Fetus Eaters – Philippine Spirits

Wak-wak (Surigao) – Tagalog Translation

admin — Sun, 16 Feb 2020 12:02:54 +0000

*Note this story is in Tagalog

“Mahirap maging isang komadrona,” sabi ni Carina sa kaniyang sarili. Kikitain na niya ang kaniyang pang-apat na pasyente sa linggong ito. Ang pasyente ay 19 na taong gulang at naghahanda para isilang ang kaniyang unang anak. Pinapakalma at pinapagaan ni Carina ang nararamdaman ng kaniyang pasyente. Palaging mahirap magpaanak ng isang babaeng nagdadala ng kaniyang unang supling, dahil nababalot ng takot ang kanilang isipan, pero alam ni Carina ang kailangan niyang gawin. Mahigit isang dekada na siyang komadrona at alam niya ang kaniyang sasabihin mula sa kaniyang karanasan, “Magiging maayos ang lahat, nandito lang ako.”

Kumuha siya ng maaligamgam na tuwalya at nilagay ito sa likuran ng kaniyang pasyente. Sabi ni Carina, “Mapapagaan nito ang iyong nararamdaman habang hinihintay nating isilang mo ang iyong anak.” Sinisigurado ni Carina ang kalagayan ng babae. “Itutulak ko na ba?” Kumalma na ang babae at ngumiti si Carina. Biglang nagsalita ang babae, “Huwag muna, kailangan muna nating maghintay. Bakit hindi mo inabisuhan ang asawa ko?”

Nakakatulong ang pakikipag-usap sa mga nanay at si Carina ay masugid sa pakikinig. Lumipat ang dalaga at ang kaniyang asawa rito at tutol ang kanilang mga magulang sa kanilang pagpapakasal. Ilang buwan nang naghahanap ng hanapbuhay ang kaniyang asawa at pumunta sa lungsod para malaman kung mayroon nakalaan sa kaniya roon. Inaasahan siyang bumalik dito sa susunod na linggo at dismayado ang babae dahil hindi makikita ng kaniyang asawa na isilang niya ang kanilang anak. “Hay, maasahan mo talaga ang mga asawa,” Tumawa si Carina. Tumawa ang kaniyang pasyente at nagsitawanan din ang mga babae roon, hanggang sa natalo ng katatawa ang kanilang takot.

Alam ni Carina na magiging mahirap ang pagdadalang-tao ng kaniyang pasyente at aabutin ng ilang oras bago masimulan ang mismong panganganak. “Mabuti na naihanda ko na ang lahat,” wika niya sa sarili.

Mayroong mamasa-masa na nahulog sa balikat ni Carina at siya ay nabigla. Mayroong babaeng ngumiti sa kaniya. Hindi dapat magpakita ng kahit anong takot si Carina, dahil wala nang mas ikatatakot bukod sa panganganak.

Naiinis si Carina sa kaniyang sarili dahil nakalimutan niya ang suha. May posibilidad na naiwanan niya ito sa traysikel nang papunta siya kaniyang pasyente. “Wala nang dahilan para mag-alala,” sabi niya sa sarili. Mayroon pa rin siyang matulis na kawayan sa kaniyang sisidlan. Mabuti nang handa.

“Sige, mayroon tayong gagawin, puwede mo munang ipikit ang iyong mga mata? At huwag mong bubuksan hanggang hindi ko sinasabi.” Mas matapang na ang boses ni Carina, pero bihasa na siya sa ganiyang pangyayari. “May problema ba?” sabi ng kaniyang pasyente na may halong takot.

“Wala, walang problema, mayroon lang akong kailangang patayin na peste.” Sinara ni Carina ang mga mata ng kaniyang pasyente at mabuti na lang nakatingin lang siya kay Carina buong gabi. “Ngayon, kuwentuhan mo na lang ako tungkol sa asawa mo. Mahaba-haba pa ang gabi natin.

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English Version

“The life of a midwife isn’t so hard,” Carina reflects. She’s seeing her 4th patient this week. The woman is only 19 years old and preparing for the birth of her first child. Carina speaks calmly and reassures the woman. It’s always difficult for first timers, so many fears going through their heads, but Carina knows what she’s doing. She’s been a midwife for more than a decade and she speaks with a voice sharpened by experience, “It’s going to be okay, I’m here.”

She grabs the warm towels and puts them underneath the woman’s back. “This should keep you comfortable while we wait for the baby,” Carina reassures her patient. “Should I push now?” the woman is calmer now, Carina smiles, “Not yet, we still have to wait. Why don’t you tell me about you husband?”

Talking always helps the mothers calm down and Carina is a good listener. The young woman and her husband eloped to this part of the country, their parents didn’t approve of their marriage. The husband had been trying to find work for months and went to the city to see if there was anything there. He was expected back next week and the woman is disappointed he won’t be here for the birth of their child. “Oh you can always expect that from husbands,” Carina laughs. The woman laughs as well, humor wins over fear most of the time.

Carina knows this is going to be a hard labor, and it will take a few hours before the actual work will happen. “It’s a good thing I prepared everything,” she thinks to herself. It always paid to be prepared.

Something wet suddenly falls on Carina’s shoulder and her breath stops for a moment. She smiles. Carina can’t let the woman see any hint of fear, childbirth is already hard enough without worrying about something like this.

Carina silently curses under her breath for forgetting about the suba. She must have left it in the tricycle on her way here. “No use worrying about that now,” she thinks. There’s still the sharpened piece of bamboo in her bag. It always paid to be prepared.

“Okay, we’re going to try something, so just close your eyes okay? And don’t open them until I say so,” Carina’s voice is sterner now, but the edge of experience still shines through. “Is something wrong?” The woman voice has a hint of fear.

“Oh no, nothing wrong. I just need to take care of a pest.”

Carina closes the woman’s eyelids, thankfully she was looking at Carina the whole night. “Now just keep telling me about that husband of yours. We have a long night ahead of us.”

==——————————————-

**Suha is Pomelo fruit

*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 Wak-wak entry in Creatures of Philippine Lower Mythology. Ramos. 1971.

Wak-wak (Surigao) Illustration and Watercolor by Nightmaresyrup

IG: @nightmaresyrup
Tumblr: http://nightmaresyrup.tumblr.com/

Ekek

admin — Tue, 11 Feb 2020 16:14:50 +0000

Doctora rubbed her temples and feigned interest in the new girl’s story.

It was something she had heard a hundred times over. ‘My boyfriend left me and I can’t take care of it by myself.’, ‘I’m too young for this.’, ‘it’s the hardest decision I’ve ever had to make.’

Blah blah blah blah blah

It was late and Doctora was tired so she went straight to the point.

“We can do the procedure tomorrow. Meet me at this address and have the payment with you.”

The crying girl could only mumble a ‘yes’ through her tears.

It was going to be one of those weeks.

The girl left and Doctora waited until he arrived.

“I trust you heard all that?”

“Of course.”

“I don’t know why you bother eavesdropping on their stories. You’ll do the same thing anyway.”

“It makes it all the more… delicious.”

“You disgust me.”

“Such hurtful words. You know we can’t live without each other. It’s been too long.”

Doctora sighed and avoided his gaze.

“You have the address. Just go there at the agreed time.”

“Make sure she’s asleep. Remember that time in Laguna.”

“That was 20 years ago. I learn from my mistakes, something you should try thinking about.”

He let out a shrill laugh that sent a shock down Doctora’s spine. He threw his neck back and bellowed.

It should be loud. Why isn’t it loud? She thought.

She shook her head to clear the thought away. After the long decades she still never got used to him.

Maybe she never will.

“Just go.”

“Of course, Doctora, I will see you soon.”

He left, but it gave no reprieve.

Doctora went to the kitchen and brought out the bottle she was saving for this one.

Her ‘patients’ thought that this was her home, a single bedroom that looked neat and clean. It added to the illusion and fed on their hopes making them think that the procedure would be the same.

Such idiots.

She took a swig of gin and let the memories take her over.

She thought back to a time when she had a name.

Life was easier then, there was one goal that she needed to reach.

I wasn’t about the knowledge or the oath. She needed the title. It would complete her.

Or so she thought.

Another gulp, another memory.

It was robbery what they charged for the procedure. And she was sure that they didn’t even have any actual medical knowledge.

But she was desperate.

She pooled her savings and met them in a dingy motel. They told her to lie down and they prepared their instruments.

When she saw what they were going to use, she shouted.

She demanded that they sterilize their tools.

She told them which painkillers to get.

She spat at their incompetence and told them simply,

She wanted to be awake.

They told her it was crazy, better to be under and wake up with the procedure complete without having to look at the disturbing operation.

That was when she met him.

He walked into the room with a gravitas that made even her pause.

He told the workers to leave the room. He asked her if she really wanted to be awake for this.

She said yes.

The alcohol had gotten to her and she was sprawled on the sofa, the bottle almost empty.

She thought about the girl and her stupid choices and cried, one solitary idea racing through her brain.

Maybe after this one I’ll finally do it.

But deep down she knew she was too much of a coward to end it.

As the inebriation took over and forced her into slumber, a familiar phrase left her lips.

“I’ll see you tomorrow.”

=———————————————————————————

Written by Karl Gaverza
Copyright © Karl Gaverza

Based on the Ekek myths/urban legends

Ekek Illustration by Timothy Aldrin Ocleasa

FB: @notsoperfect_art

IG: notsoperfect_art