*Note this story is in Ilocano

“Kayu-kayu, madayu kayu apo.”

“Sigue itatta, sangsangkamaysata nga mangibaga.”

“Kayu-kayu, madayu kayu apo.”

“Nasayaat man. Tatta laglagipem, kanayun nga ibagam ata nu lumabas ka idtoy nga lugar.”

“Madi tayo met mabalin nga agwalis idtoy, inang?”

“Wen. Nagsiyaat man ta nalagep mo. Nagsirib talaga ti anak kon.”

“Apay masapul nga suroten dagitoy nga pagannurotan? Kunak nu balay tayo atoy?”

“Wen, lugar tayo ken kadwa dagti bambanagtayo, ngem sadinno nakata-derran na atoy balay?”

“… idtoy daga?”

“Naglaing ka man! Itatta, ti daga ken amin nga lubong que saan tayo kukua.”

“Ngem kunak man nu kukuatayo atoy daga? Saan kadi nga talon tayo atoy? Ken, saan ya nga ditoy ti pag ayayamak?”

“Wen, wen, ginatang tayo atoy daga, ken adda kadatayo ti papeles nga mangpaneknek, ngem agbalen nga komplikado. Maawatam nga ti daga que kukua ti sabali… nga tao, sakbay ti isasangpet tayo idtoy, sakbay nga nangrugi ti aniaman nga tattao ti ili idtoy nga lugar.”

“Ngem, apay saan nga agabalin nga gatangen laengen dayta kadakuada?”

“Adda ti bambanag nga saan nga magatang ti pera. Atoy nga lugar que pagtaengan da, awan inggana, uray no awan tayun tun. Masapul nga sursuruentayo nga makipagnaed  kadakuada.”

“Nu nay indyak kayat? Kasla naunget da. Nu saan tayo nga agdayo-dayo nu aglinis laeng idtoy arubayan, aggurigur tayun. Kasatnu nga patas dayta?”

“Kasatnu nga patas nu masapul nga ibinglay atuy pagtaengan tayo kadakuada?”

“Saan nga perpekto nga kasasaad para asinnuman kadatayo, ngem masapul nga sursuruen tayo nga maasi ti maysa ken maysa. Sigue man, itatta, anya ti ibaga ta?”

“Kayu-kayu, madayu kayu apo.”

“Naglaing nga ubing ngen.”

=——————————-=

English Version

“Kayu-kayu, madayu kayu.”

“Now say it with me.”

“Kayu-kayu, madayu kayu.”

“Good. Now remember, we always have to say that whenever we pass this place.”

“We also can’t sweep here right mama?”

“Yes, it’s good you remembered. I have such a smart boy!”

“But why do we have to follow these rules mama? I thought this was our house?”

“It is, it’s our place with all our things, but what is the house on?”

“….the ground?”

“Good job! Now the ground and all the earth, doesn’t belong to us.”

“But I thought this was our land? Isn’t this our farm? And isn’t this where I play?”

“Yes, yes, we bought this land, and we have all the papers to prove it, but then it gets complicated. See the land belonged to some other… people, long before we came here, before any humans started a town in this area.”

“But can’t we just buy it from those people?”

“There are just some things you can’t buy with money. This place is their home and always will be, long after you and I are gone. We have to learn to live with them.”

“What if I don’t want to? They seem mean. If we don’t say these things and if we just clean around our house we get sick. How is that fair?”

“How is it fair that they have to share their home with us?”

“…”

“It isn’t an ideal situation for either of us, but we have to learn to be kind to one another. If we are kind to them, they will be kind to us. Now what do we say?”

“Kayu-kayu, madayu kayu.”

“Good boy.”
=———————————–=

*Kayu-kayu, madayu kayu is Ilokano for “You there please go away.” (Kayo-kayo, malayo kayo)

Story inspired by Ansisit description in 101 Kagila-gilalas na Nilalang. Samar. 2015

*Ilocano is the third most-spoken local language of the Philippines.An Austronesian language, it is related to such languages as Malay (Indonesian and Malaysian), Tetum, Chamorro, Fijian, Maori, Hawaiian, Samoan, Tahitian, Paiwan and Malagasy. It is closely related to some of the other Austronesian languages of Northern Luzon, and has slight mutual intelligibility with the Balangao language and the eastern dialects of the Bontoc language.

Written by Karl Gaverza

Translation by Marilyn C Proctor
Copyright © Karl Gaverza

Translation Copyright © Marilyn C Proctor

Ansisit Illustration by Leandro Geniston from Aklat ng mga Anito
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Watercolor by Catherine Chiu
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