*Note this story is in Tagalog
Ito ang huling gabi ng taon at hindi pa rin tinatantanan si Danica ng ulan. Ang tunog ng kaniyang nanginginig na mga ngipin ay humahalo sa tunog ng mga patak ng ulan.
Niyakap niya ang kaniyang mga binti at paa upang damhin ang huling init na maibibigay ng kaniyang katawan.
Ang tsinelas na ibinigay ng kaniyang ina ay masyadong malaki kaya’t nalaglag ang mga ito habang siya ay tumatakbo para sumilong.
Napansin ni Danica na ang isang pares ay nahulog sa kanal at ang isa naman ay tila nawala sa madilim na kalye.
Kaya’t si Danica ay mag-isa sa lamig at mamasa-masa na nakahawak sa sampaguita malapit sa kaniyang dibdib.
Ito ay isa sa mga mababagal na araw na halos kakaunti lang ang mga sasakyang dumaraan at ni hindi pa siya nakabebenta ng isang tangkay ng sampasuita. Wala rin sinuman ang nagbigay sa kaniya ng piso.
Inilawan ng kidlat ang kalangitan at ang batang babae ay umatras sa isang sulok. Hindi siya naglakas-loob na umuwi dahil para sa kaniya, tiyak na magagalit ang kaniyang ama dahil wala siyang napagbentahan.
Tiyak na malamig na rin sa kanilang bahay dahil malamang pinasok na ito ng malakas na hangin at marahil nagyeyelo na rin ang kaniyang kwarto.
Ang kaniyang maliliit na kamay ang nanginginig na. Nilapit niya sa kaniya ang kaniyang mga bulaklak at nilanghap ang samyo n g mga ito.
Si Danica ay palaging nakatatagpo ng ginhawa sa amoy ng mga bulaklak, ipinaaalala umano ng mga ito na mayroon pa ring magagandang bagay sa mundo, kung mayroon lamang nagmamalasakit na tumingin.
Ang mga ilaw sa kalsada ay nagbibigay-anino na naglalaro sa harap ng mga mata ni Danica. Napansin niyang sa kaniyang tabi ay isang tindahan ng muwebles. Napuno naman ng kidlat ang kalye at sa isang maikling segundo ay natanaw na niya ang tindahan.
May isang mesa at sa ibabaw nito ay isang mantel. Nakapalibot dito ang magagandang plato, baso, kutsara’t tinidor na yari sa pilak. Ang mga ito ang nakapaligid sa litson.
Nakatitig kay Danica ang baboy at sa tingin niya’y nakikita niya itong nakangiti.
Nabasag ng kulog ang pagtititigang iyon.
Nagsiumula namang tumulo ang ulan sa bubong at ang mga patak ng ulan ay naghalo sa kaniyang mga luha.
Ngayon taon, ang Pasko ay malungkot at hindi masaya. Napakahirap ng sitwasyon ni Danica; nawalan ng trabaho sa pabrika ang kaniyang ama at nahumaling ito sa alak para lunurin ang mga problema. Ang kaniyang ina naman ay sinubukang maghanap ng trabaho sa pamamagitan ng paglilinis, pero hindi sapat ang kaniyang kinikita para matugunan ang kanilang mga pangangailangan.
At ang kaniyang lola Fatima, ang tanging taong nagmahal sa kaniya, ay pumanaw na rin. May anong kirot sa dibdib ni Danica na hindi na napawi mula noon.
Isa na namang kidlat ang tumama, inilawan nito ang kalye, at sinagot ng langit ang kaniyang hiling. Nagliwanag ulit ang kalye at sa gitna ng liwanag na iyon ay ang kaniyang lola Fatima, nangniningning at may mga ngiting pumawi sa kirot na nasa dibdib ni Danica.
“Lola!” iyak ni Danica, “Isama mo na ko sa iyo!” Alam niyang ang kaniyang lola ay mawawala rin pag tumama ulit ang isang kidlat. Tumigil ang hininga ni Danica habang ginigimbal ng mga kulog ang mga bintana sa paligid niya.
Ngunit hindi nawala si lola Fatima. Napaligiran siya ng mga naggagandahang engkanto, porselanang puti ang kanilang mga balat at kalmado ang mga mukha. Kinawayan nila si Danica at ngumiti naman ito pabalik.
At lahat sila, ang mga engkanto at si lola Fatima ay iniabot ang mga bisig kay Danica, na para bang hinihikayat siyang sumama sa kanila. Tumayo si Danica at naglakad papalapit sa kaniyang lola. Nais niyang maramdaman ulit ang mga init ng yakap nito, habang binabalewala ang malakas na ulan at ang lamig.
Muling tumama ang kidlat sa huling pagkakataon at naglaho si Danica sa isang iglap.
Ang iba, sinasabing siyang naglayas, mas ginustong mamuhay sa kalye kesa sa sariling bahay. Mayroon namang mga nagsasabing pinatira siya ng isang mayamang lalaki sa bahay nito at itinuturing na siyang anak.
Sa isang kuwento naman, nakatagpo si Danica ng kapayapaan sa piling ng mga engkanto kung saan ligtas siya at kapiling ang kaniyang lola.
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English Version
It was the last evening of the year and the rain still wouldn’t leave Danica alone. The sound of her chattering teeth joined the raindrops in a melancholy symphony. She huddled against her bare legs and naked feet to lure the last bit of warmth her body could give.
The hand me down slippers that her mother gave were much too big and they had fallen off while she ran for shelter. Danica noticed that one of them fell into the gutter and the other seemingly disappeared in the dark street.
So there Danica was, alone in the cold and damp, clutching her sampaguita flowers close to her chest. It was a slow day, not many cars were about and she hadn’t sold a single string of sampaguitas. No one had given her so much as a peso.
The lightning lit up the sky and the poor girl retreated into her corner. She didn’t dare go home, for she had sold nothing and her father would surely be angry with her. At home it was cold as well since the winds would surely come violently through here window and leave her room wet and freezing.
Her small hands were shivering. She held her flowers close and breathed in their scent. Danica always found comfort in the smell of flowers, they reminded her that there were still beautiful things in the world, if one cared to look.
The streetlights cast shadows that played in front of Danica’s eyes. She noticed that across her was a furniture shop. The lightning filled the street and for a brief second she could see into the store.
There was a table and on it was a lily white tablecloth. Beautiful silverware sat there surrounding a whole roast lechon. The pig was staring right at her and she thought she could see it smiling.
The spell of the scene broke as the thunder rang in Danica’s ears.
The roof above her began to leak and the raindrops mixed with her tears.
This year, Christmas was more somber than happy. It had been a difficult time; her father had lost his job in the factory and began to drink his problems away. Her mother tried to find work as a cleaning lady, but she wasn’t able to make enough for all their needs.
And lola Fatima, the only person who had loved her, was now no more. There was a pain in Danica’s heart that never went away after that.
Another bolt of lightning struck near, illuminating the street. Thousands of small lights danced in the air, and wonderful colors played in front of her. The little girl reached out and tried to grab them, but the light disappeared and once again, she was left alone.
She looked to the sky and waited for the lightning to come, and the sky answered her prayer. It was again light and in that radiance stood lola Fatima, so bright and lovely, with a smile that made the hurt in Danica’s heart leave.
“Lola!” The child cried out. “Please let me come with you!” She knew that her grandmother would disappear as soon as the thunder came rolling in, just like the floating lights. Danica’s breath stopped as thunder shook the windows around her.
But Lola Fatima did not disappear. She was surrounded by beautiful creatures, their skin porcelain white and their faces calm. They waved at Danica and she smiled back.
And all of them, the creatures and Lola Fatima stretched out their arms to the girl as if beckoning her to come. Danica stood up and walked to her lola. She wanted most to just feel warm again, to ignore the rain and the cold and be with someone that loved her.
The lightning struck one final time and Danica disappeared with the flash of light.
Some say that she ran away, preferring a life on the streets to her own home life. Others say a rich man found her and gave her a home and that she lives with him now as his adopted daughter.
Still one story persists, one where the girl finally finds peace in a heaven filled with beautiful faeries where she is finally safe and warm in the embrace of her lola.
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*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 Gabriela Baron
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Translation Copyright © Gabriela Baron
Story inspired by the Faeries of Niza description in Tuwan Nahuda. Narrated by Muham Julasman. in Voices from Sulu A Collection of Tausug Oral Traditions. Rixhon. 2010.
The Faeries of Niza Illustration by emirajuju
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