*Note this story is in Hiligaynon
Isa naman ka subasta ang masugod. Ang curator naanad sa mga piyesa nga mas makahaladlok sang sa artistiko, apang ini ang isa nagpakurog sa iya lawas.
Ang ngalan sang piyesa amo ang “Madonna and Babe.”
Nagpanghupaw sia.
“Ang masunod nga butang nga gina-bid nagasugod sa 30 milyones.”
=——————————-=
Isa ka ginkastigo nga babayi.
Isa ka inosente nga bata.
Isa ka sapat nga magadala sa ila sing paghidait.
=——————————–=
Sa iya pagtan-aw sa makalolouy nga kahoy, ang manugbakal nag ngisi.
“Ti ano ang matuod nga istorya sini?” Pamangkot niya. “Wala ini gin-ukit. Wala ako sing makita nga ebidensya sini, bisan ang isa ka sikyap.”
Ang curator naglingkod sa lamesa nag naga atubang sa manugbakal.
“Nagapati ako nga nakabati ka sang mga sugilanon parte sa Angongolood?”
“Ah huo, nahibaluan ko ang mga istorya. Ginahambal mo bala nga—–”
“Huo.”
“Daw ano kaayo nga pangdugang sa akon pribado nga koleksyon.”
Kinahanglan nga itago sang curator ang iya pagkadisgusto.
Gintinguhaan kag napaslawan.
“Indi ka mag-ugyon” Ang manugbakal nakakuha sang iya mata.
“Nagalaum ako nga nanamian ka sini,” siling niya. “May iban pa ako nga mga butang nga dapat atipanon.
Nagtindog sia kag nagguwa sa kwarto, ang iya mga tikang ginpunto sang kalipay sang manugbakal.
Sa katapusan tawo gihapon sia kag nagtulo ang luha para sa iloy kag bata.
*Ang Anglolood isa ka humanoid nga sapat. Ginakugos sini ang iya mga biktima kag ginahimo sila nga mga kahoy.
=————————-=
English Version
Another auction was about to start. The curator was used to pieces mor macabre than artistic, but this one sent shivers through her body.
The name of the piece was “Madonna and Babe.”
She sighed.
“The next item up for bid starts at 30 million.”
=——————————-=
A battered woman.
An innocent child.
A beast that would bring them peace.
=——————————–=
Looking at the wretched item of wood, the buyer grimaced.
“So what is the true story?” He asked. “This wasn’t carved. I can see no evidence of that, not even a chip.”
The curator sat at the table across the buyer.
“I believe you have heard tales of the Angongolood?”
“Ah yes, I know the stories. Are you saying this—–”
“Yes.”
“What a wonderful addition to my private collection.”
The curator had to hide her disgust.
Tried and failed.
“You disapprove” The buyer caught her eye.
“I hope you enjoy it,” she said. “I have other matters to attend to.
She stood up and walked out of the room, her footsteps punctuated by the buyer’s glee.
At the end she was still human and shed a tear for the mother and child.
*The Anglolood is a humanoid beast. It embraces its victims and turns them into trees.
=——————–=
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
Based on the Angongolood description in Bikol Beliefs and Folkways: A Showcase of Tradition. Nasayao 2010.
Illustration by Juneo “Bainite” Fernando used with permission from Rob Martin of Pine Box Entertainment and Secret Garden Games
