*Note this story is in Tandaganon
Yakila nako si Mita yadton miaging duha ka semana. Pareha da na ruta permi ang ako agihan pauli, magbaktas gikan sa MRT, pero yakadesisyon ako yadto na adlaw na maglahi na sab nan agihan. Yakuratan ako nan yakita ko siya sa kilid karsada, yaon siya yaturog sa mga dyaryo na arang ka lipai tapos yaoy tapad niya na tukoy. Dili da bagan molapas nan 6 anyos iya edad. Gimata siya nan tukoy ug yakit-an niya ako. Minduol siya sa ako ug milaong “mano po” ug gikuha ako kamot para idapat sa iya agtang ug ako sab yaghanap nan mahatag garo nako sa iya, pero mga sketchbook ug lapis da sa ang luon nan ako bag. Laong ko na way ako mahatag sa iya yadto na panahon ug milaong sab siya na “Ok da, maayong gabii!” samtang gangisi. Yagsaad ako sa iya na balikan ug hatagan ko da siya sa sunod adlaw tapos gapasalamat na sab siya utro.
Amo yaon ang hinungdan nanga sa sige ako balik-balik ngadi kada adlaw. Sigurohon ko gayud na makakaon siya adeser ako muuli sa amo bahay ug way gayud kasudlan ang iya kalipay. Tagpangutana ko siya kung nanga sa siya dasakan isa ug unoy yahitabo sa iya mga ginikanan, iya da sab laong kay wara siya kasayod. Sukad sa una sa karsada na siya gahuya, pero way kaso sa iya, magsalig dakan gayud siya sa kabuotan nan mga tao sa iya.
Kuman na adlaw yangutana ako sa iya kun sakto da ba ang pagpanlimos niya, kung may iya da ba makaon sa adlaw-adlaw. Laong ni Mita na may mga higayon kuno na labay-labayan da siya nan mga tao, murag wara nila siya kit-i ug maguol kuno siya usahay pag ing-anaon siya, pero yaoy kuno iya guardian angel na mutabang sa iya.
Laong pa niya na yaon kunoy buotan na manulunda na maghatag pirmi nan buwak pag maturog siya. Ganahan si Mita kay gwapa ang mga buwak, pero may mga adlaw na waray gayud iya makaon. Laong niya sa ako na ang lasa kuno murag tam-is na prutas, amo dan manga. Murag gikumot ang ako kasing-kasing pagkabati nako yadto, dili dapat ing-ani iya kahimtang, waray dapat makasinati nan haod ini. Gihatagan ko siya nan ako paga-take-out sa Jollibee ug laong ko na magkita da kami silom. Permi yaon si Mita ngisihi basta maglaong nan “Salamat, ate.” Di nako yaon makalimtan.
Wara ako kasabot nan ako gibati pagkasunod adlaw. Ang adlaw misawop na nan pagbaktas nako pauli ug yaoy mga pulis na giatngan ang lugar kun hain dapit si Mita gapwesto. Murag wara bagan hunong ang ako paghilak pagkabati ko nan balita. Iya gisalbar ang iya tukoy na haput maligsi nan taxi. Wara na siya. Yangutana ang pulis kung yakakila ako sa iya ug kung hibawo ako kung hain ang iya mga ginikanan. Gitrapohan nako ako luha ug gilaong ang kutob sa ako yahibaw-an, pero gamay da sab ang ako yahibaw-an kang Mita.
Yagpundo ako sa kilid nan pila ka oras. Amo da sab ang ako mahimo sa iya. Yanimaho pa gihapon nan mga buwak ang iya pwesto ug giampo ko siya samtang yaon pa ako ngadto.
Gitan-aw nako sa makausa ang lugar kun hain ko siya una yakita ug yakita ko na may mga buwak ngadto. Hibawo ako na dili ko gayud malimtam yadto na bata ug ang iya ngisi. May yakakila sab siguro sa iya kay may ako sa yabatian na yagtawag sa iya ngan ngadto sa layo. Yagsanghid ako na mukadto na ug minpanaw pauli.
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English Version
I met Mita two weeks ago. I would always take the same route going home, walking from the MRT station, but that day I decided that I might as well try something new. I was surprised to find her on the street, she was sleeping on some dirty newspapers and there was a puppy lying next to her. She couldn’t have been more than six years old. The puppy woke her up and she saw me. She walked up to me and said “mano po” taking my hand to her forehead and I tried to find something to give her, but my bag only had my sketchbooks and pencils. I told her that I couldn’t give her anything then and she said “Ok po, have a good night po!” with a radiant smile. I promised her that I would be back and give her something the next day and she smiled and gave me another thank you.
That’s how I ended up going here every day. I always make sure Mita has something to eat before I go back home and she’s nothing but smiles. I asked her why she was alone and what happened to her parents, and she told me she didn’t know. She had always lived her life on the street, but that didn’t matter to her, she could always count on the kindness of strangers to help her.
Today I asked her if begging was enough for her, if she had something to eat every day. Mita told me that there were times when people just walked by, they always pretended not to see her and that would make her sad sometimes, but there was always her guardian angel to help her.
She told me there would always be this kind angel that left her flowers every time she slept. Mita enjoyed how pretty they were, but there were those days when she had nothing to eat. She told me they tasted like sweet fruits, like a mango. My heart broke a little after hearing that, I don’t think this is the way things should be, no one’s life should be like this. I gave her some Jollibee take out and told her I’d see her tomorrow. Mita’s “Thank you Ate.” Always came with a giant smile. I don’t think I’ll ever forget that.
The next day was senseless. I was walking home at sunset and there was a policeman blocking off the area of the street where Mita was. I don’t think I stopped crying as I heard the news. She was trying to save her puppy and pushed it out of the way of a taxi. She didn’t make it. The policeman asked if I knew her and asked if I knew her parents. I dried my tears and told him what I could, but there wasn’t much that Mita let me know.
I stayed at the corner for a few hours. It was the least I could do for her. Her spot still smelled like flowers and I said a prayer for her while I was there.
I took one last look at the place that I met her and saw there were flowers there. I know that I won’t be able to forget the girl with that smile. Someone else must have known her because I could hear a voice calling her name in the distance. I said my last goodbye and walked back home.
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*Tandaganon (also called Tinandag, Naturalis, Tagon-on) is a closely related variety of Surigaonon spoken in the central Surigao del Sur municipalities of Tandag City, San Miguel, Tago, Bayabas, Cagwait, Marihatag, San Agustin, and most of Lianga. It can be classified as a separate language or alternatively as a southern variety of Surigaonon. There are about 100,000 speakers.
Written by Karl Gaverza
Tandaganon Translation by Mark Anthony Ramos
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Translation Copyright © Mark Anthony Ramos
Inspired by the Kamanan Daplak entry in Myth Museum. Medina. 2015.
Kamanan Daplak Illustration by Kayla Teodoro
Tumblr: mikaylateodoro.tumblr.com