*Note this story is in Cebuano
Bisan sa ulahing gabii sa tuig, ang ulan dili gyud mobiya kay Danica. Ang tingog sa nagkutab-kutab niyang ngipon niduyog sa mga lusok-ulan sa simponiya sa kasubo. Gigakos ni iyang hubo’ng mga paa ug tiil aron makutlo ang nabili’ng kaiinit sa iyang lawas.
Ang tinubuang sinilas na gihatag sa iyang inahan luag ra kaayo ug mahulog sa pagdagan niya sa silonganan. Namatikdan ni Danica na nahulog ang usa sa sandayong ug ang usa nawala sa ngitngit nga dalan.
Si Danica nga nag-inusara sa katugnaw ug umog, gikuptan ang bulak sa sampaguita duol sa iyang dughan. Hinay ang dagan sa adlaw, walay dagha’ng sakyanan ug walay ni usang kutay sa sampaguita ang nabaligya. Walay ni usang nihatag sa iya bisan piso.
Ang kilat nipahayag sa langit ug ang makalolooy na batang babaye nipadaplin. Dili siya magtuga-tuga og uli sa balay kay wala siya’y nabaligya ug ang iyang amahan masuko gyud sa iya. Sa balay tugnaw man pud kay ang hangin harosong mosulod sa iyang bintana ug mabiling basa og kaging iyang kwarto.
Nangurog ang iyang gamay’ng kamot. Gikuptan niya og ayo ang iyang bulak ug gisimhot ang kahumot. Mahiaguman ra ni Danica ang kaharuhay sa baho sa mga bulak. Kini magpadumdom sa iya nga naa pa gihapon mga maanyag na butang sa kalibotan kung maghatag lang og tagad.
Ang suga sa dalan nihulma og anino sa panan-aw ni Danica. Nabantayan niya na naay tindahan sa mga muwebles sa atbang. Ang kilat nikatag sa dalan ug sa kadiyot nakakita siya sa sulod sa tindahan.
Naay lamesa nga may puti nga hapin. Mga maanindot na kubyertos nga nagtuyok sa tibuok sa litson. Ang baboy nitutok sa iya ug sa iyahang hunahuna nagngisi kini sa iya.
Ang awog sa eksena nihunong sa pagliti sa dalugdog na nipiti sa dalunggan ni Danica.
Nagsugod na og tulo ang atop ug ang ulan nisagol sa iyang mga luha.
Karong tuig, ang Christmas mas subo kaysa malipayon. Lisod ang panahon, ang iyang amahan natanggal sa trabaho sa pabrika ug nagsugod og inom aron malimtan ang problema. Ang iyang inahan nisulay og pangita og trabaho isip usa ka manghinloay apan dili igo para sa ilang mga kinahanglan.
Ug ang iyang Lola Fatima, ang nag inusarang tawong nagmahal sa iya, wala na. Ang kasakit sa iyang dughan wala na nihawa paghuman ato’ng higayona.
Usa pa ka lagiti sa kilat ang nihayag sa dalan. Libo ka gagmay’ng suga ang nisayaw sa hangin ug mga makahibulungang kolor ang nagduladula sa atubangan niya. Ang gamay’ng batang babaye nisulay og kab-ot apan ang suga nawala. Nabilin na pud siyang nag-inusara.
Nitan aw siya sa langit ug naghulat sa kilat na moabo. Gitubag sa langit ang iyang pangadiye. Nikilat ug sa gilaw nagtindog ang iyang Lola Fatima, madan-ag ug matahom, ang yuhom na nikumot sa dughan ni Danica.
“Lola!” Siyaok sa bata. “Kuyuga na lang ko palihog!” Kabalo siya na mawala ang iyang lola sa pagliti sa dalugdog, sama sa galutaw na mga suga. Nihunong ang ginhawa ni Danica sa pagliti sa dalugdog na niuyog sa bintana palibot niya.
Apan wala nawala ang iyang Lola Fatima. Napalibutan siya sa mga maanindot na linalang, ilang panit sama sa porselana ug ang ilang nawong puno’g kalinaw. Nikaway sila kay Danica ug ningisi siya sa ila.
Ug sila tanan, ang mga linalang ug ang iyang Lola Fatima gihumlad ilang palad ug gidani siyang mokuyog sa ilaha. Nitindog si Danica ug nilakaw padulong sa iyang lola. Gusto niyang mahikaplagan ang init lingkawas sa ulan ug katugnaw ug makauban ang tawong naghigugma sa iya.
Nikilat sa usa pa’ng higayon ug nawala si Danica sa usa ka kidlap.
Ingon sa uban nilayas daw siya kay mas gipili ang kinabuhi sa dalan kaysa sa kaugalingong balay. Sa uban pa, nakit-an daw siya sa usa ka dato’ng lalaki ug gihatagan siya’g balay. Nagpuyo daw siya kauban sa lalaki kay gisagop na siya niini.
Naa pa’y istorya na nakakita na og kalinaw ang bata sa langit kuyog ang mga matahom na linalang. Sa lugar asa siya luwas ug hangop sa gugma sa iyang lola.
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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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*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 Sarah Masiba
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Translation Copyright © Sarah Masiba
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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