*Note this story is in Bicol-Naga
Ek-Ek-Ek
Nadangóg kan gurang na babayi an ribók hali sa saiyang kwarto, asin natakdag an saiyang puso. “Dyos tabì bakô sya…” hinghing nya. Kuminurahaw sya asin tuninong na naglalaom na sakto na ini nganing takúton an linalang parayô, alagad aram nyang an saiyang tingog kulang pa an kusóg nganing madangóg kan saiyang akì na babayi sa ibong na kwarto.
Ek-Ek-EK
Kulang na an oras kun maduman pa sa kusina nganing magkua nin kutsilyo, tibaad huri na. Naghiling sya sa palibot kan saiyang kwarto asin nahiling an gunting. “Pwede na,” naisip nya. Alagad mayò nang oras mag-isip pa, mayò na kun siring kaini kadelikado an kawawâran. Duminalágan sya palúwas sa saiyang kwarto kapót an guting, nangangadyî na dai ini kukulángon.
Ek-EK-EK
Harani na sya ngunyan. Kuminurahaw sya giraray, mas makusog kisa subago, mas makusog kisa sa pinakamakusog na kurahaw na kinurahaw nya. Tibaad sakto na ito tanganing magimata an iba sa haróng, alagad aram nya na si saiyang aki magsarô sana sa kwarto. Binuksan nya an pinto kapót an gunting sa saiyang kamót.
EK-EK-EK
Turuhok nyang hiniling an halimaw. Hiniling nya an halabâ na puláng dilà kaini, nakatakod sa tulák kan saiyang babaying akì, asin nagirumduman nya an madiklóm na mabagyúhon na banggi kansu inot nyang nadangóg an mga ribok. Kansu nawara saiya an saiyang aki. Pinanugâ nya na dai na sa kasagkudan mauutro ini sa saiyang pamilya.
EK-EK-EK-EK
Makusóg na kinaputan kan gurang na babayi an gunting sa saiyang kamot, dangan suminúgod pasiring sa saiyang bangungot.
=——————–=
English Version
Ek-Ek-Ek
The old woman hears the sound from her bedroom and her heart drops. “Please God not her.”, she whispers. She screams, and silently hopes that this can be enough to scare the creature away but she knows that her voice isn’t strong enough to reach her daughter’s bedroom.
Ek-Ek-EK
There’s not enough time to go to the kitchen to get a knife, it might be too late. She looks around her room and sees a pair of scissors. “Good enough.” she thinks. But there’s no time to think, not when this much is at stake. She runs out of her room with the scissors in her hand, praying that it may be enough.
Ek-EK-EK
She is close enough now. She screams again, louder than before, louder than anything she has ever screamed before. It may be enough to wake up the others in the house, but she knows her daughter is alone in the room. She opens the door with the scissors in her hand.
EK-EK-EK
She stares down the beast. She sees its long, red tongue attached to her daughter’s womb and she remembers that dark stormy night when she first heard the sounds. When she lost her first baby. She vows that it will never hurt her family ever again.
EK-EK-EK-EK
The old woman grasps the scissors in her hand and charges at her nightmare.
=——————=
*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 Jeremiah Cordial
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Translation Copyright © Jeremiah Cordial
Story inspired by the Ekek legends
Ekek Illustration by Leandro Geniston from Aklat ng mga Anito
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Watercolor by Catherine Chiu
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