*Note this story is in Cebuano
Gitan-aw ni Manang Paula ang sulat na gibilin ni Lolo Ambo para sa iyaha. Gusto kaayo niya nga tahuron ang mga pangandoy niini, apan lisod kaayo ang panahon. Gikinahanglan nga ibaligya niya ang yuta para lamang nga naay nindot nga kaugmaon ang iyang pamilya. Milakaw si Paula paingon sa punoan sa Balete sa daplin sa uma.Walay bisan unsang suga sa sanga karong gabii. Wala siya masayod kon nagpasabot ba kini nga ang mga tawo sa kahoy mobiya na usab.
“Pasayloa ko”. Nagsugod na og dagayday ang mga luha sa mata ni Paula. “Kabalo ko nga nanumpa si Lolo Ambo na walay mahitabo sa imong kahoy, ug siya mihangyo kanamong tanan sa pagtuman sa iyang saad, pero kinahanglan nako nga pilion kung unsay mas maayo para sa akong pamilya. Nagsakit si Lila og dili na jud namo kaya pa bayaran ang iyang mga tambal. Si Roberto dili makakita ug trabaho. Ako…Ako usa ka inahan ug kinahanglan nako nga ihatag ang kinabuhi nga angay nilang mabatunan.” Gitrapuhan ni Paula ang mga luha sa iyang aping. “Palihug pasayloa ko.”
Ang bulan anaa pa sa kalangitan sa kagabhion. Ning labay ang mga oras pero walay nahitabo. Walay bisan unsang timailhan, walay makasulti kang Paula nga ang mga tawo sa kahoy nakadungog kaniya.Wala siya masayud kon unsay mahitabo, apan naglaum siya nga aduna silay isulti kaniya. Bisan unsa.
Gatagad siya sa punoan hangtod ning buntag ug pagkahuman, ning uli sa ilang balay ug nagsugod na siya ug pamutos.
Ning labay ang tulo ka bulan, nagtan-aw si Manang Paula sa iyang mga anak ug nalipay siya pag-usab sa unang higayon sa dugay nga panahon. Si Lila nagdagan-dagan sa palibot kauban ang iyang mga eg-agaw. Nahinumduman ni Manang Paula kung unsa kaluya ang iyang anak nga babae samtang ga-higda sa higdaanan sa ospital ug siya misulti og hinay nga pag-ampo sa pagpasalamat. Milingkod siya ug gisugdan ang iyang tradisyon sa buntag sa pagbasa sa mantalaan.
Ang ulohan mabasa nga “Protesters Rally New Development” nga dili ikatingala; ang construction company gipasanginlan nga nanghiphip sa lokal nga mga opisyal aron dili nila mabalewala ang pagkaguba sa kinaiyahan nga ilang gipahinabo, apan usa ka hulagway ang hapit nakalukso si Manang Paula sa iyang gilingkoran.
Kini usa ka maanyag nga babaye nga naka-pula ang nanguna sa mga nagprotesta batok sa usa ka bulldozer.
Mipahiyom si Manang Paula. Mahimo nilang atimanon ang ilang kaugalingon human sa tanan.
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English Version
Manang Paula looked at the letter that Lolo Ambo left her. As much as she wanted to respect his wishes, times were hard. She had to sell the land to have enough money to move where it would be a better future for her family. Paula walked to the Balete tree in the edge of the field. There weren’t any lights in the branches tonight. She didn’t know if that meant the people in the tree were going toleave as well.
“I’m sorry.” The tears were starting to swell up in Paula’s eyes. “I know that Lolo Ambo promised that nothing would happen to your tree, and he asked all of us to keep that promise alive, but I have to choose what’s best for my family. Lila is sick and we can’t even afford her medicine anymore. Roberto can’t find a job. I… I am a mother and I need to give my children the life they deserve.”
Paula wiped away the tears from her cheek, “Please forgive me.”
The moon was still in the night sky. Hours passed and nothing happened. There was no sign, nothing to tell Paula that the people in the tree heard her. She didn’t know what to expect, but she had hoped that they would tell her something. Anything.
She waited by the tree until morning and afterwards, she went to her house and started packing.
Three months later, Manang Paula was looking at her children and she was happy for the first time in a long while. Lila was running around playing with her cousins, Manang Paula remembered how weak her little girl looked in the hospital bed and she said a soft prayer of thanksgiving. She sat down and started her morning tradition of reading the newspaper.
The headline read “Protesters Rally New Development” which wasn’t surprising; the construction company had been accused of bribing the local officials so they could ignore the environmental destruction they were causing, but a certain picture almost made Manang Paula jump out of her seat.
It was of a beautiful girl in red leading the protesters against a bulldozer.
Manang Paula smiled. They could take care of themselves after all.
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*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 Cherry Joy Abamonga
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Translation Copyright © Cherry Joy Abamonga
Inspired by ‘The Fairy of Balete Tree’ in Philippine Folk Literature: The Legends. Eugenio. 2002.
Mariang Ilaya Illustration by Laura Katigbak
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