*Note this story is in Tagalog
“Halika, nandito o!” Tumatakbo si Jason sa taas ng burol. Naramdaman ni Nick na halos sumabog na ang kanyang puso. Hindi siya ang pinaka-atletikong bata at hindi niya gusto na laging ipinapaalala sa kanya iyon, pero ganito lagi ang nangyayari at si Jason ang pinakamatalik niyang kaibigan kaya ang pagtulak sa kanya upang gumawa ng mga bagong bagay ay isang katotohanan ng buhay.
Nahirapan si Nick sa mga huling hakbang ng burol at bumagsak niya nang marating niya ang tuktok. Nasa tabi niya si Jason kagaya ng dati, tinatanong kung ayos lang ba siya, pero ngayon ay mas sabik itong mapatingin si Nick sa baba ng burol. “Ano bang kahanga-hanga dito at nagawa mo akong palakarin sa mga burol at —,“ At nakita ito ni Nick.
Isa iyong sementeryo, pero hindi sa normal na pamantayan. Dose-dosena, maaaring nasa isang daan na mga kalansay ng mga kalabaw ang nagkalat sa paanan ng burol. “O sige, tama ka, kahanga-hanga nga ito,” bulong ni Nick. “Sabi sa’yo e,” sagot ni Jason, “Pero hindi mo pa nakikita yung pinakakahanga-hangang parte.”
Pinangunahan sila ni Jason sa kagubatan ng mga kalansay. Napansin ni Nick na hindi kumpleto ang mga kalansay, may mga malalaking tipak ang mga nawawala, marami rito ay sa bandang likuran. Hindi niya naisip na magandang ideya ito, pero pinagkakatiwalaan niya si Jason at laging nagiging maayos naman ang lahat. Kadalasan.
“Manahimik ka. Nandito na iyon,” bulong ni Jason. “Seryoso?” Tinitingnan ni Nick ang matigas na mukha ni Jason na gustong umakyat. “Ang sabi ko manahimik ka, hindi mo gugustuhing magising iyon.” Inilapat ni Jason ang kamay niya sa bibig ni Nick. “Seryoso ako.”
Walang ano-ano’y yumanig ang lupa. Hinablot ni Jason ang braso ni Nick at hinila siya sa ilalim ng pinakamalapit na puno. “Ano iyon?!” Nagsimulang maging aligaga si Nick. Tumuro si Jason pataas at nakita ni Nick ang dahilan. Nakakatakot iyon. Mas mataas pa iyon sa mga puno at umungol ito ng may boses na parang kulog.
“Hindi tayo makikita njyan mula dito sa ilalim ng puno, dapat tayong maghintay hanggang sa makatulog ulit iyan,” sabi ni Jason. “Nagdala ako ng pagkain.”
Napabuntong-hininga si Nick. Nangyayari talaga ang mga ganitong bagay kapag kasama si 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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*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
Tagalog translation by Catherine Britania
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Translation Copyright © Catherine Britania
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
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