*Note this story is in Tagalog
“Mama, ginagawa niya ulit,” sabi ni Justo habang hinihila ang damit ng kaniyang nanay.
“Ayos lang iyan anak* hayaan mo siya. Halina tulungan mo ako sa agahan, mamamalengke pa tayo,” sagot ng nanay niya.
“Sobrang aga pa! Gusto ko pa pong matulog,” pinilit ni Justo.
“Gusto ko ring bumalik sa higaan, pero kung hindi tayo mamimili wala tayong kakainin. Kaya bilisan mo na, kasi gagawin ko pa yung paborito mo.”
“Longganisa?!** Sige po! Sasama ako! ”
Habang nagbibihis si Justo, napapaisip siya tungkol sa kalagayan ng kaniyang kapatid, “Bakit kaya ganiyan si ate***? Bakit palagi siyang nakatingin sa labas ng bintana?”
Hindi siya palaging ganoon. Inalala ni Justo yung mga panahong pinapakinggan niya ang magagandang awitin ng kaniyang ate, habang siya ay maliit pa.
Bukod sa kagandahan ng boses, natutuwa rin siya tuwing binubuhat siya nito. Pakiramdam ni Justo nahahawakan niya ang kalangitan habang patuloy siyang itinataas ng kaniyang kapatid.
Naglaho na ang panahong iyon at hindi niya alam kung bakit. Isang gabi, narinig niya lang ang pag-iyak ng kaniyang nanay at doon niya nadatnan na nakatulala ang ate niya sa bukas ba bintana.
Hindi lang iyon ang nangyari. Naalala niya inutusan siya ng kaniyang nanay na huwag siyang aalis ng kaniyang kuwarto kahit anong mangyari. Sinara lahat ng nanay niya ang mga pintuan at bintana parang maging ligtas silang lahat sa bahay.
May narinig si Justo na mahinang tunog at dahil dito diniin niya ang kaniyang tenga sa pintuan at naghintay.
Narinig niya na tumili ang kaniyang ate at sumigaw ang nanay niya na bigla ring nawala.
Hindi kayang aminin ng kaniyang nanay kung ano ang tunay na nangyari, kaya tuwing umaga binibihisan niya pa rin ang kaniyang panganay at hinahayaang nakadungaw sa bintana.
At ngayon, hindi pa rin alam ni Justo kung ano ang naganap.
Anong nangyari sa kaniyang ate? Bakit siya nagkaganoon?
“Nakaayos na po ako Ma!” Nakapambihis pang-ulan si Justo. Dala-dala niya rin ang kaniyang maswerteng payong para siguraduhin na parehas silang hindi mababasa.
“Ang pogi-pogi naman! Tara, bilisan natin may pasok ka pa.
“Sige po Mama.”
Hindi kayang pigilan ni Justo na tingnan ang kaniyang ate bago sila umalis ng bahay. Nakatingin siya sa kung saan, pero hindi niya malaman kung ano ang tinitingnan ng kaniyang ate.
=————————————————————————-=
Gustong-gusto ni Justo pumunta sa palengke. Marami siyang makikita at malalanghap. Mas gusto niya sa tindahan ng mga isda at pindutin ang mga mata nito. Nakita niyang ginagawa ito ng mga matatanda para malaman kung isda nga ba talaga ang binebenta sa tindahan.
Habang tumatawad ang kaniyang nanay sa mga itlog, lumilibot lang si Justo sa palengke. Namamangha siya sa kulay ng mga gulay at ginagawa niyang pampalipas ng oras ang pagpindot sa mga sayote para malaman kung sariwa ang mga ito.
Sa puntong iyon napansin ni Justo na nakatingin sa kaniya ang mga tao sa palengke at ganoon din ang kaniyang nanay.
Titingin sila sa kaniya at may bulong-bulungang magaganap bago sila umalis.
“Justo, halika!” Tinawag siya ng kaniyang nanay sa tapat ng tindahan.
“Pupunta na po!” Tumakbo siya sa gilid ng nanay niya at gusto niya nang umuwi.
Pagkatapos bayaran ng kaniyang nanay ang binuong itlog, binulungan siya ni Justo, “Ma, bakit nila tayo tinitingnan?”
“Huwag mo silang pansinin. Ganiyan talaga ang mga tao,” sagot ng kaniyang nanay na may halong pangamba.
Sinubukan ni Justo na pakinggan ang mga tao para malaman kung ano ang pinag-uusapan nila. Isang salita lang ang paulit-ulit niyang naririnig.
“Atros.”
=———————————————————————–=
Matapos ang araw na iyon, ganoon na ang kinagawian sa kanilang tahanan. Bibihisan ang kaniyang ate, mauupo siya sa tapat ng bintana at hindi kikibo. Isang araw, sinubukan niyang batuhin ng maliit na bola ang kaniyang ate para malaman kung iilag siya, pero walang nangyari.
Araw-araw tinatanong ni Justo ang kaniyang nanay kung ano ang nangyari sa ate niya subalit laging iniiba nito ang usapan.
Hanggang sa isang araw hindi na kinaya ni Justo ang ginagawa ng kaniyang nanay.
Abala ang nanay ni Justo sa paghuhugas ng pinggan nang siya ay nagtanong.
“Ma, ano po yung Atros?”
Narinig sa buong kusina ang pagkabasag ng pinggan.
“Saan mo narinig iyan anak? ”
“Ano po…. Narinig ko lang po sa mga tao sa palengke habang nakatingin sila sa atin”
“Huwag mo silang pakinggan anak, hindi nila alam ang kanilang pinagsasabi.”
“Ano po iyon Ma? May kinalaman ba iyon kay Ate?”
Matagal silang nagkatinginan ng kaniyang nanay. Wala sa isa sa kanila ang gustong umatras sa usapan.
Hanggang sa winakasan ng kaniyang nanay ang katahimikan.
“Kailangan mo nang maghanda, papasok ka pa.”
“Pero Mama—-”
“Tahimik na, papasok ka na.”
“Mama—-”
“Hindi, at huwag mo nang matanong sa akin iyan.”
=———————————————————————-=
Sa kalagitnaan ng gabi, nakarinig ng kakaibang tunog si Justo sa kaniyang bintana. Parang may nga pagtambol.
Nagtataka si Justo kung may parada at napaisip siya dahil anong klaseng parada nagaganap sa gabi.
Dahil gusto niyang malaman kung ano ang nasa labas binuksan niya ang pintuan ng bahay at sumilip.
Nakita niyang kumpol-kumpol ang mga maliliit na tao sa harapan ng kanilang bahay. Kayumanggi ang balat nila, malaki ang mata, at mataba ang kanilang pangangatawan. Nakasakay sila sa mga kabayo kaya gumagawa ito ng pagtambol kahit saan sila magpunta.
Bubuksan pa lamang ni Justo ang pintuan ng biglang may humatak sa kaniya at tinakpan ang kaniyang bibig.
Hindi na niya napansin kung sino yung taong iyon. Bigla na lang nitong tinulak si Justo sa sahig hanggang sa tumigil ang pagtambol ng mga kabayo.
“Mama!” Nabigla si Justo kung sino yung tumulak sa kaniya. “Sino sila”
Napaluha ang kaniyang nanay. “Hindi ko hahayaang makukuha nila ang isa ko pang anak.” Naintindihan ni Justo kung ano ang nangyari dahil sa nasilayan niya.
“Mama,” sabi ni Justo, “Nakikiusap po ako, ano yung nangyari? Ano sila? May kinalaman ba sila sa kalagayan ni ate?
“Sinusubukan ko lang naman maging isang mabuting ina. Bigla ko lang narinig ang mga pagtambol, alam ko ang alamat. Alam ko rin kung ano ang kinukuha nila.
“Ano po yung kinuha nila kay ate?”
“Kinuha nila ang kaniyang kaluluwa.”
=———————————————————-
Simula nang gabing iyon, wala ng magandang maidudulot ang kabilugan ng buwan. Nakikita na lamang ito ni Justo bilang tanda lungkot at pighati.
Dahil alam niya kung bakit nakadungaw ang kaniyang kapatid sa kawalan.
Kailanman hindi niya kayang kunin ang ninakaw sa kaniya.
Isang sumpa ang malaman kung ano ang tunay na nangyari, dahil wala siyang kayang gawin, maliban sa hintayin ulit ang susunod na bagumbuwan.
At masilayan ulit ang mga halimaw na kumuha sa kaniyang kapatid.
=—————————————————=
English Version
“Mama, she’s doing it again,” Justo says as he pulls his mother’s dress.
“It’s okay anak*just leave her alone. Now help me with breakfast, we have to go to the market,” his mother replies.
“But it’s so early in the morning! I want to sleep more,” protests Justo.
“We both want to sleep more, but if we don’t go to the market there will be no breakfast. Now come along, I’ll make your favorite.”
“Longganisa?!** Ok mama! Let’s go!”
Justo prepares himself for the trip to the market and in the back of his mind he asks, “Why is ate*** like that? All she does is stare outside the window.”
It wasn’t always like that. Justo could remember to the times he wasn’t able to talk and the beautiful serenade of his sister’s voice. He liked the way she would hold him up, as if she was lifting him to the heavens so he could see the entire world.
Those days were gone and he didn’t know why. One night, he heard the soft weeping of his mother from his room and he saw his sister standing by the window side, her eyes glazed.
That wasn’t all that happened. He remembered that his mother told him to stay in his room, no matter what may happen. She locked all the doors and closed the windows and made sure that everyone in the house was where they were supposed to be.
There was a faint sound of something he couldn’t make out. Justo couldn’t keep his curiosity hidden so he pressed his ear against the door to his room and waited.
There was a scream from his sister and a shout from his mother.
And then, silence.
His mother wouldn’t admit that anything was wrong. She would dress up his sister every morning and leave her by the window.
And still, Justo didn’t know why.
What happened to his sister? Why was she like that?
“Mama I’m ready!” Justo was dressed for the rain. He brought his lucky umbrella along to make sure they both would stay dry.
“Oh what a handsome boy! Now come with me, let’s be fast so we can get back early so you can get ready for school.”
“Okay mama.”
Justo couldn’t help but glance at his sister as they left the house. Her eyes locked on something Justo couldn’t see.
Justo always loved the wet market. There were so many things to see and smell. He liked going by the fish vendors and poking the fish in their eyeballs. He had seen older people do this and he thought it was their way of testing if the fish was really fish.
While his mother was haggling over some eggs for their breakfast, Justo had a look around the market. The
vegetables were especially bright today and he spent his time poking some sayote to see if they were fresh.
The vegetable vendor didn’t look particularly amused at the young boy’s playing with his produce and Justo was wondering why he hadn’t been shooed away yet. Usually it would take a few minutes before the vendors realized he wasn’t going to buy anything and they would tell him to go somewhere else.
It was then that Justo realized that the people in the market were looking at him and his mother strangely. They would give a glance and mumble something to their companions before walking away.
“Justo, come here!” his mother called from across the market.
“Coming mama!” Justo ran to his mother’s side, he wanted to go home. Now, he could feel the stares pulling him in different directions.
After his mother paid for the eggs, Justo whispered, “Mama why are people looking at us funny?”
“Don’t pay them any mind. That’s just how some people are,” his mother said with a hint of uncertainty.
But Justo perked his ears and tried to make out what some of them were saying. He could only hear one word, repeated.
“Atros.”
It was the same day in and day out. Justo’s ate would be dressed by their mother and she would sit by the window, unresponsive to anything. One time, Justo threw a ball at her head and she didn’t even flinch.
Every day he would ask his mother what happened and every day she would change the subject.
One day enough was enough.
Justo’s mother was busy washing the dishes when he blurted out,
“Mama, what’s an Atros?”
The kitchen echoes with the sound of the breaking plate.
“Where did you hear that, anak?”
“It was just…. Some people in the market were talking about it when they were looking at us.”
“Don’t listen to them anak, they don’t know what they’re talking about.”
“But what is it mama? Does it have something to do with ate?”
“You have to get ready for school don’t you? Come on, get dressed.”
“I’m already dressed mama. Please, tell me. Maybe we can help ate.”
Justo couldn’t tell you how long the moment lasted, but it seemed like five forevers. His mother and he had their gazes locked, both not backing down to the other’s will.
Finally, his mother broke the stalemate.
“It’s time for you to go to school.”
“But mama—-”
“No other words, you have to go to school now.”
“Mama—-”
“No. And don’t ask about this ever again.”
It was the middle of the night when Justo heard something strange from outside his window. It was like the beating of drums.
Justo wondered if it was a parade, but what kind of parade would happen in the middle of the night.
Fueled by curiosity he unlocked the front door and peered outside.
He saw a group of people, though they were very short. They had fair skin, eyes that bulged and big pot bellies. They were riding what looked like horses and the sound of beating drums followed them where they went.
Justo was just about to open the door when someone grabbed him and put their hand over his mouth.
He didn’t have time to react and the mystery figure pushed them both to the ground holding Justo down until the sound of the drums faded.
“Mama!” Justo exclaimed after he saw who it was that pushed down. “What are they?”
His mother was in tears. “I won’t lose another one to those things. I won’t.” Justo managed to pick up through her sobs.
“Mama,” Justo said, “Please. Tell me what happened. What are those things? Do they have anything to do with ate?”
“I was just trying to be a good mother. I heard the drums and I knew the legends. I know what they take.”
“What did they take mama?”
“They took her soul.”
Ever since that night, Justo never trusted the new moon. He saw it as a symbol of loss and pain.
Because every day he would see his sister stare blankly out the window and he knew.
She could never get back what was taken from her.
And it was a curse, knowing what happened, for he couldn’t do anything about it, except watch and wait. For the coming of a new moon.
To see the monsters that took his sister from him.
*Child
**Filipino sausage
***Older sister
*Tagalog is an Austronesian language spoken as a first language by a quarter of the population of the Philippines and as a second language by the majority. Its standardized form, officially named Filipino, is the national language of the Philippines, and is one of two official languages alongside English.
Written by Karl Gaverza
Translation by Emman Bernardino
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Translation Copyright © Emman Bernardino
Story inspired by the Atros legends from La Union
Artros Illustration by Michael Sean B. Talavera
IG: @maykelshan
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