There’s no “on the job training” for what I do. You just have to adapt and not take let the fear overtake you.

Now where was I?

Oh yes, my experiences in the Cemetery.

Nearly 40 years ago I left Mindanao to search for a better life, it was for my children, you see.

Carmen and Berto. You know they both finished college? They kept (and keep) trying to get me to move somewhere else, away from the bones and coffins, especially after their father died. But I can’t imagine leaving this place.

I stay in a small mausoleum over there by the blue one.

My favorite thing to do is giving the tombs a fresh coat of paint, and well, I think blue is really calming.

Yes? Oh I’m sorry! I keep changing the topic, I get that way sometimes. Most people do when they’re my age.

Do I believe in ghosts?

Well you would have to be crazy not to!

The first time I arrived from the province my husband and I would wake up at 3 in the morning to the sound of chains. No one was there of course. No person, at least.

My husband was a happy man that also liked to drink a lot.

One time he played with a skull and carried it around the cemetery.

That night the ghost showed itself to him. I rushed to where he was, of course, but there was nothing there. Then he got really sick. I did the only thing I could think of and asked for forgiveness, and gave an offering to the spirit.

It worked and my husband managed to get better within the day.

Those were good times, me and him and the graves.

I got off topic again, didn’t I?

Alright, let me tell you about it.

I never planned to be here for long. My husband took care of the graves before I came here from the province.

There were stories I knew from my lolos and lolas. Creatures that didn’t think that the dead were something to be respected.

Not if they were hungry.

In my years I’ve come across a few kinds.

There were the ones that would make a corpse’s belly bust just by touching the coffin.

I’d always tell the families at the wake to leave bright lights. That always helped against these creatures.

The dead buried here come from all walks of life. Some of them travelling far from their roots like I did. I always made sure to respect their traditions.

Like the grave over there.

No, the one to the left.

Yes, that one.

If you look closely you can see a big piece of metal on the grave. The family requested that it be on there at all times.

I didn’t ask, and they didn’t tell. It was just something that had to be done. To protect your loved one even after they passed.

And now I get to my story.

The most aggravating of these spirits were the ones that were too stupid to know better. In some places they called them the wirwir. I just called them annoying.

Every night after a new coffin was buried, I would have to keep watch to make sure they (yes they travel in packs) keep from digging through the grave and eating the body.

It was tolerable when I was younger, but these old bones ache.

There was a point where I didn’t think I could handle it anymore.

But on one strange night I had help.

The wirwir were clumped together around the newly set grave

Then I heard the saxophones.

In a flash the cemetery was filled with instruments.

Grotesque creatures of all shapes and sizes opened their mouths.

And it made me want to dance.

I don’t know if you young people know what real jazz sounds like, but it was there.

I stood silent, overwhelmed by what I was seeing, then someone tapped my shoulder.

It was a tall American (I could tell by his accent). He was dressed like he just stepped out of a

He clapped his hands and shouted to the creatures, “Let’s make more lovely music for our audience!”

Then I noticed the wirwir were joining in. They had stopped digging for their next meal and were dancing to the beat of the bone-drums. I saw trumpets, trombones, bass and even a piano made of polished white bone.

I don’t remember much after that. I think the American said he needed more members to make the sound complete. What that meant I didn’t know.

I’d like to think that the American and his band are still out there somewhere.

Giving the ghouls the time of their lives.

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*For maximum effect read the story while this is playing

Written by Karl Gaverza
Copyright © Karl Gaverza

Inspired by the Wirwir description in Vanoverbergh, Morice. (1938). “The Isneg Life Cycle II: Marriage, Death, and Burial.” PCAC 3 (3)

Wirwir Illustration by Ethan of @Mangkukulang

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*Note this story is in Tagalog

Case #JKGM 9888

Nanganganib ang barangay ng San Pascual kaya tumawag ang kapitan nito sa mga pulis. Isang linggo bago ang Undas nang dumating ang tawag at nagkakaroon ng mga reklamo ng bandalismo sa kalapit na sementeryo. Dalawang pulis ang ipinadala para pag-aralan ang sitwasyon.

Ayon sa kanilang imbestigasyon, mababaw lang ang bandalismong naganap. Nabungkal ang lupa ng mga puntod na humantong sa pagkaladlad ibang mga kabaong. Ang sabi ng pulis wala namang mamahaling mga bagay na nakabaon sa mga puntod. Ang mga singsing at iba pang mamahaling mga bagay ay nandoon pa rin sa mga labi ng mga yumao. Wala ng ibang kakaibang nakita ang mga pulis bukod sa mga nawawalang mga hinlalaki ng mga yumaong nakaladlad.

Iginigiit ng kapitan ng barangay sa mga pulis ang mga kaganapan sa sementeryo habang papalapit ang Undas. Pinadala ulit ang parehas na dalawang pulis para magbantay sa sementeryo buong gabi para mahuli ang gumagawa ng pambababoy.

Nagtutunggali ang pinasang pagsisiyasat ng dalawang pulis. Ang sinabi ng isa may malaking sumugod na aso sa mga pulis at kinagat ang kaniyang sapatos. Ang sinabi naman ng pangalawang pulis, nakita niya ang batang lalaking gumagawa ng bandalismo at hinabol niya ito, wala siyang malay sa malaking asong kumagat sa kaniyang kasama hanggang sa susunod na araw.

Dahil sa kakulangan ng mga pulis sa paligid, hindi nila nabantayan ang buong Undas, pero nagpapasalamat sila dahil nagtapos ito ng mapayapa. Walang bandalismong naganap at taong nabalita.

Makalipas ang ilang mga linggo, nagreklamo ang mga nagbabantay sa sementeryo dahil naganap ulit ang bandalismo sa lugar. Sinira na rin pati ang mga mosoleyo.  Walang mahahalagang bagay na kinuha sa mga katawan bukod sa isiniwalat ng matandang imbestigador, sinabi niya na pinutol ang mga daliri sa paa ng mga yumao.

Ang kongklusyon ng mga inspektor ay mayroong mabangis na hayop na naghahanap ng pagkain at nagkataon lang ito sa mga katawan.

Ang ibang mga pulis, lalo na yung taong nagsabing may batang lalaki na gumagawa ng bandalismo, hindi sumang-ayon sa pagtatapos ng imbestigasyon. Hindi kayang sirain ng isang hayop ang bakal ng mosoleyo, at mayroong mga tambay na nakatira sa loob at labas ng sementeryo.

Dahil walang ebidensyang nagpapatunay sa sapantaha ng kaso, ito ay isinara. Lumipas ang ilang buwan nakakuha ulit ng tawag ang estasyon ng pulis mula sa mga nagbabantay sa sementeryo. May nagbungkal ulit ng mga puntod, pero nandoon pa rin ang mga pag-aari nila, ganoon pa man kalakip pa rin dito ang mga nawawalang daliri sa paa at mga hinlalaki ng mga yumao.

=————————————————————————–=

English Version

Case #JKGM 9888

The captain of barangay San Pascual called the police in a state of distress. The call came a week before Undas and there were complaints of vandalism in the nearby cemetery. Two officers were dispatched to investigate.

Based on their reports the vandalism seemed minor. The ground around the graves was disturbed and some coffins were left exposed to the elements. The officers noted that there was nothing valuable in the graves themselves, wedding rings and other expensive objects were still with the remains. Nothing else out of the ordinary was noticed, except for a peculiar lack of thumbs on the bodies that were fully exposed. 

The barangay captain insisted on a police presence in the graveyard on the days leading up to Undas. The same officers were sent to guard the graveyard during the night in the hope of catching the vandal in the act.

Conflicting reports from the two officers were submitted. One claimed that a large dog attacked the officers and nearly tore his shoe off. The other officer insisted that he saw the vandal was a young boy and gave chase, he was not aware of the attack on his comrade until the next morning.

Due to the lack of officers we are not able to spare resources to guard the whole Undas, but thankfully the holiday finished peacefully. No reports of vandals, human or otherwise were reported.

The next few weeks caretakers from the cemetery complained of the vandal becoming more bold. Even the mausoleums had been broken into. Nothing was taken from the bodies but a senior investigator noted that parts of the toes appeared to have been torn off.

The conclusion that the inspectors reached is that some sort of animal had been foraging for food and chanced upon the bodies.

Other officers, especially the one that said the vandal was a young boy, disagreed with the conclusion. An animal could not have broken through the mausoleum locks, and there were reports of vagabonds living in and around the cemetery.
With no evidence to support either theory the case was closed. Every few months the station gets calls from the caretakers about graves being dug up, but valuables still remained intact, though with each report the curious description of missing toes and thumbs is highlighted.

=———————————=

*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

Umangob Illustration by Erik John Paredes

Inspired by the Ifugao Umangob legends

*Note this story is in Hiligaynon

“Pwede mo ma lantaw ang idalom sang katre ko?” Nagluya ang tingog ni Jess tungod sang mga bulong. Amo ina ang iya gina himu kada gab-e sugod sang nagsaylo kami sa hospital, nagapati siya nga may ara ang sa idalom sang iya katre nga gapamasakit sa iya.

Tatlo ka bulan nga pagsulay kag bulong kag wala man siya gihapon naga-ayu. Kabalo ko nga ang kabuhi indi dapat patas pero sais-anyos palang si Jess. Dapat wala bata nga magaagi sa mga inadlaw sang mga dagum kag tubo, kag indi gihapun makabaton sang bisan ano nga sabat. Indi gid patas.

Nagyuhum ako kag ginhalukan iya agtang. “Wala halimaw sa idalom sang imo katre, magpahuway ka na. Kinahanglan mo ang imo kakusog para sa “test” mo buas, sige?” Nagyuhum si Jess sa akon kag nagtulog. Ang kalig-on sang mga kabata-an, gapabilib guid sa akun, pero nagala-um ako nga maka-igo ina para makasalbar pa siya isa ka adlaw.

Wala guid. Napatay si Jess sa ina nga gab-e. Natulugan ako sa tupad ya kag ang sunod ko nalang nabal-an ang mga doktor kag nars nagadinalidali kag nagashinagit. Ginpunggan ako sang isa ka nars kay gusto ko guid makita ang gakatabo.

Gindul-ong ko sang nars sa may pertahan kag didto ko una nga nakita. Sa una sa hunahuna ko isa lang sa mga tubo nga nagatakod kay Jess, pero daw may indi insakto sa ina nga tubo. Kadako gid to para maging tubo ukon ano man gid kag nagatapos ina sa ubos sang katre.

Amo lang to ang nadumduman ko sa ina nga gab-e kag kadamo sang mga malain nga bagay nga nagkalatabo pagkatapos to. Ang lawas ni Jess “nadula” sang pakadto na sa pulenarya, hambal sang morque nga wala man lain nga matabo sa transportasyon, pero ang bangkay wala to nag-abot.

Ginahimo ko ang tanan nga makaya ko para mabal-an kun ano natabo kay Jess. Ang hambal ka mga nars nga may nagsulod sang isa ka bulan sa ikatlo nga palapag sang hospital, basi konektado to sa pagkadula ni Jess.

Ibalik ko siya.

Basta malubong lang siya.

English Version

“Can you check under my bed?” Jess’ voice was weak from the treatments. It had been her routine every night since we moved to the hospital, she was convinced there was something under her bed that kept making her sick.

Three months of tests and medicine and she still hasn’t gotten any better. I know life’s not supposed to be fair but Jess is only six years old. No child should have to go through days of needles and tubes and still not getting any answers. It wasn’t fair.

I smile and I kiss her forehead. “There aren’t any monsters under your bed, now go get some rest. You need your strength for the tests tomorrow, alright?” Jess smiles at me and drifts off to sleep. The resilience of youth never failed to impress me, but I hoped that it would be enough to get her through one more day.

It wasn’t. Jess died that night. I had fallen asleep next to her and the next thing I knew doctors and nurses were rushing in and shouting. One of the nurses had to restrain me because I kept trying to see what was happening.

The nurse led me to the door and I that was when I saw it. At first I thought it was one of the tubes that was attached to Jess, but there was something off about it. It was too big to be a wire or anything like that and it ended at the bottom of the bed.

That’s all I remember from that night and there were too many strange things that happened after. Jess’ body was “lost” en route to the funeral home, the morgue says there was nothing wrong with the transport, but the body never got there.

I’m doing all I can now to find out what happened to Jess. The nurses said that there was a break-in a month ago on the third floor of the hospital, maybe that’s connected to Jess’ disappearance.

I will get her back.

If only to bury her.