*Note this story is in Pangasinan

Walay pangyayari ya abuten toy taon no polyanan mo.

Say oras walay tutomboken balet anggapolay makalampas sed takot aya so naaral ko pigaran taonlay apalabas.

Wad ja agkoanta ya emostra no antoyala.

Biglaan ya wadtan agko namalayan andi andi biglaan la.

Nanunutan kolay mapmaples ya kaloskos ya aray bulong walay maermen ya elek ya sakey ya laki balet angob ya tabako.

Agko nalingwanan ya atagey walay kaya tod kaatagey oparatan ya totoo.

Mansusupsop ya asewek ed sigarilyo akin balet manniningning ed siyak.

Abalang-abala manpepesak ked kaabay ya palandey ipamagak sigoradong naalak na ani umpisaak ya unirong dimad silong ya sengeg ya balete piyano makasilong.

Abangon nak ya wadtanla nan ningningan kami parang pigaran agiw ya bagay anggad binetag toy kaermenan.

“Kumusta, inararo taka.”

Nakakarengil lak la ya tungtongan pano napelag so puso ray bibii aray kapre.

Nanunutan koy istoryay sakey ya bii ngarantoy juana lanang ya tutomboken ya kapre mansalat ya itsurato para manobya sya.

Pinutokan day bala ng paltog ya kapulisan nen aningning da balet sakey lan sengeg na punte nawalay abot na nanlapod balay paltog.

Agtoka maligtas tay balay paltog agko anta no antoy nayari.

Taloran salita para mabaldado ed takot unaakis ya ibabagag so ebat ko.

“Agtaka inaro, agku anta no sopaya.”

Antolay itsura toyay kapre say mangibabaga amin ya nakabatan ko ya nasasakitan ko aya so mas ansakited utik ya mangalay paltog.

Nansopsop siya uli ng sigarilyo at umimiss.

“Nakabatan mo no anto ak et.”

Bigla na angapo dimad singeg na keyew.

Walay kakalbang nangyayari na duga siya.

Lumampas laytaon ya agko inasahan ya tumboken to ak ya anyani agko inasahan ya magkaaro kami mas subrapa sa kaaro.

Ayay bilay natnoy pangarap ya agga natutoloy atay natnoy surpresa.

Wadtan so kapre kada magoloy pusok kada di kami makapantalosay familyak.

Wadtanla nen abalang so anakkong panguloan nen bimmaleg iray anakko ya maksil.

Ipapaningning toy presensya to ya melmelag ya.

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English Version

There are moments that stretch into years if you let them. Time has many masters, but none more potent than fear, this I learned many years ago.

It….He… I don’t know how to describe whatever it was. It just suddenly appeared before me, no, not suddenly. I remember the sound of rushing leaves, the soft laughter of a man and the smell of tobacco. I could never forget it.

He was tall, taller than any human had any right to be. He took a puff from his cigar and just stared at me.

I’m getting ahead of myself. I was doing chores in the field next to the forest, drying the laundry and making sure that the harvest would be ready when I sat under the Balete tree for some shade.

I woke up and he was there. We stared at each other for what felt like days, until he broke the silence.

“Hello, I love you.”

I had heard stories of the Kapre falling in love with human women before. I even remember a story of a girl named Juana who was stalked by her Kapre and the creature even changed form to be that of her lover. It was shot at by police officers but when they looked at the creature they only found a tall banana tree with bullet holes.

Bullets couldn’t save me now, I didn’t know what could. Three simple words were all that it took to paralyze me with fear and I cried as I said my reply.

“I don’t love you, I don’t even know who you are.”

The look on the Kapre’s face told me all I needed to know. I had hurt it. Far more than if I had taken a gun and shot it.
He took another drag out of his cigar and smiled.

“You will know me, and you will love me.”

Then, he vanished into his tree.

The strange part was he was right. Years had passed and I expected to be stalked by a monster, I had never expected that it… he… would become my friend, and then something more.

Life is full of expectations that are never met; it is even more full of surprises.

The Kapre was there through every broken heart, every fight with my family. He was there when I lost my first child, and when my other children grew to be strong.

He would show his presence in the small ways, a shower of stone outside my house, the smell of his cigar wafting on the wind, but I always knew he was there. A silent protector.

In return I would never let anyone harm his home, the Balete tree was as much my home as it was his. I spent countless nights, watching the stars with him watching over me.

And here I sit, 80 summers have passed through my life and I am under the Balete tree with my love.

“I know you, and I have loved you.”

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*Pangasinan (Salitan Pangasinan) – sometimes called Pangasinense is one of the major languages of the Philippines. It is the language spoken in the province of Pangasinan, on the west-central seaboard of the island of Luzon along the Lingayen Gulf, the northern portion of Tarlac and southwestern La Union, most of whom belong to the Pangasinan ethnic group. Pangasinan is also understood in some municipalities in Benguet, Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya, and by the Aeta or Aeta of Zambales.

Written by Karl Gaverza

Translation by Marcito Berania
Copyright © Karl Gaverza

Translation Copyright ©Marcito Berania

Inspired by the Kapre Myths and description in Creatures of Philippine Lower Mythology. Ramos. 1971.

Kapre Illustration by Abe Joncel Guevarra
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joncel/