*Note this story is in Ilocano
Kumitkita kaniak ti tagtagainep babaen ti sangagasut a matana ket agtalinaedak a nagyelo iti pagiddaak.
Diak ammo no ania ti kayatna, ngem diak pagarupen nga adda kaipapanan dayta a pannakadangran. Magna ti parsua nga umasideg kaniak ket bayat a kitkitaek ti agkir-in a bagina, maawatakon kamaudiananna. Saan lang nga tagtagainep iti tagtagainep. Maysa dayta a pakdaar.
Ti daligmata (diak ammo no kasano nga ammok ti naganna, nagtubo laeng iti ulok) ket padpadasenna nga ibaga kaniak a kasapulak a pasardengen ti pannakapasamak ti ginggined.
“Kasano nga aramidek dayta?” sinaludsodko kadagiti daligmata. Nagtungtung-ed manen kaniak, ket ammok. Masapul a mapanak iti lugar a nakaipasngayan dagiti ginggined. Masapul a kiddawek kadakuada nga agtalinaedda a sitatalna. “Apay a siak? Dimteng ti sungbat iti saludsodko iti layus dagiti pampanunot. Agbibiag ti daligmata kadagiti tagtagainep, ket mabalinna laeng ti aggaraw iti dayta a sakup.
Saanna a pulos a makapan iti pisikal a lubong, uray pay ti pagtaengan dagiti ginggined ken bagyo no awan ti agar-arapaap iti sibayna.
Ket maysa nga agar-arapaap ti adda kenkuana.
Saan a kas iti napeggad ti panagdaliasat a kas iti impagarupko. Adda iti panunotko ti daligmata a mangibagbaga a kasapulak laeng ti agarapaap nga addaak sadiay ket nasayaat ti panangiturongna kaniak. Imbagana kaniak nga arapaapko ti lubong, ngem saan a kas iti ammok. Nagsao dayta maipapan iti horizon, ti pannakabingay ti daga ken ti lubong dagiti natay ken dagiti ngiwat dagiti parsua nga agnanaed sadiay. Dagiti ladawan dagiti uleg a nabalkot iti intero a lubong, nga iggem ti naindaklan a dios a ni Magbabaya, ti nagpusipos iti ulok. Natagtagainepko ti horizon, dagiti uleg, ti Magbabaya. Inar-arapaapko ti lugar a nakaipasngayan dagiti ginggined. Inar-arapaapko ti daga dagiti angin ken bagyo.
Ket iti apagbiit, addanak sadiay.
“Hello mortal.” Maysa a babai a timek ti nangkablaaw kaniak. “Tunggal makitami ti naasiyo a Mangilala gagangay nga adda pakainaiganna iti dayta.” Simmungbat ti timek ti lalaki. Naamirisko a kitkitaek ti ulo ti dua a higante nga uleg, a tunggal maysa ket dakdakkel ngem iti skyscraper. Mabutengak koma, ngem ti kinadayag dagitoy a dua ti mangparikna kaniak iti kasta unay a panagsiddaaw. Natalged ti riknak iti imatangda.
Induronnak ti daligmata manipud iti likudak ket nalagipko no apay nga addaak sadiay. “Dakkel nga Uleg…” Diak ammo no kasano a tamingen ida, ngem impagarupko a saan a makadangran ti panangipakita iti panagraem. Imbagak kadakuada ti maipapan iti bang-arko, ti higante a ginggined a nangrisut iti siudadko ken nangburak iti pagtaengak.
“Daytoy ti pagtaengan dagiti ginggined, bassit a tao.” Simmungbat ti timek ti lalaki. “Mapataud dagiti panagkintayeg no aggarawtay”. Insungbat ti timek ti babai. “Dagiti garawmi pagtalinaedenda a naigalut ti lubong.”Kinuna ti timek ti lalaki. “Ania ti serserbitayo no awanen ti lubong?” sinaludsod ti timek ti babai.
“No mapasamak ti bang-arko, awanen ti lubongko. Mabalin a bassit a paset dayta ti intero a daga, ngem dayta a bassit a paset ti intero a lubongko. Dayta a siudad ket napateg kaniak a kas iti kinapateg dagiti kontinente kenka.” Ti kadi sungbatko.
“Naturedka.” Kinuna ti timek ti babai. “Awan pay ti mortal a nakasarita kadakami buyogen ti kasta a kinaprangka.” Insungbat ti timek ti lalaki. “Kaaduan a mortal ikagkagumaandatayo nga allilawen dagiti kabusorda.” Simmungbat ti timek ti babai. “Maawaten daytoy a panagbalbaliw.” Insungbat ti timek ti lalaki. “Naikkankami iti annongen a mangtaginayon iti lubong iti lugarna.” Kinuna ti timek ti babai. “Tapno saan a matnag ti daga.” Insungbat ti timek ti lalaki. “Ngem ania ti pagimbagan dayta no madadael ti maysa a lubong iti uneg ti lubong?” sinaludsod ti timek ti babai.
“Aramidenmi ti kiddawenyo. Agtalinaedkami a natalna tapno agtalinaed a nasayaat ti lubongmo.” Nagkaykaysa a simmungbat dagiti Intumbangol. “Inka itan, mortal. Ti pagtaengan dagiti ginggined ket saan a lugar a pagnaedan ti kitayo.”
Inkagumaak ti agyaman kadakuada, ngem nangrugin nga agtaytayab ti napigsa nga angin. Pinidutnak ket dandani diak makaanges. Naranggas unay dagiti bagyo isu nga impagarupko a mapigpisiak. Nagpukkawak.
Kalpasanna, nariingak.
Naguni ti alarmko. Alas 7 ti bigatin. Ammok a maladawak iti klase no diak agdardaras. Nakaam-amak koma ti trapiko ita, kas iti inaldaw. Nagngangaak ket inkagumaak a lagipen dagiti tagtagainepko. Panagkunak adda uleg ken maysa a bunggoy dagiti mata a mangmatmatmat kaniak, ngem diak malagip ti adu a napalabas dayta.
Napigpigsa pay ti panaguni ti backup alarm-ko ngem iti immuna. Ipasimudaagna ti panangrugi ti talaga nga atiddog nga aldaw.
Sapay koma ta ad-adu pay dagiti makapagagar nga inaramidko.
=————————-=
English Version
The dream stares at me with its hundred eyes and I stay frozen on my bed.
I don’t know what it wants, but I don’t think it means any harm. The creature walks over to me and as I stare at its blinking body, I finally understand. The nightmare wasn’t a nightmare at all. It was a warning. The daligmata (I don’t know how I know its name, it just popped in my head) was trying to tell me I needed to stop the earthquake from happening.
“How do I do that?” I asked the daligmata. It stared at me again, and I knew. I had to go to the place where earthquakes were born. I had to ask them to stay still. “Why me?” The answer to my question came in a flood of thoughts. The daligmata lives in dreams, and it can only move in that realm. It could never go in the physical world, much less the home of earthquakes and storms if it didn’t have a dreamer by its side.
And a dreamer it had.
The journey wasn’t as perilous as I imagined it to be. The daligmata was in my thoughts saying I only need to dream to be there and it guided me well. It told me to dream of the world, but not as I knew it. It spoke of the horizon, the split between the earth and the underworld and the mouths of the creatures that lived there. Images of the snakes wrapped around the world, held up by the great god Magbabaya, swirled in my head. I dreamt of the horizon, of the snakes, of Magbabaya. I dreamt of the place where earthquakes were born. I dreamt of the land of the winds and storms.
And in a flash, I was there.
“Hello mortal.” A feminine voice greeted me. “Whenever we see your kind Mangilala* usually has something to do with it.” A male voice answered back. I realized I was staring at the heads of two gigantic snakes, each bigger than a skyscraper. I would have been scared, but the majesty of the two was making me feel so much awe. I felt safe in their presence.
The daligmata nudged me from behind and I remembered why I was there. “Great Serpents…” I didn’t know how to address them, but I figured showing respect wouldn’t hurt. I told them about the nightmare I had, the giant earthquake that ripped through my city and shattered my home.
“This is the home of earthquakes, little human.” The male voice answered. “The shakes are caused when we move.” The female voice replied. “Our movements keep the world tethered.” Said the male voice. “What use are we if the world is gone?” The female voice asked.
“If my nightmare happens, my world would be gone. It may be a small part of the entire earth, but that tiny bit is my whole world. That city is as important to me as the continents are to you.” Was my answer.
“You are brave.” The female voice said. “No mortal has ever spoken to us with such candor.” The male voice replied. “Most mortals try to trick us into destroying their enemies.” The female voice answered. “This is a welcome change.” The male voice replied. “We are tasked to keep the world in place.” The female voice said. “To keep the earth from falling away.” The male voice replied. “But what good is that if a world within the world is broken?” The female voice asked.
“We will do as you ask. We will stay still so your world may be kept intact.” The Intumbangol replied in unison. “Go now, mortal. The home of earthquakes is no place for your kind to be.”
I tried to thank them, but a strong wind started blowing. It picked me up and I almost couldn’t breathe. The gusts were so violent I thought I was being ripped apart. I screamed.
Then I woke up.
My alarm was going off. It was 7 AM. I knew I would be late for class if I didn’t hurry. The traffic would be terrible today, like every day. I yawned and tried to remember the dreams I had. I think there was a snake and a bunch of eyes looking at me, but I couldn’t recall much past that.
My backup alarm rang even louder than the first one. It signaled the start of a really long day.
I wish I did more exciting things.
————————–
*The Bukidnon god of temptation
*Ilocano is the third most-spoken local language of the Philippines.An Austronesian language, it is related to such languages as Malay (Indonesian and Malaysian), Tetum, Chamorro, Fijian, Maori, Hawaiian, Samoan, Tahitian, Paiwan and Malagasy. It is closely related to some of the other Austronesian languages of Northern Luzon, and has slight mutual intelligibility with the Balangao language and the eastern dialects of the Bontoc language.
Written by Karl Gaverza
Ilocano translation by Princess Jaselle
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Translation Copyright © Princess Jaselle
Inspired by the Intumbangol description in The Soul Book. Demetrio, Cordero-Fernando &Zialcita 1991. And the Daligmata descriptions in Songs and Gifts at the Frontier : Person and Exchange in the Agusan Manobo Possession Ritual. Buenconsejo. 2002. & 101 Kagila-gilalas na Nilalang. Samar. 2015.
Intumbangol Illustration by Nadine Cabe
Tumblr: http://
Watercolor by Alexa Garde
Website: www.Lexa.us
