The Mysterious Last Journey of Satur Apoyon

Nonfiction by | October 16, 2011

Originally published in the Village Idiot Savant blog.

Satur Apoyon, veteran newsman and Bisaya fiction writer, went missing from his home in Bangkal, Davao City on the morning of Thursday, May 19, 2011. His body was found five days later on Tuesday, May 24, floating off the coast of Governor Generoso, Davao Oriental. Between where he started and where he ended was a distance of 70 km traversing water, or 150 km by the circuitous route over land.

How he got from here to there remains a mystery. What we do know from newspaper reports and recollections:

He left his house that morning at 5AM for his daily constitutional; when he didn’t return an hour later, his family texted friends and searched the neighborhood. A day of fruitless searching went by, and then another.

Rose Palacio, a former colleague of Satur’s at the Philippine News Agency, claimed that she had run into him at Victoria Plaza on Thursday afternoon, but she did not know that he was missing at that time. She kidded the usually well-dressed Satur about his slippers before she boarded her taxi. “O, Satur, nganong gi-dala man nimo imong sala dinhi?” she said. “Okay, okay,” he just answered with a vague smile.

That was the last anyone saw of Satur Apoyon alive.

Continue reading The Mysterious Last Journey of Satur Apoyon

Attack of the Night Prowling Rats, Part 2

Nonfiction by | October 9, 2011

A few weeks later, I came back to school to find that a beautiful candle given to me by my students had been attacked, its translucent wax strewn like rough diamonds all over my table, class records, and chair. They have returned. The War on Terror continues. Only the Saturday before, I had gone to school to work, and that time, all was well on my table with nary a pen or paper clip out of place. But on Monday, those rodents gave me a welcome back to work, a surprise I did not appreciate one bit.

Theories again abound. Remembering how rats are supposedly obsessed with revenge, it dawned on me that they must have known I wrote a vicious piece attacking their characters a few weeks ago! They must have heard my co-teacher and I backbiting them. Or, they could’ve heard me telling the school maintenance staff about the absolute need for their eradication.

Continue reading Attack of the Night Prowling Rats, Part 2

Flash Forward

Fiction by | October 6, 2011

Editor’s Note: This is an experimental work of interactive fiction, one that requires feedback from you, the reader. Please take the time to read through the story and, in the comments section, tell us which ending you prefer.

This story was supposed to run on October 9, but we are publishing it early so as to get as much feedback. This is for a paper that Jhoanna is writing.

“Perhaps I should take the ferry out with you.”

The moment she hit “Send,” she regretted it. She realized how difficult it would be to coordinate their schedules. He was just going there to shoot some additional footage for a documentary a friend was making. But she convinced herself she could swing it; call in sick and stay sick for a few days. It was unlikely anyhow that she’d meet another malingering call center agent in Siquijor Island in July. But more than logistics, she realized how loaded that suggestion was – even reminding her of Charon and his boat. Reminded her too of her high school teacher who had pronounced it “Sharon” and how she had believed him until Wikipedia enlightened her.

Continue reading Flash Forward

Attack of the Night Prowling Rats, Part 1

Nonfiction by | October 2, 2011

For over a year now, our faculty office has been plagued by a small ragtag army of ravenous rodents possessing extra-strong teeth. These rats crouch surreptitiously in the dark secret space between the ceiling and the roof during daytime, as humans scurry beneath them, ignorant of the insidious plans fermenting in those small, yet sharp and focused animal brains.

Perhaps without knowing the potential bomb of horror that would explode the next day, one of these hapless humans started eating merienda with his or her bare hands before proceeding to talk on the office phone. Using his or her contaminated fingers, this still unidentified person then moved the phone around and touched its wire. Conversation over, the person walked away, not knowing that the scent of food (and some particles) had been imprinted on the gray telephone wire.

Continue reading Attack of the Night Prowling Rats, Part 1

Bonsai

Poetry by | October 2, 2011

Editor’s Note: Last September 21, 2011, the Davao Writers Guild and the UP Mindanao Literary Society held a tribute to National Artist for Literature Edith L. Tiempo, who passed away on August 21, 2011. Writers gave tribute through reminiscences and readings of Tiempo’s poems. UP Mindanao creative writing students gave dance and musical offerings to honor her memory and legacy. Davao writer and scholar Macario Tiu read his Cebuano translation of Tiempo’s best-loved poem, “Bonsai.”

Bonsai
by Edith Tiempo

All that I love
I fold over once
And once again
And keep in a box
Or a slit in a hollow post
Or in my shoe.

All that I love?
Why, yes, but for the moment
And for all time, both.
Something that folds and keeps easy,
Son’s note or Dad’s one gaudy tie,
A roto picture of a queen,
A blue Indian shawl, even
A money bill.

It’s utter sublimation,
A feat, this heart’s control
Moment to moment
To scale all love down
To a cupped hand’s size.

Till seashells are broken pieces
From God’s own bright teeth,
And life and love are real
Things you can run and
Breathless hand over
To the merest child.

Bonsai
(Gihubad ni Macario D. Tiu)

Ang tanan kong gimahal
Akong pil-on makausa
Ug pil-on pag-usab
Ug itago sa usa ka kahon
O sa lungag sa usa ka poste
O sa akong sapatos.

Ang tanan kong gimahal?
Bitaw, para sa karon
Ug sa kahangtoran, kanang duha.
Usa ka butang nga sayon pil-on ug
Sayon tipigon,
Sulat sa anak o mabulokong
korbata ni Papa,
Usa ka karaang retrato sa batan-ong rayna,
Usa ka dakong panyo sa Bombay,
Bisan gani kuwartang papel.

Kadakong himaya
Usa ka kadaogan, kining gahom sa
kasingkasing
Sa matag takna
Nga pagamyon ang tanang gugma
Ngadto sa usa ka kumkom,

Hangtod ang mga sigay maoy mga
Buak nga tipaka sa sinaw nga ngipon sa Ginuo,
Ug ang kinabuhi ug gugma maoy
Tinuod nga mga butang nga imong
Idagan ug maghangak kang itunol
Ngadto sa usa ka bata.

Fellows to the Davao Writers Workshop 2011

Events by | September 30, 2011

The Davao Writers Guild is pleased to announce the Fellows to the Davao Writers Workshop 2011. They are:

For Creative Nonfiction
Janesa Mariam Ladjiman
Jearvy Remollo-Lanohan
Aimee Rosal
Jocy So-Yeung

For Fiction
Ianne Angel Aquino
Jondy Arpilleda
Joseph Anthony Harold Dubouzet
Glorypearl Dy
Mikhail Tuboro
Vida Mia Valverde

For Poetry
Glyd Jun Aranes
Dennis Coronel (Bisaya)
Margaux Denice Garcia
Chris David Lao
Michael Marquez (Bisaya)

The Davao Writers Workshop 2011 will take place at Lispher Inn, Matina, Davao City from October 11 to 15. Panelists for the workshop are Macario Tiu, Antonino Soria de Veyra, Timothy Montes, John Bengan, and Januar Yap. Workshop Director is Jhoanna Lynn Cruz, assisted by Deputy Director Dominique Cimafranca. The workshop is sponsored by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts and UP Mindanao.

Ilad

Fiction by | September 25, 2011

Usa ka kusog nga singgit gikan sa kuwarto ang mibitad kang Marvin sa halawom niyang pamensar. Kalit nga gigakos siya sa kahingawa. Dali dayon siyang nakatindog sa gilingkoran ug mituhoy paingon sa didto. Sinati kaayo niya katong tingoga. Pag-abli sa niya pultahan, wa gyod siya masayop. Iyang nakit-an si Arlyn ang iyang uyab nga nagtuk-ong sa higdaanan daw may gikalisangan. Iyaha dayon ning giduol ug gihalog.

“Babe, unsa may nahitabo?”

Giumod sa dalaga iyang nawong sa dughan sa ulitawo ug kalit ning midangoyngoy.

“Babe, ngil-ad kaayo ang akong damgo. Gilugos kos yawa! Huhuhu! Way kokalooy nga gipanamastamasan niya ang akong pagkababaye!”

Continue reading Ilad

Gab-’i / Night

Poetry by | September 25, 2011

Nagkikinain-kain ka ngani
nga pirmi ka man nasisidman?

Naabot ka kun nakakalakat na
iton lamrag.

Kapoy ka pirmi
kay ha pag-abot mo
nagdudulom iton kalarakan,
an mga bituon daw mga sada nga tak-om,
an mga hinimo han Makagarahom
natikang maghuring-huring
ha ira mga himangraw.

Pagal ka gad nga duro
hiton imo sudoy
kay ha imo pagkakaturog
naturo iton imo laway
ngada hiton mga dahon.

Hahapohapon ko iton imo bungkog.
Papakaturogon ko ikaw
tubtob nga umabot an
tigaman–an pangunat han sulhog
han sidlangan

imo na liwat ako
babayaan.

Continue reading Gab-’i / Night