*Note this story is in Tagalog
Isang araw may matandang mag-asawa na nahihirapan magkaroon ng anak. Nagdarasal sila tuwing gabi hanggang sa maipanganak ang kanilang anak na babae. Natuwa ang nanay nito at sinabi na may galak, “Wala ng mas gaganda sa aking anak. Kailanman hindi maihahambing sa kaniya ang pinakamagandang tomawo!”
Dinala ng hangin ang kaniyang mga sinabi, dumaan ito sa madilim na kagubatan at sa kaulapan hanggang sa umabot ito sa pandinig ng mga tomawo na naninirahan sa balon na may kalapitan lang sa bahay ng mag-asawa.
Hindi man lang nila naisip ang maaaring mangyari dahil sa sinabi nila tungkol sa mga espirito. Kaya ngayon, napagkasunduan ng mga tomawo na kunin ang pinakamamahal nilang anak bilang kabayaran sa kanilang kasalanan.
Ang mga tomawo ay walang kamatayan. Nasubaybayan nila ang paglaki ng maliit na bata at gayon din ang taglay nitong ganda. Kahit ang mga taong naninirahan sa kalayuan ay kilala ang isang babaeng kamahal-mahal.
Mas lalong naiingit ang mga tomawo dahil sa mga kinakanta ng mga ibon sa paligid:
“Siya ay isang bukang-liwayway. Kung sino man ang mahaplusan ng kaniyang liwanag ay pagpapalain magpakailanman.”
“Masusulyapan mo sa kaniyang mga mata ang walang hanggan. Walang makakatiis sa kaniyang titig.”
“Hindi masasalamin ng tubig ang taglay niyang kagandahan.”
Mas lalong sumiklab ang galit ng mga tomawo sa huling linyang iyon, dahil para sa kanila banal ang tubig at isang kabastusan ang pagpapahayag ng ganoong bagay.
Kaya pagsapit ng ikalabinlimang kaarawan nito, nagsimula nang kumilos ang mga espirito.
Nang gabing iyon, tulog na ang mag-asawa, at ang anak nila ay nasa labas natutuwa sa kinalabasan ng kaniyang kaarawan. Nakatanggap siya ng maraming regalo mula sa kaniyang mga manliligaw, kumikinang mga alahas at ginto. Pakiramdam niya na sumasang-ayon sa gusto niya ang lahat.
Ang pagmumuni-muni ay naudlot ng isang magandang tunog na papalapit sa kaniya. Hindi niya matiis na huwag itong pansinin at naglakad siya para hanapin ito.
Nag-uusap ang mga tomawo sa balon.
“Kailangan natin siyang lunurin, at pagkatapos ipapadala natin ang kaniyang bangkay sa mga magulang niya. Tingnan nila kung gaano kaganda ang kanilang ‘prinsesa’.”
“Hindi! Kailangan natin silang parusahan ng matagal at mabagal. Sa loob ng labinlimang taon tinitiis natin ang pang-aasar nila na kumupas na ang ating kagandahan. Gusto kong maramdaman niya ang ating pagdurusa.”
Nag-aaway ang mga tomawo at nagkukutyaan sa isa’t isa, pero hindi pa sila nagkakasundo sa kung ano ang gagawin nila.
Hanggang sa may isang boses na nangibabaw.
“Aking mga kapatid na tomawo, hindi sasapat ang pagpapahirap sa nararamdaman nating galit. Naniniwala ang mga tao na wala ng mas gaganda sa kanilang anak. Kailangan nating patunayan na nagkakamali sila.
“Ano ang gusto mong gawin natin?”
“Makikita mo.”
Nakatayo ang babae sa tabi ng balon. Alam niya kung ano ang ginagawa ng kaniyang katawan, pero hindi niya ito maigalaw.
Lumabas ang isang magandang babae sa bibig ng balon. Alam ng batang babae na may kakaiba sa nakikita niya katulad ng mga kuwento sa kaniya ng kaniyang lolo.
“Nakikiusap ako, pakawalan mo na ako.” nagmamakaawa ang batang babae.
“Nakagawa ng malaking kasalanan ang mga magulang mo sa mga tomawo.”
“Ano ang ibig mong sabihin? Wala kaming ginawang masama sa inyo.”
“Hindi ba totoo na sinabi ng mga tao na ikaw ang pinakamaganda sa lupaing ito. Kung saan natatalo mo pa ang tomawo sa kagandahan?”
“Oo pero biro lang iyon, labis-labis lang sila magsalita.”
“Sa tingin ko hindi. At kasama ka na rin doon.”
“Wala akong sinasabing kahit ano!”
“Talaga? Ano yung nangyari pagkatapos ng iyong kaarawan?”
“Walang nangyari!”
“Ano yung sinabi mo pagkatapos mong matanggap ang iyong mga regalo?”
“Wala! Nagbibiro lang ako!”
“Ano. Ang. Sinabi. Mo.”
Dumadaloy ang luha ng batang babae sa kaniyang mga pisngi.
“Sinabi ko na ako lang ang mahalaga. Na wala ng ibang nilalang, tao, espirito, o diyos ang makakaabot sa taglay kong kagandahan.”
“Isa kang kabastusan sa harapan ng mga espirito. Wala ng mas tatapat sa ganda na taglay namin. Isa kang tao lamang at kailanman hindi ka magiging kapantay namin.”
Napatahimik siya. Nararamdaman niya na humihina na ang kapangyarihan nila sa kaniya, pero sa halip na tumakbo hinarap niya ang espirito.
“Hindi mo alam kung ano tinutukoy mo! Bobo ka! Hindi mo ba alam kung gaano ako kaganda o wala kang mata! Kahit ano puwede mong gawin sa akin, pero lagi mong tatandaan, na ang taong ito ay mas maganda sa kahit sino sa inyo!
“Nambabastos ka talaga?!”
“Hindi, sinasabi ko lang ang totoo. Makikilala ako bilang pinakamagandang tao sa lupaing ito, habang ang iyong walang kuwentang mukha kailanman ay walang magkakagusto!”
“Pasaway kang bata ka. Pero baka tama ka nga. Paulit-ulit mong sinasabi na maganda ka kahit na wala na akong pakialam. Ang alam ko lang magkakasundo ang mga tao at mga espirito na ang tomawo ang mas maganda kaysa sa kahit anong bagay sa lupaing ito.”
“Ano yung gagawin mo sa akin?”
“Makikita mo….Kapatid.”
Ilang taong hinahanap ng mag-asawa ang kanilang anak hanggang sa namatay sila dulot ng kalungkutan. Hindi nasagot ang kanilang dalangin at nagdurusa sila hanggang sa kamatayan. Inilibing sila ng walang puntod malapit sa kanilang bahay.
May sabi-sabi na nalunod ang batang babae sa kalapit na ilog at makikita pa rin ang kaniyang kaluluwa na naglilibot mag-isa.
Ang sabi naman ng iba na sumama siya sa isa niyang manliligaw at isa na siyang reyna sa malayong kaharian. Kung saan doon ay payapa ang kaniyang buhay at patuloy na pinapalaganap ang kaniyang kagandahan.
Pero mayroon namang mga taong nagpapakalat ng babala sa balon malapit sa kagubatan. Ang sabi nila may mga magagandang espiritong nakatira doon. May mga taong hindi pinapansin ang mga babala dahil may mga kuwento na mayroong isang magandang espirito na nangingibabaw sa lahat. Ang mga taong may isip ay hindi susuway sa mga babala, pero mayroong mga tao hindi magpapatigil para lamang masilayan ang kaniyang kagandahan.
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English Version
Once there was an old couple who had a difficult time conceiving. Every night they lifted their prayers to heaven until one day the woman found herself pregnant. When their child was born, she was of such profound beauty that her parents exclaimed, “There are none more beautiful than our daughter. Even the fairest tomawo could not compare to her!”
The wind carried their words through the somber forests and lofty clouds until they settled on the ears of those that tamawo that dwelt in a shallow well a fair distance from the couple’s house.
It never crossed the couple’s mind that an exclamation such as that could inflame the envy of those spirits. The spirits agreed that the child would pay for her parent’s words.
These tomawo were as patient as they were eternal. They watched as the child matured, growing even more beautiful. Even those from far-off lands knew of the girl and her unsurpassed loveliness.
The spirits grew even more embittered. They could hear the signs carried in the melodies of the songbirds:
“She is the sun ascending from the horizon. Those who are touched by her light are blessed forever.”
“All the flowers in the world cannot match her radiance.”
“In her eyes are the flickers of the infinite. No one can resist her gaze.”
“Mere water cannot reflect her true elegance.”
Now those last words cut a deep wound in the spirits’ pride for they dwelt in a shallow well. To them, water was so sacred that to even utter that statement would invoke their wrath.
On the girl’s fifteenth birthday the spirits began their plot.
That night, after her family had gone to sleep, the girl sat outside and reflected on how amazing the day was. She had received gifts from many suitors, dazzling jewels and breathtaking gold. She felt that the sun and moon were mere dots that served to light her figure.
Her rumination was interrupted by a sweet harmony, beckoning her near. She could not resist the sound’s charm and started walking to its source.
In the well the spirits bickered.
“We should drown that irritating upstart. A few minutes and it will all be over, then we can send her bloated corpse to the other humans to show just how pretty this ‘princess’ actually is.”
“No! We should make her punishment long and slow. For fifteen years we had to endure those insults that were thrown at our own beauty. I want to her to suffer as we have.”
The spirits fought and threw taunts at each other, but they were still no closer to an agreement.
Until one voice reverberated through the well.
“My tamawo sisters, all this talk of pain and suffering will not sate our resentment. The humans agreed that there was no spirit that could ever be as beautiful as this girl. We must prove them wrong.”
“What would you have us do then?”
“You shall see.”
The girl stood beside the well. She was fully aware of what her body was doing, but she could not control it.
From the well rose a beautiful woman. In her heart the girl new that the woman was a supernatural like her grandfather would tell of in his stories.
“Please let me go,” the girl begged.
“Your family has committed a grave sin against the spirits.”
“What do you mean? We’ve done nothing to harm you.”
“Is it not true that the humans across this land and others have proclaimed you as more beautiful than the spirits?”
“Yes but that was just a joke, they were exaggerating.”
“I don’t think they were. Or you were, for that matter.”
“I didn’t say anything!”
“Oh really? Then what happened at your party?”
“Nothing happened!”
“What did you say after you received your gifts?”
“Nothing! It was just a joke!”
“What. Did. You. Say.”
Tears welled out down the girl’s cheeks.
“I said that I was the only thing that mattered. That no being, not a person, not a spirit, not even a god could ever reach the beauty I have.”
“You spit in the face of the spirits. There are none that hold beauty such as we do. You are nothing but a human and you will never equal us.”
The girl grew silent. She could feel the spell that kept her still fade away, but instead of running she faced the spirit.
“You don’t know what you’re talking about! You stupid cow! Do you know how gorgeous I am or do you not have eyes! You can do what you want with me, but you will always, ALWAYS, know that this human is more beautiful than any tomawo will ever be!”
“You dare throw disrespect?!”
“No, I am just telling the truth. I will be remembered as the greatest beauty in this land and others, while your stupid face can’t even interest a normal person!”
“Foolish girl. But you may be right. You are beautiful, more than I care to admit. I do know one way to have humans and spirits alike say that the tamawo are more beautiful than anything in this realm and others.”
“What are you going to do to me?”
“You shall see…. Sister.”
The couple spent years trying to find their daughter until their heartbreak took a toll on their frail bodies. Their prayers were unanswered and they were tormented with the pain of loss until the end. They were buried near their home, in unmarked graves.
Some say the girl drowned in a river not too far away and her ghost could be seen roaming lonely paths.
Others say that one of her suitors carried her to a far-off land where she is now queen, content to spend her days sharing her beauty with her subjects.
But there are those that warn against going to an isolated well near the forest. They say that beautiful spirits make it their home. There are those that ignore those warnings for it is also said that one of those spirits is the most beautiful being in all the realms. Those with common sense would heed these warnings but for those without logic, nothing will stop them from seeing a glimpse of her beauty.
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*Tomawo are beautiful spirits like the engkanto.
*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
Translation by Emman Bernardino
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Translation Copyright © Emman Bernardino
Inspired by the Manbukay description in The Remnants of the Great Ilonggo Nation. Sebastian Sta. Cruz Serag. 1997.
Manbukay illustration by Gabrielle Solera
IG: @gbsolera