*Note this story is in Kapampangan
“Keni na, malapit na!” Pupulayi ya I Jason king burul. King panamdaman ng Nick maybug ya rugung makbung ing keyang pusu. Alya kasi itang atletikung anak, at ena buring payalala da kaya ing katutwan nayta, oneng kaluguran ne I Jason, pane yang malelyari ita at kadwa na ne king biye ing pamagsubuk ka reng panibayung bage.
Memagkasakit ya rugu I Nick king pamanukyat na kaybat tambing ne mung miragsa karas na king babo. Atsu ne man pane I Jason king siping na, kukutnan ne nung ayus ya mu, kanyan, ene makapaninaya king tula ng ipakit kaya ing itsura king lalam ning burul, “Nanung ke astigan na niting pepaglakaran mu ku kareng burul burul a reni kaybat —–” Saka na ikit Nick.
Libingan ya pala, pero alya itang karaniwan a sukuan. Atsu king dosi, bala dina-dinalang butul ning damulag ing makalatag king paligid ning kabitisan ning burul. “O siya, istu ka pin, astig ya pin ini,” bulung ng Nick. “Akuna keka e,” ngana namang Jason, “Pero ali me pa akakit ing pekamabias a parti.”
Etad nong Jason king gubat a butul. Apansinan ng Nick na ela kumpletu deng butul, ating mangadagul a pirasung mababating, lalu na king gulut. Ena iisipan na masanting yang pamikiran ini, pero atsu ne man ing pamagtiwala na kang Jason, at pane naman masale, maralas.
“E tamu masigla, atsu keni,” pangabulung ng Jason. “Siryosu?” Lalawen neng Nick ing pamaglupa ning batu a buri ng ukyatang Jason. “E ta masigla akuna, eme buring migising ini” tekap neng Jason ing gamat na king asbuk ng Nick. “Siryosu kung mayap.”
Sinaguli kanyan, ginalo ya ing gabun kaybat pingwa neng Jason ing gamat ng Nick saka ne binili king lalam na ning punu, “Nanu ita!?” Manganerbyusan ne rugu ing Nick. Saka neng tirung Jason ing babo at ikit neng Nick ing rasun. Makatakut yang tutu, mas maragul ya pa ka reng punu saka ya mangulisak bala mung kulug.
“Enaka ta akit king lalam ning punung ayni, keni tana manaya manga man king mibalik ya king pamanudtud na.” Nganang Jason. “Magdala kung pamangan.”
Migbuntung pangisnawa ne I Nick, makanini talaga ing malelyari patse kayabe ne I Jason.
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English Version
“Come on it’s over here!” Jason was running over the hill. Nick felt his heart almost burst. He wasn’t the most athletic child and he didn’t like being reminded of that fact, but this was always how it went and Jason was his best friend so being pushed to do new things was a fact of life.
Nick struggled up the last few steps of the hill and he dropped as soon as he reached the top. Jason was by his side as always, asking if he was okay, but this time he was more exited to get Nick to look below the hill. “What could be so cool that you made me walk through a bunch of hills and—–“ Then Nick saw it.
It was a graveyard, but not by any normal standards. Dozens, maybe hundreds of carabao skeletons were scattered around the foot of the hill. “Okay, you were right, this is really cool,” Nick whispered. “Told you so,” Jason replied, “But you haven’t seen the coolest part.”
Jason led them though the skeletal forest. Nick noticed that the bones were never complete, there were giant chunks of them missing, mostly from the back, he didn’t think this was a good idea, but he trusted Jason and that always worked out fine. Mostly.
“Be very quiet. It’s through here,” Jason whispered. “Seriously?” Nick was looking at the rock face Jason wanted them to climb. “I said be quiet, you don’t want to wake it up.” Jason clamped his hand over Nick’s mouth. “I’m dead serious.”
Suddenly the ground shook. Jason grabbed Nick’s arm and he dragged him under a nearby tree. “What was that?!” Nick was starting to get frantic. Jason pointed upwards and Nick saw the cause. It was terrifying. It towered over the trees and it roared with a voice like thunder.
“It won’t see us from under this tree, we should wait until it goes back to sleep again,” Jason said. “I brought food.”
Nick sighed. Stuff like this always happened with Jason.
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* Kapampangan, Pampango, or the Pampangan language is a major Philippine language. It is primarily spoken in the province of Pampanga, southern Tarlac, and northeastern Bataan. Kapampangan is also spoken in some municipalities of Bulacan and Nueva Ecija, by various Aeta groups of Central Luzon, and in scattered communities within the SOCCSKSARGEN region in Mindanao. The language is known honorifically as Amánung Sísuan (“breastfed, or nurtured, language”)
Written by Karl Gaverza
Translation Copyright © April Christian L. De Leon, MAEd
Inspired by the Bungisngis entry in Creatures of Philippine Lower Mythology. Ramos. 1971. and in 101 Kagila-gilalas na Nilalang. Samar. 2015
Bungisngis Illustration by Leandro Geniston fromAklat ng mga Anito
FB: That Guy With A Pen