*Note this story is in Waray

Nahimo nga mas mapulaay an katunod han adlaw tikang 2019.

Ngan maaram ako kun kay-ano.

Kitaa, may-ada mga puno nga naabot ha langit.

Kinahanglan nga malimpyuhan hira.

Aw, anay kay naguuna-una ako.

Balik kita ha butang kun diin may aram an tanan.

Waray may gipasaylo an pandemiya, tanan nga kwarto han emergency puno,

nagtikang liwat an lockdown nga naghatag han damulaay nga pagkamatay nga

mahihinumduman han mga tawo ha susunod pa nga mga tuig.

Nahihinumduman ko pa an una nga gipadara ako ha Covid ward. Amo adto an panahon nga pamati nakon waray ako kusog, puno ako hin luya ngan kasakit.

Pero nakatalwas ako. Usa ha na swerte.

Waray gud an makakaandam han kawara han pagsim-ot ngan panrasa.

Kumaon pa ngani ako han krayola para la matisting kun mabalik an akon panrasa.

Waray gud bumalik.

Pasayloa ako, nawawara na lat ako ha akon sinisiring.

Hinay-hinay nga umupay an mga kaso han pandemic, tikang han napulo ka libo pakadto han libo nala. Mga kaso ngan numero nga kahuna nakon diri mahihitabo. Mga kaso ngan numero nga kahuna nakon ha mga salida la gin papatan-aw.

An mga kalagsan an duro nga naigo.

Pira kabuok nga mga apoy an diri na makikit-an an ira mga apo?

Damo la kaupay.

Yana balik kita ha katunod han adlaw.

May-ada mga buhi nga an ngaran kay salakap.

Iton mga panulay nga nagdadara han kasakit ha kalibutan.

Naguurugpud hira nga nasakaya ha dako nga adiyung ngan naglalayag upod han norte-este nga hangin pamaagi han taas nga mga rehiyon ngan pabalik ha tuna han Kiyabusan—ha lugar kun hain damo an namatay tungod han hangga, pag uro-uro, hiranat, ngan damo la nga mga nakakatapon nga kasakit.

Ngan diri hira sugad ka okupado han umabot an pandemiya.

Labaw na nga may-ada balita han monkey pox, magdadara nalat hira han mas damo pa nga kalag ha Kiyabusan.

Yana, ano man an kalabotan hini han katunod han adlaw?

Utruhon ko nga mabalik kita ha mga kapunoan.

An mga kapunuan nga naabot ha langit.

Kitaa, an mga salakap may-ada lider.

An ngaran niya kay Tumangkuyun.

Ngan iya ito buruhaton nga gapos ha iya dugo.

Diri la gindadara han mga salakap an mga kalag nga namatay han pandemiya ha Kiyabusan, gikukuha liwat an mga dugo nira.

Kinahanglan nga malimpyo an mga puno.

Nakakasabot ka ha akon?

Gin lilimpyuhan nira an mga puno gamit han mga dugo han patay.

An katunod han adlaw kay waray na bumalik han dati.

Ngan diri na magdudugay.

Bag-o mapinturahan an langit.

Han makaharadlok nga lamrag.

=—————————=

English Version

The sunsets seem redder since 2019.

And I know why.

See, there are trees that hold up the sky.

And they must be cleansed.

Oh, I’m getting ahead of myself.

Let’s head back to what everyone knows.

The pandemic spared no one, completely filling emergency rooms, starting lockdowns and releasing a wave of death that will ripple many years in the future.

I still remember the first time I was stuck in a Covid ward. I had never felt so powerless, so filled with despair and anguish.

But I survived. I was one of the lucky ones.

No one can really prepare for the loss of smell and taste. I actually ate crayons to try to test if my senses would come back. Safe to say they didn’t.

I’m off topic again, I’m sorry.

The pandemic’s numbers steadily rose, from tens to hundreds to thousands. Numbers that I thought weren’t possible. Numbers that I thought were only real in movies.

It targeted the elderly the most.

How many grandparents would never see their grandchildren again?

Too much.

And we head back to the sunsets.

There are creatures called the salakap.

Those that bring epidemic sickness to earth.

They travel in a huge outrigger (adiyung) and sail with the northeast winds through the high regions and carry back to the realm of Kiyabusan those that have died from smallpox, dysentery, flu and other epidemic diseases.

And they were never as busy as they were when the pandemic hit.

Now with the news of monkey pox they will bring more souls to Kiyabusan.

Now what does that have to do with sunsets?

Again we go back to the trees.

The ones that hold up the sky.

See, the salakap have a leader.

Their name is Tumangkuyun.

And it is their duty bound by blood.

The salakap not only bring the souls of those that have died in epidemics to Kiyabusan, they also collect the blood from those that died.

The trees must be kept clean.

Do you follow me?

They clean the trees with that blood.

The sunsets have never been the same since.

And it might not be long.

Before the skies are painted.

A foreboding scarlet.

=———————————=

Inspired by the Tumangkuyun description in Tagbanuwa Religion and Society. Fox. 1982.

Tumangkuyun Illustration by Race De Villa

IG: @corvus_blanc

*Note this story is in Tagalog

Ang paglubog ng araw ay tila mas mapula mula noong 2019.

At alam ko kung bakit. Masdan mo, may mga puno na nagpapataas ng kalangitan Kailangang ito ay malinis. O, pinangunahan ko na naman…

Balikan natin ang alam ng lahat… Ang pandemya ay walang pinaligtas- punong puno ang mga pagamutan, magmula sa lock down hanggang sa papag alun-alunin ang bilang ng kamatayan na naging epekto nito ng maraming taon sa hinaharap. Naaalala ko pa noong ako ay naipit sa Covid Ward. Doon lamang ako nakaramdam ng sobrang panghihina, ng kawalan ng pag-asa at dalamhati.

Nakaligtas naman ako rito.

Isa ako sa mga naging mapalad. Hindi talaga mapaghahandaan ang pagkawala ng pang-amoy at panlasa.  Kumain ako ng krayola para makita kung maibabalik nito ang aking pandama.

Hindi ito nangyari.

Nawala na naman ako sa paksa, humihingi ako ng paumanhin. Ang mga numero sa pandemya ay patuloy na tumataas, mula sampu hanggang daan-daan hanggang libu-libo.

Mga numero na akala ko ay hindi magiging posible. Mga numero na akala ko ay nangyayari lamang sa mga pelikula. Napuntirya nito ang mga nakatatanda.

Ilang lolo’t lola ang hindi na muling nakita ang kanilang mga apo? Higit sa inakala… At balikan natin ang paglubog ng araw, May mga nilalang na tinatawag na Salakap.

Sila yung nagdudulot ng epidemya sa mundo.

Naglalakbay sila sa isang napakalaking katig at naglalayag sa amihan, dinadala pabalik sa kaharian ng Kiyabusan ang mga namatay sa bulutong, disenterya, trangkaso at iba pang mga sakit na dulot ng epidemya. At higit silang naging abala noong kasagsagan ng pandemya.

Ngayon, ang monkey pox ay magdadala ng mas maraming kaluluwa sa Kiyabusan.  Ano ang kinalaman niyan sa paglubog ng araw? Muli nating balikan ang mga puno… Yung mga nagpapataas ng kalangitan…

Alam mo, may pinuno ang mga Salakap.

Tumangkuyun ang pangalan nito. At nananalaytay sa kanilang dugo ang nakaatang na tungkulin.

Ang mga Salakap ay hindi lamang nagdadala ng mga kaluluwa ng mga namatay sa epidemya sa Kiyabusan o hangganan ng mundo. Sila rin ay kumukuha ng dugo mula sa mga namatay.

Ang mga puno ay marapat na laging malinis. Nasusundan mo ba ako? Nililinis nila ang mga puno gamit ang dugo na iyon. Ang mga paglubog ng araw ay hindi gaya ng dati. At hindi magtatagal Mapipintahan na naman ang kalangitan.

Ng nagbabadyang kulay dugo.

=—————————=

English Version

The sunsets seem redder since 2019.

And I know why.

See, there are trees that hold up the sky.

And they must be cleansed.

Oh, I’m getting ahead of myself.

Let’s head back to what everyone knows.

The pandemic spared no one, completely filling emergency rooms, starting lockdowns and releasing a wave of death that will ripple many years in the future.

I still remember the first time I was stuck in a Covid ward. I had never felt so powerless, so filled with despair and anguish.

But I survived. I was one of the lucky ones.

No one can really prepare for the loss of smell and taste. I actually ate crayons to try to test if my senses would come back. Safe to say they didn’t.

I’m off topic again, I’m sorry.

The pandemic’s numbers steadily rose, from tens to hundreds to thousands. Numbers that I thought weren’t possible. Numbers that I thought were only real in movies.

It targeted the elderly the most.

How many grandparents would never see their grandchildren again?

Too much.

And we head back to the sunsets.

There are creatures called the salakap.

Those that bring epidemic sickness to earth.

They travel in a huge outrigger (adiyung) and sail with the northeast winds through the high regions and carry back to the realm of Kiyabusan those that have died from smallpox, dysentery, flu and other epidemic diseases.

And they were never as busy as they were when the pandemic hit.

Now with the news of monkey pox they will bring more souls to Kiyabusan.

Now what does that have to do with sunsets?

Again we go back to the trees.

The ones that hold up the sky.

See, the salakap have a leader.

Their name is Tumangkuyun.

And it is their duty bound by blood.

The salakap not only bring the souls of those that have died in epidemics to Kiyabusan, they also collect the blood from those that died.

The trees must be kept clean.

Do you follow me?

They clean the trees with that blood.

The sunsets have never been the same since.

And it might not be long.

Before the skies are painted.

A foreboding scarlet.

=——————————————–=

*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 Rhodora Garcia-Medina
Copyright © Karl Gaverza

Translation Copyright © Rhodora Garcia-Medina

Inspired by the Tumangkuyun description in Tagbanuwa Religion and Society. Fox. 1982.

Tumangkuyun Illustration by Race De Villa

IG: @corvus_blanc

The sunsets seem redder since 2019.

And I know why.

See, there are trees that hold up the sky.

And they must be cleansed.

Oh, I’m getting ahead of myself.

Let’s head back to what everyone knows.

The pandemic spared no one, completely filling emergency rooms, starting lockdowns and releasing a wave of death that will ripple many years in the future.

I still remember the first time I was stuck in a Covid ward. I had never felt so powerless, so filled with despair and anguish.

But I survived. I was one of the lucky ones.

No one can really prepare for the loss of smell and taste. I actually ate crayons to try to test if my senses would come back. Safe to say they didn’t.

I’m off topic again, I’m sorry.

The pandemic’s numbers steadily rose, from tens to hundreds to thousands. Numbers that I thought weren’t possible. Numbers that I thought were only real in movies.

It targeted the elderly the most.

How many grandparents would never see their grandchildren again?

Too much.

And we head back to the sunsets.

There are creatures called the salakap.

Those that bring epidemic sickness to earth.

They travel in a huge outrigger (adiyung) and sail with the northeast winds through the high regions and carry back to the realm of Kiyabusan those that have died from smallpox, dysentery, flu and other epidemic diseases.

And they were never as busy as they were when the pandemic hit.

Now with the news of monkey pox they will bring more souls to Kiyabusan.

Now what does that have to do with sunsets?

Again we go back to the trees.

The ones that hold up the sky.

See, the salakap have a leader.

Their name is Tumangkuyun.

And it is their duty bound by blood.

The salakap not only bring the souls of those that have died in epidemics to Kiyabusan, they also collect the blood from those that died.

The trees must be kept clean.

Do you follow me?

They clean the trees with that blood.

The sunsets have never been the same since.

And it might not be long.

Before the skies are painted.

A foreboding scarlet.

=——————————————–=

Inspired by the Tumangkuyun description in Tagbanuwa Religion and Society. Fox. 1982.

Tumangkuyun Illustration by Race De Villa

IG: @corvus_blanc