*Note this story is in Hiligaynon
Sa gamay nga sitio sang Tinamnan Gabe, may ara isa ka kweba tupad sang humayan sang nagtaliwan nga Kapitan Colas Jumawan.
Madamo nga mga istorya ang ini nga kweba, hambal sang iban ini gina puy-an sang madamo nga enkanto. Mag ala una sang hapon, ang mga tawo maga balita nga may nakita sila tatlo matatahum nga mga babayi naga pungko sa bato sa ibabaw sang kweba kag sa isa lang ka pagpisok, magadula sila sa sulod sang kweba.
Isa ka adlaw, ang mayor nga naga istar sa humayan, isa ka lalaki nga pangalan ay Eyo ginatawag sa piyak nga parte sang humayan. Ginpawala an lang ni Eyo ang tawag, pero gasigi lang ini. Nag talikod sha kag na kibot sang makita ang is aka matahum na lalaki nga gatindog sa piyak nga bahin sang humayan.
Hambal sang lalaki, “Makadto kita sa Candanay kay may nakuha to nga madaku nga balyena.” Sabat ni Eyo nga indi sya kalakat kay sako gid sya. Nadula dayun ang lalaki, nga daw wala da sya kagina.
Sadto sa Candanay ang balyena gina parte-parte na. Ang lalaki ato didto, nagakuha sang iya parte kay siya ginkilala nga miyembro sang mga tinawo sang mga mangingisda, nadismaya ang isa sa mga tinawo sang ang iya parte nadula lang sang wala namu.
Ang lalaki dayun nagkadto sa balay ni Eyo kag gin istorya kun paano nangakig ang matuod nga tag-iya sang parte kay wala sang may maka eksplikar kun sin o nagkuha sang iya parte. Gin agda niya si Eyo nga magkadto sa iya balay para sa panyapon, pero nangindi si Eyo.
Pagkadasun nga aga, ang mga ga istar sa humayan nakakita ang mga matatahum nga mga babayi samtang nagapamala sang karne ka balyena sa bato sa ibabaw lang gid sang kweba.
Indi ma-inchindihan ni Eyo kun nga a nagka interesado ang lalaki sa iya. May iban pa man nga mga naga istar sa humayan nga pwede niya ma istorbo, pero indi niya pag lubayan sang lalaki si Eyo
Kada adlaw, gina imbitahan sang lalaki si Eyo nga mag upod sa iya sa ekskursyon ukon mag paambit sang pagkaon halin sa iya pero indi mag upod si Eyo sa lalaki.
Mabati-an ni Eyo ang tingog sang iya lola sa likod sang iya hunahuna, “Indi ka mag upod sa mga engkantado, indi ka magpaambit sang pagkaon halin sa ila. Indi ka na makahalin sa ila dominyo sa walay katapusan.”
Ginpati ni Eyo ang maalamon nga mga tinaga sa iya lola kag wala niya ginsapak ang gusto sang lalaki. Kun makita niya ang tatlo ka matatahum nga mga babayi lapit sa kweba, wala niya ginatulok, kay kabalo siya nga indi sila matuod nga mortal nga tawo.
Ginapanghambalan niya ang iban nga mga nagapuyo parti sa lalaki kaso wala nila nakita ang lalaki kapareho kay Eyo. Ginapanum dum ni Eyo nga sya nasumpa. May mga engkanto nga maga interesar sa mga espisipiko nga mga tawo, sa kadam-an, daku ni nga oportunidad kay ang mga engkanto magahatag sa ila sang mga managmi nga regalo nga ila gusto, pero sa iban, malain ini nga sumpa kay ginahampangan lang sila sang mga engkanto asta matak-an na sila sa ila hampang.
Gina konsiderar ni Eyo nga swerte siya, ginapabay-an siya sang engkanto nga lalaki kun I hambal ya, pero may kakulba permi sa sulod sang iya tagipusu-on.
Paano kun magdesisyon sila nga mag untat sang ila hampang?
Ano dayun ang matabo?
English Version
In the small sitio of Tinamnan Gabe, there is a deep cave next to the rice field of the late Capitan Colas Jumawan.
There were many stories about this cave, some would say that it was home to many enchanted creatures. At one o’ clock in the afternoon people would report that they saw three beautiful girls sitting on a rock just above the cave and, in a blink of an eye, they would disappear into the cave.
One day, the principal tenant of the rice field, a man named Eyo was called by someone on the opposite side of the rice field. Eyo ignored the calls, but they were insistent. He turned around and was shocked to see a handsome gentleman standing on the opposite side of the field.
The gentleman said, “We should go to Candanay because there is a big whale that was just caught.” Eyo replied that he could not go because he was very busy. The gentleman then disappeared, as if he was never there.
All the way in Candanay the whale was being portioned. The gentleman was there, getting his share as he was identified as a member of the crew of fishermen, much to the dismay of one of the actual crewman who had his share seemingly vanish.
The gentleman then went to the house of Eyo and related the story of how the true owner of the share got angry because no one could explain who had gotten his share. He invited Eyo to come to his house for supper, but Eyo declined.
The following morning, tenants of the rice field could see beautiful girls drying whale meat on a rock just above the cave.
Eyo couldn’t understand why the gentleman had taken such an interest in him. Surely there were other tenants in the field that he could go and bother, but the gentleman would not leave Eyo alone.
Day after day, the gentleman would invite Eyo to go with him on an excursion or ask him to share a meal, but Eyo would not go with the gentleman.
Eyo would hear the voice of his lola in the back of his head, “Do not go with the enchanted people, do not share a meal with them. You will be trapped forever in their realm.”
Eyo heeded his lola’s wise words and ignored the gentleman’s wishes. When he would see the three beautiful women near the front of the cave, he would avoid looking at them, for he knew that they were not as human as they seemed.
He would tell the other tenants about the gentleman, but they did not see him as Eyo did. Eyo began to think that he was cursed, and in a way he was. There are some enchanted beings that take interest in specific humans, for many, this would be a great blessing for the enchanted beings would give lavish gifts upon their chosen, but for others it was a terrible curse where the enchanted beings would toy with their victim until they got bored of their games.
Eyo considered himself lucky, the enchanted gentleman would leave him alone if he asked, but there was always that hint of fear deep in his heart.
What if they decided to stop playing?
What would happen then?
Adapted from The Legend of Tinamnan Gabe in Negros Oriental and Siquijor Island Legends, Beliefs and Folkways. Aldecoa-Rodriguez. 2000.
The Engkanto of Tinamnan Gabe Illustration by Armie Loraine Corpuz
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/armieraine/
