*Note this story is in Cebuano
Sala nako ning tanan.
Nabalaka kaayo si Papa karon. Halos usa ka adlaw nga wala kabalik si Kuya ug wala mi kabalo asa siya. Wala kabalo si Papa pero madunggan nako siya nga naghilak gikan sa kwarto ni mama nga abi niyag walay tawo.
Kinahanglan nako siyang tabangan. Sukad si mama napasakitan sa maong bata, ang tanan nahimo ng dili maayo, apan isug ko and nasayod ko na makit-an nako si kuya. Gipangutana nako ang tanan nga naa sa ospital kung nakakita ba sila ni kuya, ubay ang iyang hulagway. Ang usa ka babaye nga gwardya niingon na nakakita siyag usa ka lalaki nga bata nga may-ong sa akoang kuya na naglakaw gawas sa ospital.
Gahulat ko na si papa matulog na dayon mudalagan ko padulong sa gawas sa ospital. Ang guwardiya miingon nga nakita niya siya nga naglakaw sa direksyon sa lasang ug nahibal-an ko nga kung diin ako kinahanglan moadto. Nakadungog kog mga sulti sa mga tigulang kabahin sa dili maayong panghitabo sa mga kahoy, pero anaa didto si kuya ug kinahanglan nako siyang pagaadtuon didto. Dili ko ganahan na magool si Papa ug nasayud ko na si mama ganahan pod makakita niya sa iyang pagmata.
Ang lasang kay mas dako paman diay sa akoang gihunahuna. Dili kini makatabang nga kini ngitngit sa gawas. Wala ko nasayud ug unsaon nako pagbulong si kuya pero nakasiguro ko na kung magpadayon ko ug lakaw magkakita ra gihapon mi sa kadugayan. Nagtuo ko na makit-an dayon nakos kuya pero si papa noon moy unang nakakita nako! Usa kadto ka dakong katingala.
Iya kong gigakos ug miingon nga nabalaka siya pag-ayo sa dihang dili niya ako makit-an ug nga dili ko angayng mudalagan palayo. Giingnan nako siya na wala ko nidalagan palayo, gipaningkamutan nako na bulungon si kuya. Nangayo ko niyag kapasayluan nga napagool nako siya apan gikinahanglan nakong tabangan si kuya sa gawas. Padulong nako mag-walo ang pangidaron ug hamtong nakong mutabang nila papa, kuya, ug mama.
Gigakos ko pag-usab ni Papa apan sa dihang nahunong na dihang nadungog namo nga dunay nangatawa. Nilingi mi sa among luyo ug nakita namo ang gwardya nga nisulti nako kabahin ni kuya! Lahi na ang iyang gisul-ob nga sinina karon, ug mas makahadlok ang iyang nawong! Morag mas hait ang tanan niyang ngipon. Sa akong hunahuna siya usa ka Aswuu—Aswii—Aswang!
Ang iyang lawas nagsugod sa paglihok sa usa ka talagsaon nga paagi, ug kini nausab! Mitaas ang iyang ngipon, nausab ang iyang mga bukton ug batiis ug mora siyag higanteng baboy. Usa ka higante nga makahahadlok nga baboy.
Niingon si papa na padalaganon ko niya palayo. Miingon siya na pabalikon ko sa ospital ug mangayog tabang! Nahadlok ko pag-ayo! Ang higanteng baboy gadalagan padulong ni papa ug wala ako’y bisang unsang mahimo.
Sala nako ning tanan.
Wala koy pulos.
=——————–=
English Version
This is all my fault.
Papa’s really worried now. Kuya hasn’t been back in almost a day and we don’t know where he is. Papa doesn’t know but I can hear him crying from mama’s room when he thinks no one’s around.
I have to help him. Ever since mama got hurt by that baby everything just went wrong, but I’m brave and I know I can find kuya. I asked everyone in the hospital if they saw my kuya, I even had his picture! One guard said she saw a boy that looked like my kuya walk outside the hospital.
I waited until papa was asleep then I ran outside of the hospital. The guard said that she saw him walk in the direction of the forest and I knew that’s where I had to go. I heard the adults talking about bad things happening in the trees, but kuya was there and I had to find him. I don’t want papa to be sad and I know mama will want to see him when she wakes up.
The forest is bigger than I thought it would be. It doesn’t help that it’s dark out. I don’t know how to find kuya but I’m sure if I keep walking I’ll see him eventually. I think I was about to find him but papa found me first! It was a big surprise.
He hugged me and said he was so worried when he couldn’t find me and that I shouldn’t run away. I told him that I wasn’t running away, and I was trying to find kuya. I said I was sorry that I made him sad but I need to help him out. I’m almost 8 and I’m big enough to help papa and kuya and mama.
Papa hugged me again but when stopped when we heard someone laughing. We looked behind us and we saw the guard that told me about kuya! She was wearing different clothes now, and her face got scarier! It looked like all her teeth were sharper. I think she was an Aswuu—Aswii—Aswang!
Her body started to move in a strange way, and it changed! Her teeth grew longer, her arms and legs changed and she looked like a giant pig. A giant scary pig.
Papa told me to run away. He said to go back to the hospital and find help! I was so scared! The giant pig was running after papa and I couldn’t do anything.
It’s all my fault.
I’m so useless.
=————————————=
*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 Kien B. Mayorga
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Translation Copyright © Kien B. Mayorga
Inspired by the Harimodon legends from Bicol
Harimodon Illustration by Leandro Geniston fromAklat ng mga Anito
FB: That Guy With A Pen
Watercolor by Mykee Concepcion
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