“What did you see?!”
“Lolo, please, he’s been through enough.”
“He’s put this family in great danger. Wasn’t it enough that his father died?! Now he goes invoking the spirits. Neither of you understand how dangerous this is.”
“Lolo, he didn’t know what he was doing, he was just curious.”
“We don’t even know what he did, he could have—“
“I saw.”
“….Kuya what did you see?”
“What did you do?!”
“ I followed the instructions. I went to the tree that was cut down for Papa’s coffin then I put the pieces that I took there.”
“What pieces kuya?”
“The ones that I took from Papa’s coffin. On the night of his funeral I went there and I saw.”
“Tell me what you saw.”
“I saw the swarm of fireflies and I saw the intestines being spilled. I saw floating heads and arms and legs. I saw Papa again, he walked right past me. I saw the shadows come alive and wrap around me. And then I saw it.”
“What did you see?!”
“I see the buso.”
Written by Karl Gaverza
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Story inspired by the Buso entry in Creatures of Philippine Lower Mythology. Ramos. 1971. and Bagobo Myths. Journal of American Folklore. 1913.
Buso Illustration by Leandro Geniston from Aklat ng mga Anito
Watercolor by Mykie Concepcion
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