*Note this story is in Cebuano
“Huwat gud! Paspas ra kaayo mo!” Gisuway’g apas ni Reymark ang iyang kagrupo. “Abi ko’g lakaw-lakaw lang ni, mura man mo’g gamaraton, bai.”
“Oy, nireklamo na ang yaya. Mura’g mangadyast lang sa ta tanan.” Nagpakita si Maria sa iyang tatak nga yinam-id. “Nganong nikuyog man pud ka namo? Kahibaw baya kang kakuyog ka’g mga hanas nga mangatkatay.”
“Kahibaw ko ngano nikuyog siya’s ato.” Naniko si Jori kang Reymark ug mihatag og himalong pasiplat.
“Hilom gud.” Naniko balik si Reymark.
“Hunong mo tanan. Nalingaw ra ta ug narelaks. Ipadayon lang na nato, okey?” Gitudlo ni Danylyn ang ubos sa baliti. “Pwede ta mupahuway anha.”
Mihunong ang pakiglalis sa grupo ug mituman sila Sa gusto sa ilang lider. Lisodlisod ang panaw nga nahitabo, bisan sa ilang estandard. Gidawat sa mga mangatkatay ang tsansang makaginhawa ug makainom og tubig.
Mipundo na ang singot sa ilang agtang. Ang Adlaw karong adlawa labi ka bangis.
“Una lang nya mo, apas ra ko,” miingon si Reymark.
“Ay pagdali gud, sobra na ta’s katunga hapit. Di ka angay magungot-ungot kon maglisod na. Pangisog.” Gisuway’g pasaka ni Danylyn ang pamuot sa iyang amigo, apan wala kaayo’y epekto.
“Seryoso ko, una lang mo’s ako. Tanga sa ko ari’s ma’y landong. Muapas ra ko kon mabalik na akong enerdyi.”
“Unya, Rey, di ka kakita’s nindot nga byu.” Gisikdo ni Jori iyang ulo padung kang Maria; ug pasalamat lang nga wala’y kalibotan siya’s unsa’y gipasabot ni Jori.
“Seryoso bitaw, galangay ra ko ninyo. Abot lang nya ta kon humana mo, unya maniudto ta o unsa ba.”
“Ikaw gud.” Gipunit ni Danylyn iyang bag ug mikuha sa kinataposang higop sa tubig. “Sige na ta, andam na mo. Tiwason na ni nato unya tan-awn unsay tumoy ining bukira. Dobol-taym!”
Ang uban, gawas ni Reymark, mikuha sa ilang mga butang ug misaka sa sakaon. Mipaspas si Jori haron kuyogan ang linaktan ni Danylyn, apan gibaliwala lang gihapon siya—mao ma’y naandan ni Danylyn. Hapit na sab ang eleksyon unya ganahan si Jori mapresidente. Gipakita ni Jori ang iyang kapabilidad haron madag-an niya si Danylyn.
Si Maria aduna lang sa iyang kaugalingong kalibotan. Gisul-ob niya iyang erpon ug gipamaks ang bulyom. Wala siya’y paki sa mga gagmayng butang sama anang ranggo. Mianhi siya sa bukid haron murelaks ug mubiya sa kahasol sa syudad.
Ug gibilin si Reymark ilalom sa baliti. Mihunong ang pitik sa iyang kasingkasing sa iyang pagkagrabing pagdugdog unya naghinay na sa pantayng pikpik. Nakadakop si Reymark og usa ka pangtutok ni Maria una siya miapas sa uban unya misugod na sab ang iyang kasingkasing.
“Yawa, karon na pud?” Gimando ni Reymark iyang kasingkasing nga pasagdaon lang sa ang katinuoran nga iya g’yod intawon gipaninguhaa’g tago. Mihupaw na lang siya sa pagsurender. Basi’g naabot na ang panahon nga ingnon na niya si Maria nga unsa iyang pamati.
“Unsa man pu’y mahitabo.” Gipagawas niya ang iyang gihunahuna.
“Basin sab og dili siya alang kanimo,” mitubag ang usa ka nindot ug hapit mahuning tingog.
Milingi dinhi-didto si Reymark, apan wala’y lain kuyog niya. Napanalipdan siya sa bug-at nga Adlaw ilalom sa landong sa baliti, unya sigurado sab siya nga aduna sa palibot ang mga buhing butang siya lang ug ang kahoy.
“Nayabag na ko.” Gilugod ni Reymark iyang mata ug mihuy-ab. Mura’g mas nakapoyan siya’g maayo sa panaw kaysa iyang namatikdan. Milingkod siya’s usa ka patag nga bato ug misandig siya’s kahoy.
“Dili gayod ikaw higugmaon niya.” Nadungog na sab niya ang tingog. Karon saba ug pino, mura’g aduna dapit sa iyang dunggan mitubag ang tingog.
“Hoy! Jori, kon gitripingan na pud ko nimo, dili kataw-anan!” Mihulat si Reymark og tubag. Ang mga yagayaga ni Jori hapit na makalagot, ug mura’g panahon nang yawyawan niya ang kining pesteha.
“Dili gayod siya mahigugma kanimo. Dili sama kanako.” Migawas ang tingog sa iyang likod. Mituyok si Reymark ug nagkaatubang siya sa kinaanyagang babaye nga iyang nakita. Iyang panagway mura’g gikulit sa kinamahalang marmol, ug iyang buhok mibuhagay paubos sa iyang abaga sama sa itom kaayong busay.
Iyang mga mata mao ang dili malingkawasan ni Reymark. Laglom sila, ug mura’g manusok paingon sa iyang kalag magkadugay magtan-aw ang babaye sa iyaha.
“Ngano nga gihigugma nimo siya?” nangutana ang balighong babaye.
“Kay brayt siya ug gwapa,” mitubag si Reymark.
“Dili, dili na mao, dili ba? Aduna pa’y laing hinungdan.” Gitangtang sa makalapos nga tinan-aw sa babaye ang mga sanib sa pagduhaduha nga kanunay nagpuno ni Reymark.
“Siya—” misulay og tubag balik si Reymark, apan ang kamot sa babaye naabot sa iyang dughan.
“Dili ikaw makatago sa tinuod, dili usab sa imohang kaugalingon.” Mitan-aw ang babaye sa iyang mata, uban sa hapit masubong ekspresiyon. “Bisan kon mahiligon ikaw.”
“Siya ra ang mukatawa.” Ang kamatuoran mura’g miawas gawas sa iya. “Kon magdyok gani ko, sila tanan muana nga wala’y lami kuno ug kabuangan ko nila, pero siya ra’y di. Si Maria ra g’yod ang mukatawa sa akong mga dyok. Mutingsi g’yod siya pirme kon naa ko, unya abi ko’g gapasabot na nga ganahan pud siya nako, pero ambot lang. Wala g’yod ko kaingon’s iya.”
“Nga nahigugma ikaw kaniya?”
“Siya ra ang babaye nga akong gidamgo. Akong mabuhat tanan haron maako siya.”
“Usa ka pagbati nga talagmanon.” Milingkod ang babaye sa usa ka patag nga bato atubangan ni Reymark. “Ang gugma nga ing-ana dili gayod aduna’y maayong kahumanan.”
“Unsa’y pasabot nimo?”
“Ang kalayo nga magsunog og ing-ana kahayag magdugay lang og katunga.”
Mitan-aw si Reymark sa babaye. Gwapa siya kaayo, apan mabantayan niya ang kasubo nga aduna ilalom sa iyang pagkamalinawon. Mibarog ang babaye ug mihikap sa kahoy luyo ni Reymark ug mibira og usa ka bungo.
Miatras si Reymark, nakuratan sa unsa’y gigunit sa babaye.
“Kini ang akoang una nga gihigugma.” Milutok ang babaye sa bungo ug iyang tingong mihumok. “Abi namo nga ang kalibotan lang sa amo igunit.” Gibutang niya ang kalabera sa may ugat sa kahoy. “Sayop kami.”
Nabati ni Reymark ang yuta nga miuyog. Ang baliti mura og mibuka, ang mga balagon ug ang mga dahon nagpakita og makakuyaw nga matan-aw. Aduna’y unom ka kabukogan gilinya ilalom sa kahoy. Aduna sa imakuladang kahimtang ang mga bukog, sinaw kaayo sa maudtong Adlaw.
“Sayop kami tanan.”
Hasta ang hangin mirespeto sa kahilom sa eksena. Naghilom si Reymark samtang nagbarog, iyang ginhawa nagpahinumdom niya sa relayedad sa unsa’y nahitabo. Nagbarog lang ang babaye atubangan niya, nawala sa iyang mga hunahuna.
“Kahibalo ba ikaw sa unsa ang mahitabo kon usa sa akong kalahi mahulog sa paghigugma sa usa ka tawo?” Miadto siya sa kinatuohang tigom sa mga bukog ug gigunitan niya ang kamot. “Kini ang mahitabo.
“Ang gugma usa ka sayaw nga adunay makapatay nga kumpas. Mawad-an ang mga katipik sa imohang kaugalingon nga wala ikaw nakahimatngon nga ikaw aduna diay. Dayon, sa kinataposan, maigo ikaw. Gugma diay kato sa dugay na. Ang hinungdan ug ang kahimtang, ang panghulda nga aduna kanunay. Ang kataposan ug ang sinugdanan.”
Ang suga mibanda sa pagtulo sa iyang mga luha paubos sa iyang nawong.
“Dili gayod siya mahigugma kanimo. Dili sama sa akoa.”
Nasinati ni Reymark nga migaan ang iyang batiis, ang kaluya mikatag sa iyang tibuok lawas. Ang baliti mura’g mitubo palibot niya, ang mga balagon milukot sa iyang mga kasway.
Miduol ang babaye ug gihalok si Reymark.
“Nahigugma ako kanimo.”
Migakos ang kahoy sa kang Reymark. Ganahan mulihok siya pero iyang lawas dili ganahan mutabang. Gilamoy sa baliti si Reymark hangtod wala’y nahabiling usa ka agi.
“Nahigugma ako kanimo.”
=—————————=
English Version
“Wait up! You’re walking too fast!” Reymark tries to catch up to the rest of the tour group. “I thought this was supposed to be a stroll, you guys act like you’re in a marathon.”
“Ok everyone, the slowpoke’s complaining, I guess that means everyone else has to adjust.” Maria hit back with her trademark smirk. “Why did you even come with us? You knew that you’d be in the group with experienced mountaineers.”
“I know why he’s with us.” Jori elbowed Reymark and gave a knowing glance.
“Shut up.” Reymark elbowed back.
“Enough, all of you. This is a nice, relaxing trek. Let’s keep it that way, alright?” Danylyn pointed towards the base of a balete tree. “We can rest over there.”
The group stopped their bickering and surrendered to their leader’s wishes. It had been a rough trek, even by their standards. The mountaineers welcomed a chance to catch their breath and rehydrate.
Sweat was collecting on their foreheads, the sun was especially merciless today.
“You guys go ahead, I can catch up,” Reymark said.
“Oh come on, we’re less than halfway there. You can’t keep taking breaks when things get hard. Soldier on.” Danylyn tried to boost her friend’s morale, but there was little success.
“I mean it, go ahead without me. I can stay here by the shade and catch up when I have my energy back.”
“But Rey, you’ll miss the great view.” Jori nudged his head in Maria’s direction and she was thankfully oblivious to the gesture’s meaning.
“Guys, seriously. I’ll just slow you down. We can meet up after you guys finish the trek and I can have lunch or something.”
“If you say so.” Danylyn picked up her backpack and took a final sip of water. “Alright guys, gear up, let’s get this hike finished and see the top of this mountain, time to hustle.”
The rest of the group took their gear and headed up the steep incline. Jori sped up to match Danylyn’s stride and Danylyn ignored him as she always did. Elections were coming up and Jori wanted to be the president, he tried to show his capabilities by attempting to overshadow Danylyn.
Maria was in her own little world. She put her earphones on and set the volume to maximum. She didn’t care about petty things like positions. She came to the mountain to unwind and leave the burdens of the city behind.
And that left Reymark underneath the balete tree. His heartbeat had stopped its rapid crescendo and normalized into a smooth aria. He caught one last glimpse of Maria before she caught up with the rest of the group and his heart started up again.
“Dammit, not now.” He ordered his heart to ignore the truth he so desperately tried to hide. Reymark gave a sigh of surrender. Maybe it was finally time to roll the dice and tell Maria what he felt.
“What’s the worst that could happen? “ He thought out loud.
“Maybe she isn’t the one for you.” A beautiful, almost melodic voice replied.
Reymark looked around, there was no one there with him. The shade of the balete tree shielded him from the overbearing sun, and he was certain that only the tree and himself were the only living beings around.
“Now I’m hearing things.” Reymark rubbed his eyes and yawned. The trek must have taken more out of him than he thought. He sat on a flat rock and leaned his back against the tree.
“She will never love you.” He heard the voice again. This time it was loud and crisp, almost as if the voice spoke directly to his ear.
“Hello? Jori if this is another one of your pranks it’s not funny!” Reymark waited for a reply. Jori’s incessant teasing was getting on his nerves and it was about time he gave the pest a piece of his mind.
“She will never love you. Not like I do.” The voice came from behind him. Reymark turned around and faced the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Her features seemed to be carved from the most expensive marble, her hair cascaded down her shoulders like a jet-black waterfall.
It was her eyes that he couldn’t escape from. They were deep set and seemed to pierce into his soul the longer she looked at him.
“Why do you love her?” The strange woman asked.
“She’s smart and beautiful,” Reymark answered.
“No, that’s not it, is it? There’s something more.” Her penetrating gaze shed the layers of doubt that normally filled Reymark.
“She—“ Reymark tried to answer again but he woman put her hand on his chest.
“You cannot hide the truth, not even from yourself.” She looked him in the eyes, with an almost melancholy expression. “Even if you wanted to.”
“She was the only one that laughed.” The truth seemed to flow out of him. “Whenever I tell jokes, everyone says how corny they are and makes fun of me, but not her. Maria was the only one who would laugh at my jokes. She would always smirk when I was around and I thought that meant she liked me too but I’m not sure. I never told her.”
“That you loved her?”
“She is the only girl I dream about. I would do anything to be with her.”
“A dangerous sentiment.” The woman sat on a flat rock in front of Reymark. “Love like that never has a good ending.”
“What do you mean?”
“A fire that burns that bright only lasts half as long.”
Reymark stared at the woman. Beautiful as she was, he could sense sadness behind her placid exterior. She stood up and touched the tree behind him and pulled out a skull.
He stepped back, startled by the object the woman was holding.
“This was my first love.” The woman stared into the skull and her voice softened. “We thought the world was ours to take.” She set it on the foot of the tree. “We were wrong.”
Reymark felt the ground rumble. The balete tree looked as if it was opening up, the vines and leaves revealing a macabre sight. Six skeletons were lined up beneath the tree. The bones were in immaculate condition, shining bright in the afternoon sun.
“We were all wrong.”
Even the wind respected the stillness of the scene. Reymark stood silent, his breathing a reminder of the reality of the situation. The woman just stood in front of him, lost in her own thoughts.
“Do you know what happens when one of my kind falls in love with a human?” She walked to the rightmost set of bones and held its hand. “This happens.”
“Love is dance to a deadly rhythm. You lose parts of yourself you didn’t realize you had. Then, it finally hits you. It was love all along. The cause and crisis, the ever-present menace. The end and the beginning. “
The light reflected on the tears flowing down her face.
“She will never love you. Not like I do.”
Reymark felt his legs buckle, weakness spreading over his body. The balete tree seemed to be growing around him, the vines wrapping about his limbs.
The woman leaned in close and kissed Reymark.
“I love you.”
The tree embraced him, he tried to move his arms but his body would not cooperate. The balete tree engulfed Reymark until not a single trace was left.
“I love you.”
=—————————————=
*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
Inspired by ‘The Enchanted Tree of Parang.’ in Philippine Folk Literature: The Legends. Eugenio. 2002.
Engkantada Illustration by Kurt Prieto
Behance: https://www.behance.net/