*Note this story is in Tagalog
Ang lahat ng tao ay nangangailangan ng mga kuwento sa kanilang buhay. Dahil doon, sila ay nagiging mas tao.
Ang sino man na tututol ay baka nangangailangan na muling magsiyasat ng kanilang mga puso.
Iyon ang sinasabi ng lolo ni Jaime sa lahat, o kahit sino na nakikinig.
Mahal siya talaga ng kanyang pamilya. Sa bawat pagtitipon ng angkan, nilalapitan niya ang kanyang mga apo at sinasabihan ng mga nakamamanghang kuwento.
At nakikinig silang lahat.
Halos lahat sila.
Si Jaime ay espesyal na kaso.
Kung titingnang maigi, si Jaime ay ang tipo ng bata na may mga magulang na masyadong abala sa mga bagay na importante sa mga matanda kaya nakakalimutan nila na may kasama silang bata sa bahay.
Nakuha ni Jaime ang kanyang unang tablet noong siya ay apat na taon at ang una niyang cellphone noong siya ay pitong taon. Ang plano na binili ng kanyang mga magulang para sa datos ng internet ay walang limitasyon at inisip nila na ito ang pagkakaabalahan ni Jaime hanggang malimutan niya na siya ay mag-isa.
Nagkamali sila, tulad ng karamihan sa mga magulang na may nag-iisang anak. Kung tutuusin, hindi man lang nila sinubukang paganahin ang kahit na ano– lahat ay bago.
Naupo si Jaime sa harap ng kanyang lolo at bahagyang nakinig sa kanyang mga kuwento.
Bago pa man matapos ang kuwento, sumabat si Jaime. “Hindi po iyan totoo!”
Napatingin ang lahat ng mga pinsan niya sa kanya at batid sa kanilang mga mukha na sanay na sila. Hindi ito ang unang pagkakataon na ginambala niya ang kuwentuhan at alam nila na hindi ito ang huli.
Napabuntong-hininga ang lolo ni Jaime. “Ano na naman ngayon?,” tanong niya na nakangiti.
“Wala naman po talagang Engkanto– gawa-gawa lang po iyan!,” sabi ni Jaime.
“Paano mo naman nalaman?,” sagot ng kanyang lolo.
“Nabasa ko po sa internet!” Dahil ang pagbabasa ng mga bagay sa internet ang ginagawa kapag mayroon kang tablet at datos na walang limitasyon.
“Totoo naman iyan. Nanunumpa ako sa ngalan ng aking ina,” masayang sagot ng lolo ni Jaime.
“Hindi po iyan totoo, at sigurado po ako!”
Samantala, abala sa panonood ang ibang mga apo sa nangyayari. Ito ang paborito nilang bahagi tuwing oras ng kuwentuhan. Ang pagtatalo ni Jaime at ng kanyang lolo ay halos abutin ng buong maghapon, at nakalilibang ito na pagmasdan.
“Totoo iyan! Ako ay dinala sa puno ng balete at nakarating sa kaharian ng mga engkanto!”
Matindi ang iling ni Jaime. “Wala pong lugar na ganyan! Hindi po iyan makikita sa Google Maps!”
Abogado ang lolo ni Jaime sa dati niyang buhay at hindi siya papayag na talunin ng isang bata na wala pa halos siyam na taong gulang.
“Kung nakinig ka lang sana sa aking kuwento, malalaman mo na ang kaharian ng mga engkanto ay hindi matatagpuan ng teknolohiya ng tao.”
“Hindi ko po kailangang pakinggan ang kuwento ninyo kasi alam ko po na iyon ay gawa-gawa lang.”
“Tinatawag mo ba akong sinungaling?”
“Hindi ko naman po sinabi na nagsasabi po kayo ng totoo.”
“Ano ang ibig mong sabihin?”
Ipinagpatuloy nila ito hanggang umabot na ng hapunan (at minsan kahit naghahapunan, ang adobo ni Lola Anding ay hindi kayang patigilin ang kanilang pagtatalo).
Ito ang eksena na nagaganap taon-taon.
Hanggang umabot ang taon na naging malubha ang karamdaman ng kanyang lolo kaya hindi na niya kayang magkuwento, at ang mga tiyuhin at mga tiyahin niya ay pabulong na pinag-uusapan ang kalagayan ng kanyang lolo.
Hindi malaman ni Jaime ang kanyang gagawin. Walang nagturo sa kanya kung paano ilabas ang kanyang galit, kaya kinuha niya ang kanyang tablet at cellphone para subukang takasan ang mundo.
Hindi naisip ng kanyang mga magulang na may problema siya, dahil ang mga tinedyer ay kilala sa pagiging bihasa sa pagmukmok.
Si Jaime ay nagmukmok at nagpatugtog ng malakas na musika para subukang ibsan ang kanyang nararamdaman, pero wala itong naitulong sa kanya.
Hindi niya pinasukan ang ilang klase niya para mabisita ang kanyang lolo sa ospital, dahil sa kabila ng kanilang mga pagtatalo ay mahal na mahal niya ito.
“Magiging maayos din ang lagay ko,” sabi ng kanyang lolo habang nakapikit.
“Hindi po totoo iyan.”
“Ngayon, bakit mo naman naisip iyan?”
“Nabasa ko po sa internet.”
“Lagi ko sa iyong sinasabi na huwag mong isubsob ang ulo mo sa iyong mga gadyet. Napakalawak ng mundong sisiyasatin kapag tumingin ka pataas.”
“Sinusubukan niyo po akong ilihis.”
“Mahaba ang oras na inilalaan mo sa iyong cellphone at patuloy ka pa ring mapagmasid.”
“Pakiusap, huwag niyo po akong iiwan, lolo.”
“Wala naman akong ibang pupuntahan.”
“Hindi po iyan ang nabasa ko.”
“Ang buhay ay higit pa sa mga salita, apo.”
“Alam ko po kung ano ang cancer.”
“Hindi kayang ituro ng internet ang lahat ng bagay.”
“Sapat naman po ang naituro sa akin. “
“Ano ba ang sinasabi doon?”
“Na baka hindi na po kayo makakalabas dito ng buhay.”
“Kakayanin ko ito.”
“Talaga po?”
“Tinatawag mo ba akong sinungaling?”
“L..Lolo…” Nagsimulang umagos ang luha sa mukha ni Jaime.
“Ipangako mo sa akin na may gagawin kang isang bagay.”
“Kahit na ano po.”
“Pumunta ka sa puno ng balete sa aking likod-bahay at panoorin ang mga bituin.”
“Lolo, seryoso po ako.”
“Seryoso din naman ako. Panahon na para matuto ka ng mga bagay na hindi kayang ituro ng internet.”
“Lolo..”
“Nangangako ka ba?” Tinitigan siya ng kanyang lolo na kayang gunawin ang salitang ‘hindi’.
“Ipinapangako ko po, lolo.”
“At ipinapangako ko na ako ay magiging maayos.”
Ang mga ilaw sa loob ng kuwarto ng ospital ay umandap-andap habang papasok ang mga magulang ni Jaime. Hindi nila alam kung ano ang gagawin sa isang bata na tumakas sa kanyang klase para makita ang kanyang lolo, kaya’t ginawa nila ang sa tingin nila ay tama at kinuha ang kanyang mga gadyet.
Wala nang pakialam si Jaime. Mayroon siyang pangako na kailangang tuparin.
——————————————————————————————————————————————
Binigyan ni Lola Anding ng tsaa si Jaime para maging komportable ang kanyang pamamalagi. Noong nagpakita si Jaime sa harap ng pintuan ng kanyang lola, hindi niya alam ang kanyang sasabihin, pero hindi na niya kailangan. Tila palaging alam ng mga lola ang iyong iniisip. Napangiti ang kanyang lola habang sinasabi, “Magdala ka ng jacket. Baka lumamig sa labas.”
Pinasalamatan ni Jaime ang kanyang lola at naupo sa ilalim ng puno. Malalim na ang gabi, pero alam naman ng lahat na ang mga tinedyer ay bihasa sa pananatiling gising sa magdamag. Pakiramdam niya ay nakahubad siya dahil wala siyang dalang cellphone. Sinubukan niya na lamang alalahanin ang sinabi ng kanyang lolo.
Panahon na para matuto ka ng mga bagay na hindi kayang ituro ng internet.
Ano nga ba ang alam niya? Ang kanyang cellphone ay luma at de-pindot pa. Alam ni Jaime na ang lahat ng kailangan niyang malaman ay mahahanap naman niya sa internet.
Malayo sa siyudad ang bahay ng lolo ni Jaime. Hindi sanay si Jaime sa mga kumukutitap na liwanag mula sa madilim na kalangitan.
Gusto niya sanang samahan siya ng kanyang musikang puno ng galit, pero ang nadidinig niya lang ay ang kaluskos ng mga dahon at ang paminsan-minsang pagkokak ng palaka.
Isinandal ni Jaime ang ulo niya sa mga paikot na ugat ng puno ng balete at siya ay pumikit.
Nang dumilat siya, may isang dalaga na nakatayo sa kanyang harapan. Kumikinang siya sa kadiliman. Wala pang nakita si Jaime na kasingganda niya at bumilis ang pintig ng kanyang puso. Sa mga ganitong pagkakataon, nakatutulong na may kumpiyansa at tiwala sa sarili, pero sa kasamaang-palad ay parehong wala kay Jaime ang mga iyon.
“Ummm..ahhh,” ang tangi niyang nasambit.
“Marahil ay ikaw si Jaime. Inaasahan namin ang iyong pagdating,“ sabi ng magandang dalaga.
“Paumahin po?” Nananaginip naman si Jaime noon, tulad ng lahat, pero wala pa siyang naging panaginip na parang totoo. Kinurot niya ang kanyang sarili para magising at nang hindi tumalab, tiningnan niyang muli ang dalaga.
“Huwag kang matakot. Nasabi sa amin ng iyong lolo na ikaw ay dadating.”
“Sinabi po niya?”
“Sinabi niya talaga iyon, at lubos ang aming kagalakan na makilala sa wakas ang apo ng aming bayani.”
“Ang inyo pong bayani?”
“Oo. Hindi ba sinabi ng iyong lolo?”
Sa pagkakataong iyon, naalala niya ang lahat. Ang mga kwentong naipon ng madaming taon ay bigla niyang naisip. Mayroong kuwento ang kanyang lolo na kumain daw siya ng itim na kanin sa mundo ng mga engkanto pero nagawa niyang makipagtawaran para siya ay makauwi nang ibigay niya ang kaunting laruang pera sa kanyang bulsa, o ang kuwento kung saan nakipagsundo daw ang mga engkanto sa kanya para ilayo ang Bakunawa ng sa gayon ay makapagsayaw sila sa ilalim ng liwanag ng buwan.
“Ibig niyo po bang sabihin ay totoo ang lahat ng iyon?” Si Jaime ay naguluhan.
“Lahat ng iyon at higit pa. Ngayon, kunin mo ang aking kamay. May ibibigay akong natatangi sa iyo.”
Sinunod ni Jaime ang iniutos sa kanya. Hindi pa rin siya sigurado kung nananaginip lang siya, pero wala siyang dahilan para manlaban. Gusto niyang lubos na malaman ang mga kuwento ng kanyang lolo.
———————————————————————————————————————————-
“Dala mo na ba?” Palaging gusto ng kanyang lolo na diretso agad sa usapan.
“Opo, dala ko po,” sagot ni Jaime sa boses na tulad ng isang nangangailangan nang umidlip.
“Mukhang naging matindi ang iyong pakikipagsapalaran.”
“Hindi niyo po alam kahit kalahati nun.. o baka alam po ninyo.”
“Tinakbuhan mo ba ang mga guwardiya ng Kamaritaan?”
“Siyempre po naman.”
“Hinamon mo ba ang mga anak ng Ulilangkalulua?”
“Dalawang beses po.”
“Si Ibabasag? Nakausap mo ba siya?”
“Ipinahahatid po niya ang kanyang pagmamahal at pinapasabi po niya na ‘salamat’.”
“Alam mo ba na isang beses ay tinulungan ko siyang magsilang ng dalawampung anak?”
“Opo, nabanggit po niya.”
“At paano naman ang–”
“Lolo, kung maaari po sana ay kainin niyo na po ang ugat.”
“Kayo talagang mga kabataan ngayon, palagi na lang umiiwas sa mga usapan. Alam mo ba noong panahon ko–”
“Sa tingin ko po ay sapat na ang nalalaman ko tungkol sa panahon na iyon.”
“Oh, ang mga kuwento na puwede kong sabihin.”
“Sabihin po ninyo ang mga iyan sa susunod na pagtitipon ng ating angkan.”
“Bakit kailangan pang mag-antay? Kumuha ka ng silya at makinig ka sa matandang lalaki.”
“Lolo?”
“Ano iyon?”
“Ipagpaumanhin po ninyo na tinawag ko po kayong sinungaling.”
“Huwag na. May mga bagay akong nagawa na kahit ako ay hindi makapaniwala.”
“Pero nangyari po talaga iyon?”
Napangiti ang lolo ni Jaime at sumenyas na siya ay maupo sa kanyang tabi.
“Sa palagay ko ay oras na para sa isa na namang kuwento.”
=—————————————-=
English Version
Everyone needs stories in their lives. It’s what makes them more human.
Anyone that disagrees might need to have their hearts reexamined.
That’s what Jaime’s lolo tells everyone, or at least everyone that listens.
His family loves him, of course. Every reunion he goes around to all of his grandchildren and tells them wonderful stories.
And they all listen.
Well, most of them do.
Jaime is a special case.
See, Jaime is the type of child whose parents spend too much time doing important adult things that they forget that they have a child at home.
Jaime got his first tablet at the age of four and his first cellphone at seven. His parents bought an unlimited data package and in their heads they thought that it would keep Jaime busy long enough to forget he was alone.
They were wrong, as most parents are when they have an only child. See they haven’t tested anything out yet, everything’s brand new.
And so Jaime sits in front of his lolo half-listening to his stories.
Even before the story ends Jaime interjects, “That’s not true!”
His cousins all look at him with the same resigned face. This isn’t the first time he’s interrupted a story and they know it won’t be the last.
Jaime’s lolo sighs, “What is it this time?” he says with a smile.
“There’s no such thing as an Engkanto, they’re made-up!” Jaime says.
“How do you know that?” his lolo replies.
“I read it on the internet!” because reading things on the internet is what you do when you have a tablet and unlimited data.
“Well it’s true, I swear on my mother,” Jaime’s lolo’s beamed.
“It can’t be true, and I know for sure!”
Meanwhile, all the other grandchildren were busy watching the spectacle. This was their favorite part of story time. Lolo and Jaime’s arguments could last all day and there were nothing if not entertaining.
“It’s true! I was taken to the balete tree and went to the realm of the engkanto!”
Jaime shakes his head vigorously. “There’s no such place! It’s not even on Google Maps!”
Lolo was a lawyer in a past life and there was no way he would lose to someone barely nine years old.
“If you had listened to my story you would know that their realm cannot be found by human technology.”
“I don’t need to listen to your story to know it’s made up.”
“Are you calling me a liar?”
“Well I’m not calling you a truther.”
“What does that even mean?!”
And on they went until it was time for dinner (and sometimes even during dinner, even Lola Anding’s Adobo couldn’t stop their arguments).
This scene played itself year after year.
That is, until one year when lolo was too sick to tell his story and the titos and titas talked about lolo in hushed sounds.
Jaime didn’t know what to do. No one had ever taught him how to let his anger out, so he took his tablet and his phone and tried to run away from the world.
His parents didn’t think there was anything wrong with him, after all teenagers are known to be masters at sulking.
So Jaime sulked and played loud music to try to make sense of his feelings, but none of it helped.
He would cut his classes to visit lolo in the hospital, because no matter how much they argued Jaime loved his lolo very much.
“I’m going to be fine,” his lolo would say through closed eyes.
“No you’re not.”
“Now why do you think that?”
“I read it on the internet.”
“I keep saying that you should stop hiding your head in your gadgets. There’s a whole world to explore if you look up.”
“You’re trying to distract me.”
“All that time on your phone and you’re still so observant.”
“Please don’t leave me lolo.”
“I’m not going anywhere.”
“That’s not what I read.”
“Life is lived in more than words, my boy.”
“I know what cancer is.”
“The internet can’t teach you everything.”
“It taught me enough.”
“So what does it say?”
“That you might not make it out of here alive.”
“I will.”
“Really?”
“Are you calling me a liar?”
“I..Lolo..” tears were starting to stream down Jaime’s face.
“Promise me you’ll do me one thing.”
“Anything.”
“Go to the balete tree in my backyard and watch the stars.”
“Lolo I’m being serious.”
“So am I. It’s time that you learned there are some things the internet can’t teach you.”
“Lolo..”
“Do you promise?” Lolo looked at him with a gaze that disintegrated the word ‘no’.
“I promise lolo.”
“And I promise I’ll be alright.”
The fluorescent lights in the hospital room flickered as Jaime’s parents entered the room. They didn’t know how to deal with a child that skipped school to see his grandfather, so they did what they thought was sensible and took away his gadgets.
Jaime didn’t mind. He had a promise to fulfill.
——————————————————————————————————————————————
Lola Anding gave Jaime some tea to help him settle in. When he showed up at her door he didn’t know what to say, but he didn’t need to. Lolas always seem to know what you’re thinking and she gave a smile as she said, “Bring a jacket, it might get cold outside.”
Jaime thanked her and sat under the tree. It was late, but as everyone knows teenagers are masters of staying up through the night. He felt naked without his phone and tried to think of what his lolo said.
It’s time you learned something the internet can’t teach you.
What did he know? His phone still had buttons. Jaime knew everything that you ever need to know was on the internet.
Lolo’s house was far outside the city and Jaime wasn’t used to seeing so many shimmering lights in the night sky.
He wished he had his angry music to keep him company, but there was just the sound of rustling leaves and the occasional croak from a frog.
Jaime rested his head against the winding roots of the balete tree and closed his eyes.
When he opened them again a woman was standing in front of him. She glowed in the darkness, he had never seen anyone as beautiful as her before and his heart skipped a few beats. In these situations it paid off to have confidence and sureness, unfortunately Jaime had neither.
“Ummm..ahhh,” he managed to say.
“You must be Jaime, we’ve been expecting you,” the beautiful woman said.
“Excuse me?” Jaime had dreams before, everyone has, but he had never been in one so real. He pinched himself to try go back to the waking world and when that didn’t work he looked at the woman again.
“Don’t be frightened, your lolo told us you were coming.”
“He did?”
“Of course he did, and it is such a pleasure finally meeting our hero’s grandchild.”
“Your hero?”
“Yes, didn’t your lolo tell you?”
And in that moment it all came back to him. Years of stories rushing their way into his head. There was the one where lolo said he ate the black rice in the world of engkantos but managed to bargain his way out with some play money he had in his pocket, or the one where the engkanto hired him to keep the Bakunawa away so that they could have their moonlight dances.
“Do you mean all of it was true?” Jaime was bewildered.
“All that and more. Now, take my hand, we have something special for you.”
Jaime did as he was told. He still wasn’t sure if this was a dream, but there was no point in fighting. He wanted to know more about his lolo’s stories.
———————————————————————————————————————————-
“So do you have it?” Lolo always wanted to get to the point.
“I do,” Jaime said in the voice of someone that really needed to take a nap.
“You sound like you’ve had quite the adventure.”
“You don’t know the half of it.. or maybe you do.”
“Did you run from the guards of Kamaritaan?”
“Of course.”
“Did you challenge the children of Ulilangkalulua?”
“Twice.”
“How about Ibabasag? Did you talk to her?”
“She sends her love and told me to tell you ‘thank you’”
“Did you know I helped her deliver 20 children one time?”
“Yes, she mentioned that.”
“And what about—–“
“Lolo, please just eat the root.”
“You young people these days, always trying to avoid conversation. You know back in my time—”
“I think I know enough about that time.”
“Oh the stories I could tell.”
“Tell them at the next family reunion.”
“Why wait? Grab that chair and listen to an old man.”
“Lolo?”
“What is it?”
“I’m sorry I called you a liar.”
“Don’t be, some of the things I did I don’t even believe myself.”
“But they did happen?”
Lolo gives Jaime a wry smile and motions to the seat beside him.
“I think it’s time for another story.”
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Inspired by the Engkanto description in Creatures of Philippine Lower Mythology. Ramos. 1971.
Engkanto Illustration by Leandro Geniston from Aklat ng mga Anito
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