*Note this story is in Tagalog
“Lintil” sabi ni Jomar habang nakatingin sa ilog. Nakita niya ang dating kaaway mula sa kalayuan.
Hindi kayang itago ng kaniyang mahabang buhok ang mukha nito kay Jomar. Ilang beses niyang pinapaalala sa sarili na kahit ano pa man ang mukha nito, isa pa rin siyang demonyo.
Kinuha na ni Jomar ang kaniyang lambat sa ilog at nilapag ito sa bangka. Ang pagbebenta lang ng ueang* ang pinagkakakitaan niya at tuwing nababaling ang kaniyang paningin, kukuhanin ng demonyo ang lahat ng kaniyang napangisda. Nangangarap na lang siya na sana buhay pa ang kaniyang lolo para maturuan siya kung paano harapin ang ganoong klaseng nilalang. Naisa-isa na ang mga mahal niya sa buhay dahil panahon kaya kailangan niya itong harapin mag-isa.
Nakaupo siya sa kaniyang bangka at nag-iisip kung ano ang gagawin niya ngayon. Hindi niya kayang makipag-unahan dahil mayroon siyang binubuhat. Alam ni Jomar na hindi siya kayang habulin nito sa ilog, kaya kailangan niyang mag-isip kung ano ang gagawin niya: Delikado sumugod sa rumaragasang ilog dahil masisira ang bangka niya sa matutulis na bato, at ang isa namang pwede niyang gawin ay lilituhin niya ito para siya makatakas. Hindi niya nagustuhan ang mga naisip na plano.
Lumipas ang isang oras pagkatapos makita ni Jomar ang nilalang at matagal na rin siyang nakabilad sa araw. Kinikilabutan siya dahil napansin niya na hindi gumagalaw ang demonyo simula nang nakita niya ito. Kailangan niya nang pumunta sa ilog para mauwi niya ang kaniyang napangisda.
Dinaan niya ang bangka pababa sa ilog. Tinangay siya ng rumaragasang tubig at kinailangan ang buong lakas niya para iwasan ang mga tumatalsik na bato at malalakas na agos. Hindi nagtagal nakaabot din siya sa kaniyang pupuntahan, pero ang ginahawang naramdahan ay bigla ring humupa.
Dahil mayroon siyang nasisilayan sa tabing-ilog.
Isa na namang demonyo.
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English Version
“Linti!” Jomar looked across the river and saw his old nemesis. He could see its face beneath the long hair and he had to remind himself that, no matter what it looked like, it was still a demon.
Jomar fished his net out of the river onto his boat. Selling ueang* was has only source of income and every time he would let his guard down one of these demons would steal his catch and leave him with nothing. He wished his lolo was still alive to tell him how to deal with these creatures, but time took its toll on the people that he loved and he was left alone with his problems as always.
He sat in his boat and wondered what he would do this time. There was no chance of outrunning the demon, not while he was carrying this heavy a load. Jomar knew that the demon couldn’t follow you through a river, and he had to make a choice: Going through the river could be dangerous, the current ran fast and there was a chance that he would end up dashed against the rocks, on the other hand he could take his chances distracting the demon and then making a break for it. Neither of those choices seemed appealing to him.
I had been an hour since Jomar had first seen the demon and his skin was cooked from the heat of the sun. The demon hadn’t moved a single inch and its impassive features sent shivers down Jomar’s spine. It was time to decide, and Jomar knew that the river would be his best bet at surviving and keeping his catch.
He steered the boat down the river and held on for his life. The rapids were violent and it took all his strength to guide his craft through the winding stones and dangerous waters. It didn’t take long to reach his destination, but the relief he felt didn’t last long.
A figure was waiting along the riverbank.
Another demon.
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*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.
*Ueang is freshwater shrimp
Story inspired by the Bawa description in ‘The Myths of the Philippines’. Gaverza. 2014.
Written by Karl Gaverza
Translation by Emman Bernardino
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Translation Copyright © Emman Bernardino
Bawa Illustration by Nica Mapeso
