*Note this story is in Tandaganon

Yakila nako si Mita yadton miaging duha ka semana. Pareha da na ruta permi ang ako agihan pauli, magbaktas gikan sa MRT, pero yakadesisyon ako yadto na adlaw na maglahi na sab nan agihan. Yakuratan ako nan yakita ko siya sa kilid karsada, yaon siya yaturog sa mga dyaryo na arang ka lipai tapos yaoy tapad niya na tukoy. Dili da bagan molapas nan 6 anyos iya edad. Gimata siya nan tukoy ug yakit-an niya ako. Minduol siya sa ako ug milaong “mano po” ug gikuha ako kamot para idapat sa iya agtang ug ako sab yaghanap nan mahatag garo nako sa iya, pero mga sketchbook ug lapis da sa ang luon nan ako bag. Laong ko na way ako mahatag sa iya yadto na panahon ug milaong sab siya na “Ok da, maayong gabii!” samtang gangisi. Yagsaad ako sa iya na balikan ug hatagan ko da siya sa sunod adlaw tapos gapasalamat na sab siya utro.

Amo yaon ang hinungdan nanga sa sige ako balik-balik ngadi kada adlaw. Sigurohon ko gayud na makakaon siya adeser ako muuli sa amo bahay ug way gayud kasudlan ang iya kalipay. Tagpangutana ko siya kung nanga sa siya dasakan isa ug unoy yahitabo sa iya mga ginikanan, iya da sab laong kay wara siya kasayod. Sukad sa una sa karsada na siya gahuya, pero way kaso sa iya, magsalig dakan gayud siya sa kabuotan nan mga tao sa iya.

Kuman na adlaw yangutana ako sa iya kun sakto da ba ang pagpanlimos niya, kung may iya da ba makaon sa adlaw-adlaw. Laong ni Mita na may mga higayon kuno na labay-labayan da siya nan mga tao, murag wara nila siya kit-i ug maguol kuno siya usahay pag ing-anaon siya, pero yaoy kuno iya guardian angel na mutabang sa iya.

Laong pa niya na yaon kunoy buotan na manulunda na maghatag pirmi nan buwak pag maturog siya. Ganahan si Mita kay gwapa ang mga buwak, pero may mga adlaw na waray gayud iya makaon. Laong niya sa ako na ang lasa kuno murag tam-is na prutas, amo dan manga. Murag gikumot ang ako kasing-kasing pagkabati nako yadto, dili dapat ing-ani iya kahimtang, waray dapat makasinati nan haod ini. Gihatagan ko siya nan ako paga-take-out sa Jollibee ug laong ko na magkita da kami silom. Permi yaon si Mita ngisihi basta maglaong nan “Salamat, ate.” Di nako yaon makalimtan.

Wara ako kasabot nan ako gibati pagkasunod adlaw. Ang adlaw misawop na nan pagbaktas nako pauli ug yaoy mga pulis na giatngan ang lugar kun hain dapit si Mita gapwesto. Murag wara bagan hunong ang ako paghilak pagkabati ko nan balita. Iya gisalbar ang iya tukoy na haput maligsi nan taxi. Wara na siya. Yangutana ang pulis kung yakakila ako sa iya ug kung hibawo ako kung hain ang iya mga ginikanan. Gitrapohan nako ako luha ug gilaong ang kutob sa ako yahibaw-an, pero gamay da sab ang ako yahibaw-an kang Mita.

Yagpundo ako sa kilid nan pila ka oras. Amo da sab ang ako mahimo sa iya. Yanimaho pa gihapon nan mga buwak ang iya pwesto ug giampo ko siya samtang yaon pa ako ngadto.

Gitan-aw nako sa makausa ang lugar kun hain ko siya una yakita ug yakita ko na may mga buwak ngadto. Hibawo ako na dili ko gayud malimtam yadto na bata ug ang iya ngisi. May yakakila sab siguro sa iya kay may ako sa yabatian na yagtawag sa iya ngan ngadto sa layo. Yagsanghid ako na mukadto na ug minpanaw pauli.

=———————————=

English Version

I met Mita two weeks ago. I would always take the same route going home, walking from the MRT station, but that day I decided that I might as well try something new. I was surprised to find her on the street, she was sleeping on some dirty newspapers and  there was a puppy lying next to her. She couldn’t have been more than six years old. The puppy woke her up and she saw me. She walked up to me and said “mano po” taking my hand to her forehead and I tried to find something to give her, but my bag only had my sketchbooks and pencils. I told her that I couldn’t give her anything then and she said “Ok po, have a good night po!” with a radiant smile. I promised her that I would be back and give her something the next day and she smiled and gave me another thank you.

That’s how I ended up going here every day. I always make sure Mita has something to eat before I go back home and she’s nothing but smiles. I asked her why she was alone and what happened to her parents, and she told me she didn’t know. She had always lived her life on the street, but that didn’t matter to her, she could always count on the kindness of strangers to help her.

Today I asked her if begging was enough for her, if she had something to eat every day. Mita told me that there were times when people just walked by, they always pretended not to see her and that would make her sad sometimes, but there was always her guardian angel to help her.

She told me there would always be this kind angel that left her flowers every time she slept. Mita enjoyed how pretty they were, but there were those days when she had nothing to eat. She told me they tasted like sweet fruits, like a mango. My heart broke a little after hearing that, I don’t think this is the way things should be, no one’s life should be like this. I gave her some Jollibee take out and told her I’d see her tomorrow. Mita’s “Thank you Ate.” Always came with a giant smile. I don’t think I’ll ever forget that.

The next day was senseless. I was walking home at sunset and there was a policeman blocking off the area of the street where Mita was. I don’t think I stopped crying as I heard the news. She was trying to save her puppy and pushed it out of the way of a taxi. She didn’t make it. The policeman asked if I knew her and asked if I knew her parents. I dried my tears and told him what I could, but there wasn’t much that Mita let me know.

I stayed at the corner for a few hours. It was the least I could do for her. Her spot still smelled like flowers and I said a prayer for her while I was there.

I took one last look at the place that I met her and saw there were flowers there. I know that I won’t be able to forget the girl with that smile. Someone else must have known her because I could hear a voice calling her name in the distance. I said my last goodbye and walked back home.

=————————-=

*Tandaganon (also called Tinandag, Naturalis, Tagon-on) is a closely related variety of Surigaonon spoken in the central Surigao del Sur municipalities of Tandag City, San Miguel, Tago, Bayabas, Cagwait, Marihatag, San Agustin, and most of Lianga. It can be classified as a separate language or alternatively as a southern variety of Surigaonon. There are about 100,000 speakers.

Written by Karl Gaverza
Tandaganon Translation by Mark Anthony Ramos
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Translation Copyright © Mark Anthony Ramos

Inspired by the Kamanan Daplak entry in Myth Museum. Medina. 2015.

Kamanan Daplak Illustration by Kayla Teodoro
Tumblr: mikaylateodoro.tumblr.com

*Note this story is in Hiligaynon

Nakilala ko si Mita sang nagligad nga duha ka semana. Lain ang pirmi ko ginaagihan maglakat papuli halin sa estasyon sang MRT, pero sang adlaw nga ato ginpili ko nga magtilaw sang bag-o nga butang. Nakibot ako sang nakita ko sia sa kalsada, nagatulog sa daan nga mga diario kag may tutoy nga nagahigda sa ingud nia. Indi mahimu nga magtaas sa anum ka tuig ang iya nga edad. Ginpukaw sia sang tutoy kag nakita nia ako. Naglakat sia palapit sa akon kag naghambal “mano po” samtang ginkuha ang akon kamot kag ginpalapit sa agtang nia. Nangita ako sang mahimo ko nga ihatag sa iya apang mga sketchbook kag lapis lang ang unod sang bag ko. Ginhambalan ko sia nga wala ako sang mahatag sa iya, kag nagsabat sia nga “Okay, po. Maayong gab-i, po!” nga may nagabanaag nga ngirit. Nagsaad ako sa iya nga magabalik ako agud may mahatag sa iya sa masunod nga adlaw, gani nagngirit sia kag nagpasalamat liwat.

Amu ina ang rason kon ngaa pirmi na ako gakadto diri. Ginasigurado ko nga may makaon si Mita bag-o ako magpuli kag puro lamang ngirit ang ara sa iya guya. Ginpamangkot ko kon ngaa nagaisahanon sia kag kon ano ang natabo sa mga ginikanan niya, kag nagsabat sia sa akon nga wala sia nakahibalo. Bilog nia nga kabuhi ara na sia sa kalsada, apang wala lang ini sa iya. Makasalig sia sa kabuot sang mga dumuluong sa iya.

Ginpamangkot ko sia kon kaigo man ang mga limos nga nagakabaton niya, kon may pagkaon man sia para sa adlaw-adlaw. Nagsiling si Mita nga may mga tion nga ginalabayan lang sia sang mga tawo kag pirmi sila nagapakuno-kuno nga wala nila sia nagakakita, gani nasubuan sia, apang ara pirmi ang iya anghel de la guardia agud magbulig sa iya.

Ginsugiran nia ako nga may ara sang mabuot nga anghel nga pirmi nagabilin sang mga bulak para sa iya kada magtulog sia. Ginakalipay ni Mita ang katahum sang mga ini, apang ara gid ang mga adlaw nga wala sia sang kalan-on. Hambal nia sa akon daw matam-is nga mga prutas ang sabor sang mga ini, daw paho. Naglitik ang tagipusuon ko sang nabatian ko ato. Nagapati ako nga indi dapat amu sini ang mga butang. Wala dapat sang nagakabuhi nga kasubong sini. Ginhatagan ko sia sang Jollibee takeout kag ginhambalan ko sia nga makitaay kami bwas. Ang “Salamat, ate” ni Mita pirmi may kaupod nga hanggud nga ngirit. Sa banta ko indi ko gid ina malimtan.

Makabuluang ang nagsunod nga aldaw. Kasisidmon na kag nagalakat ako papuli sang may pulis nga nagaharang sa bahin sang kalsada kon diin dampi nagaplastar si Mita. Pamatyag ko daw wala tahaw ang akon pagtangis sang nabatian ko ang balita. Luwason nia kon tani ang iya tutoy nga gin tulod nia palayo sa alagyan sang taxi. Wala sia nakaluwas. Ginpamangkot ako sang pulis kon kilala ko sia kag ang iya mga ginikanan. Gintrapuhan ko ang akon mga luha kag ginhambal sa iya ang tanan ko nga nahibaluan, apang wala man sang madamo nga nasugid si Mita sa akon.

Nagpabilin ako sa hilit sang pila ka oras. Amo lang ini ang mahimu ko para sa iya. Nagapaninghamot nga daw mga bulak ang iya ginplastaran. Nangamuyo ako sang ara ako didto.

Ginhimo ko ang katapusan nga pagtulok sa lugar kon diin kami nagkilalahay kag nakita ko nga ara didto ang mga bulak. Nahibaluan ko nga indi ko malimtan ato nga bata kag ang iya nga ngirit. Basi may ara man iban nga nakakilala sa iya kay nakabati ako sang tingug sa malayo nga bahin nga nagtawag sa pangalan nia. Ginhatag ko ang ulihi ko nga pagpaalam kag nagpanaw papuli.

=———————————=

English Version

I met Mita two weeks ago. I would always take the same route going home, walking from the MRT station, but that day I decided that I might as well try something new. I was surprised to find her on the street, she was sleeping on some dirty newspapers and there was a puppy lying next to her. She couldn’t have been more than six years old. The puppy woke her up and she saw me. She walked up to me and said “mano po”, taking my hand to her forehead and I tried to find something to give her, but my bag only had my sketchbooks and pencils. I told her that I couldn’t give her anything then and she said “Ok po, have a good night po!” with a radiant smile. I promised her that I would be back and give her something the next day and she smiled and gave me another thank you.

That’s how I ended up going here every day. I always make sure Mita has something to eat before I go back home and she’s nothing but smiles. I asked her why she was alone and what happened to her parents, and she told me she didn’t know. She had always lived her life on the street, but that didn’t matter to her, she could always count on the kindness of strangers to help her.

Today I asked her if begging was enough for her, if she had something to eat every day. Mita told me that there were times when people just walked by, they always pretended not to see her and that would make her sad sometimes, but there was always her guardian angel to help her.

She told me there would always be this kind angel that left her flowers every time she slept. Mita enjoyed how pretty they were, but there were those days when she had nothing to eat. She told me they tasted like sweet fruits, like a mango. My heart broke a little after hearing that, I don’t think this is the way things should be, no one’s life should be like this. I gave her some Jollibee take out and told her I’d see her tomorrow. Mita’s “Thank you Ate.” Always came with a giant smile. I don’t think I’ll ever forget that.

The next day was senseless. I was walking home at sunset and there was a policeman blocking off the area of the street where Mita was. I don’t think I stopped crying as I heard the news. She was trying to save her puppy and pushed it out of the way of a taxi. She didn’t make it. The policeman asked if I knew her and asked if I knew her parents. I dried my tears and told him what I could, but there wasn’t much that Mita let me know.

I stayed at the corner for a few hours. It was the least I could do for her. Her spot still smelled like flowers and I said a prayer for her while I was there.

I took one last look at the place that I met her and saw there were flowers there. I know that I won’t be able to forget the girl with that smile. Someone else must have known her because I could hear a voice calling her name in the distance. I said my last goodbye and walked back home with tears in my eyes.
————————–————————–————————–

*The Hiligaynon language, also colloquially referred often by most of its speakers simply as Ilonggo, is an Austronesian regional language spoken in the Philippines by about 9.1 million people, mainly in Western Visayas and SOCCSKSARGEN, most of whom belong to the Visayan ethnic group, mainly the Hiligaynons. It is the second-most widely spoken language and a member of the so-named Visayan language family and is more distantly related to other Philippine languages.

Written by Karl Gaverza
Hiligaynon translation by Paul Aries Valera
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Translation Copyright © Paul Aries Valera

Inspired by the Kamanan Daplak entry in Myth Museum. Medina. 2015.

Kamanan Daplak Illustration by Kayla Teodoro
Tumblr: mikaylateodoro.tumblr.com

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“Go away! You’re not my real mom!”

Sister Mariam tried as hard as she could to calm him down but she knew patience was her virtue. This would pass, as all things do.

It took half an hour and the child’s tears finally dried. He sat up and finished his dinner.

Sister sighed, another small battle won.

The child had no name, at least none that he would admit to.  He was found at the footsteps of the church one evening when the clouds were low and the moon shined through.

As Sister Mariam was finishing cleaning up the table a shriek reverberated through the hallways, coming from the main entrance.

“Hold this devil!” shouted Sister Sibil.

It was the child, of course it had to be the child.

“He was trying to climb the gate but we were able to stop him,” Sister Sibil explained.

The child had calmed down and seemed to have given up his escape plan.

Sister Sibil shot the child a withering gaze but Sister Mariam knew how to deal with her.

“Come on now, time for bed,” Sister Mariam said.

They left Sister Sibil and headed for the dormitory.

“You know you shouldn’t keep doing that.”

“…..”

“Now you’re quiet? After the day that you put us through?”
“You’re not…” the child whispered.

“Not your real mother, is that what you were going to say?”

The child turned his head away.

“If I was your mother you’d probably end up more behaved.”

“Don’t you dare say that about my mom! She took care of us!”

Sister Mariam’s eyebrow rose. “Us? You have brothers or sisters?”

The child tensed up.

“Oh well if you don’t want to talk about it then I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Sister led the child to his bed and turned out the light.

So full of mystery, this child. She thought to herself.  But nothing that the good Lord can’t save.

=————————————————=

“Pssst!”

Ramil was groggy, he had spent the last few hours as king of his dreamland all to be woken up by a noise. To his surprise it was the no-named kid that they found a few days before.

“It’s past your bedtime, it’s past MY bedtime, let me sleep.”

But the kid would not let up.

“Pssst! Psssst!!”

Ramil sighed, his sleep was ruined anyway so he might as well see what was happening.

He felt the tug of the kid leading him to a corner of the dormitories. It looked like they weren’t alone either. Rows of orphans greeted them as the kid took his place in front.

“The sisters don’t want what’s best for you, they’re content with keeping you in this prison.”

“We’re prisoners?” A small voice came from the back.

“Yes!! Don’t you see we are all here because the sisters don’t want us to know real freedom! They feed us slop and gruel and make us pray all hours of the day just to keep us quiet!”

Ramil shook his head. He was old enough to know the type of person the kid was: Young and headstrong, the only story that mattered was his. But this would turn out different from all the other times.

“Stop! Don’t say another word.”

“Listen to me—–”

“How dare you! How dare you assume you know anything about us. The sisters give us meals to eat and a roof above our heads.”

“But the sisters give you nothing but—-”

“Before the sisters came this happened to me.”

Ramil unbuttoned his shirt to reveal a nasty scar on his right shoulder.

“And I was one of the lucky ones.”

Silence stilled around the orphans.

“Every one of us has a reason to be here and all of us can agree that we were way worse off than we are now with the sisters.”

The orphans nodded.

“If we leave who will protect us?”

“My mom will protect us, I know she will!”

“Your mom is just one person, how can she take care of all of us?”

“You’ve never met my mother then. Please, just listen to me.”

The orphans’ eyes settled on the child with no name.

The child regaled them with a tale all too familiar. How a small boy lost his only family and was left stranded in the jungle. He was lost, alone and hungry until his prayers were answered by the flap of golden wings.

“Your mom is an angel?!”

In tears, the child continued his story. About how the angel shielded him from the elements and taught him how to live with the land. About how he was never alone because there were other children she looked after. About how he felt truly loved and part of a family.

“If she was so great why are you here? You’re an orphan just like the rest of us.”

The child’s voice cracked and tears streamed down his face. He told of a fire that ravaged his home and how they had no choice but to run. How he ended up on the steps of the church as a last resort, begging them to help his mother.

They didn’t listen.

No one did.

=——————————————————————=

The child managed to convince a few other orphans to escape with him and to everyone’s surprise they made it out of the church grounds.

Ramil always wondered what happened to the kid with no name and his followers.

But he did hope.

That they found their mother.

=—————————————————————–=

Story inspired by Vanoverbergh, Morice. (1936). “The Isneg Life Cycle I: Birth, Education, and Daily Routine.” PCAC 3 (2):81-186, p. 98.

Written by Karl Gaverza
Copyright © Karl Gaverza

Laglagemin Illustration by Abe Joncel Guevara
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