*Note this story is in Bicol-Naga
Takoton akong marhay.
Nakabalik pa nanggad duman si Papa kaiba an maligno. Pinurbaran kong magin maisog asin nagdalagan sainda, alagad dai mayo akong magigibo. Saro sana man akong sadit na babaye na padagos na nanraraot sa buhay kan manga tawo. Mayo akong naginibong toltol.
Madiklomon na marhay an kadlagan para maagihan ko kaya nagtinir na sana ako sa sarong lugar. Pigsabi sakuya kadto ni Kuya na madudukayan ako kan mga tawo kun magtunong ako sa sarong lugar. An magigibo ko sana iyo an paghibi, Pagkatapos kan nangyari ki Aura, kun pa’no kulgan kan omboy si Mama, kun pa’no nawara si Kuya asin ngunyan, nagdudulag si Papa sa sarong maligno, dai ko sana aram kun anong igwa sakuya.
Ako sana man si Teleia, sarong sadit na babaye na dai kayang imantinir na ligtas an saiyang pamilya. ‘Kompleto’ an boot sabuton kan Teleia. Pinangaranan ako nin arog kaiyan kan sakong Mama ta sabi niya kan namundag daa ako, bilog na an pamilya mi, alagad sa hiling ko, niraot ko sana. Sa kaangutan ko nin marhay nagkua ako nin gapo dangan ginapo ko!
Nakadangog ako nin makusog na kurahaw dangan may kun anong nakakatakot na nagluwas sa mga poon. Garo ini aki, arog ko, alagad naglalakaw ini sa saiyang manga kamot. Madiklomon man kaini, garo gibo sa manga anino. Pinurbaran kong magdulag parayo, alagad nagpuon na magkulog an sakuyang manga piad. Makulugon. Dai ko mahiro an sakong mga piad, kaya nagpuon na sana ako gamiton an sakuyang manga kamot. Nangalas talaga akong marhay na ini madalion. Ni dai ko ngani kaidto magibo an wheel-carti-cartwheels! Alagad ngunyan, naglalakaw ako sa sakong manga kamot, talagang, marikason. Sa pagkarikas kong marhay, nakarayo na ako sa nakakatakot na bagay nin dai sa oras!
Amang-ugma ko. Sa hiling ko aram ko na an gigibuhon ngunyan. Magayunon kan kadlagan pag banggi. Maninigo kang magtago dawa sain! Kaipuhan ko sanang magpadagos sa paglakaw sa sakong manga kamot ta makulog pa nanggad talaga an sakuyang piad. Makulog talaga kun pupurbaran kong maglakaw nin normal alagad ayos lang. Arog ako kaini ngunyan!
Magigin maugma ini. Magigin marhay an sakuyang pamilya kun mayo ako. Naaraman kong maninigo akong magkaigwa nin manga bagong katood. Kaipuhan ko sanang maghiling nin bagong kakawat dangan makulog man an saindang mga piad! Asin malakaw sinda sa saindang manga kamot arog ko!
Maninigo akong magkaigwa nin kadakulon na bagong katood.
Kaipuhan ko sanang maghanap nin kadakol na aki na mapagkakalwagan.
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English Version
I’m so scared.
Papa’s still back there with the monster. I tried to be brave and run after them, but there was nothing I could do. I’m just a little girl who keeps ruining people’s lives. I can’t do anything right.
The forest is too dark for me to walk through, so I just stayed in one place. Kuya told me before that if I stay in one place then people can find me. All I could do was cry. After what happened with Aura, how the baby hurt Mama, how Kuya disappeared and now Papa’s running away from a monster, I just don’t know what’s wrong with me.
I’m just Teleia, the little girl that can’t keep her family safe. Teleia means ‘complete’. My Mama named me that because she said that when I was born it made our family complete, but I think I just tore it apart. I was so angry I took a rock and I threw it!
I heard a loud scream and something scary came out of the trees. It was like a child, like me, but it was walking on its hands. It was also very, very dark, like it was made of the shadows. I tried to run away, but my knees started to hurt. It was so painful.
I couldn’t move my legs, so I just started using my hands. I was really surprised that I found it so easy. I couldn’t even do wheel-carti—-cartwheels before! But now I was walking on my hands, really, really fast. I was so fast that I was away from the scary thing in no time!
I was so happy. I think I know what to do now. The forest is so nice when it’s night. You can hide anywhere! I just need to keep walking on my hands because my legs still really hurt. It’s really painful if I try to walk normal but it’s ok. This is how I’m gonna be now!
It’s going to be great. My family’s going to be fine without me. I found out I can make new friends. I just need to look at a new playmate and their legs will hurt too! And they’ll walk on their hands just like me!
I can make so many new friends.
I just need to find more kids to play with.
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Story continued from the Harimodon’s Tale
*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 Joseph Villanueva Ciudadano
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Translation Copyright © Joseph Villanueva Ciudadano
Inspired by the Bugsok entry in Bikol Beliefs and Folkways: A Showcase of Tradition. Nasayao 2010..
Bugsok illustration by Nia Cortezano
Tumblr: http://niakawa.tumblr.com/