*Note this story is in Masbatenyo
“Paghikay na kay malakat na kita bag-o magsirak an adlaw.”
Maayo na tani an akon panamgo, guinpukaw pa ako ni Papa. Nagalupad daw ako sa ibabaw san bukid hasta sa nakaabot ako sa kakahuyan na bagan may birtud. Pero bisan an panamgo may katapusan man, yana oras na para atubangon na naman an bag-o na adlaw. Balik naman sa ordinaryo na guinahimo uru-adlaw, mapamahaw kag mapreparar san mga supply para sa adlaw. Nasabod na naman an kamot ko sa lambat, siniyakan ako ni Papa kay kaluya ko daw. Parehas san nangyari kahapon.
“Mapa-rekudo kita nyan.”
Kakaiba man. Permi ginalikayan ninda Papa kag san iba pa na mga gurang na para-isda an rekudo. Sabi ninda delikado dida kay dili matantya an sulog sina na lugar. Pero wara na kami san mahimo. Nagaluya na nagaluya an panguha san isda kag dili namon aram kun makadugay pa kami sa lawod. Siguro mas maayo kun sabihon ko na lang kan Papa na magkadto na lang ako sa syudad para magtrabaho. Mas maayo pa kaysa magparahandom kun makakuha kami san isda para may makaon.
“Maghimat lang kag maniguro na dili magsunod sa mga ilaw.”
Amu ina an padaan permi san mga paraisda bago maglawod. Dili ko aram kun nano an gusto sabihon pero maayo man sa pamati. Bagan nababati ko na ina tuna pa san nagtungtong ako sa tama na edad para magsakay sa baruto. Mas magaan an lambat yana, sinyales na nagakusog na ako. Basi makahanap pa ako san trabaho sa mga construction site sa syudad.
“Pagtahob sa iyo mga talinga!”
Makaharadlok an siyak ni Papa. Dili ko aram nano kay nagatahob siya san iya talinga. Kaguruganda san tugtog. Bagan mga anghel na nagakaranta sa patalibod ko. Baga akon nakalaya, gaan-gaan sa pamatyag. Gusto ko kadtuon kun sin-o man an naghimo sina na maganda na tugtog.
“Ayaw paglusad sa tubig!”
Bagan amu an sabi ni Papa, pero dili ko siya nabati san maayo. Guinbutong niya ako pabalik pero kailangan ko gaud kadtuon an nagakanta sina na maganda na kanta. Permi niya na lang gayud ako guinapugulan, dapat udungan niya na ina. Dili niya aram kun nano pa na kalisod an maabot sa puturo. Wara na gani san nabilin sa amon. DIli kami masususteniran san dagat, dili na gayud. Kahinanglan magkadto kami sa iba na lugar, sa lugar na may pag-asa.
“An ilaw! Ayaw pagsunod sa ilaw!”
Nakikita ko na sinda, kaguruganda. Baga ako’n ginatawag san ilaw sa idarom san dagat. Dili maintindihan ni Papa. Gurang na siya para makita an puturo. Iba man ako. Masunod ako sa ilaw kag masasalbar na kami tanan. Makapundar ako san kwarta para mapakaon ko an akon pamilya. Makikita niya. Makikita ninda.
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English Version
English Version
“Get ready, we have to leave before sunrise.”
Papa woke me up from a nice dream. I was flying over the mountains and going through the woods like a superhero. But dreams always have to end, now it’s time to face another day. I start my routine, grabbing a meal and preparing all the supplies for the day. My hands got tangled in the nets again and Papa scolded me for being slow. Just like yesterday.
“We’re going by the cove today.”
That was strange. Papa and all the older fishermen would always avoid going near the cove. They say it’s dangerous since the current is unpredictable in that area. But I know we don’t really have much of a choice. The catch of the day has been getting smaller and smaller and I don’t know how long we can live off the ocean. I think I’m going to tell Papa that I should go to the city to find work. It’s better than wondering if we can catch enough fish to feed ourselves.
“Be careful and make sure you don’t follow the lights.”
It’s the warning that we fisherman say before we go out on the water. I don’t know what it’s supposed to mean but it’s always comforting to hear. I think I’ve heard it every day since I was old enough to be on a boat. The nets seem lighter today, a sign that I’m getting stronger. Maybe I can find work in a construction site in the city.
“Cover your ears!”
Papa’s shout scared me. I don’t know why he was covering his ears. The music was so beautiful. It was like a chorus of angels floating all around me. I feel so free, so in touch with the world. I want to go to whatever’s making such a beautiful sound.
“Don’t go in the water!”
I think that’s what papa said, but I didn’t hear him so well. He tried to pull me back by the arm but I need to go find the singer of this wonderful song. He needs to stop doing that, always holding me back. He doesn’t know how hard it’s going to be in the future. We don’t have anything left here. The sea isn’t going to keep giving us fish, not anymore. We need to go somewhere else somewhere where we can hope.
“The lights! Don’t follow the lights!”
I can see them now, they’re so beautiful. The glow under the water is calling me. Papa doesn’t understand. He’s too old to see the future. Not like I can. I’ll follow the light and it will save us all. I can make enough money to feed our family. He’ll see. They will all see.
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*Masbateño or Minasbate is a Bicol-Visayan language spoken by more than 600,000 people, primarily in the province of Masbate in the Philippines. It is very close to Capiznon, Hiligaynon/Ilonggo and Waray-Waray, all three spoken in Visayas. It is considered a Bisakol language, meaning a language intermediate between Visayan languages and Bicolano languages.
Written by Karl Gaverza
Masbatenyo Translation by Trixie Espiel-Dela Cruz
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Translation Copyright © Trixie Espiel-Dela Cruz
Story inspired by Kataw/Catao entry in Creatures of Philippine Lower Mythology. Ramos. 1971.
Kataw Illustration by Leandro Genisto from Aklat ng mga Anito
FB: That Guy With A Pen
Watercolor by Mykie Concepcion
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