*Note this story is in Hiligaynon

“Akun ni tanan sala.”

Ginbalikan sang lalake kung san-o ini nagsugod. Tama ka klaro ang mga senyales, apang may pagbanta na nga magagiya subong. Adlaw-adlaw niya ginapangamuyo nga luwason siya sang Ginoo sa sini nga kabudlayan.  Pero indi ini matu-od syempre, maski silingun sang makaaku nga mag-untat, nahibalu-an niya sa iya tagipusuon nga indi siya makapadayon asta matapos niya ang iya penitensya.

Isa ka malinong nga hapun, sang ang babaye nagbalik. Mainit ang pagbatun niya sang ini gintabo niya sa airport.

Sang ara ang babaye sa iban nga pungsod, permi ini nagasulat parti sa katugnaw nga iya nabatyagan. Ini iya ginkumpara nga kaangay nga daw gapalanupsup sa iya nga kaugatan.

Ginsilingan niya siya nga indi ini importante. Daku nga kabudlay ang inagyan sang babaye, kag ang gusto lang niya makapahuway ini sa ila balay. Wala pa niya nabati-an ang bug-os nga istorya halin sa asawa, pero makita niya sa mga mata sini, nga gusto na lang sini malipatan.  Sa ulihi nga sulat sang babaye, iya ginsaysay kung paano sini indi na masarangan pa nga mapalayo sa ila pamilya.  Nag-ugyon siya, pabay’i da ang kwarta.  Paga-unungan niya ang iya asawa, kag malampuwasan nila ini kag mas mangin mabakod.

Sa subong, amu ina ang iya ginapatihan.

Daw naga-pangpasu ang singsing pangkasal. Katingalahan nga ginasuksok niya pa ini, maski nagapadumdum ini sang mga nagligad sang naigu sang repleksyon sang bulan.  Naglungo na lang siya kag ginhatag ang atensyon sa iya tuyo.

Dira siya niya nasundan, paagi sa mga nagkalain-lain nga apat ka baryo, kag nagalaum siya nga maabtan niya antes ini makapalagyo.

Sang una, iya ginpaminsar nga mapauntat niya ini antes pa makapang biktima, kay madali ini siya makilal-an.

Sa tunga sang nagabiti nga init sang adlaw, pagkatapos sang isa ka bulan nga paglagas – lagas sa asawa, gin-aku niya sa iya kaugalingon.

Mas makusog. Mas madasig.

Mas baris nga indi niya maintindihan.

Mabug-at ang singsing sa iya tudlo, pero ang inggat sini nagpadumdum sa iya sang pila ka butang. Amu ini ang iya kalbaryo, kag duha lang ka butang ang makapauntat sini.

Pagkatapos sang isa ka semana nga pagpahuway halin sa pagka-jetlag, gilayon na ini nagbulig sa sulod balay.

Ang mga bata nila nga lalaki, nalipay gid nga nagpauli ang ila iloy. Wala siya nahadlok nga aku-on nga, daw mahibi siya, sang makita niya gahampang ini kaupod sa ila mga kabataan.

Sang ginbatun sang babaye ang oportunidad nga mag-ubra sa iban nga pungsod, tam-an pa ka gagmay ang ila kabataan para maintiendihan ang pagsakripisyo sini. Sadto nga adlaw, ginhakus niya sila sang hugot kag nag-promisa nga magabalik ini gilayun. Nagsiling ini nga palangga niya gid sila asta sa katubtuban.

Ang ulihi nga ginhingyo sang iya asawa, amu ang promisa nga iya pagatatapun ang ila mga kabataan.

Wala sang pag-alang-alang nga nagpromisa siya.

Naglakat na sila, kag nagbalik sa ila bag-o nga pangabuhi, nagahulat sang adlaw nga mangin kumpleto liwat sila.

Basi amu na sadtu ang ulihi nga adlaw nga ang iya asawa isa ka tawo.

Sang una nga nagpalagyo ang iya asawa halin sa ila balay, ginhimu niya ang tanan para mahibalu-an kung ano gid ang natabu sa iban nga pungsod. Indi siya makalakat didto nga siya mismo, apang may komunidad sang mga Pilipino nga nakahibalu kung sa diin gatinir ang iya asawa.

Nagsulat siya sa ila kag ang ila mga sabat daw makatilingala.

Suno sa ila, wala gid gaistorya ang iya asawa parte sa iya amo. Sa ila mga pagtipon, nagahimu man lang ang iya asawa sang lumpia, kag maga-istorya sang iban nga bagay pareho sang iya nabilin nga pamilya kag kung ano nga kahidlaw sang iya asawa sa ila. Isa sa mga Pilipino didtu amu ang tigulang nga nars, kag nagmuno sa iya nga daw may lain sa mga mata sang babaye.  Bisan ano katagu sang iya asawa, makita nga nahadlok ini.

Nagbalos sa sulat niya ang nars kag ginsugid lang ang nabal-an sini parte sa amo sang babaye. Ini isa ka man ka Pinoy nga nangin madinalag-on sa iban nga pungsod, sa kung paano nga paagi, wala sini mahibaluan. Suno sa istorya sini, ang amo gid sini ang naghingyo nga isa ka Pinay ang magatatap sa iya kag magabayad ini sang daku nga balor para diri.

Liwan sa amu ni nga detalye, ang iban mga kuno-kuno na lang nga istorya nga indi man makabulig. Suno sa iban, kilanlan sang iya amo nga lalake, nga maghalin sa Pilipinas tungod sa mga ilegal nga ulubrahon. Siling naman sang iban, ang iya mga asawa wala gadugay sang duha ka tuig pagkatapos niya pakaslan, kag siya naghalin para indi pagsuspetsahan. May mga maayo man nga istorya, pareho sang,  siya naglakat para mahatagan sang maayo nga pangabuhi.

Ini tanan nga mga wala gakaangot nga istorya, wala sang pulos.

Wala sang pulos ang natabo.

Paano ini nahimo sang iya asawa sa ila pamilya nga pinalangga?

Ulihi na siya.

Ulihi na lang siya permi.

Subong, isa naman ka bata-on nga mag-asawa kaupod ang ila anak, may masanag nga bwasdamlag kung tani. Ang mga kinan-an kag natunga nila nga bangkay nagalinapta sa ila nga sala. Nagapakita nga siya tuyo batu-an sang isa ka amay, apang ang iya mga kuko dasig nga nagisi ang kaundan sini.

Pagkatapos sang tinuig sa hampang nga ini, tig-a na ang iya balatyagon sa tanan luwas diri.

Gin-isip niya liwat kag gindugang sa nagadaku nga numero.

Siento kuwarenta y siete.

Siento kuwarenta y siete ka inosente nga mga kabuhi.

Siento kuwarenta y siete ka tawo nga ang dugo yara sa mga kamot niya.

Nahibalu-an niya nga ang ini nga numero magadaku pa, kung indi niya ini mapunggan.

Makahalam-ot nga madali niya maobserbahan ang asawa. Wala sini ginatago ang pilas.

Ang ruta sini sa mga banwa sang Panay kag lampas pa. Nakita ini sa Tuguegarao, Cagayan de Oro, Mindoro kag Puerto Princesa. Ang istorya sang babaye permi mabati-an sang mga bata gikan sa ila ginikanan, sa kung diin sila ginapahog nga kuhaon sila sang babaye sa gab-i kung indi sila mangin mapinatihon.

Balan sang lalake nga maski siya magdaug, ang istorya sini magapabilin.

Apang indi nila mahibalu-an ang istorya sa likod sang karakter nga ini.

Ang amay nga tuyu lang masalbar paagi sa paghimalos, ang bana nga wala ginsapak ang mga pag-andam, ang lalaki nga ang gusto lang mangin kumpleto ang ila pamilya.

Samtang nagatindug ang lalaki sa dugo sang pinaka bag-o nga biktima sang babaye, siya natingala kung sin-o ang magapangibabaw?

Ang kadalag-an niya?

Ukon ang kadalag-an sini?

=—————————=

Engilsh Version

It’s all my fault.

He thinks back to when it all started. The signs were obvious, but he had the benefit of hindsight to guide him now. He prayed every day that God would deliver him from this labor. That was just for show of course, even if the lord told him to stop, in his heart he couldn’t go on until he fulfilled his penance.

It was a quiet afternoon when she came back. He met her at the airport with all the warmth he could muster. During her stay abroad, she would always write about how the cold made her feel. She described it as the chill becoming a ghost, doing everything possible to find a way into your veins.

He told her it didn’t matter. She had gone through a great ordeal and he wanted to get her settled in their home. He still hadn’t heard the whole story from her, but he could see in her eyes that she just wanted to forget. In the last letter she sent she wrote about how she couldn’t be away from her family anymore. He agreed, money be damned. He would see his wife through this and their family would come out stronger.

At least that’s what he believed.

The wedding ring on his finger burned. He wondered why he still wore it, considering the memories that played through his mind when it reflected the moonlight. He shook his head and tried to focus. He tracked her here through four different barrios and hoped that he could get to her before she ran away.

In the beginning, he foolishly thought that he would be able to stop her before she claimed another victim, after all she was easy to spot. In the harsh light of day that followed his first month of pursuing her, he had to admit to himself.

She was stronger. She was faster.

She possessed more cruelty than he could ever understand.

The ring felt heavy in his hand, but its glint reminded him of something else. This was his cross to bear, and there were only two ways it could ever end.

After a week of readjustment, she had fixed her jet lag and began to help around the house. The boys were thrilled to have their mother back. He wasn’t afraid to admit that the sight of her, playing with the children she had left, brought tears to his eyes.

When she accepted the offer to go abroad their children were too young to understand the sacrifice she was about to endure. That day, she hugged them tight and promised them that she would be back as soon as she can. She told them she would love them forever.

The last thing that she asked of him was to give his word that he would take care of their children.

There was no hesitation when he made that oath.

They waved goodbye and settled into their new lives, waiting for the day they would be complete again.

Maybe that was the last time she was truly human.

When she fled the first time, after the incident, he did all he could to find out what really happened abroad. He couldn’t travel there himself, but he knew that there was a community of Filipinos where she had stayed.

He wrote to them and their answers were troubling.

They said she never talked about her employer. During their gatherings she would make lumpia and talk about other things like her family back home and how much she missed them. One of the Filipinos there was an old nurse and she mentioned that there was something in her eyes. No matter how hard she tried to mask it, she was afraid.

The nurse wrote back about what she knew about the employer. First that he was a fellow Filipino that gained success abroad, though through which channels she wasn’t sure. He had specifically requested a Filipina be his caregiver and he was willing to pay a good amount of money for it.

Apart from that the nurse only had rumors that weren’t much help. Some said that he had to leave the Philippines because his family was involved in illegal ventures. Others say his wives never lived past two years of marriage and he left to avoid suspicion. There were kinder stories where he left to give his family a better life.

All these conflicting stories made no sense.

What happened made no sense.

How could she do that to the family she loved?

He was too late.

He was always too late.

This time it was a family of three, a young couple that had a bright future ahead of them. Their half-eaten corpses scattered around what remained of their sala*. It looked like the father tried to fight her off but her claws ripped through him easily.

After years of this game he was already numb to all emotions but one.

He counted again and added it to the growing number.

147.

147 innocent lives.

147 people whose blood was on his hands.

He knew that number would not stop growing, not until he finished what she started.

It was almost funny that she was so easy to track. She didn’t even try to hide the scar. Her path cut through the towns of Panay and even beyond. She was seen in Tuguegarao, Cagayan de Oro, Mindoro and Puerto Princesa. Her story was heard by children whose parents warned them that she would take them in the night if they were disobedient.

He knew that even if he succeeded, her legend would live on.

But they would never know of the forgotten character of the story.

The father seeking redemption in revenge, the husband that ignored the warnings, the man that only wanted his family to be complete.

As he stood over the blood of her latest victims, he wondered which ending would prevail?

His triumph?

Or hers?

*Living room

*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 Pauline Brooks Dalisay
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Translation Copyright © Pauline Brooks Dalisay

Inspired by the Maria Labo Urban Legends

Maria Labo Illustration by Sandra Sison

It’s all my fault.

He thinks back to when it all started. The signs were obvious, but he had the benefit of hindsight to guide him now. He prayed every day that God would deliver him from this labor. That was just for show of course, even if the lord told him to stop, in his heart he couldn’t go on until he fulfilled his penance.

It was a quiet afternoon when she came back. He met her at the airport with all the warmth he could muster. During her stay abroad, she would always write about how the cold made her feel. She described it as the chill becoming a ghost, doing everything possible to find a way into your veins.

He told her it didn’t matter. She had gone through a great ordeal and he wanted to get her settled in their home. He still hadn’t heard the whole story from her, but he could see in her eyes that she just wanted to forget. In the last letter she sent she wrote about how she couldn’t be away from her family anymore. He agreed, money be damned. He would see his wife through this and their family would come out stronger.

At least that’s what he believed.

The wedding ring on his finger burned. He wondered why he still wore it, considering the memories that played through his mind when it reflected the moonlight. He shook his head and tried to focus. He tracked her here through four different barrios and hoped that he could get to her before she ran away.

In the beginning, he foolishly thought that he would be able to stop her before she claimed another victim, after all she was easy to spot. In the harsh light of day that followed his first month of pursuing her, he had to admit to himself.

She was stronger. She was faster.

She possessed more cruelty than he could ever understand.

The ring felt heavy in his hand, but its glint reminded him of something else. This was his cross to bear, and there were only two ways it could ever end.

After a week of readjustment, she had fixed her jet lag and began to help around the house. The boys were thrilled to have their mother back. He wasn’t afraid to admit that the sight of her, playing with the children she had left, brought tears to his eyes.

When she accepted the offer to go abroad their children were too young to understand the sacrifice she was about to endure. That day, she hugged them tight and promised them that she would be back as soon as she can. She told them she would love them forever.

The last thing that she asked of him was to give his word that he would take care of their children.

There was no hesitation when he made that oath.

They waved goodbye and settled into their new lives, waiting for the day they would be complete again.

Maybe that was the last time she was truly human.

When she fled the first time, after the incident, he did all he could to find out what really happened abroad. He couldn’t travel there himself, but he knew that there was a community of Filipinos where she had stayed.

He wrote to them and their answers were troubling.

They said she never talked about her employer. During their gatherings she would make lumpia and talk about other things like her family back home and how much she missed them. One of the Filipinos there was an old nurse and she mentioned that there was something in her eyes. No matter how hard she tried to mask it, she was afraid.

The nurse wrote back about what she knew about the employer. First that he was a fellow Filipino that gained success abroad, though through which channels she wasn’t sure. He had specifically requested a Filipina be his caregiver and he was willing to pay a good amount of money for it.

Apart from that the nurse only had rumors that weren’t much help. Some said that he had to leave the Philippines because his family was involved in illegal ventures. Others say his wives never lived past two years of marriage and he left to avoid suspicion. There were kinder stories where he left to give his family a better life.

All these conflicting stories made no sense.

What happened made no sense.

How could she do that to the family she loved?

He was too late.

He was always too late.

This time it was a family of three, a young couple that had a bright future ahead of them. Their half-eaten corpses scattered around what remained of their sala*. It looked like the father tried to fight her off but her claws ripped through him easily.

After years of this game he was already numb to all emotions but one.

He counted again and added it to the growing number.

147.

147 innocent lives.

147 people whose blood was on his hands.

He knew that number would not stop growing, not until he finished what she started.

It was almost funny that she was so easy to track. She didn’t even try to hide the scar. Her path cut through the towns of Panay and even beyond. She was seen in Tuguegarao, Cagayan de Oro, Mindoro and Puerto Princesa. Her story was heard by children whose parents warned them that she would take them in the night if they were disobedient.

He knew that even if he succeeded, her legend would live on.

But they would never know of the forgotten character of the story.

The father seeking redemption in revenge, the husband that ignored the warnings, the man that only wanted his family to be complete.

As he stood over the blood of her latest victims, he wondered which ending would prevail?

His triumph?

Or hers?

*Living room

Written by Karl Gaverza

Copyright © Karl Gaverza

Inspired by the Maria Labo Urban Legends

Maria Labo Illustration by Sandra Sison

*Note this story is in Tagalog

Hindi gusto ni Lia ang panahon ngayong gabi. Umulan kung kailan wala siyang dalang payong at nag-alala siya kung paano siya uuwi. Mahigit isang oras na siyang nagpapatila ng ulan, pero hindi pa rin ito tumitigil. Naisipan niyang idaan sa barya ang kaniyang pag-iisip. Pinag-iisipan niya kung sasakay siya ng taxi at haharapin ang masikip na trapiko o maghihintay ulit siya ng isang oras bago umalis. Lumabas ang ulo ng barya at hindi na siya nag-atubili kung magkano ang aabutin ng metro ng taxi, dahil nangako siya sa kaniyang mga magulang na makakarating siya sa kanilang anibersaryo.

Nakasakay agad siya ng taxi sa kabila ng masikip na daan. Nagmadali siyang pumasok sa likuran ng taxi at humingi ng tawad dahil nabasá niya ang upuan ng sasakyan. Ngumiti lang ang nagmamaneho ng taxi at ayos lang sa kaniya ang lahat. Masaya si Lia na mabait ang drayber sa kaniya at ang trapiko na lang ang kinakailangan niyang alalahanin. Naisip niya ito dahil napapagod na siya sa mga drayber na mahilig mamera sa mga pasahero. Nagsuot ng headphone at nakinig ng jazz si Lia para gumaan ang kaniyang pakiramdam. Dahil sa sikip ng daanan siya ay humantong sa kaniyang pagkakatulog.

Nangngalahati na siya sa awitin ni Louis Armstrong na “Summertime” nang nakarinig siya ng sigaw. Nagising si Lia at sinigurado na tama ang nakikita niya. Tinanggal niya ang kaniyang headphone at tumingin siya sa paligid. Madilim ang kuwarto, semento ang mga pader at nangangalawang ang bakal sa paligid. Sa gitna ng kuwarto mayroong babaeng nakaupo.

Ang babae ay nakasuot ng puti, na may mga pulang mantsa sa kaniyang kasuotan. Nilapitan ni Lia ang babae at kinumusta niya ito. Nakayuko ang ulo ng babae kaya hindi niya makita ang mukha nito pero mayroon siyang naririnig na may dumarating.

Paulit-ulit na sinasabi ng babae ang mga salitang, “Huwag mo siyang pagkatiwalaan.” “Huwag mo siyang pagkatiwalaan.” “Huwag mo siyang pagkatiwalaan.” Sinusubukan ni Lia na lumapit sa babae pero mayroong humahadlang sa kaniya. Hindi sumusunod ang kaniyang mga binti sa ninanais niyang gawin. Nandoon lang siya nakatindig sa harapan ng upuan.

Naririnig ni Lia ang iba’t ibang boses at sinasabi nila ang parehas na bagay. Unang nagpakita ang isang babaeng nanggaling sa taong nakaupo, nandoon siya sa likuran ng upuan. Hindi na makilala ang mukha ng babae dahil sa labis na pagkakabugbog dito. Sinusubukang sumigaw ni Lia pero hindi sumusunod ang kaniyang buong katawan.

Ang pangalawang babae ay may sugat sa kaliwang bahagi ng kaniyang noo; dumudugo pa rin ito habang papunta siya sa gilid ng upuan. Lumapit ang pangatlong babae, natatakpan ng mahaba niyang buhok ang kaniyang mukha at nakatali ang kaniyang mga kamay niya sa likuran. Nababalot ng dugo ang lahat ng damit ng mga babae.

Nakatingin si Lia sa mga babae at sabay-sabay tinuro nilang tatlo ang babaeng nakaupo. Tinaas nito ang kaniyang ulo para makita ni Lia ang kaniyang mukha. Nagmumukhang parang lang siyang nananalamin. Taglay ng babae ang kaniyang mukha at kinalibutan siya sa buong katawan.

Pinapanood ni Lia ang babae nang sabihin ulit ng isang beses ang mga salitang, “Huwag mo siyang pagkatiwalaan.”

At biglang siyang nagising.

Tumutugtog pa rin ang “Summertime” nang binuksan niya ang kaniyang mga mata. Tumingin si Lia sa paligid at napansin niya na hindi pa gaanong nakakagalaw ang taxi, at malapit pa siya sa sa kaniyang opisina. Nanginginig ang kaniyang mga kamay dahil sa napaginipan niya. Kinuha niya ang kaniyang telepono at nagpadala siya ng mensahe sa kaniyang mga magulang at sinabi na hindi siya makakaabot sa kanilang anibersaryo.

Sinabihan niya ang drayber na bababá na siya. Hindi na pinansin ni Lia ang panghihimok ng lalaki para siya ay bumalik, sinabi niya na lang na mayroon siyang nakalimutan. Bumubuhos pa rin ang ulan nang lumabas siya sa taxi at tumakbo siya pabalik sa opsina. Mayroong bahagi ni Lia na baka siya ay madulas, pero hindi na niya ito pinansin.

Sa kauna-unahang pagkakataon pagkatapos nang kaniyang panaginip, napanatag ang kalooban ni Lia.

=————————————–=

English Version

Lia didn’t like the weather tonight. It just had to rain on the day when she forgot her umbrella and she was worried about getting home. She had already been waiting for an hour for the rain to stop, but there was no luck there. She decided to flip a coin to see if she would risk the traffic and get a taxi or to wait in her office for another hour. It was heads. She didn’t want to think about how much the taxi would cost and she promised her parents she would be home that night in time for their anniversary dinner.

It only took her a few minutes to get a cab, despite the traffic. Lia rushed into the back seat and apologized to the driver for the rain on the seat. He just smiled and said it was no problem. She was happy that he seemed nice enough and that it was just the traffic that she’d have to deal with. She was tired of getting the obnoxious taxi drivers, always trying to extort extra money out of her. Lia put on her headphones and played a little jazz to lighten her mood. The traffic was bad so it just made sense to take a nap and she closed her eyes.

She was halfway through Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong’s “Summertime” when she heard a scream. Lia woke up and blinked to make sure she wasn’t hallucinating. She took off her headphones and looked around. It was a dark room, the walls were cement and there was rusted steel everywhere. In the middle of the room there was a chair and a woman sitting on it.

The woman was wearing white, though there were red stains all over her dress. Lia approached the woman and asked if she was all right. The woman’s head was facing downwards so Lia couldn’t see her face but she could hear something coming from the woman.

‘Don’t trust him.’ ‘Don’t trust him’ ‘Don’t trust him.’ The woman repeated the words over and over again. Lia tried to get closer but there was something stopping her. She told her legs to move but they wouldn’t obey. She just stood, frozen, in front of the chair.

She could hear other voices now and they were saying the same things. The first came from another woman in white, appearing from behind the chair. This woman’s face was battered beyond all recognition. Lia tried to scream but her voice was as uncooperative as the rest of her body.

The second woman in white had a wound on the left temple of her forehead; it was still bleeding as she walked to the side of the chair. The third woman approached with her hands tied behind her back and her long, black hair covering her face. There was blood on all of the women’s clothes.

She looked at all the women and they pointed to the one still in the chair. Her head moved up so Lia could see her face. I was like looking into a mirror. The woman had her face and Lia felt a chill go down her entire body.

Lia watched as the woman with her face said ‘Don’t trust him.’ One more time.

And then she woke up.

“Summertime” was still playing when she opened her eyes. Lia looked around and she realized that the taxi hadn’t moved much, she was still very near her office. Her hands were shaking from her dream and she reached for her phone and texted her parents that she was sorry that she was going to miss their anniversary.

She told the driver that she would get out at this street. Lia ignored his protests and said that she left something very important. The rain was still pouring when she got out of the taxi and ran to her office. Part of her was thinking that she might slip in the rain, but she didn’t care.

For the first time since her dream, Lia felt safe.

————————–————————–————————–—–

*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

Inspired by the White Lady and Kaperosa myths and urban legends

White Lady (Kaperosa) Illustration by Leandro Geniston from Aklat ng mga Anito

FB: That Guy With A Pen

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

*Note this story is in Waray

It usa ka gab-e nga kalipayan pwedi maging sunud-sunod ngada sanoman.

Gin abot hin napulo (10) ka tuig para mabaruan niya kun an karuyag signgon hito nga linya. Puro mga suga ngan dire mga kakilala an iya kaupod kada gab-e.

Karuyag niya an tokar nga bagan naagos ha iya bug os nga lawas. Karuyag niya an mga bag-o nga katawohan nga iya nakikilala, an makararayhak nga mga kalipayan. Mayda mga irimnun nga dire na ngani niya nangangaranan ngan mga bituon nga dire na niya manumdoman.

Puro karisyohan lat iya kinabuhi ngan tanan pwedi umupod.

Pero umabot an adlaw nga umabat  na hiya.

An inpeksyon kay nagtinago lan maupay, umabot an pira anay ka tuig sano magpakita an tunay nga mga simtomas. Normal manla unta it hiranat, kakapuyon la hiya dayon bisan waray rason. Ngan umabot an adlaw nga nagpakita na an mga bukol.

An iya daw ito kalugaringon nga naato han inpeksyon, ansyan yakan han mga doctor. Tapos may mga gab-e nala nga mag pipinan ngadi hiya nga unta umato pa hira hin makusog.

Waray hiya paghuna hin maraot, an paghuna-huna han mga tawo tungod ha iya han ira na nabaruan. Tapos, nasumo nala hiya ha nga tanan nga mga maglain nga eksperyins, waray nala hiya pag estorya tungod hito, bisan ha pamilya ug kasangkayan. Kay an ira pagkita ha iya an nag bag-o, han una nahuhusayan hira ha iya, pero yana?

Ansya na ine yana it iya kinabuhi.

An mag liligtas unta ha iya, an antiretrovirals, pero bisan ngani pag kalma ha iya dre natalab. An nahimo la hine nga medisina an pahinayon an pag sarang han virus ha iya lawas, para daw mabuhi la hiya hin normal ug bisan manla harani la ha pagiging normal.

Waray hiya iba nga hingyap kundi an bumalik an iya una nga kinabuhi, mga paka sosyal nga sarayaw kada gab-e, makabiling hin dire kilala pero maupod ha iya para makit-an an maupay nga pag gawas han adlaw. Kaso natika lagas na hiya ngan naabat na hiya han bug-at han iya mga pagbasol nga  bagan gin dadanas na hiya ngadto ha tuna.

Pero dire niya karuyag maging priso ha iya mga kabarasol-non.

Mayda la gihap naghuhulat ha iya nga  maupay nga kinabuhi bisan kun pira nala hiya kaadlaw ha kalibutan. Bisan kun pira ka summer it lumabay, nahingyap la gihap hiya nga mayda la gihap maupay nga kabubwason para hiya, naghuhulat la.

Naghuhulat para la hiya.

Nag leave hiya ha trabaho, naghuna-huna lan iba nga para ha Holy Week. Umasa hira hin mga litrato niya ha dagat, nag babakasyon, naghuhulat la umulnod it adlaw.

Pero an hiya gud misyon kay harayo ha kun anuman an huna-huna han iya mga sangkay.

Naghalungkat hiya hin mga estorya nga may sugad han iya sakit. Mayda usa nga nasiring nga han una nga adlaw gumawas daw ito para makatirok hin damo pa nga biktima, mga kabataan nga ginkukuha an kasing-kasing para himuon nga anting-anting.

Ha luyo han iya awto mayda hiya usa kasako nga ambot kun anon sulod, kumita hiya luyo, waray nat gigi-os nga sako pira na ka oras an naglabay. Nakonsensya hiya. Karuyag gud ine niya buhaton?

Gin itsapwera nala niya an iya konsensya. Dire na hiya kikilal-on, dire na gud. Kailangan hin sakripisyo para makuha niya an karuyag.

Waray hibabaro kun anon postura hito. Mayda ngani mga estorya hin kambing ngan ayam nga patalikod an lakat. Mayda liwat itom nga misay pero demonyo. Mayda gihap estroya nga may tawo nga may lawas hin uwak, may pako, ngan an tiil kanan insekto.

Basta an hiya hibaro nga ansya la ini an makakasolbar ha hiya problema.

Ginkuha niya an sako, gindara ha halu-ag nga tuna ngan naghulat gumab-e. Karuyag niya mag sigarilyo pero bangen mahadlok an aada ha sako hin kumita hin usok.

Pumuruko hiya ngan gindat-ol an iya pusil ha hirani ha may kasing-kasing. Niruniyan pa, an sako naglinanguya pero waray lat niya pansina.

Bagan nanganga-piyong na adto hiya tapos mayda dako nga itom nga tidaraon ha iya. Malaksi. Mas malaksi kaysa iya huna-huna.

Umabot itun ha iya, pero ginkuha an sako ngan ginbanga. Maaram hiya nga makusog ini nga butang.

Nagikitaay hira ngan iya gin pusil.

Upat ka pusil tapos nawara na adto nga dako nga maitom. Kaso waray hiya pag singanhi para la bumalik nga waray dara. Iya ginlanat an halimaw ngan iya naabtan ha may salog nga itom an tubig.

Ginpusil niya an halimaw, usa ka pusil la tinablan na. Makusog ngan madagmit an tibok han iya kasing-kasing han sumarop hiya han tubig nga itom. Ngan iya gin inom.

Mapait ngan maaslom an iya rasa.

An iya rasa kay baga kan nakalaya.

English Version

A night of fun can follow you forever.

It took her 10 years to learn that lesson. Her nights were spent bathed in lights and surrounded by strangers.

She loved the rush of the music as it spread through her body. She loved the new people, the exciting scenes. There were drinks she couldn’t pronounce and stars she couldn’t wait to remember. Her life was a party and everyone was invited.
But then she started to feel it.

The infection hid itself well, years would pass before the real signs showed. Fevers would be a normal occurrence, she would feel tired every day without reason. And there were the bumps.
The doctors told her that it was her body fighting against the infection. There were nights where she prayed they would fight harder.

She didn’t think, that’s what most people assumed when they found out. After enough bad experiences she stopped talking about it, even to her family and friends. It was the way they looked at her that changed, people used to see her for the beauty that she was, but now?

Now this was her life.

Antiretrovirals, they were supposedly her savior, but they could never quite come down from the cross. All they did was slow the progress of the virus in her body, she could live a normal life, or as close to normal as possible.

There was nothing more she wanted than to run back to her old life, of dark nights and wild passions, of finding the stranger that she would watch the sunrise with. But she was getting old and she could feel the weight of regrets keeping her close to the ground.

She would not be a prisoner of her regret.

There was still the rest of her life she needed to live. No matter how many summers passed over her, she still had hope that the future was there, waiting.

Waiting just for her.

She took a leave from work for vacation, everyone assumed it was because of the Holy Week. They expected to see pictures of her by a beach, sipping on a sweet drink and lazing in the sun.

But her true mission was far removed from the leisure and luxury that others had come to expect.

She did her research, there were tales that it went out of hiding during that time to look for more victims, children whose hearts it would make into an amulet.

She stared at the sack in the back of her car. It had stopped moving hours ago and she felt a pang of guilt. Was this really what she wanted to do?

She chased away those thoughts. She would not be defined by one thing, not anymore. Certain sacrifices would have to be made to ensure that she would find her prize.

No one knew what it looked like. There were stories of hornless goats and dogs that walked backwards. There were other tales of cat like demons with black skin. There was even a legend of a crow like body with wings and grasshopper like legs that it used to leap.

All she knew was that it was the last thing that could help her.
She took the sack and waited in the field until night fell. Her body craved cigarettes, but smoke might scare the creature off and she wouldn’t take that chance.

She held the gun close to her chest and sat silently. The bag started to rustle after a few hours, but she ignored it.

Her eyes were heavy when she spotted a large black spot moving towards her. It was fast, faster than she expected.
It reached the sack and carried it in its mouth. The creature was strong and stared at her.

Their eyes met and she raised the gun.

Four shots and the creature was gone. She couldn’t have come this far just to be left with nothing. She ran to where the beast was and spotted a small pool of black liquid on the ground.

One of her shots hit it. Her heart raced as she knelt to the liquid. She took some in her hands and swallowed.

It tasted of bitterness and bile.

It tasted of freedom.

*There are Urban Legends that state that the blood of a Sigbin can cure HIV/AIDS.

*Waray is the fifth-most-spoken native regional language of the Philippines, native to Eastern Visayas. It is the native language of the Waray people and second language of the Abaknon people of Capul, Northern Samar and some Cebuano-speaking peoples of eastern and southern parts of Leyte island. It is the third most spoken language among the Visayan languages, only behind Hiligaynon and Cebuano.

Written by Karl Gaverza

Translation by Ma. Rezza Ann Abanag-Pejana

Copyright © Karl Gaverza

Translation Copyright © Ma. Rezza Ann Abanag-Pejana

Inspired by the Sigbin myths

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

*Note this story is in Waray

Naghulat ak hin duha kabulan para malimpyuhan an balay. Dire hira magyayakan haim nga dire ka makakag-tima para hito. Oo, pwedi ka mag tisting haim kalungaringon, pero dire nat importante ngan mawawara nala ito. Mga butang nga waray kinabuhi pero nabuhi hin maiha hasta nala nga umabot an panahon nga dire na magagamitan. Dire gad sugad hito kakuri.

Pero makuri la geap udog.

Nayakan hira Chino ngan Arla nga mabulig hira, pero bagan dire tama. Syempre, may mga kalugaringon hira nga kinabuhi, pamilya ngan iba pa nga mga butang. An pinaka urhi ko ngani nga kliyenti kay ginbayaan ak pagtapos nam dre maupay nga batunay tungod nam mga dre pagkaka-intindihan ngan hala akon na nga tanan an oras ha kalibutan.

Kumuha ak hin mga balikbayan nga karton ngan damo nga bag butangan hin mga basura tas nag drive na ak ngadto nam luma nga balay. Didto, pagkulop na manunumdoman mo an mga naglabay nga panahon han nag-uuyas ka pa ha may garden, ngan pag gab-e an kamingawan bagan nag eestorya hin kawaray sulod hit kinabuhi.

An iya mga libro an ak pinaka una nga ak gin panhatag. Hinigugma ni Apoy it pagbasa ngan kada gab-e mabisita hiya haam kwarto ngan babasahan kami permi. An iba ngani kay dre mga pambata nga estorya ngan mag iinisog hi mama ha hiya, pero karuyag ko la geap mamati. Permi gud it hiya mag hihinimu-himo hin mga pataraw-an nga nawong ngan iiba-ibahon it iya boses kada tawo ha storya. Ansya ngani nga para ha akon, kun waray adto na iya mga storya, dre ada ak magiging artist.

Waray na ak bakante nga butangan para han mga libro ni Apoy, bisan hi Chino ngan Arla, waray na gihap. Nag desisyon nala kami nga mas maupay nala ini kun ihahatag ha mga tawo nga mahilig gihap magbinasa. Ansya nga naghimo hi Chino hin listahan han mga Charities nga am tatagan. Han natapos na hi Chino, gin butang ko na ha sarakyan an mga libro ngan bumyahe na ak para ipanhatag ha charities.

Maul-ol gad ha dughan. Kada libro nga ak ginhahatag kay baga ko hin iginhahatag liwat it usa nga parti ni Apoy. Pero gin huhuna-huna ko nala nga, mga butang la ito, dire ito hi Apoy, dire ito naging hi Apoy mismo.

Masayon lat mangalimtan.

An kwarto naman an sunod nga ak susudlan. Ngan pinaka makuri ini nga parti han nga tanan kay nga tanan nga presensya ni Apoy aanhi hit iya kwarto. An luma na nga typrewriter aanhi la gihap, waray gud hiya tapod ha teknolohiya ansya waray hiya pagpalit hin computer. An luma niya nga mga albums aanhi gihap, mga litrato nira ni Apoy nga iya asawa ngan ni mama, kamaglipayon pa man nira ha mga litrato.

Guti nala ak matumba pag abre ko han portahan. Nakalasan ak kay duron kamasirom han kwarto. Ngan dire gud ak magsasayop nga pahamot ni Apoy nak nahamutan. Ansya ine an pahamot niya ha bado, ha kalo, ngan bisan ngani an iya buhok ansya geap an amoy, madukot pa adto ha buhok han iya mga apo kun maiha niya nga karga-karga. Bagan mga 3 ka minuto anay nak nakunsumo sano ko mabilngan kun diin tikang an pahamot ha kwarto.

Pero nawara dayon an amoy, bumaya dayon haak.

Ngan ha kauna-unahan han pira kaadlaw nga kamingaw, nagtuok ak utro.

Maiha ko na nga nahingalimtan an pahamot ni Apoy. An ospital an hiya naging bag-o nga balay han iya mga urhi nga adlaw ha kalibutan ngan waray oras hadto para mahuna-hunaan pa mag sul-ot hin maupay nga bado ngan magbutang hin pahamot ha liog ug ha banda kabutngaan hit iya bado.

Huminga ak hin halarom ngan lumingkod. Nayakan hira hinanabo gud ine, nga makokonsensya ka. Ginpabay-an ko la nga takpan ak hit konsensya sugad hit pagtakop haim hit taklap. Unta nakada ak para ha iya. Unta ginpa ukoy ko nala anay nak mga proyekto ngan gin updan ko nala hiya. Kun nakada la ak ha iya sapit, unta nakikita ko pa hiya han —

Nagliningkuron la ak anay ngan nag pinan huna-huna hin pera ka oras, tapos pera pa ka oras hasta ngada nak paka abat nga kaya ko na tumindog utro. An pako nak bado mahulos la agi nak pamunas han luha. Tas gin hakot ko na an mga balikbayan nga karton para himuon kun anuman nak dapat himuon.

Hingangadto ha Segunda Mana an mga iya mga bado, ansya ine an lugar nga pinaka una nga nakit-an ni Arla han nagbibiling hiya hin paghahatagan han mga bado. An mga antiks ikakatalog kay ibabaligya ni Chino online. Hagi kaguol, karuyag gud niiya permi nga ha akon an magkuri nga trabahuon.

Ginkita ko nak ginhimo ngan sakto la hiya para mangalipay ak. Kun ano pa man, gintapos ko nak trabahuon ngan pwedi na ak pumahuway kadali. Han gin-uusog ko an mga karton, may nakit-an ak nga bag-o nga bubuhaton.

An mga photo album.

An usa nga butang nga igin dadako ni Apoy han iya panahon an camera na iya napalit han 70’s pa. Nayakan hadto hi Apoy nga iya asawa nga dire niya kauryag an mga litrato na nga nakikit-an ha mga diyaryo  ansya nga nag desisyon hiya nga hiya nala mismo it magpipicture para iya kalugaringon. Danay mag eestorya hiya nga dire niya iginbubulag an camera ha iya pero mangirit la kami ngan matangdo nala. Tapos danay maukoy hiya ha  kabutngaan hit iya estorya ngan mag pipicture.

Hain na daw lat nga camera yana? Pagtapos ko halukayon tanan nga mga nasalin nga gamit ni Apoy dire ko la gihap natad-an an camera. Mayda parti haak dughan nga kun hain man hi Apoy yana, bangen aadto gihap ito ha iya, dara dara la niya.

Ginpurot ko an usa nga album ngan gin prepara ko nak kalugaringon. Syempre, dire gud maupay nga desisyon nga mangita pa ak hin mga pictures ha albums. Mangangatuok la ak utro. Mag uul-ol na liwat tak kasing-kasing. Kaso kay karuyag ko man maabat hi Apoy bisan la kadali.

Nakatulo na albums na ako ngan gin-uhaw ak. Kumuha anay ako hin tubig. Kun aanhi hi Chino, mayakan adto nga baga ak hin waray tuhay nga tinda ha mga china shop. Han gintitipig ko na an mga album nga masarang kitaun, mayda usa nga gutiay nga album nga ak nakit-an. Green an putos ngan waray title. (Permi man nagbubutang title hi Apoy ha mga albums)

Kaso gin pangita ko la gihap an sulod han album.

Tapos hasta ngada yana dire la gihap ak maaram kun ano adto hiya nga mga litrato.

Baga kasi adto hiya hin bata nga guti, bangen mga 7 lan edad, green an kolor han panit, pero may pagka maitom gihap hin guti. Dagko an mata nga baga na ngani hin naka sul-ot hin goggles, ngan maitom-itoman.

Puro litrato la hadto nga bata an sulod han album ngan mga tawo nga nakiki usyoso ha hiya.

Ginkuha ko an usa nga litrato ha album tapos pag baliktad ko han litrato may nakasurat ha luyo,

‘San Joaquin, Pasig. November 1981.’

Gin kuha ko gihap an iba pa nga mga litrato nga may surat ha luyo ngan gin dugtong-dugtong an mga nakasurat didto.

‘Mayda balita nga mayda daw nakuha nga kakaiba ha Pasig River.’

‘Kuha tikang ha Municipal Hall’

‘Damo nga tawo an nagpa singadto para hikit-an kun anuman ine nga butang.’

‘Gin priso ini nga butang.’

‘Naluoy gad ak ha hito. Baga hiyan nahadlok ha mga tawo.’

‘Nag iha la ak didto ha prisohan. Naglitrato ak hin damo. Bagan waray manla ngani ha Police nga bantay.’

(An atubangan ine han Municipal Hall) ‘Nagbabalita an mga Police nga nawara adto nga butang.’

‘Nayakan an iba nga tawo nga mayda daw kumuha hadto nga butang kay ira daw anak.’

‘An iba liwat nayakan nga igin sugo han Mayor nga igbalik adto ha Pasig River’

(Tikang ine ha pahina ha dyaryo) ‘Igin surat ngan igin gawas na ha dyaryo an estorya pero bagan gin iba han mga tawo’

An urhi nga litrato kay kuha kuno mismo ha may Pasig River ngan may naka surat nga ‘March 1990’ ha luyo han papel.

‘An mga tawo nga sugad la haak, lagas na ngan bagan dire na tutuoron, an nakakahinumdom hadto nga klase hin tawo. Napa kadto ak ha may salog kada simana para hikit-an utro adto nga butang.’

Waray ak may gin yaknan han ak nabaruan ngan nakit-an. Waray ak pag estorya bisan kan Charli ug Arla. Kun hira adto an naka diskubre hin sugad hini, dre hira magruruha-duha pag estorya dayon ha iba.

Dire manggud hira naka intindi kan Apoy sugad tak pag intindi ha iya.

Hadto mismo nga adlaw kumadto ak ha mall ngan pumalit hin camera. Dire ngani ak nasabot kun pano gumamit hin camera pero mababaruan man ito.

Ngan kada adlaw natambay na ak ha may Pasig River, dara ha huna-huna nak mga nakit-an ngan nabaruan ha album para pahinumdom haak kalugaringon kay kun ano permi ak nakadto ha Pasig River.

Tungod la han usa nga bakante nga papel ha urhi han album.

Para ini ha imo Apoy. 

=——————————————————–=

English Version

I waited two months to clean out the house. They never tell you that you can’t prepare for it. Sure, you can try to tell yourself it doesn’t matter and it’ll just be going through some old items. Things. Inanimate objects that have long outlived their usefulness. It shouldn’t be hard.

But it is.

Chino and Arla both said they would help, but that wouldn’t be right. They both had lives and families and other things to worry about. The last client I had dropped me after some creative disagreements and I had all the time in the world.

I took some balikbayan boxes and garbage bags with me and drove up to my ancestral house. In the afternoon light it radiates days long past, of playing in the garden and moonlit talks about the crushing emptiness of life.

The first thing I gave away were his books. Lolo loved reading and the nights when he would come visit us, he would stay by our beds and read us a story. Some of them weren’t really appropriate for children and mama would scold him, but I loved them. He would always make these funny faces and change his voice every time a different character spoke. I think that without those stories I wouldn’t have become an artist.

I didn’t have any space for lolo’s books, neither did Chino or Arla. We all agreed that they were better of with people that would read them. Chino made a list of charities that we could send them to and I put them in my car and drove out to donate them.

It hurt like hell. Every time I gave away a volume it was like losing a little piece of lolo. I try to remind myself; items. Things. Objects. They’re not lolo, they never were.

But it’s just so easy to forget.

The next place to get through was his bedroom. This would be the hardest part, the whole essence of lolo was in this room. It was here that he kept his rickety typewriter because he never trusted technology enough to get a computer. He had photo albums here that spanned nearly a century, pictures of him and lola and mama being happy together.

I open the door and it almost knocks me down. It’s dark and heavy, and I feel sepia tones bounce through my head. There was no mistaking the scent of lolo’s cologne. This was the cologne that clung to his clothes, his hats and would clasp to his grandchildren’s hair for hours after he would carry them. It lasts for maybe 3 minutes, long enough for me to try to find its source.

But it disappeared, leaving me alone.  

And for the first time in a few days I cry again.

Lolo’s cologne was something I’ve long forgotten. In his last months the hospital became his new home and there was no time to think about his daily routine of putting on a suit and spritzing one on the neck and the other on the center of his shirt.

I breathe deep and sit down. They said that this would happen, that the guilt would slowly creep in. I let it wrap around me like a blanket. I should have been there for him, I should have canceled my projects and stayed by his side. Maybe if I was there, I would have seen him when he—

The thought settles in my head for a good hour, and then another, until I feel strong enough to stand again. My sleeve gets soaked with my tears and I bring up the balikbayan boxes to do what I need to do.

His clothes would go to Segunda Mana, it was the one of the first things Arla saw when she was looking for places to donate. All of the antiques would have to be cataloged because Chino wants to sell them online. Typical, he always expected me to do the legwork.

I looked at my handiwork and it was enough to bring a slight smile to my face. If nothing else I completed the task I set for myself and I could hang my hat on that. As I moved the boxes, I glimpsed another challenge.

It was the photo albums.

One of lolo’s proudest achievements was that he bought a camera in the 70s. Lola always said that he never liked the pictures he saw in magazines, so he decided to do it himself. He would tell stories about his camera (that he would always keep around), but we all just smiled and nodded politely. He would stop in the middle of conversations if he thought that he could get a good shot of something.

Looking back, I wonder where that camera was. After sifting through all the things left behind, I still was never able to find it. Part of me likes to think it’s with my lolo, wherever he is.

I picked up the first album and prepared myself. Surrendering to the allure of looking through the albums wasn’t the smartest option. It would break my emotions just to put them back together. But I wanted to be closer to lolo, if only for a little while.

After the first three albums I decided to get a glass of water and managed to knock down the pile of albums, if Chino were here, he’d say that I was an uncoordinated bull in a china shop. As I knelt down to fix the mess, I noticed an album smaller than the rest. It had a dark green cover and was unmarked (Lolo always labeled his albums).

With nothing else to do I leafed through it.

To this day I’m still not sure what is in those photos.

It looked like a small child, maybe 7 years old with skin that was green that had a slightly black hue. Its eyes were big and black, and it almost looked like it was wearing goggles.

The album was filled with pictures of this creature as well as those of crowds looking at it from a distance.

I took the first picture out of the album and saw that there was something written behind it.

“San Joaquin, Pasig. November 1981.”

I did the same with the other pictures and strung the sentences together.

 “There were reports of something that was fished out of the Pasig River.”

“This was taken in the Municipal Hall.”

“Many people were there to see the creature.”

“It was kept in a jail.”

“I pitied it. It looked scared to be around so many people.”

“I stayed as long as I could and took as many photos of it as possible. The police officers don’t seem to care.”

(This photo was of the front of the Municipal Hall) “The police are telling people that the creature is gone.”

“Some people are being told that it was taken by someone that claimed that it was their child.”

“Others say that it was thrown back into Pasig River by order of the Mayor.”

(This photo was of a page of a newspaper) “The story was published in the papers, but the general public seems to have moved on.”

The last picture was of the Pasig River that was labeled “March, 1990” on its back was written:

“The only people that remember the creature are decrepit seniors like me. I stay by the river every week in hopes that I catch a glimpse of it, just one last time.”

I haven’t told anyone of what I found. I don’t even think I can trust Chino or Arla about it. If it was up to them, they would have just thrown it away and not given it a second thought.

They never understood lolo like I did.

That day I went to the mall and bought a camera. I didn’t know how to use it, but there was time to learn.

Every day I sit by the Pasig River and look through the album to remember why I’m there.

All because of one blank sleeve at the end of the album.

This is for you, lolo.

——————————————————————————————————————-

*Waray is the fifth-most-spoken native regional language of the Philippines, native to Eastern Visayas. It is the native language of the Waray people and second language of the Abaknon people of Capul, Northern Samar and some Cebuano-speaking peoples of eastern and southern parts of Leyte island. It is the third most spoken language among the Visayan languages, only behind Hiligaynon and Cebuano.

Written by Karl Gaverza

Translation by Ma. Rezza Ann Abanag-Pejana

Copyright © Karl Gaverza

Translation Copyright
© Ma. Rezza Ann Abanag-Pejana

Story inspired by the urban legend of the Pasig River Monster.

The Pasig River Monster Illustration by Michael Sean B. Talavera

IG: @maykelshan
Deviantart: https://www.deviantart.com/isaneleach13