ka pasilidad nga kung sa diin pwede sya matatapan oras-oras.
Pero subong nga gabi, lain.
Sa una nga beses nga si lola maayo ang huna-huna.
Gin isturyahan nila ang sang una nga kung sa diin bata pa si Anita, nahanungod nga kung paano nangin lantaran nga sekreto ang iya pagka paborito nga apo.Bisan pa ang mga topiko nga di dapat storyahan pereho sang topiko nga tama lang ang pagka palahubog ni Tiyoy Boy . Nagaluha ang mga mata ni Anita. Amo ini ang lola nga kilala ya, ang lola nga palangga ya
Naka istoryahanay gid sila sang maayo sa kagab-ihon kag si Anita naka tulog
Pag bugtaw niya nagsugod gid nga matabo ang makahaladlok
Si lola naga patong na sa kay Anita, nag tigbayliw na ang tigulang.
Daw wala sya sang mga kaso-kasoan, naga dukoy dukoy sya kag ang iya baba naga nga-nga
Nangibabaw ang kahadlok ni Anita. Nag lumpat sya sa katre kag nag dalagan paguha.
Madasig sya nga nag liko, adrenalina ang nag bulig sa iya palagyo
Nag lipas ang isa ka oras kag nagbalikid sya, kag napuno sya sang katingalahan.
Waay na nag lagas si lola
Nag balik na sa insakto ang pang huna-huna ni Anita kag nag panumdum kung ano ang dapat niya himoon
Gin uyatan ni Anita ang iya telepono sang hugot kag gin tawgan si Enrique, ang pakaisa niya nga malapit sa iya.
Ang iya mga luha naga tulo-lo sa duta.
Pagkatapos ya istorya, nag sabat lang si Enrique sang,“ikaw man?”
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English Version
The woman knew what she was doing.
She always knew.
Passing on the curse was the only way out of this wretched existence.
Only one of their family is able to take the curse.
And that’s where Anita came in.
She thought the tales were pure imagination, the lola Ading had dementia and the rest of the clan were entertaining her delusions.
Lola begged and screamed in pain almost every night.
The cousins took turns cleaning and talking to her.
Tonight was Anita’s turn.
She had read about X linked Dystonia Parkinsonism and she thought that might be what lola had, in addition to the dementia. This was mostly due to the stiffening of the joints and the general rigidity of her extremities.
Anita was going to bring it up to the family, that maybe lola could go to an assisted living facility where she could get around the clock care.
But tonight was different.
For the first time in a while lola was lucid.
They talked about Anita’s childhood, about how her being the favorite grandchild was an open secret. Even taboo topics like Tito Boy’s alcoholism were fair game. Anita had tears in her eyes. This was the lola she knew, the one she loved.
They talked well into the night and Anita dozed off.
When she awoke the horror began.
Lola was over Anita, the old woman’s form twisted.
It was as if she had no joints, she hobbled over with her mouth agape.
Anita was overcome with fear. She jumped out of bed and ran outside.
She reached a sharp turn, adrenaline fueling her escape.
An hour passed and she looked back and confusion filled her.
Lola did not give chase.
Anita got her bearings and thought about what she would do.
Anita held her phone tight and called Enrique, the cousin she was closest to.
Her tears were dripping on the ground.
After she told her story, he just replied, “You too?”
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The Hiligaynon language, also colloquially referred often by most of its speakers simply as Ilonggo, is an Austronesian regional language spoken in the Philippines by about 9.1 million people, mainly in Western Visayas and SOCCSKSARGEN, most of whom belong to the Visayan ethnic group, mainly the Hiligaynons. It is the second-most widely spoken language and a member of the so-named Visayan language family and is more distantly related to other Philippine languages.
Written by Karl Gaverza
Hiligaynon translation by Luke Advincula
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Translation Copyright © Luke Advincula
Inspired from the Ameanhig description in Philippine Demonological Legends and their Cultural Bearings and The Aswang Complex in Philippine Folklore, Maximo Ramos, 1990, Phoenix Publishing
Illustration by Klyde Sosa used with permission from Rob Martin of Pine Box Entertainment and Secret Garden Games
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