*Note this story is in Tagalog
Hindi niya napansin ang nagdurugo niyang paa, o ang katotohanang muntik na siyang matutong sa init. Ang tanging naiisip niya ay ang binatang naglalakad sa tabi niya. Ito ang katuparan ng mga pangarap, masyadong literal. Hindi pa niya alam noon, na ang paglimot ay nakabalot sa kagandahan.
Nag-aalala ang mga magulang ni Kelita. Hindi ito katulad niya na biglaan na lang iiwan ang kanyang mga gawain bago mag-takipsilim. Naghanap sila sa Ogahong, sinubukang hanapin ang pinakamamahal na anak, hanggang sa may isang kapitbahay na nagsabi na nakita raw niya ito kasama ang isang matipunong binata.
Nasa may ilog na sila, isang kalmadong liko-likong daluyan ng tubig na nagpangiti sa kanya. Bigla na lamang ang suot na niya ay isang mahabang bestida, ngunit hindi niya naaalala ang pagpapalit. Nababalot ito sa pinakamagagandang perlas na nakita niya at ang kanyang kasama ay nakasuot ng napakagandang barong. Ito ang palagi niyang inaasam.
Ang mga magulang ni Kelita ay hinagilap ang kahit sinong maaaring tumulong at nagmadali patungong kagubatan. Hindi nila hahayaang makuha ng nilalang na iyon ang kanilang dalaga. Batid nilang ang kagandahan ng anak ay makahuhumaling ng mga hindi karapat-dapat na lalaki, hindi nila napagtanto na kailangan itong balaan tungkol sa isang espirito sa kagubatan.
Sumayaw siya sa malapad na kalsada, nakangiti palagi. Iyon ay parang isang pagmamadali na makuha ang lahat ng iyong mga hinahangad at hiniling niya na hindi na ito magwakas. Tumama ang paa niya sa isang bato at napasigaw ng “Hesus!”.
Saka natapos ang panaginip.
Namamaos na ang kanyang mga magulang sa kasisigaw. Ang ingay na iyon ang natatanging paraan upang mahanap sila ni Kelita, at ipinagdasal nila na hindi pa huli ang lahat. Ang bawat palo sa tambol at lata ay nagdadala ng piraso ng kanilang pag-asa, nakalipas na ang isang araw pero alam nilang pagbibigyan ang kanilang dasal. Kahit papaano, alam nila.
Hindi makapagsalita si Kelita, hindi kaagad. Nasa kagubatan siya, iyon ang alam niya, pero ang lahat ng iba ay malabo. Paano siya napunta dito? Nasaan na ang binata? Bakit hindi siya makapagsalita? Ang tanging nararamdaman niya ay ang malubhang sakit sa kanyang paa.
Sa wakas ay narinig na nila ito. Matapos ang ilang oras na paghahanap ay narinig nila ang boses ng anak at ito ang pinakamagandang tunog na narinig nila. Kinarga ng ama ang anak at natulog ito sa kanyang mga bisig.
Doon nalaman ni Kelita na siya ay minamahal.
She didn’t notice her bleeding feet, or the fact that she had almost been sunburned to a crisp. All she could think about was the young man walking beside her. He was what dreams were made of, all too literally. She didn’t know it then, that oblivion was wrapped in beauty.
Kelita’s mother and father were worried. It wasn’t like her to just abandon her chores right before sunset. They searched around Ogahong, trying to find their precious daughter, until one neighbor said he saw her with a handsome young man.
They were by the river now, a calm twisting waterway that made her smile. She was somehow wearing a long dress, but she didn’t remember changing. It was covered in the most beautiful pearls she had ever seen and her companion was wearing a very dapper barong. This was what she always wanted.
Kelita’s parents grabbed whoever could help and rushed to the forest. They would not let their girl be taken by that creature. They always knew her beauty would attract undesirable young men, they never realized they had to warn her against a spirit of the forest.
She danced along the wide road, smiling along the way. It was a rush to have all your desires come true and she wished it would never end. He foot struck a rock and she exclaimed “Jesus!”.
It was then that the dream was over.
Her parents’ voices were hoarse from shouting. The noise was the only way they could make Kelita find them, they prayed they weren’t too late. Each beating of the drums and cans took a little bit of their hope with them, it had already been a day but, they knew their prayers would be answered. Somehow they knew.
Kelita could not speak, not at first. She was in the forest, that much she knew, but everything else was a blur. How did she get here? Where was the handsome young man? Why wouldn’t her voice work? All she could feel was the pain from her feet crashing down upon her.
They finally heard it. After hours of searching they heard their daughter’s voice and it was the most beautiful sound they could think of. Her father picked her up and she fell asleep in her arms.
Kelita knew then that she was loved.
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*Tagalog is an Austronesian language spoken as a first language by a quarter of the population of the Philippines and as a second language by the majority. Its standardized form, officially named Filipino, is the national language of the Philippines, and is one of two official languages alongside English.
Written by Karl Gaverza
Tagalog translation by Catherine Britania
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Translation Copyright © Catherine Britania
Story adapted from “Kelita and Her Enchanted Lover.” from Negros Oriental and Siquijor Island Legends, Beliefs and Folkways. Aldecoa-Rodriguez. 2000.
Kelita’s Engkanto Illustration by Marc Magpantay
FB: Murcy Murc Art
Tumblr: Glassy-draws.tumblr.com
