*Note this story is in Masbatenyo
“Usad pa na bangag, napulo na siguro.” Dyutay pa siya magtawa sani na bis. Matawa kuntani siya kun dili la masakit-sakit gayud. Sa tuo na abaga niya naglabas sugad. “Maayo gani kay dili sa pamayhon ko otro,” nagpasalamat siya sa Ginoo sa tigdyutay na pabor pero bagan dili siya nagatuod na nagapamati Siya.
Wara siya sin aram kun nano ang ginhimo niya para mangyari ini sa iya, wara siya sin aram kun sin-o an naurit sa iya para barangon siya pero basi amo na ini an iya kinabuhi sugad. Kada adlaw, ginakarot an parte san iya lawas kag kada adlaw, may nakikita siya na bag-o na insekto na nagalabas sa iya panit.
Dili man ini irog sani pirmi. Sadto, usad siya na maayo na estudyante na may maayo na puturo. An huna niya magigin accountant siya; wara siya nagbisyo, wara nagmuda kag wara siya sin ginsabi na maski nano na malain sa iba na tawo. Usad ka adlaw, amo na ini an nangyari, hinay-hinay san primero hasta sa naglain na sa kadugayan.
Nagtuna sa paghubag. An huna niya gin-allergy la siya, kag nag-inom siya san bulong (antihistamines), tapos nagkaigwa siya sin tubig-tubig. Dili masabi san mga doktor kun nano an mali sa iya. Nawar-an na sin pulos an kada bulong na ginahatag ninda sa iya.
Aninipot an primero na insekto. Baga idton damgo. Wara na siya nakatios san katol, nagdugo na an iya pamayhon kag may ilaw na naghali sa sulod niya. Sige siya sin karot hasta magpula na an iya kuko kag makabuhi na an insekto. Matahom kuntani idto kun dili la idto sakit-sakit.
Pero amo na ini an iya buhay sugad. Dili niya aram kun pan-o siya nakaabot sani na kamutangan, pero nagalaom gihapon siya. Na basi usad ka adlaw, matatapos man ini. Usad ka adlaw, wara na siya sin makikita na nagakamang-kamang sa sulod san iya lawas. Usad ka adlaw, wara na sin kun maski nano na nagalabas sa iya panit.
Hasta sana na adlaw, magalaom siya kag magapangadyi na matapos na an iya pagtios.
Naglaom siya na may makabati san iya pangadyi.
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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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*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 Michael Wilson Rosero
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Translation Copyright © Michael Wilson Rosero
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