*Note this story is in Bicol-Albay

“Kayu-kayu, madayu kayu.”

“Ngunyan, sabihon mo iyan na sabay kita”

“Kayu-kayu, madayu kayu.”

“Nyan, maray. Pirmi mo iyan tataramon kada maagi kita sa lugar na ini”

“Dai man kita pwede magsigid digdi hadi, mama?”

“Iyo, maray ta narumduman mo. Matalion talaga an aki kong ini!”

“Pero nata ta kaipuhan tang sundon ang mga iyan, mama? Huna ko sadiri ta ining harong?”

“Iyo, iyo satuya ining harong pati ining mga gamit, pero sain nakatugdok ang harong na ini?”

“…sa daga?”

“Uratihon! Ngunyan, an daga, an kinaban, bako satuya asin bako ta pagsadiri”

“Pero huna ko satuya ining daga? Bako satuya ining kaumahan? Buda bako baga digdi ako nagkakawat?”

“Iyo, iyo, binakal ta ining daga buda may mga papel kita na katunayan para duman, pero nagigin kumplikado. Huni, an daga nagin pagsadiri kaito kan ibang…tawo, haloy na panahon pa bago kita nagdigdi, bago pa nagpuon mag-istar an mga tawo digdi”

“Nata dai ta na sana bakalon sainda?”

“May mga bagay na dai mo mababakal ki kwarta. An lugar na ini sainda asin pirming magiging sainda, maski pa man ako buda ika magadan na. Kaipuhan ta pag-adalan pano mabuhay kairiba sinda.”

“Pano kun habo ko? Garo maurihon sinda. Pag dai ta tinaram ini, buda pag naglinig kita sa palibot kan sadiri tang harong, magkakahilang kita. Pano nagin patas ito?”

“…”

“Bako ini man talaga ini marhay asin magayon na sitwasyon maski sisay satuya, pero kaipuhan ta magin mabuot sa lambang saro. Pag mabuot kita sainda, mabuot man sinda satuya. Ngunyan, ano nganeng sasabihon ta?”

“Kayu-kayu, madayu kayu.”

“Nyan, marhay.”

=———————–=

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.”

=—————————-=

Albay Bikol, or simply Albayanon is a group of languages and one of the three languages that compose Inland Bikol. It is spoken in the southwestern coast of Albay, (Pio Duran, Jovellar) and northwestern Sorsogon. The region is bordered by the Coastal Bikol and Rinconada Bikol speakers.

Written by Karl Gaverza
Bicol Translation by Danielle Serrano Dayog
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Translation Copyright © Danielle Serrano Dayog

Ansisit Illustration by Leandro Geniston from Aklat ng mga Anito
FB: That Guy With A Pen

Watercolor by Catherine Chiu
FB: Wildling Child
IG: https://www.instagram.com/wildlingchild/

*Note this story is in Bicol Naga

“Kayu-kayu, madayu kayu.”

“Ngonyan otruhon mong sabihon iyan sunod sako.”

“Kayu-kayu, madayu kayu.”

“Marahay. Ngonian tandaan mo, kaipuhan mong pirming sabihon iyan sa kada pag-agi mo sa lugar na ini.”

“Dai man po kita pwedeng mag-sighid digdi, bako daw po mama?”

“Iyo, marahay na natatandaan mo. Igwa akong sarong aking lalaking matali!”

“Alagad taano ta kaipuhan tang sunudon an mga patakaran na ini mama? Sa paghona ko, satuya inng harong?”

“Iyo, satuyang lugar ini na yaon gabos an satong mga gamit, alagad saen nakabugtak sa harong?”

“….an daga?”

“Tama! Alagad an daga asin an bilog na kinaban, bako iyan sadiri ta.”

“Alagad an sa paghona ko na ini an satuyng daga? Bako daw na ini an satuyang oma? Asin bako daw na digdi ako nagkakawat?”

“Iyo, iyo, binakal mi an dagang ini, asin igwa kami kan gabos na papeles tanganing patunayan iyan, alagad nagigin komplikado ini. Hilinga an daga pagsasadiri nin ibang… mga tawo, haloy pa bago kita nagdigdi, bago pa man an siisay pa man na tawo nagpoon nin sarong banwaan sa lugar na ini.”
“Alagad dai ta pwedeng bakalon sana ini sa mga tawong iyan?”

“Igwa sana nin nagkapirang bagay na dai mo mabakal nin kwarta. An lugar na ini iyo an saindang harong asin pirmi nang iyo, haloy na pagkatapos na ika asin ako mawara. Kaipuhan tang makanuod na mamuhay kaiba ninda.”

“Paano kun habo ko? Garo sinda mararaot na tawo. Kun dai ta sasabihon an mga bagay na ini asin kun maglinig sana kita sa palibot kan satong harong kita magkahelang. Paano iyan makatanosan?”

“Paano makatanosan na kaipuhan nindang ihiras an saindang harong sa sato?”

“…”

“Bako ining ideyal na sitwasyon para sa arin man sato, alagad kaipuhan tang makanuod na magin maboot sa lambang saro. Kun mabuot kita sa sainda, mabuot man sinda sa sato. Ngonian ano an sasabihon ta?

“Kayu-kayu, madayu kayu.”

“Marahay na aki.”

=———————–=

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.”
=——————————=

*Central Bicol, commonly called Bicol  Naga, is the most-spoken language in the Bicol Region of southern Luzon, Philippines. It is spoken in the northern and western part of Camarines Sur, second congressional district of Camarines Norte, eastern part of Albay, northeastern part of Sorsogon, San Pascual town in Masbate, and southwestern part of Catanduanes. Central Bicol speakers can be found in all provinces of Bicol and it is a majority language in Camarines Sur.

Written by Karl Gaverza
Bicol Translation by Dominador N. Marcaida Jr.
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Translation Copyright © Dominador N. Marcaida Jr.

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

Ansisit Illustration by Leandro Geniston from Aklat ng mga Anito
FB: That Guy With A Pen

*Note this story is in Tagalog

Noong unang panahon, mayroong batang lalaki na hindi marunong magpakabait. Isa siyang napaka-suwail na bata. Lagi niyang ginagawa ang kabaligtaran ng sinasabi ng kaniyang mga magulang at araw-araw siyang mayroong bagong paraan na pasakitin ang ulo ng kanyang pamilya.

Sa kabila nito, lubusan siyang hinahangaan ng kaniyang mga mas nakababatang kapatid na lalaki. Sa kanilang mga mata, ang kanilang kuya ang pinakamatapang at pinakamatalinong lalaki sa daigdig.

Isang araw, isinama ng bata ang kaniyang mga kapatid para maglakad sa gubat kung saan may natagpuan silang yungib. “Tabi tabi po,” wika ng mga nakababatang kapatid. Tinuruan silang mabuti ng kanilang mga magulang na magbigay-galang sa lahat nararapat galangin.

Tumawa ang kanilang kuya. “Ano’ng ginagawa niyo?” tanong niya sa kaniyang mga kapatid. “Nagbibigay-galang kami sa maliit na mama sa kuweba,” sagot nila.

“Hindi totoo iyan,” nangutya ang panganay sa inaakala niyang pambatang pamahiin. “Kita niyo? Wala namang nasa kuweba. Huwag na kayong magpakaduwag at matuto na kayo sa katotohanan ng mundo.”

“Pero kuya, baka maapakan natin sila ng ‘di naman natin sinasadya!” tutol ng kaniyang mga kapatid.

Yumabag ng yumabag sa loob ng yungib ang kanilang kuya ng walang pakialam. Puno ng takot silang nanonood habang patuloy na hinahamon ng kanilang kuya ang mga espiritung naninirahan sa kuweba.

Matapos ang ilang minuto, walang nangyari. “Kita niyo? Sabi sa inyo eh walang mangyayari. Subukan niyo rin ’to.”

Hinihikayat pa ng panganay ang kaniyang mga kapatid na gayahin ang kaniyang ginagawa hanggang sa nagsalita na ang isa sa kanila. “Kuya, mga kapatid, sa tingin ko hindi ito magandang ideya,” ani nito .

Hindi siya narinig ng kaniyang mga kapatid sa lakas ng kanilang mga pagyayabag.

Ilang oras ang nakalipas na naglalaro ang mga bata sa yungib, maliban sa isa. Pinagpasiyahan na nilang umuwi dahil malapit na maghapunan.

Isang tinig ang huling bumigkas ng “Tabi tabi po” bago umalis.

Habang pauwi ang mga bata ay biglang may nahulog na sanga ng puno at natamaan ang isa sa mga bata sa ulo. Nangangamba ang kuya nila dahil siya ang mananagot sa nangyari sa kaniyang kapatid.

“Dali, humingi kayo ng tulong,” utos niya sa kaniyang mga kapatid. Nang kumaripas ng takbo ang mga bata sa utos ng kanilang kuya, napatid sila sa isa’t isa kung kaya’t nagkaroon sila ng mga sugat at gasgas. Nagsiiyakan sila.

“Magsitahan kayo!” sigaw ng panganay. Umalingawngaw ang kaniyang boses sa gubat at nakaakit ng pansin ng baboy ramo.

Tinitigan ng baboy ramo ang mga bata at umigik ng malalim.

Sinubukan ng kuya na magpahabol sa baboy ramo upang maisanggalang ang kaniyang mga kapatid ngunit hindi siya nito pinapansin. Walang imik na nakatayo lamang ang baboy ramo sa harap ng mga bata.

Hanggang sa nilapitan ito ng isa sa mga magkakapatid.

“Humihingi kami ng tawad sapagkat naapakan ka namin,” sabi niya. “Nawa’y mapagpaumanhinan mo kami.”

Muling umigik ang baboy ramo sa bata bilang kaniyang pagtugon. Sa pagkakataong iyon napansin ng ibang mga kapatid na nagsihilom ang kanilang mga sugat.

Nagdiwang ang mga bata at tinanong ang kanilang kapatid kung ano ang nangyari.

“Ako’y nagbigay-galang lamang dahil nararapat na magbigay-galang,” tugon niya.

Huminahon na ang lahat nang biglang hinanap ng isa sa mga kapatid ang kanilang kuya.

“Nakita niyo ba si kuya?”

=—————————=

English Version

Once upon a time there was a little boy that didn’t know how to behave. He was a most troublesome child. He would always do the opposite of what his parents would tell him and every day the boy would find a new way to give headaches to his family.

His younger brothers idolized him though. They thought that their kuya was the bravest and most clever boy in the world.

One day, the boy took his little brothers out for a stroll in the woods, where they came upon a cave. “Tabi tabi po” said the younger brothers. They had been taught well by their parents and always sought to give respect where it was due.

The older brother laughed. “What are you doing?” he asked his little brothers. “We are giving respect to the small man in the cave,” they replied.

“There is no such thing,” the older brother scoffed at what he thought was a childish superstition. “See? No one is in the cave. You should stop being such babies and learn the truth about the real world.”

“But kuya, we might accidentally step on them!” The younger brothers protested.

The older brother stamped his feet around the cave without care. The younger brothers stared in horror as their kuya willfully defied the spirits.

After a few minutes, nothing happened. “See? I told you so. You all should try this.”

The older brother tried to make his younger siblings repeat what he did, until all but one relented. “Kuya, brothers, I really don’t think that this is a good idea,” he said.

His brothers couldn’t hear him over all the stomping they were doing.

Hours passed and the children were all playing in the cave, save one. They decided to go home for it was almost dinnertime.

One voice said a final “Tabi tabi po” before leaving.

As the children were making their way back home, a tree branch fell and hit one of the children in the head. The older brother was panicking for he knew he was going to be held responsible for his sibling.

“Hurry, one of you go and get help!” he ordered his brothers.

As the children rushed to follow the command, they tripped over one another causing bruises and scrapes. They started crying.

“Stop crying!” The older brother shouted. His voice echoed through the woods and attracted a wild boar.

The boar stared at the children and gave out a large grunt.

The older brother, knowing that he had to protect his siblings tried to get the boar to chase him, but to no avail. The beast just stood looming in front of the children.

Finally, one of the brothers approached the beast.

“I’m sorry that we stepped on you,” he said. “I hope you will forgive us.”

The boar grunted in reply. At that moment the other brothers realized that their wounds were suddenly healed.

The children rejoice and asked their brother what happened.

“All I did was give respect where respect was due,” he answered.

And all was well until one of the brothers asked an innocent question.

“Have any of you seen kuya?”

=———————–=

Story inspired by Dwende entry in Myth Museum. Medina. 2015.

Dwende Illustration by Leandro Geniston from Aklat ng mga Anito
FB: That Guy With A Pen

*Note this story is in Tagalog

May isang bata na ngalan ay Edgardo. Siya ay maliit at tahimik, at mas nainin niyang magbasa ng atlat kaysa makipaglaro sa ibang mga bata. Ang mga libro ay xahirap makarating sa munting mabundok na komunidad at nanyang pinapahalagahan and mga panahong pupunta siya sa siyudad, pinapanood din niya ang kanyang ama sa pagpapalit ng ginto galing sa minahan para sa salapi at pambili sa gustong niyang mga libro.

Isang draw siya ay nilapitan ni Faustino, batting lalaki na madalas siyang iniiwasan. Ibang bagay ang pagiging iba, ngunit kung making iba sa komunidad na may higit kumulang sa isang daan na tao. Nakaramdam si Egardo na para bang nasa mata siya ng pagkilatis sa kanya.

“Maaari bang umupo rito?” Ang tanong ni Faustino sa kanya.

“Oo, wala naman pipigil sa iyo,” Ang sagot ni Edgardo.

“Narinig mo ba kung ano ang nangyari?” Sinubukan ni Faustino tumingin sa kanyang mata pero mas  nangibabaw ang pagyuko niya at tinignan ang kanyang pahila  na paglakad ng paa.

“Hindi ba lahat?” Sinabi ni Edgardo habang hindi niya inaalis ang kayang mata mula sa pahina na kanyang binabasa.

“Kasama si Veronica ay tattle na sila simula noong Pebrero.” Umupo sa tabi niya si Faustino.

Hindi na bago kung may kabataang nawawala sa bundok. Kahit saan ay may panganib. Isang saglit ng pagkawala ng pagiging mapagmasid sa paligid ay lubos na mapanganib. Ang mga minahan ay nakakabahala rin. Madalas ang kanilang ama o kapatıd ay hindi na bumabalik. Ang kumpanya ng minahan ay magpapadala ng pakikiramay sa pagpanaw- kung ano man ang halaga nito.

“Sabi naman naman na kinukuha na lamang ang anak.” Saad ni Faustino, muli, sinubukan ngunit bigo niyang tignan ang kanyang mata.

Binaba ni Edgardo ang kanyang aklat at sumagot naman, “Sino ang may nais na cumula ng mga bata? Kung para ito sa pera maaaring naman sila magpadala ng sulat? Maulan na panahon, ang mga tao ay naglalakbay sa bundok at hindi na bumabalik. Ganun yun.”

“Hindi.”Nilagay ni Faustino ang kanyang kamay sa balikat ni Edgardo. “Ito ay iba sa ganyang pangyayari, kutob ko ito. Dapat tayong magkasama. Tinanong sila Melinda, Pepito at Belen. Maaari namin subaybayan kung ano man ang mangyari sa amin.

“Ligtas ka sa amin,” Nakangiting sabi ni Faustino. Sumimagot si Edgardo. “Kung sabi mo.”

Hindi ito ang unang pagkakataon na may nagpangako ng ganito. Naisip niya ang kanyang nakatatandang kapatid. Mga gabing pumunta sila sa kweba ng magkasama para maghanap ng mga ginto. Noong isang pagkakataon na hindi siya maingat. Mga bagay na nangyari at hayaan na maganap. Isang gabi si Edgardo ay nakarinig ng bulong ng ibang bata.

“Edgardo—— psssst——— gising, ito ay importante,” sabi ng boses. Lumipas ang ilang minuto kay Edgardo bago bumalik sa realidad. Makatotohanan ang kanyang panaginip: isang bahay na puno ng mga aklat para sa kanya. Malinaw ang kanyang panaginip at nangako na isang araw ito ay magkakatotoo.

“Belen?!”

“Sshhhhhh- huwag mo hayaan na may makarinig sa iyo.” Tinakpan ni Belen ang bibig ni Edgardo. “Anong ginagawa mo rito?” Sabi niya sa pamamagitan ng paguusap gamit ang mga daliri  sa senyales.

“Ito ay si Faustino.” Nag-aalala na mukha ni Belen. “Siya ay nawawala.”

“Sigurado ka ba?” Mas tahimik si Edgardo sa pagkakataon na ito, “baka lumabas lamang para maglakad?”

“Kalagitnaan na ng gabi! Wala pa siya sa kanyang bahay. Sumama ka sa akin. Nasa likod ng isang malaking puno na malapit sa bahay ni Faustino si Pepito at Melinda. Kailangan natin siyang hanapin.”

Kinuskos ni Edgardo ang kanyang mga mata at humikab ulit. “Sige, baka nga naman.” Nandoon si Melinda at Pepito sa lugar na sinabi ni Belen kung saan dapat sila matagpuan, ang mga alitaptap sa puno ay nakakatakot sa pakiramdam.

“Sa tingin ko ay nakakita ako ng bakas.” Saad ni Pepito. “May mga bakas papunta sa kweba malapit sa burol.

Napangiwi lahat ng bata. Ang mga kweba na malapit sa minahan ay mapanganib sa mga matanda, lalo naman sa apat na batang nakagrupo. “Kailangan na natin umalis,” sabi ni Belen, “Gagawin ko rin ang parehas para sa amin.”

“Ano ang dapat nating gawin kapag nahanap na natin siya? Meron dapat na maging responsable sa mga pagkawala nila. Paano natin lalaban ito?” Sambit ni Melinda na malapit nang umiyak.

“Hindi natin kailangan kalabanin ito, kailangan mahanap si Faustino at maibalik natin dito, kung saan ligtas,” sabi ni Pepito.

Tumingin sila sa isa’t isa at naghawak kamay. Ang bawat isa ay may solusyon na mahanap ang kanilang kaibigan si Edgardo hanggang maaari. Siya ay nagagalak sa kanyan panaginip.

Sinundan nila ang bakas sa abot ng kanilang makakaya, matuklap man ang kanilang mga balat mula sa mga bato at ugat ng halaman. Noong malapit na silang maabot ang pagkapagod, narating naman nila ang kanilang destinasyon, isang kakaibang kweba na pasukan sa mga maraming lagusan at maaaring hindi na sila makabalik.

Pinamunuan ni Belen ang grupo. Siya ay kumuha ng lampara mula sa kanyang magulang at isang beses ay naisama na rin siya ng kanyang mga kapatid sa kweba. Hindi sa pamumuno ang kanyang lakas, ngunit dapat niyang siguraduhin na meron gagabay sa iba. Kailangan niya itong gawin para kay Faustino.

Si Melinda ang nauna.

Hindi niya kailangan sumigaw. Isang beses na si Belen ang nagsinag ng lampara sa entrada ng ibang lagusan at sa sumunod, noonf tumawag siya ng mga pangalan ng kanyang kasama. Hindi siya natakot sa katahimikan ngunit na pagkakataon na ito, hindi malilimutan sa buong buhay niya.

Sinikap ni Pedro na manatili sa paglalakbay. Naghawak kamay silang lahat at naramdaman ni Belen nanginginig ang kanyang kamay. Sinubukan nitong pakalmahin siya.

“Magiging maayos din ang lahat. Mahahanap natin silang pareho, pangako ko ito.” Sinubukang hindi umiyak ni Pepito habang tumango, ngunit nangibabaw ang kanyang takot.

“Hindi!” Sigaw niya. “Kailangan nating umuwi!”

Sinubukan ni Edgardo sa abot ng kanyang makakaya na pakalmahin siya.” Pepito, kailangan nating manatiling magkasama, ito lamang ang tanging paraan para maka-alis dito!”

Hindi siya nakinig, tinulak niya si Edgardo palayo sa kanya at tumakbo sa kadiliman.

Ang katahimikan ay nagpabigat ng pakiramdam sa dalawang naiiwan.

“Ang tanga ko para isipin na gagana nitong plano.” Nagsimulang bumigat ang paghinga ni Belen at kanyang binaba ang hawak na lampara. “Dapat tayong manatiling magkakasama. Ngayon hindi lamang si Faustino. Lubusang humihingi ako ng patawad. Patawad Melinda, at Pepito! Kailangan nating bumalik, siguro kung sinabi natin sa ating pamilya na pupunta tayo dito at pwede nating hanapin silang lahat. Mahahanap natin sila.” Kinuha ni Edgardo ang lampara at sinabi, “sumama kayo sa akin”.

Walang pagpipilian si Belen kung hindi sumunod sa kanyang bagong kaibigan. Ang ilaw sa lampara ay unti unting naglalaho at ang landas na tinatahak ay mas dumudulas sa daanan. Sinubukan niyang humawak sa pader para maging balanse, ngunit nalaman niyang mamasa-masa din pala. Nakita na rin niya kung ano man iyon noong binigay ni Edgardo ang lampara.

Kulay pula sa kahit saang lugar. Namantsahan ang kanyang mga kamay at damit pati na rin ang mga tumutulo mula sa kisame.

“Hindi ko maitindihan—-” Sinubukang sabihin ni Belen.

Ngunit may panibagong ilaw na tanglaw ni Edgardo, nagbigay liwanag sa isang nilalang na may dalang mabigat na supot ng ginto.

“Dapat kang nakinig sa kanila. Kung nakinig ka maaaring si Faustino lamang.”

“Ako—-Ako—-” Naparalisa si Belen, sinibukan niyang sumigaw habang dinala siya nitong nilalang sa malalim na bahagi ng lagusan.

Noong sumikat na ang araw kay Edgardo habang naglilinis ng kanyang sarili sa ilog, napag-isipan niya:

“Nais kong malaman kung ilang libro ang aking maaaring makuha  sa pamamagitan nito.”

=————————-=

English Version

There was once a child named Edgardo. He was small and quiet and preferred to read books instead of playing with the other children. Books were hard to get in his small mountain community and he treasured the moments when he would go to the city, watch his father exchange the gold they mined for money and buy the books he wanted.

One day he was approached by Faustino, a boy who would usually avoid him. It was one thing to be different, but to be different in a community of a few hundred people made Edgardo feel like he was under a microscope.

“Can I sit here?” Faustino asked him.

“Sure, no one’s stopping you,” Edgardo replied.

“Did you hear about what happened?” Faustino tried to look him in the eye but only succeeded at putting his head down and staring at his shuffling feet.

“Didn’t everyone?” Edgardo said without moving his eyes away from the page he was reading.

“With Veronica that makes 3 since February.” Faustino sat beside him.

It wasn’t uncommon for children to go missing up in the mountains. Danger was everywhere. One moment of absentmindedness could cost you dearly.

The mines were also an issue. Too often their fathers or brothers would just not come home and the mining companies would send their condolences – for whatever that was worth.

“They say someone is taking the children away.” Faustino, again, tried and failed to look him in the eye.

Edgardo put down his book and replied, “Who would possibly want to take the children? If it was for money then wouldn’t they have sent a note? It’s rainy season, people walk around the mountain and don’t come back. Just leave it be.”

“No.” Faustino put his hands on Edgardo’s shoulders. “This is different from that, I can feel it. We have to stick together. I asked Melinda, Pepito and Belen. The five of us can watch what happens with each other.”

“You’ll be safe with us,” Faustino says with a smile.

Edgardo frowns. “If you say so.”

This wasn’t the first time someone made that promise. He thought back to his elder brother. Those nights when they went to the caves together to find gold for themselves. That one time he wasn’t careful. Things would happen and you just had to let them be.

One night Edgardo was awakened by the whispers of another child.

“Edgardo —- psssst —— wake up, it’s important,” the voice said.

It took a few minutes for Edgardo to snap back into reality. The dream that he had was so vivid: a house filled with books all to himself. He was lucid in his dream and he swore that one day it would come true.

“Belen?!”

“Sshhhhhh—don’t let anyone hear you.” She put her hand over his mouth.

“What are you doing here?” he managed to say through her fingers.

“It’s Faustino.” Her face was grim. “He’s missing.”

“Are you sure?” Edgardo was quieter this time, “maybe he just went out for a walk?”

“It’s the middle of the night! He’s not in his house. Come with me. Pepito and Melinda are by the big tree near Faustino’s house. We need to find him.”

Edgardo rubbed his eyes and yawned again. “Fine, might as well.”

Melinda and Pepito were where Belen said they would be, the fireflies giving the tree an eerie aura.

“I think I found a trail,” Pepito said. “There are footprints leading to the caves over by the hills.”

The children all grimaced. Those caves were near the mines and they were dangerous enough for adults, much less a group of four children.

“We have to go,” Belen said, “he’d do the same for us.”

“What are we going to do when we find him? There must be something responsible for the disappearances. How do we fight it?” Melinda was close to tears.

“We don’t need to fight it, we just have to find Faustino and bring him back here, where it’s safe,” Pepito said.

They all looked at each other and put their hands together.

Each had a resolve to find their friend, Edgardo less so. He was still enraptured by his dream.

They followed the trail as best as they could, scraping their skins against the rocks and the roots. And as soon as they were about to fall from exhaustion, they reached their destination, a nondescript cave that they knew was an entrance to a network of tunnels they might not return from.

Belen lead the group. She had taken a lamp from her parents and her siblings had taken her to the caves once. Leadership was not her strength, but she had to make sure the others had a guide. She had to do it, for Faustino.

Melinda was the first.

She didn’t even scream. One moment Belen was shining the lamp on the entrance to another tunnel and the next, when she called out for the names of her companions. She had never feared silence until that moment, it was one she would remember for the rest of her life.

Pepito tried to stay the course. They all held hands and Belen could feel his shaking. She tried to console him.

“It will be alright. We’ll find both of them, I promise.”

Pepito tried to hold back tears as he nodded, yet fear had overtaken him.

“No!” He shouted. “We have to go back home!”

Edgardo tried his best to hold him down.

“Pepito, we have to stay together, it’s the only way we can make it out of here!”

He didn’t listen, he pushed Edgardo off him and ran into the darkness.

The silence weighed heavy on the remaining two.

“I was so stupid to think this would work.” Belen’s breath started to become rapid and she put the lantern down. “We should have stayed together. Now it’s not just Faustino. I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry Melinda, Pepito! We have to go back, maybe if we tell our families they can go here and we can all search for them. We’ll find them. We have to find them.”

Edgardo took the lantern and said, “come with me”.

Belen had no other choice but to follow her new friend.

The light from the lantern was slowly fading and the path was getting more slippery as they went along. She tried to grab the wall to balance, but she found that it was damp as well.

She finally saw what it was when Edgardo handed her the lantern.

It was red everywhere. It stained her hands and clothes and drops fell from the ceiling.

“I don’t understand—-” Belen tried to say.

But another light glowed by Edgardo, illuminating a creature carrying a hefty bag of gold.

“You should have listened to them. If you did maybe it would have just been Faustino.”

“I—-I—-” Belen was paralyzed, she tried to scream as the creature carried her deeper into the tunnel.

And as the daylight shined on Edgardo as he cleaned himself in the river, he thought:

“I wonder how many books I can get with this.”

Inspired by the Sagay description in Creatures of Philippine Lower Mythology. Ramos. 1971.

Sagay Illustration by Christian Bitao

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anegs.gg/

*Note this story is in Cebuano

Dunay usa ka bata nga ginganlan og Edgardo. Gamay siya ug hilomon ug mas gusto niya nga magbasa og mga libro imbes nga makigdula sa ubang mga bata. Lisod makakuha og mga libro sa iyang gamay nga komunidad sa kabukiran ug iyang gipalabi ang mga higayon nga moadto siya sa siyudad, motan-aw sa iyang amahan nga ibaylo ang bulawan nga ilang gimina ug paliton ang mga libro nga iyang gusto.

Usa ka adlaw niana giduol siya ni Faustino, usa ka batang lalaki nga kasagarang molikay niya. Usa ka butang ang pagkalahi og kinaiya, apan ang pagkalahi og kinaiya sa usa ka komunidad sa pipila ka gatos ka mga tawo lamang nagpabati kang Edgardo nga mora siyag naa sa ilawom sa mikroskopyo.

“Mahimo ba ko nga molingkod dinhi?” Gipangutana siya ni Faustino.

“Sure, way mopugong nimo,” tubag ni Edgardo.

“Nakadungog ka ba sa nahitabo?” Gisuwayan ni Faustino nga motutok apan nahimo lang niya ang pagduko sa iyang ulo ug pagtutok sa iyang dili mahimutang nga mga tiil.

“Dili ba ang tanan?” Matod pa ni Edgardo nga wala man gani gipahilayo ang iyang mga mata sa panid nga iyang gibasa.

“Apil si Veronica, nahimo nang 3 sukad sa Pebrero.” Milingkod tupad niya si Faustino.

Kasagaran na nga panghitabo nga mawala ang mga bata sa kabukiran. Bisan asa naa ang kapeligrohan. Mahimong makabayad ka og mahal sa usa ka gutlo nga pagkadanghag.

Usa sab ka isyu ang mga minahan. Kasagaran ang ilang mga amahan o mga igsoon dili na makapauli ug ang mga kompanya sa pagmina magpadala nalang sa ilang mga pahasubo – kon aduna man niy bili.

“Nag-ingon sila nga dunay nagdagit sa mga bata.” Si Faustino, pag-usab, misulay ug napakyas sa pagtutok niya.

Gibutang ni Edgardo ang iyang libro ug mitubag, “Kinsa man kaha ang gustong modagit sa mga bata? Kon tungod ni sa kuwarta dili ba sila magpadala og sulat? Ting-ulan karon, ang mga tawo maglibot-libot sa bukid ug dili na mobalik. Ayaw na pagtagad kaayo niini.”

“Dili.” Gitungtong ni Faustino ang iyang mga kamot sa mga abaga ni Edgardo. “Mabati nako nga lahi ni. Kinahanglan nga mag-uban ta. Gihangyo nako sila si Melinda, Pepito ug Belen. Kitang lima makabantay kon unsay mahitabo sa usag usa.”

“Luwas ka uban kanamo,” ingon ni Faustino nga nagpahiyom.

Mikunot ang agtang ni Edgardo. “Kon ingon nimo.”

Dili ni ang unang higayon nga dunay mihimo niana nga saad. Nahinumdoman niya pagbalik ang iyang magulang nga lalaki. Niadtong mga gabii nga miadto sila sa mga langob aron mangitag bulawan alang sa ilang kaugalingon. Niadtong usa ka higayon wa siya mag-amping. Mahitabo lang ang mga butang ug kinahanglan nimong pasagdaan ni.

Usa ka gabii nahigmata si Edgardo sa hunghong sa laing bata.

“Edgardo —- psssst —— pagmata, importante ni,” matod sa tingog.

Nilanat og pipila ka minuto sa wala pa nahibalik si Edgardo sa reyalidad. Tin-aw kaayo ang damgo nga iyang nabatonan bag-o lang: usa ka balay nga puno sa mga libro para sa iyang kaugalingon. Tin-aw kaayo ang iyang damgo ug nanumpa siya nga usa ka adlaw matuman ni.

“Belen?!”

“Sshhhhhh—paghinay aron walay makadungog nimo.” gitabonan niya ang iyang baba sa iyang kamot.

“Unsay imong gibuhat dinhi?” nakahimo siya sa pagsulti bisan og nagtabon ang iyang mga tudlo.

“Si Faustino.” Seryoso ang iyang nawong. “Nawala siya.”

“Sigurado ka?” Mas hilom si Edgardo ning higayona, “basin ningla-ag lang siya?”

“Tunga-tunga na sa gabii! Wala siya sa iyang balay. Kuyog nako. Si Pepito ug Melinda naa sa daplin sa dakong kahoy duol sa balay ni Faustino. Kinahanglan natong siyang pangitaon.”

Gilugod ni Edgardo ang iyang mga mata ug mihuy-ab pag-usab. “Na hala, mokuyog na lang.”

Sila si Melinda ug Pepito didto sa giingon ni Belen nga ilang adtoan, ang mga aninipot naghatag sa kahoy og makalilisang nga kahayag.

“Maorag nakakita kog agianan,” ingon ni Pepito. “Dunay mga tunob paingon sa mga langob sa mga bungtod.”

Ang tanang mga bata nangislo. Kadto nga mga langob duol sa mga minahan ug peligro man gani alang sa mga hamtong, ug labi na gayod alang sa usa ka grupo ka mga bata.

“Kinahanglan moadto ta,” mi-ingon si Belen, “buhaton usab ni niya alang kanato.”

“Unsa may atong buhaton kon makit-an nato siya? Duna gayoy butang nga responsable sa mga pagkawala. Unsaon man nato ang pagpakig-away niini?” Kahilakon si Melinda.

“Dili kinahanglan nga awayon ni, kinahanglan lang naton pangitaon si Faustino ug ibalik siya dinhi, diin luwas siya,” ingon ni Pepito.

Nagtinan-away silang tanan ug gikuptan nila ang kamot sa usag-usa.

Ang matag usa dunay determinasyon sa pagpangita sa ilang higala, si Edgardo hinuon wala kaayo. Nalingaw pa gihapon siya sa iyang damgo.

Ilang gisundan ang agianan kutob sa ilang mahimo, bisan og nagkapangos-pangos ilang mga panit sa mga bato ug sa mga gamot. Ug sa dihang hapit na silang mangatumba tungod sa kakapoy, nakaabot sila sa ilang destinasyon, usa ka dili mahulagway nga langob nga nahibal-an nila nga agianan sa gasumpay-sumpay nga mga tanel nga mahimong dili na nila matultolan unsaon pagbalik.

Si Belen maoy nangulo sa grupo. Nagdala siya og lampara nga gikan sa iyang mga ginikanan ug nga mao usab nga lampara nga gidala sa iyang mga igsoon niadtong nangadto sila sa mga langob. Dili kaayo siya angayan nga mangulo, apan kinahanglan niyang siguroon nga dunay giya ang uban. Kinahanglan niyang buhaton ni, para kang Faustino.

Si Melinda ang nag-una.

Wala man gani siya ningsiyagit. Sa usa ka gutlo si Belen nagdan-ag sa lampara sa entrada sa laing tanel ug unya sa sunod, nagpanawag na siya sa mga ngalan sa iyang mga kauban. Wala gayod niya nabati ang kahadlok sa kahilom hangtod niadtong higayona, mao ni ang usa sa iyang mahinumdoman sa tibuok niyang kinabuhi.

Gisulayan ni Pepito nga magpabilin sa agi-anan. Nagkuptanay silang tanan ug nabati ni Belen ang iyang pagkurog. Naningkamot siya sa paghupay niya.

“Mamaayo ra ang tanan. Makit-an ra nato silang duha, pramis.”

Misulay Si Pepito sa pagpugong sa iyang mga luha samtang siya miyango, apan gidaog na siya sa iyang kahadlok.

“Dili!” Misinggit siya. “Kinahanglan nga mamauli na ta!”

Gipaningkamotan ni Edgardo nga mapugngan siya.

“Pepito, kinahanglang magkuyog ta, mao lang ni ang paagi nga makalingkawas ta dinhi!”

Wala siya naminaw, iyang gitukmod si Edgardo palayo ug midagan siya ngadto sa kangitngit.

Bug-at ang kahilom sa duha nga nahibilin.

“Tonto kaayo ko sa paghunahuna nga magsilbi ni.” Misugod pagkusog ang hangos ni Belen ug iyang gibutang ang lampara. “Unta to nagkuyog ra ta. Karon dili lang si Faustino ang nawala. Pasayloa ko. Pasayloa ko, Melinda, Pepito! Kinahanglang mamalik ta, basin kon sultihan nato ang atong mga pamilya, unya sila pod ang manganhi dinhi ug kitang tanan mangita nila. Pangitaon nato sila. Kinahanglan natong pangitaon sila.”

Gikuha ni Edgardo ang lampara ug miingon, “Uban nako”.

Wala nay laing mahimo si Belen gawas sa pagsunod sa iyang bag-ong higala.

Ang kahayag gikan sa lampara hinay-hinay nga nahanaw ug ang agi-anan nagkadanlog samtang sila naglakaw. Gisulayan niya paggunit ang bungbong aron makabalanse, apan iyang nabati nga basa usab ni.

Sa kataposan iyang nakita kon unsa ni dihang gitunol ni Edgardo kaniya ang lampara.

Makit-an ang pula bisan asa. Namantsa niini ang iyang mga kamot ug sinina ug dunay nagtulo gikan sa ibabaw.

“Wa ko kasabot—-” misulay sa pagsulti si Belen.

Apan laing kahayag ang misidlak tapad ni Edgardo, nga nagdan-ag sa usa ka binuhat nga nagbitbit og dakong sako nga bulawan.

“Namati ka unta ka nila. Kon namati pa ka tingali si Faustino lang ang nawala.”

“I—-I—-” Naparalisar si Belen, misulay siya sa pagsinggit samtang gidala siya sa binuhat sa lawom nga bahin sa tanel.

Ug sa pagsidlak sa adlaw ngadto kang Edgardo samtang nanglimpyo siya sa iyang kaugalingon sa suba, naghunahuna siya: “Pila kaha ka libro ang akong makuha niini.”

=——————–=

English Version

There was once a child named Edgardo. He was small and quiet and preferred to read books instead of playing with the other children. Books were hard to get in his small mountain community and he treasured the moments when he would go to the city, watch his father exchange the gold they mined for money and buy the books he wanted.

One day he was approached by Faustino, a boy who would usually avoid him. It was one thing to be different, but to be different in a community of a few hundred people made Edgardo feel like he was under a microscope.

“Can I sit here?” Faustino asked him.

“Sure, no one’s stopping you,” Edgardo replied.

“Did you hear about what happened?” Faustino tried to look him in the eye but only succeeded at putting his head down and staring at his shuffling feet.

“Didn’t everyone?” Edgardo said without moving his eyes away from the page he was reading.

“With Veronica that makes 3 since February.” Faustino sat beside him.

It wasn’t uncommon for children to go missing up in the mountains. Danger was everywhere. One moment of absentmindedness could cost you dearly.

The mines were also an issue. Too often their fathers or brothers would just not come home and the mining companies would send their condolences – for whatever that was worth.

“They say someone is taking the children away.” Faustino, again, tried and failed to look him in the eye.

Edgardo put down his book and replied, “Who would possibly want to take the children? If it was for money then wouldn’t they have sent a note? It’s rainy season, people walk around the mountain and don’t come back. Just leave it be.”

“No.” Faustino put his hands on Edgardo’s shoulders. “This is different from that, I can feel it. We have to stick together. I asked Melinda, Pepito and Belen. The five of us can watch what happens with each other.”

“You’ll be safe with us,” Faustino says with a smile.

Edgardo frowns. “If you say so.”

This wasn’t the first time someone made that promise. He thought back to his elder brother. Those nights when they went to the caves together to find gold for themselves. That one time he wasn’t careful. Things would happen and you just had to let them be.

One night Edgardo was awakened by the whispers of another child.

“Edgardo —- psssst —— wake up, it’s important,” the voice said.

It took a few minutes for Edgardo to snap back into reality. The dream that he had was so vivid: a house filled with books all to himself. He was lucid in his dream and he swore that one day it would come true.

“Belen?!”

“Sshhhhhh—don’t let anyone hear you.” She put her hand over his mouth.

“What are you doing here?” he managed to say through her fingers.

“It’s Faustino.” Her face was grim. “He’s missing.”

“Are you sure?” Edgardo was quieter this time, “maybe he just went out for a walk?”

“It’s the middle of the night! He’s not in his house. Come with me. Pepito and Melinda are by the big tree near Faustino’s house. We need to find him.”

Edgardo rubbed his eyes and yawned again. “Fine, might as well.”

Melinda and Pepito were where Belen said they would be, the fireflies giving the tree an eerie aura.

“I think I found a trail,” Pepito said. “There are footprints leading to the caves over by the hills.”

The children all grimaced. Those caves were near the mines and they were dangerous enough for adults, much less a group of four children.

“We have to go,” Belen said, “he’d do the same for us.”

“What are we going to do when we find him? There must be something responsible for the disappearances. How do we fight it?” Melinda was close to tears.

“We don’t need to fight it, we just have to find Faustino and bring him back here, where it’s safe,” Pepito said.

They all looked at each other and put their hands together.

Each had a resolve to find their friend, Edgardo less so. He was still enraptured by his dream.

They followed the trail as best as they could, scraping their skins against the rocks and the roots. And as soon as they were about to fall from exhaustion, they reached their destination, a nondescript cave that they knew was an entrance to a network of tunnels they might not return from.

Belen lead the group. She had taken a lamp from her parents and her siblings had taken her to the caves once. Leadership was not her strength, but she had to make sure the others had a guide. She had to do it, for Faustino.

Melinda was the first.

She didn’t even scream. One moment Belen was shining the lamp on the entrance to another tunnel and the next, when she called out for the names of her companions. She had never feared silence until that moment, it was one she would remember for the rest of her life.

Pepito tried to stay the course. They all held hands and Belen could feel his shaking. She tried to console him.

“It will be alright. We’ll find both of them, I promise.”

Pepito tried to hold back tears as he nodded, yet fear had overtaken him.

“No!” He shouted. “We have to go back home!”

Edgardo tried his best to hold him down.

“Pepito, we have to stay together, it’s the only way we can make it out of here!”

He didn’t listen, he pushed Edgardo off him and ran into the darkness.

The silence weighed heavy on the remaining two.

“I was so stupid to think this would work.” Belen’s breath started to become rapid and she put the lantern down. “We should have stayed together. Now it’s not just Faustino. I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry Melinda, Pepito! We have to go back, maybe if we tell our families they can go here and we can all search for them. We’ll find them. We have to find them.”

Edgardo took the lantern and said, “come with me”.

Belen had no other choice but to follow her new friend.

The light from the lantern was slowly fading and the path was getting more slippery as they went along. She tried to grab the wall to balance, but she found that it was damp as well.

She finally saw what it was when Edgardo handed her the lantern.

It was red everywhere. It stained her hands and clothes and drops fell from the ceiling.

“I don’t understand—-” Belen tried to say.

But another light glowed by Edgardo, illuminating a creature carrying a hefty bag of gold.

“You should have listened to them. If you did maybe it would have just been Faustino.”

“I—-I—-” Belen was paralyzed, she tried to scream as the creature carried her deeper into the tunnel.

And as the daylight shined on Edgardo as he cleaned himself in the river, he thought:

“I wonder how many books I can get with this.”

*The Cebuano language, alternatively called Cebuan and also often colloquially albeit informally referred to by most of its speakers simply as Bisaya (“Visayan”, not to be confused with other Visayan languages nor Brunei Bisaya language), is an Austronesian regional language spoken in the Philippines by about 21 million people, mostly in Central Visayas, western parts of Eastern Visayas and most parts of Mindanao, most of whom belong to various Visayan ethnolingusitic groups, mainly the Cebuanos. It is the by far the most widely spoken of the Visayan languages, which are in turn part of wider the Philippine languages. The reference to the language as Bisaya is not encouraged anymore by linguists due to the many languages within the Visayan language group that may be confused with the term.

Written by Karl Gaverza
Cebuano Translation by Joanalyn P Gabales
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Translation Copyright © Joanalyn P Gabales

Inspired by the Sagay description in Creatures of Philippine Lower Mythology. Ramos. 1971.

Sagay Illustration by Christian Bitao

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anegs.gg/

*Note this story is in Tagalog

TOK TOK TOK

Ngumiti si Lana. Alam niya na may nag-iwan ulit ng regalo sa kaniya. Lumipas lang ang isang linggo matapos siyang bigyan ng kahong regalo at ngayon nagtataka siya kung ano naman ang laman ngayon. Napaisip siya kung mga mahahaling alahas ulit ang nasa loob nito. Ang kaniyang manliligaw ay hindi pangkaraniwan pero sa tingin ni Lana mayaman ang katauhan nito. Ang mga naunang regalong natanggap niya ay punong-puno ng mga tula, para iparamdam kung gaano siya kahalaga mas mahalaga pa sa mga alahas na ibinigay nito. Hindi pa nakikilala ni Lana ang taong nagbibigay sa kaniya ng regalo, pero nararamdaman niya na mayroon siyang busilak na kalooban.

Binuksan niya ang pintuan at kinuha ang kahon sa baba nito. Mas mabigat ang bagong regalo kung maihahalintulad sa mga naunang natanggap niya. Naglalaman ito ng mga patong-patong na gintong alahas: pulseras, kuwintas, at nakapaloob sa gitna ang kumikinang na singsing na may dyamante. Kinuha niya ang sulat sa ilalim ng singsing at binasa ang nakasulat dito, “Salubingin mo ako sa labas.”

Muntikan nang tumigil ang kaniyang puso sa kaba. Makikita niya na ang lalaking pinapangarap niya. Pakiramdam ni Lana na bato ang kaniyang mga paa, dahil hindi siya handa sa mga pangyayari at hindi maayos ang kaniyang pananamit, pero hindi niya na ito pinansin. Matagal siyang naghintay sa pagkakataon na makilala siya, at hindi niya mapapatawad ang kaniyang sarili kung palalagpasin lamang niya ito.

Nangarap si Lana kung ano ang magiging kinabukasan niya. Sa kaniyang isip, nakikita niya na malalagpasan nila ang mga pagsubok na maaari nilang harapin. Dagdag pa rito, naisip din ni Lana na tumatanda silang magkasama at mayroon silang malaking bahay at magandang pamilya. Nilabas niya ang singsing at sinuot niya ito, kasing ganda ng kinang nito sa liwanag ng dapit-hapon.

Tumakbo si Lana palabas at dahil doon siya ay natalisod. Narinig niyang may biglang sumigaw sa likuran niya. Pagkatalikod niya may nakatingin sa kaniyang maliit na matandang lalaking may balbas at tungkod. Nagkatinginan sila at sinabi ng matanda, “Heto ako aking mahal.”

=———————————————————–=

–TOK –TOK– TOK–

Lana smiled. She knew that the sound meant that she would be getting another present. It had only been a week since the last box and she wondered what was inside it this time. More rubies and pearls, she thought. Her secret admirer was never original, but it seemed he had expensive tastes. The boxes would also be filled with a poem just for her which made her feel more special than the glittering stones. Lana had never met the man responsible for her wonderful gifts, but she sensed that they were kindred spirits.

She opened the door and took the package from her doorstep. It was heavier than the other ones, and Lana couldn’t wait and tore it open. Inside there were piles of gold jewelry: bracelets, necklaces and in the middle, there was a gleaming ring embedded with a diamond. She grabbed the letter underneath the ring and it read “MEET ME OUTSIDE.”

Her heart almost stopped. She was finally going to meet the man of her dreams. Lana felt like her legs were stuck to the floor, she wasn’t prepared for any of this, she didn’t even have a good dress ready but that didn’t matter. She had waited so long for this
moment, she couldn’t forgive herself if she would just let it pass.

This was just like one of her books, the great moment when she would meet the love of her life and they would be swept away in the thrills of passion and wonder.

She dreamed of her future, what it would be. In her mind she could see the oceans and peaks they would travel to, the trials she knew they would face. She thought of a big house, a wonderful family and growing old together. She took the ring from the box and put it on; it was beautiful in the afternoon sunlight.

Lana ran outside and tripped on something. She heard a loud yelp from behind her and saw a very small old man with a long beard and a staff looking up at her. They looked into each other’s eyes and he said “Hello my love.”

=——————————————–=

*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

Watercolor by Tara Singson
IG: https://www.instagram.com/tarabell93/

*Note this story is in Bicol-Sorsoganon

“Tabi tabi po.”

“Sabayi ako.”

“Tabi tabi po.”

“Dapat sabihun mo ina pag magi ka didi.”

“Bawal kita didi magsamhod, mama?”

“Bawal. Mayad kay narumduman mo.”

“Nano kay bawal? Saaton man ini balay.”

“Balay ta ini. Yadi an mga gamit ta. Pero sain ini nakatindog?”

“Sa duta?”

“An duta, an kinab-an, dili ina saaton.”

“Binakal ta ini na duta. Kabas-an ta ina! Didi pa ngani ako nagkakanam.

“Amu binakal ta ini. Igwa kitang mga papeles. Pero an duta dili saaton, may mga tagsadiri sada na dili ta nakikita.”

“Bakalon ta na lang sainda!”

“May mga bagay na dili nababakal. Awat na sinda didi nakaistar nan maistar sinda didi maski wara na kita. Kaipuhan ta makisama sainda.”

“Pano kung habo ko? Habo ko sainda. Pag dili kita nagtaram ‘tabi tabi po’ nan nagsilhig kita nagkakasakit kita. Habo ko sin arug sada.”

“Pano kung habo man ninda na makiistar kita sainda?”

“…”

“Siguro dili mayad pag isipon o pagkitaon pero maging mabuot na lang kita sa kada saro. Pag mabuot kita sainda mabuot man sinda saaton. Nano ulit dapat ta sabihon?”

“Tabi tabi po.”

=—————————————————————————–=

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)

*The Bikol languages or Bicolano languages are a group of Central Philippine languages spoken mostly in the Bicol Peninsula in the island of Luzon, the neighboring island province of Catanduanes and the island of Burias in Masbate. There is a dialect continuum between the Visayan languages and the Bikol languages; the two together are called the Bisakol languages.

The Tabaco-Legazpi-Sorsogon (TLS) dialect is spoken in the eastern coast of Albay and the northeastern part of Sorsogon. TLS is the dialect that has been most influenced by the Inland Bikol languages.

Written by Karl Gaverza
Bicol Translation by Sara Grace C. Fojas
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Translation Copyright © Sara Grace C. Fojas

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

Ansisit Illustration by Leandro Geniston from Aklat ng mga Anito
FB: That Guy With A Pen

Watercolor by Catherine Chiu
FB: Wildling Child
IG: https://www.instagram.com/wildlingchild/

There was once a child named Edgardo. He was small and quiet and preferred to read books instead of playing with the other children. Books were hard to get in his small mountain community and he treasured the moments when he would go to the city, watch his father exchange the gold they mined for money and buy the books he wanted.

One day he was approached by Faustino, a boy who would usually avoid him. It was one thing to be different, but to be different in a community of a few hundred people made Edgardo feel like he was under a microscope.

“Can I sit here?” Faustino asked him.

“Sure, no one’s stopping you,” Edgardo replied.

“Did you hear about what happened?” Faustino tried to look him in the eye but only succeeded at putting his head down and staring at his shuffling feet.

“Didn’t everyone?” Edgardo said without moving his eyes away from the page he was reading.

“With Veronica that makes 3 since February.” Faustino sat beside him.

It wasn’t uncommon for children to go missing up in the mountains. Danger was everywhere. One moment of absentmindedness could cost you dearly.

The mines were also an issue. Too often their fathers or brothers would just not come home and the mining companies would send their condolences – for whatever that was worth.

“They say someone is taking the children away.” Faustino, again, tried and failed to look him in the eye.

Edgardo put down his book and replied, “Who would possibly want to take the children? If it was for money then wouldn’t they have sent a note? It’s rainy season, people walk around the mountain and don’t come back. Just leave it be.”

“No.” Faustino put his hands on Edgardo’s shoulders. “This is different from that, I can feel it. We have to stick together. I asked Melinda, Pepito and Belen. The five of us can watch what happens with each other.”

“You’ll be safe with us,” Faustino says with a smile.

Edgardo frowns. “If you say so.”

This wasn’t the first time someone made that promise. He thought back to his elder brother. Those nights when they went to the caves together to find gold for themselves. That one time he wasn’t careful. Things would happen and you just had to let them be.

One night Edgardo was awakened by the whispers of another child.

“Edgardo —- psssst —— wake up, it’s important,” the voice said.

It took a few minutes for Edgardo to snap back into reality. The dream that he had was so vivid: a house filled with books all to himself. He was lucid in his dream and he swore that one day it would come true.

“Belen?!”

“Sshhhhhh—don’t let anyone hear you.” She put her hand over his mouth.

“What are you doing here?” he managed to say through her fingers.

“It’s Faustino.” Her face was grim. “He’s missing.”

“Are you sure?” Edgardo was quieter this time, “maybe he just went out for a walk?”

“It’s the middle of the night! He’s not in his house. Come with me. Pepito and Melinda are by the big tree near Faustino’s house. We need to find him.”

Edgardo rubbed his eyes and yawned again. “Fine, might as well.”

Melinda and Pepito were where Belen said they would be, the fireflies giving the tree an eerie aura.

“I think I found a trail,” Pepito said. “There are footprints leading to the caves over by the hills.”

The children all grimaced. Those caves were near the mines and they were dangerous enough for adults, much less a group of four children.

“We have to go,” Belen said, “he’d do the same for us.”

“What are we going to do when we find him? There must be something responsible for the disappearances. How do we fight it?” Melinda was close to tears.

“We don’t need to fight it, we just have to find Faustino and bring him back here, where it’s safe,” Pepito said.

They all looked at each other and put their hands together.

Each had a resolve to find their friend, Edgardo less so. He was still enraptured by his dream.

They followed the trail as best as they could, scraping their skins against the rocks and the roots. And as soon as they were about to fall from exhaustion, they reached their destination, a nondescript cave that they knew was an entrance to a network of tunnels they might not return from.

Belen lead the group. She had taken a lamp from her parents and her siblings had taken her to the caves once. Leadership was not her strength, but she had to make sure the others had a guide. She had to do it, for Faustino.

Melinda was the first.

She didn’t even scream. One moment Belen was shining the lamp on the entrance to another tunnel and the next, when she called out for the names of her companions. She had never feared silence until that moment, it was one she would remember for the rest of her life.

Pepito tried to stay the course. They all held hands and Belen could feel his shaking. She tried to console him.

“It will be alright. We’ll find both of them, I promise.”

Pepito tried to hold back tears as he nodded, yet fear had overtaken him.

“No!” He shouted. “We have to go back home!”

Edgardo tried his best to hold him down.

“Pepito, we have to stay together, it’s the only way we can make it out of here!”

He didn’t listen, he pushed Edgardo off him and ran into the darkness.

The silence weighed heavy on the remaining two.

“I was so stupid to think this would work.” Belen’s breath started to become rapid and she put the lantern down. “We should have stayed together. Now it’s not just Faustino. I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry Melinda, Pepito! We have to go back, maybe if we tell our families they can go here and we can all search for them. We’ll find them. We have to find them.”

Edgardo took the lantern and said, “come with me”.

Belen had no other choice but to follow her new friend.

The light from the lantern was slowly fading and the path was getting more slippery as they went along. She tried to grab the wall to balance, but she found that it was damp as well.

She finally saw what it was when Edgardo handed her the lantern.

It was red everywhere. It stained her hands and clothes and drops fell from the ceiling.

“I don’t understand—-” Belen tried to say.

But another light glowed by Edgardo, illuminating a creature carrying a hefty bag of gold.

“You should have listened to them. If you did maybe it would have just been Faustino.”

“I—-I—-” Belen was paralyzed, she tried to scream as the creature carried her deeper into the tunnel.

And as the daylight shined on Edgardo as he cleaned himself in the river, he thought:

“I wonder how many books I can get with this.”

Written by Karl Gaverza

Copyright © Karl Gaverza

Inspired by the Sagay description in Creatures of Philippine Lower Mythology. Ramos. 1971.

Sagay Illustration by Christian Bitao

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anegs.gg/

*Note this story is in Hiligaynon

Sang una nga panahon, may isa ka bata nga lalaki nga indi kabalo mag pahimunong. Kadungol sa iya nga bata. Permi ya ginaubra nga suli sang ginahambal sang iya ginlikanan kag adlaw adlaw ang bata nga lalaki permi makahimu sang bag o nga pamaagi nga makahatag sang sakit ang ulo sa ila pamilya.

Pero ang iya mga manghod gatulok sa iya sang mataas. Abi nila ang ila magulang ang pinaka-maisug kag pinaka-maalam nga bata sa bilog nga kalibutan.

Isa ka adlaw, ang bata gindala ang iya mga manghud para maglagaw sa kagubatan, kung diin nagsulod sila sa kweba. “Tabi tabi po” hambal sang mga manghod. Gintudlu an sila sang ila nga ginlikanan nga permi guid maghatag sang respeto.

Nagkadlaw ang magulang. “Anu ginahimu nyu?” pamangkut ya sa iya mga manghud. “Gahatag kami sang respeto sa gamay nga tawo sa sini nga kweba,” ila pag hambal.

“Wai sang amu sina,” hambal sang magulang nga pag sudlong kay abi ya ina isa ka bata-bata nga pati-pati. “Kita nyo? Wala awo sa sini nga kweba. Tama na na ang pagka bata bata nyu kag magpati sang kamatu oran sa tuod tuod nga kalibutan.” “Pero manong, basi matapakan ta sila!” hambal sang iya mga manghud.

Nagtapak tapak ang magulang sang iya mga tiil sa sulod sang kweba nga daw wala lang. Ginatulok lang sya sang iya mga manghud nga may kahadlok samtang ang ila magulang indi magpati sa mga ispirito.
Pakatapos sang pila ka minuto, wala may natabo. “Kita nyu? Hambal ko guid sa inyu. Tistingi nyu bala.”
Ginakumbinsi sang magulang nga unbrahun sang iya mga manghud ang iya gin ubra, ginsunod siya pero isa lang ang wala nag pati. “Manong, mga utod, pinsar ko indi guid ni manami nga ideya,” hambal sang isa.

Indi sya mabati an sang iya mga utod tungod sang mga paglampos nga ila ginaubra.
Pagligad sang oras ang mga bata gahampang gyapun sa sulod sang kweba, maliban sang isa. Nag desisyun na sila nga magpuli kay manug panyapon na.

Isa ka tingog ang naghambal sang “Tabi tabi po” bag o mag puli.

Samtang papuli na ang mga bata, may nadagdag nga sanga sang kahoy kag naigo ang isa sa mga bata sa ulo. Nagsala ang magulang kay kabalo sya nga sya ang responsable sa iya mga manghod.

“Dali, isa sa inyu maglakat kag mangayu bulig!” Sugo ya sa iya mga utod.
Nagdalagan ang iya mga utod sa pag pati sa iya, natumba sila, nalaguban kag napilasan. Naghililibi sila.

“Tama na nga hibi!” Pagsingit sang magulang. Ang iya tingog naglapta sa gubat kag nabati an ini sang baboy ramo. Gintulok sang baboy ramo ang mga bata kag gin-nguruban ya ini.

Kay nabal an sang magulang nga kilanlan ya protektahan iya mga manghud, gin testingan ya ang baboy ramo nga lagson sa pero wala may natabo. Nagtindog lang ang baboy sa atubang sang mga bata.
Kag sa isa ka ti on, ginpalapitan sang isa ka bata ang baboy ramo.

“Pansensya nga gintapakan ta ka”, iya pag hambal. “Tane mapatawad mo kami.”
Nag pusnga lang ang baboy. Sang ina nga iton, nakita sang mag-ulutod nga wala ang ila pilas nag ayu lang gulpi.

Nag sinadya ang mga bata kag ginpamangkot nila ila utod kung anu ang natabo.

“Ang ginhimu ko lang ihatang ang gaka-angay nga respeto”, iya paghambal.
Ma-ayo na sila sang may napamangkot ang isa nila ka utod sang isa ka innocente nga palamangkotun.

“Nakita nyu si manong?”

English Version

Once upon a time there was a little boy that didn’t know how to behave. He was a most troublesome child. He would always do the opposite of what his parents would tell him and every day the boy would find a new way to give headaches to his family.

His younger brothers idolized him though. They thought that their kuya was the bravest and most clever boy in the world.

One day, the boy took his little brothers out for a stroll in the woods, where they came upon a cave. “Tabi tabi po” said the younger brothers. They had been taught well by their parents and always sought to give respect where it was due.

The older brother laughed. “What are you doing?” he asked his little brothers. “We are giving respect to the small man in the cave,” they replied.

“There is no such thing,” the older brother scoffed at what he thought was a childish superstition. “See? No one is in the cave. You should stop being such babies and learn the truth about the real world.”

“But kuya, we might accidentally step on them!” The younger brothers protested.

The older brother stamped his feet around the cave without care. The younger brothers stared in horror as their kuya willfully defied the spirits.

After a few minutes, nothing happened. “See? I told you so. You all should try this.”

The older brother tried to make his younger siblings repeat what he did, until all but one relented. “Kuya, brothers, I really don’t think that this is a good idea,” he said.

His brothers couldn’t hear him over all the stomping they were doing.

Hours passed and the children were all playing in the cave, save one. They decided to go home for it was
almost dinnertime.

One voice said a final “Tabi tabi po” before leaving.

As the children were making their way back home, a tree branch fell and hit one of the children in the head. The older brother was panicking for he knew he was going to be held responsible for his sibling.

“Hurry, one of you go and get help!” he ordered his brothers.

As the children rushed to follow the command, they tripped over one another causing bruises and scrapes. They started crying.

“Stop crying!” The older brother shouted. His voice echoed through the woods and attracted a wild boar.
The boar stared at the children and gave out a large grunt.

The older brother, knowing that he had to protect his siblings tried to get the boar to chase him, but to no avail. The beast just stood looming in front of the children.

Finally, one of the brothers approached the beast.
“I’m sorry that we stepped on you,” he said. “I hope you will forgive us.”

The boar grunted in reply. At that moment the other brothers realized that their wounds were suddenly healed.

The children rejoice and asked their brother what happened.

“All I did was give respect where respect was due,” he answered.

And all was well until one of the brothers asked an innocent question.

“Have any of you seen kuya?”

*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 Allen Suating
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Translation Copyright © Allen Suating

Dwende Illustration by Leandro Geniston from Aklat ng mga Anito
FB: That Guy With A Pen

*Note this story is in Chabacano-Zamboangueño

TOK, TOK, TOK

Ya re si Lana. Sabe le kay ay recibi ya tamen le regalo. Un semana pa lang el ya pasa cuando ya recibi le un regalo y ta pensa le cosa ya tamen gaha le recibi ahora. Maga rubi y perlas ya tamen gaha. Palta orihinalidad el quien secreto ta adora conele pero quiere-quiere gat este dale maga caro cosas. Tiene tambien poema adentro del regalo na ta manda con Lana sinti especial, mas especial pa con el maga joya.
Nuay pa mira si Lana con el ta imbia conele bale-bale regalo, pero ta sinti ele na ta semeha el di ila costumbre.

Ya abri le con el puerta y ya recibi con el pakete. Mas pesao ese na maga ya recibi le antes. No puede mas le espera poreso ya abri le dayon con este. Adentro, tiene mucho alajas de oro: pulceras, kwintas, y na medio, un diamante anillo. Ya saka le con el carta na ta abla: MAN MIRAHAN KITA APUERA.

Serka perde disuyo resuello. Man mirahan ya gat sila del hombre del disuyo sueño. No puede le move disuyo maga pies. Hende le preparao; ni nuay le bestida para camina pero dejalo ya. Ya dura ya le esperanza con este, hende ya le manda pa con ese pasa.

Na libro lang le ta puede le ancina clase cuento, aquel man mirahan ya el dos man amores y man lumos sila na pasion y maravilla.

Ya pensa le con el futuro, el cosa ay pasa. Na disuyo imahenasion el maga mar y monte donde sila ay anda, el maga problema ay tiene sila. Ya pensa tamen le con el grande casa donde sila queda, el alegre pamilia ay tiene sila, y el maga año hasta queda sila biejo.

Ya saka le con el anillo y ya usa con ese. Bien bonito gat este si ta tupa na sol del tarde.

Ya core si Lana pa apuera y yan tisud. Ya oi le bos na disuyo detras y ya mira con el un diutay biejo na tiene largo balbas y tungkod na mano. Yan mirahan sila dos cabar ya abla el biejo,
“Buenas, mi amor.”
————————–————————–————————––

English Version

–TOK –TOK– TOK–

Lana smiled. She knew that the sound meant that she would be getting another present. It had only been a week since the last box and she wondered what was inside it this time. More rubies and pearls, she thought. Her secret admirer was never original, but it seemed he had expensive tastes. The boxes would also be filled with a poem just for her which made her feel more special than the glittering stones. Lana had never met the man responsible for her wonderful gifts, but she sensed that they were kindred spirits.

She opened the door and took the package from her doorstep. It was heavier than the other ones, and Lana couldn’t wait and tore it open. Inside there were piles of gold jewelry: bracelets, necklaces and in the middle, there was a gleaming ring embedded with a diamond. She grabbed the letter underneath the ring and it read “MEET ME OUTSIDE.”

Her heart almost stopped. She was finally going to meet the man of her dreams. Lana felt like her legs were stuck to the floor, she wasn’t prepared for any of this, she didn’t even have a good dress ready but that didn’t matter. She had waited so long for this

moment, she couldn’t forgive herself if she would just let it pass.

This was just like one of her books, the great moment when she would meet the love of her life and they would be swept away in the thrills of passion and wonder.

She dreamed of her future, what it would be. In her mind she could see the oceans and peaks they would travel to, the trials she knew they would face. She thought of a big house, a wonderful family and growing old together. She took the ring from the box and put it on; it was beautiful in the afternoon sunlight.

Lana ran outside and tripped on something. She heard a loud yelp from behind her and saw a very small old man with a long beard and a staff looking up at her. They looked into each other’s eyes and he said “Hello my love.”

————————–————————–————————––

*Chavacano or Chabacano refers to a number of Spanish-based creole language varieties spoken in the Philippines. The variety spoken in Zamboanga City, located in the southern Philippine island group of Mindanao, has the highest concentration of speakers. Chavacano is the only Spanish-based creole in Asia.

Written by Karl Gaverza
Chavacano-Zamboangueño Translation by May Temple Maravilles
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Translation Copyright © May Temple Maravilles

Story inspired by the Nuno sa Punso legends

Watercolor by Tara Singson
IG: https://www.instagram.com/tarabell93/