*Note this story is in Hiligaynon

“Pagpanghimos na, malakat ta bag-o magbutlak ang adlaw.”

Ginpukaw ako ni papa gikan sa manami nga dalamguhanon. Nagalupad ako sa ibabaw sang kabukiran kag pakadto sa kagulangan nga daw kaangay sang isa ka superhero. Apang may katapusan ang mga damgo, ti-on na para atubangon ang bag-o nga adlaw. Akon gin-umpisan ang akon adlaw pina-agi sa pagpamahaw kag pag-andam sang amon mga galamiton. Nagumon ang akon kamot sa lambat, “baw sapagka laminday gid sa imo,” pangakig ni papa sa akon nga pareho lang kagapon.

“Makadto kita sa linaw subong.”

Makatilingala. Si papa kag ang iban pa nga mangingisda nagalikaw makadto didto kay delikado-gulpi lang kis-a nagabaskog ang butong sang tubig. Apang, daw wala man ko sang mahimo. Kada adlaw naga gamay ang amon mga hulik, indi mahibal-on kon hasta kutob kami mangabuhi sa kadagatan.

Kis-a akon nahuna-huna-an nga ma lisensya ako kay papa nga malakat na lang ko sa ciudad kag didto mangita trabaho. Mas maayo pa ina sang sa magpalibog pirmi kon may mahulik bala kami nga isda para may maka-on.

“Pag-andam gid  kag siguraduha nga indi mag sunod sa kasanag.”

Amo na ang permi ginapa-andam sang mga mga mangingisda tagsa nga manghulik isda, ambot kon ano ang bu-ot silingon sina apang daw nagapahamtang sang pamatyag kon makabati ako sina. Daw nagakabati-an ko ina adlaw-adlaw sang nag-umpisa ako mag-upod sa baroto.

Daw kamag-an sang lambat subong aw, basi nagkusog na ko. Basi sa sunod pwede na ako mag ubra sa construction sa ciudad.

“Tabuni imo nga dulunggan!”

Nakibot gid ko sa singgitan ni papa. Wala ko kabalo kon nga-a ginatabunan nya ang iya dulunggan. Katahum sang ambahanon. Daw kaangay sang mga naga-ambahan nga mga manugtunda samtang nagalupad palibot sa akon. Nakabatyag ako sang kahilway, akon mabatyagan ang kalibutan. Gusto ko kadtu-an kon sa diin nagahalin ang ambahanon.

“Indi magkadto sa tubig!”

Daw amo sina ang ginhambal ni papa, apang daw wala ko siya nabati-an maayo. Gintilawan nya nga butungon ako sa akon braso apang kinahanglan ko pangitaon ang nagakanta sang sining matahum nga ambahanon. Pirmi nya lang gid ko napunggan, san-o pa ni sya mag-untat. Wala sya kabalo kon ano kabudlay magpadulong sa palaabuton. Wala na sang bilin para sa amon diri. Wala na sang isda nga ginahatag ang kadagatan sa amon. Kinahanglan na namon magkadto sa lugar kon sa diin may paglaum.

“Ang kasanag! Indi pagsunda ang kasanag!”

Makita ko na sila, sapagka tahum sa ila. Ginatawag ako sang kasanag sa idalum sang tubig. Wala ini masayran ni papa. Tigulang na gid sya para makita ang palaabuton. Indi kaangay ko. Sundan ko ang kasanag, amo ini ang maka salbar sa amon tanan. Makakita ako sang madamo nga kwarta agud makakaon kami. Bay-i lang, mabal-an ya gid. Mabal-an lang ni nila tanan.

=——————-=

English Version

“Get ready, we have to leave before sunrise.”

Papa woke me up from a nice dream. I was flying over the mountains and going through the woods like a superhero. But dreams always have to end, now it’s time to face another day. I start my routine, grabbing a meal and preparing all the supplies for the day. My hands got tangled in the nets again and Papa scolded me for being slow. Just like yesterday.

“We’re going by the cove today.”

That was strange. Papa and all the older fishermen would always avoid going near the cove. They say it’s dangerous since the current is unpredictable in that area. But I know we don’t really have much of a choice. The catch of the day has been getting smaller and smaller and I don’t know how long we can live off the ocean. I think I’m going to tell Papa that I should go to the city to find work. It’s better than wondering if we can catch enough fish to feed ourselves.

“Be careful and make sure you don’t follow the lights.”

It’s the warning that we fisherman say before we go out on the water. I don’t know what it’s supposed to mean but it’s always comforting to hear.  I think I’ve heard it every day since I was old enough to be on a boat. The nets seem lighter today, a sign that I’m getting stronger. Maybe I can find work in a construction site in the city.

“Cover your ears!”

Papa’s shout scared me. I don’t know why he was covering his ears. The music was so beautiful. It was like a chorus of angels floating all around me. I feel so free, so in touch with the world. I want to go to whatever’s making such a beautiful sound.

“Don’t go in the water!”

I think that’s what papa said, but I didn’t hear him so well. He tried to pull me back by the arm but I need to go find the singer of this wonderful song. He needs to stop doing that, always holding me back. He doesn’t know how hard it’s going to be in the future. We don’t have anything left here. The sea isn’t going to keep giving us fish, not anymore. We need to go somewhere else somewhere where we can hope.

“The lights! Don’t follow the lights!”

I can see them now, they’re so beautiful. The glow under the water is calling me. Papa doesn’t understand. He’s too old to see the future. Not like I can. I’ll follow the light and it will save us all. I can make enough money to feed our family. He’ll see. They’ll all see.

*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

Translated by Rehel Jemera Sausa
Copyright © Karl Gaverza

Translation Copyright © Rehel Jemera Sausa

Story inspired by Kataw/Catao entry in Creatures of Philippine Lower Mythology. Ramos. 1971.

Kataw Illustration by Leandro Genisto from Aklat ng mga Anito
FB: That Guy With A Pen

Watercolor by Mykie Concepcion
Tumblr: http://mykieconcepcion.tumblr.com/