*Note this story is in Cebuano
“Daddy! Naa nasad siya!!”
Minglingi si Danilo sa iyang asawa nga wa kadungog sa sampit sa ilang anak tungod sa
ka-hinanok sa iiyang pagkatulog. Ming barog siya samtang naghandum sa gi sulti sa
Psychologist. Duha na ka bulan ang minglabay gikan sa lubong apan ang kasakit nag pabilin.
Sa edad nga sinco anyos, ilang gituhu-an nga si Maine bata pa kaayo aron makasabot sa mga
panghitabo.
Nakita gayud nila ang kausaban. Kining bataa kani-adto lagsik og lihok mingkalit lag ka hilom.
Gisamutan pani sa mga hulagway nga kanunay gi druwing sa bata.
Unang nakabantay si Miss Grade sa mga druwing paglabay sa pipila ka adlaw gikan sa
paglubong nila sa iyang lola. Pag una, gituhuan nila nga coping mechanism lang kini sa bata
tungod sa kamatayon sa iyang lola. Tingaleg gusto ni Maine nga handumon iyang lola unya
isabyag sa kalibutan.
Apan, nabantayan nalang ni Miss Grace nga hinay hinay na nga mugamit si Maine og mga
baga-on nga kolor susama sa itom og puwa sa iyang mga druwing. Ang kalmado og
mang-atimanon nga hulagway sa babae sa drawing ni Maine gipulihan man ug makahadlok nga
hulagway,hangtud sa kini aduna nay mga dagong nganga ug nagbitay nga dila.
Katong gi pangutana ang bata bahin sa iyang mga druwing igo ra kini mi tubag nga “pirme ni
siya mo Hii nako inig ka gabie. Hilabi na kung pagngon na ni mama og papa ang mga suga,
makita nako siya bintana. Mao to nangayu ko nilag suga aron dili siya ka duol nako.”
Tungod ato, gi-rekomendar ni Miss Grace kang Danilo nga ilang dalhon si Maine sa usa ka
Psychologist aron magiyahan si Maine sa iyang nasinati karon. Buot man, ilang gi timan-an ang
mga pulong sa Psychologist og ila pun’g nasag-ulo ang dapat nilang isulti kung makig-istorya
kang Maine.
Nanuktuk si Danilo sa pultahan sa iyang anak. Iya kining gipanguta kung pwede ba siyang
musulod.
“Daddy, guba ang suga di na musiga unya makita na nako siya!”
Wa na tuod nag siga ang suga sa tapad sa iyang katre. Minglingkod si Danilo tapad kang
Maine.
“Di ko ganahan niya. Hadlok kaayo siya.”
Sa tan-aw ni Danilo murag nahadlok man gyud tuod iyang anak samtang iya kining gigakos. Diri
na niya nahimunduman ang gisulti sa Psychologist. Kailangan niyang tubagon ang kahadlok sa
iyang anak pinagi sa pag agak og pag atiman. Iyang gipangutana iyang anak kung tungod ba
gyud ni sa babae sa bintana o tungod sa iyang lola.
“Ana si Lola nako nga kung palong daw ang suga unya abli ako mga mata, makita daw nako
ang babae.”
Nasayud na si Danilo aning istoryaha. Mao kini pirme balik balikon ni Maine matag gabie sukad
nga namatay iyang lola.Ming subay siya sa gitudlo sa Psychologist aron pagtubag sa iyang
anak. Iyang gi butang ang gibati sa iyang anak sa iyang mga pulong og gi-ingnan niya kini nga
kahibalo siya nga naguol siya sa iyang lola, ug unsa siya kapinangga sa tanan. Mipuno siya sa
pagsulti nga di to ganahan iyang lola nga mahadlok siya. Giduyugan ni Danilo si Maine sa
paghandum ni Lola aron maibanan ang kaguol.
Sa katong nahuman na sila sa ilang paghadum, nakita ni Danilo ang ka kapuy sa mga mata ni
Maine maong iya kining gi-ingnan nga oras na para mupahuway siya og balik. Ming tando si
Maine og mi-ingon “Okay, daddy. Pero palihug kog bilin sa suga nga nag siga. Di ko ganahan
maka kita niya.”
Ming tando si Danilo ug gi-ablihan ang pultahan aron makasulod ang kahayag. Nasayud siya
nga maghinanglan pag taas taas nga panahon si Maine aron maka lingkawas sa kaguol nga
iyang gi bati. Kailangan niyang mahimong mapasi
=————————————————–=
English Version
“Daddy! She’s here again!!”
Danilo looked to his right and saw that his wife was sound asleep, the cries of their child ineffective against her current dream. He stood up and thought about what the psychologist said to say.
The funeral had been finished about two months ago, but the scars still lingered. At 5 years old they thought that Maine was too young to understand what was happening.
But a few weeks after, Miss Grace had asked to speak to them about what Maine was doing in class.
The little girl that was so bright and filled with energy had become despondent and silent.
And that was separate from the drawings.
Miss Grace noticed the first drawing a few days after they buried her lola. At first, she thought that it was a way of coping. Maybe Maine wanted to channel her grandmother and tried to put those feelings out into the world.
Then Miss Grace saw Maine use darker colors, always red and black.; the calm, caring face of the woman in her drawings becoming more grotesque, the later ones having a gaping jaw and a long tongue.
When Maine was asked what she was drawing the girl would just reply, “She always says hi to me at night. When Mama and Papa turn the lights off, I can see her by the window so I told them to give me a light so she can’t go near me.”
Miss Grace recommended that the family see a psychologist to help Maine get through this difficult time and her parents agreed. They took the words of the psychologist to heart and memorized how they should talk to their daughter.
Danilo knocked on his daughter’s door and asked if he could come in.
“Daddy the light isn’t working and I can see her!”
Maine was right, the nightlight by her bedside was pitch black and definitely broken. He sat by her bedside and asked her what was wrong, carefully remembering to use clear words to let her understand.
“I don’t like her. She’s scary.”
She did seem scared and Danilo took his daughter in his arms. It was at this point that the advice of the psychologist kicked in. Responding to her fear with comfort and reassurance. He asked her if it was really about a woman in the window, and changed the topic to her lola.
“Lola used to tell me about her. She said that if the lights were off and if my eyes were open, I could see the woman.”
Danilo knew this part of the story well enough, it was something that Maine repeated every night since her lola passed. He returned to using the psychologist’s advice. He put her emotions into words, telling her that he knows she feels sad about her lola, and how much everyone loved her. He told her that lola wouldn’t want her to be scared. They sat together and talked about lola, thinking back to happy memories to activate positive feelings.
When they finished remembering Danilo saw the tiredness in Maine’s eyes and told her it was time to get some rest.
She nodded and said, “Okay daddy, but please put the lights on. I don’t want to see her.”
Danilo nodded and opened the door to let the light in. He knew that it would take time for her to heal from the loss and he would be as patient as he needed to be for Maine’s sake.
After all, it’s what parents do.
=—————————————————————=
*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 Julius Cesar Cudera
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Translation Copyright © Julius Cesar Cudera
Inspired by a story told by Teresita Gasga
Kulukupap Illustration by Alvin Gasga
FB: The Art of Alvin Gasga
