*Note this story is in Ilocano
“Maysa manen nga abal-abal, kasla maikasangapulon.” Agkatawa koma isuna no saan la nasakit unay. Kadaytoy ket rimmuar iti kanawan nga abagana. “Imbag la ketdi ta saan man a daytoy rupakon.” Agyaman isuna iti Apo Dios gapu iti babassit a banag ngem ti panagkunana, saan a dumneg Isuna.
Dina ammo no ania ti inaramidna tapno kastoy ti
mapasamakna.
Dina ammo no asino ti nakiginnuraanna a mangilunod kenkuana. Kastoy ngata ti panagbiagnan, inaldaw nga agkudkudkod ti aniaman a paset ti bagina, inaldaw a makasarak ti baro a kiteb nga agkarayam a rumuar iti kudilna.
Saan a kastoy idi. Sumagmamano a bulan iti napalabas, nalaing nga estudiante isuna nga adda nasalun-at a masangwananna. Ti ammona ket agbalin isuna nga accountant.
Dina pay napadasan agsigarilio, agsao ti dakes, ken agsarita ti saan a nasayaat maipapan iti sabali a tattao. Agingga iti maysa nga aldaw, isu ti napasamak, nabuntog idi damdamo, idi kua kimmaro.
Nangrugi a kasla bung-or. Pagarupna ket alerji laeng isu intumaranna ti agas. Simmaruno dagidiay letteg. Madi ammo dagiti doktor no ania sakitna. Awan pakaaramatan ti aniaman nga ipatomarda kenkuana agingga nagbalinda amin a tableta a napunno ti mangallilaw a kari.
Dayti umuna a kiteb ket kulalanti. Kasla tagtagainep. Dina maibturan ti gatel. Limmusiaw dagiti pingpingna, idi kua, adda nagparang a lawag ti unegna. Nagkudkod a nagkudkod ket kalpasanna, limmabbaga dagiti kukona ken nawayaan ti kulalanti. Napintas koma a buyaen no saan la unay ti ut-otna.
Kastoy ti panagbiagnan, dina ammo no kasano dimmanon ditoy, ngem ammona nga adda pay la pagimbaganna.
Barbareng maysa nga aldaw ket agsardeng lattan. Maysa nga aldaw, awanto masarakanna a agkutkuti iti unegna, maysa nga aldaw nga awan agtayab a rumuar iti kudilna.
Agingga iti dayta nga aldaw, agtarigagay ken agkararag a malpas ti panagrigrigatna.
Sapay koma adda makanggeg ti kararagna.
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English Version
“Another beetle, I guess that makes ten,” He almost laughs this time, and he would if it didn’t hurt so much. This time the thing came out of his right shoulder, “At least it wasn’t my face again,” he thanks God for small favors, but he doesn’t think He’s listening.
He didn’t know what he did to deserve this, he didn’t know who he pissed off enough that he would be cursed this way, but maybe this was his life now, every day scratching some part of his body, and every day finding some new bug that crawls out of his skin.
It wasn’t always like this. Months ago he was a promising student with a great future. He thought he was going to be an accountant; he never smoked, never swore and never said a bad thing about anyone. Then one day it happened, slowly at first, then it progressed.
It started with slight swelling. He thought it was just an allergy attack and took some antihistamines, then came the boils. The doctors couldn’t tell what was wrong with him. Each medicine they gave became more and more useless until they were just pills full of false hope.
The first bug was a firefly. It was almost like a dream. The itching became almost unbearable, blood was being drawn from his cheeks, and then a light came from inside him. He scratched and he scratched until his nails were red, and then the insect was released. It would have been beautiful if it wasn’t so damn painful.
But this was his life now, he didn’t know how he got here, but he knew he still had hope. Maybe one day it would end. One day, where he wouldn’t find something skittering inside of him, one day when something wouldn’t fly out of him.
Until that day, he would hope and pray for his torment to be over.
He hoped someone would hear his prayer.
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*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
Tagalog translation by Jenina Danielle Melchor
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Translation Copyright © Jenina Danielle Melchor
Inspired by the Mambabarang description in 101 Kagila-gilalas na Nilalang. Samar. 2015 and Myth Museum. Medina. 2015.
Mambabarang Illustration by Leandro Geniston fromAklat ng mga Anito
FB: That Guy With A Pen
Color by Alexa Garde
Website: Lexa.us