*Note this story is in Masbatenyo
“Sa tulo ka adlaw bag-o an otro na pagkabuhay, mahimô san paagi an demonyo para makuha an boot san tawo. Maghímat kamo sa mga lugar na kakadtuón niyo kag sa mga bagay na masusugat niyo.”
Ginapiraw pa ako habang nagapamati sa sermon san padî. Habo kuntani ako magsimba pero ginguyod ako ni Lola didi sa simbahan. Mas gusto ko pa na mag-uli sa balay kag magcomputer. Pwede pa kuntani ako magkanam san computer games bag-o an sunod na misa.
“Magpamatî kamó. Saní na panahon, magalakat sa dutâ an mga anak san demonyo. Magabag-o sinda san hitsura para tintaran kamo na buligan sinda. Magatago sinda sa taklob san pagkainosente kag hihimuon na malain an mabuot. An produkto san pakig-usad sa demonyo agadara lâ san pasakit kag pagtios.”
Bagan naílâ gayud an padî mag-inistorya. Ginaisip ko pa gihapon kun pan-o ako makahali sani na lugar. Matig-a an ingkudan, sirâ an aircon kag pare-pareho lâ an hitsura san kada usad: matuninong pero nakapamatî gihapon.
“Dumdumá niyo ini na padaan. Saní na tulo ka adlaw, mákadi an mga kampon san demonyo. Nadumduman ko pa an istorya na kun diin an usad na demonyo nakig-usad sa usad na halimaw. Ini na anak san dulom naiila magkaon san unod san tawo kag nagakurahaw sa pagkaila.”
Nagabag-o na an boses san padî. Bagan hidalom na ini sugad. Dili ko aram kun nano na an ginaparaistorya niya pero bagan naapektuhan gayud siya.
“Usad sa mga biktima an akon iloy. Minsan, malisod agwantahon an kabalyo san salâ san usad na tawo. Pero dili ipapadara san Ginoo an mga kampon san demonyo para himuon an iya obra. Magapatawad an Ginoo, dili magapansira. Dumdumá niyo na an ilaw san pagkamuot mapapasaiyo tanan.”
Nagahibi na an padî sugad. Kuntani nagpamati la ako san tuna pa san iya sermon. Baga na siyan nagadamgo.
“Hihimuon san demonyo na matálang kamo kag dili man iba an iya anak. Magtuod kamo pirmi sa Ginoo. Kay sa iya la niyo mahahanap an tunay na kaligtasan.”
Didâ nagtapos an sermon san padî. Ginangarat pa gihapon ako sa pagbag-o san padî habang ginasabi niya idto. Nag-agi anay ako sa parke kun diin may kakaiba ako na nakita.
Usad na bata. Bagan ginbayaan idto na bata, kaluluoy. Nag-apíki ako para kitaon kun makabulig ako sa paghanap san ginikanan sadto na bata. Nagaalingawngaw pa an istorya san padî sa talinga ko pero wara ko na gin-intyindi.
Dili ako masasakitan san usad na bata.
English Version
“In the three days before the resurrection, the devil will make his way into the hearts of man. Be careful of the places you go and the things that you meet.”
I’m half asleep as I listen to the sermon. Mass hasn’t been the most exciting thing I’ve done today, but lola dragged me here. I wish I was back home in front of my computer doing something interesting. I could squeeze in a few games before the next mass I have to go to.
“The children of the devil walk the earth at this time, make no mistake, they will take forms that will entice you to help them. They hide under the shroud of innocence and they pervert what will be good. The product of a union with the devil will only bring pain and misery.”
The priest seems to really like talking. I’m still drifting in and out, thinking about anything else that will get me out of this place. The pews are hard, the aircon’s broken and everyone has the same look on their face: placid, but still listening.
“Remember this warning. In these three days the agents of the devil will come. I am reminded of a story where the devil had a union with another monster. This child of darkness seeks to devour the flesh of man and it screams will create more like it.”
This is strange. The priest is changing his voice. It seems a lot deeper now. I don’t know what he’s been talking about but it really seems to be affecting him.
“My mother was one of its victims. The price of one’s sin is sometimes too much to bear. But the Lord would never send agents of the Devil to do his work. The Lord will forgive, not destroy. Remember the light of love will be with you all.”
The priest is softly crying now. I wish I had paid more attention to the earlier part of the sermon. He seemed to be caught in a trance.
“The devil will seek to lead you astray and his child is no different. Always put your trust in the Lord. For only in Him will you find true salvation.”
The sermon ends with that. I’m still a bit shaken from the change that the priest had while he was saying it. I take a small detour to the park where I notice something strange.
It’s a baby. It seems to have been left alone, the poor thing. I go near it to see if I can help it find its parents. The words of the priest still echo in my ears, but I ignore them.
A baby can’t hurt me.
*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 Patiyanak entry in Bikol Beliefs and Folkways: A Showcase of Tradition. Nasayao 2010.
Patiyanak Illustration by Leandro Geniston from Aklat ng mga Anito
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