*Note this story is in Cebuano
Gimasahe ni Doktora ang iyang agtang ug nagpaharon-ingon nga interesado sa istorya’s bag-ong baye.
Nadungog na ni niya’g pila na ka gatos. ‘Gibiyaan ko’s akong uyab ug dili na ko kaatiman nga ako ra usa.’, ‘Bata pa kaayo ko para ani.’, ‘Kinalisorang desisyon ni nga akong buhaton.’
Bla bla bla bla bla
Dugay na ug gikapoy si Doktora mao nga miadto na lang siya’s punto.
“Pwede nato mabuhat ang operasyon ugma. Anhia ko’s aning adres ug dal-a nya ang bayad.”
Makayamyam ra’g ‘ou’ ang baye lahos sa iyang luha samtang naghilak siya.
Ing-ani diay ni rong semanaha.
Mibiya ang baye ug naghulat ang Doktora nga muabot siya.
“Musalig lang kong nadungog to nimo tanan?”
“Alangan.”
“Ambot lang ngano maghasol-hasol pa gyud ka manghiring sa ilang mga istorya. Parehas ra gihapong mahitabo.”
“Makapalabi man gud sa… kalami.”
“Kaluod ba nimo.”
“Kasakit ba. Kahibaw baya ka nga dili ta mabuhi kon wala ang usa. Kadugay na ba.”
Mihupaw si Doktora ug milikay sa iyang tutok.
“Naa nimo ang adres. Adto ra sa gisabotang oras.”
“Siguradoha nga natulog siya. Hinumdomi ang nahitabo’s Laguna.”
“Baynte ka tuig nato. Nakat-on na ko’s akong mga sayop. Suwayon ta na nimo.”
Nagpagawas siya’g hait nga katawa nga nagpakurog sa dukogan ni Doktora. Gilubag niya iyang liog ug mingaab.
Saba unta. Nganong dili saba? Naghunahuna si Doktora.
Giuyog niya iyang ulo haron mawala ang hunahuna. Bisa’g pila na ka dekadang tag-as, wala gihapon siya naanad sa iya.
Basi’g dili g’yod.
“Adto na.”
“Alangan, Doktora. Kita lang nya ta puhon.”
Mibiya siya, pero wala’y kalangan aduna.
Miadto si Doktora sa kusina ug nagpagawas og botelya nga iyang gitigom para sa karong higayon.
Iyang mga ‘pasyente’ naghunahuna nga iyaha ning balay: usa ka kuwarto nga han-ay ug limpyo tan-awn. Nagpadungag ni sa ilad ug nagpatambok sa ilang paglaom haron makahunahuna sila nga ang operasyon parehas sab.
Kabugoa g’yod.
Giyarok niya ang dyin ug nagpakupot siya sa mga memorya.
Nakahinumdom siya sa panahon kadtong aduna pa siya’y pangalan.
Mas sayon ang kinabuhi sa una. Aduna lang siya’y usa nga abtonon.
Dili to bahin sa kahibalo o sa pagpanumpa. Kinahanglan lang niya ang titulo. Makakompleto unta to sa iyaha.
O mao iyang gihunahuna.
Lad-ok na sab, memorya na sab.
Pangawat unsa’y gipabayad nila sa operasyon. Ug sigurado si Doktora nga wala sila’y tinuod nga kaalam sa medisina.
Pero desperado siya.
Gipundo niya tanan niyang tinigom ug nakig-abot sa ilaha sa usa ka hugawng motel. Gipahigda nila siya ug giandam ilang mga hiramenta.
Pagkita niya sa unsa ilang gamiton, misiyagit siya.
Gidemanda niya nga iesterilays ilang hiramenta.
Gihisgot niya unsa’y mga tambal nga kuhaon.
Giluwaan niya ilang kakuwang ug mao iyang giingon sa ila.
Ganahan niya nga mumata.
Ming-ingon sila nga nayabag siya, mas maayo nga magpiyong unya mumata human sa pagtiwas sa operasyon kaysa makakita unya matugawan og maayo.
Sa diha nagkaila sila—si Doktora ug iyang magkadugayng kaila.
Misulod siya sa kuwarto nagdala’g presensiya nga nakapahunong hasta sa iyaha.
Iyang gipagawas ang mga trabahante. Gipangutan-an niya si Dotkora kon ganahan g’yod ba siya magmata para ani.
Miingon si Doktora’g ou.
Naigo na siya’s alkohol ug naghayang na siya sa sopa, ang botelya hapit na mahurot.
Naghunahuna siya sa baye ug iyang binugo ug mihilak, usa ka ideya nagsige’g lumba sa iyang utok.
Basin igkahuman ini, iya na g’yong buhaton.
Pero sa kinalawman, kahibalo siya nga talawan ra kaayo siya makatiwas.
Samtang mikatag ang kahubog ug napugos siya’g katulog, inandang pulongan migawas sa iyang mga ngabil.
“Magkita ta ugma.”
=————————-=
English Version
Doctora rubbed her temples and feigned interest in the new girl’s story.
It was something she had heard a hundred times over. ‘My boyfriend left me and I can’t take care of it by myself.’, ‘I’m too young for this.’, ‘it’s the hardest decision I’ve ever had to make.’
Blah blah blah blah blah
It was late and Doctora was tired so she went straight to the point.
“We can do the procedure tomorrow. Meet me at this address and have the payment with you.”
The crying girl could only mumble a ‘yes’ through her tears.
It was going to be one of those weeks.
The girl left and Doctora waited until he arrived.
“I trust you heard all that?”
“Of course.”
“I don’t know why you bother eavesdropping on their stories. You’ll do the same thing anyway.”
“It makes it all the more… delicious.”
“You disgust me.”
“Such hurtful words. You know we can’t live without each other. It’s been too long.”
Doctora sighed and avoided his gaze.
“You have the address. Just go there at the agreed time.”
“Make sure she’s asleep. Remember that time in Laguna.”
“That was 20 years ago. I learn from my mistakes, something you should try thinking about.”
He let out a shrill laugh that sent a shock down Doctora’s spine. He threw his neck back and bellowed.
It should be loud. Why isn’t it loud? She thought.
She shook her head to clear the thought away. After the long decades she still never got used to him.
Maybe she never will.
“Just go.”
“Of course, Doctora, I will see you soon.”
He left, but it gave no reprieve.
Doctora went to the kitchen and brought out the bottle she was saving for this one.
Her ‘patients’ thought that this was her home, a single bedroom that looked neat and clean. It added to the illusion and fed on their hopes making them think that the procedure would be the same.
Such idiots.
She took a swig of gin and let the memories take her over.
She thought back to a time when she had a name.
Life was easier then, there was one goal that she needed to reach.
I wasn’t about the knowledge or the oath. She needed the title. It would complete her.
Or so she thought.
Another gulp, another memory.
It was robbery what they charged for the procedure. And she was sure that they didn’t even have any actual medical knowledge.
But she was desperate.
She pooled her savings and met them in a dingy motel. They told her to lie down and they prepared their instruments.
When she saw what they were going to use, she shouted.
She demanded that they sterilize their tools.
She told them which painkillers to get.
She spat at their incompetence and told them simply,
She wanted to be awake.
They told her it was crazy, better to be under and wake up with the procedure complete without having to look at the disturbing operation.
That was when she met him.
He walked into the room with a gravitas that made even her pause.
He told the workers to leave the room. He asked her if she really wanted to be awake for this.
She said yes.
The alcohol had gotten to her and she was sprawled on the sofa, the bottle almost empty.
She thought about the girl and her stupid choices and cried, one solitary idea racing through her brain.
Maybe after this one I’ll finally do it.
But deep down she knew she was too much of a coward to end it.
As the inebriation took over and forced her into slumber, a familiar phrase left her lips.
“I’ll see you tomorrow.”
=——————————–=
*The Cebuano language, alternatively called Cebuan and also often colloquially albeit informally referred to by most of its speakers simply as Bisaya (“Visayan”, not to be confused with other Visayan languages nor Brunei Bisaya language), is an Austronesian regional language spoken in the Philippines by about 21 million people, mostly in Central Visayas, western parts of Eastern Visayas and most parts of Mindanao, most of whom belong to various Visayan ethnolingusitic groups, mainly the Cebuanos. It is the by far the most widely spoken of the Visayan languages, which are in turn part of wider the Philippine languages. The reference to the language as Bisaya is not encouraged anymore by linguists due to the many languages within the Visayan language group that may be confused with the term.
Written by Karl Gaverza
Cebuano Translation by Jan Alexander Arcenal
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Translation Copyright © Jan Alexander Arcenal
Based on the Ekek myths/urban legends
Ekek Illustration by Timothy Aldrin Ocleasa
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