Project LOKI ③

Chapter 37: Center of the Web I

"Kaluguran na kayu siguru ne?" The old woman's face brightened up. Loki must have said something good to her. In-unlock din kasi niya ang gate at pinapasok kaming dalawa. "Mekeni, lungub kayu!"

I guess she is inviting us to come in? I absolutely had no idea so I just followed behind her.

"You never told me that you can speak Kapampangan," bulong ko kay Loki habang nilalakad namin ang pavement patungo sa mismong bahay. "Lagi ka kasing nag-e-English at nagta-Tagalog sa apartment at school."

"You never asked," he replied, shooting a sideward glance at me. "I need to learn their language here in Pampanga. Did you know that I managed to solve a kidnap-for-ransom case because of that?"

"Really? How?"

"When the kidnappers called the parents of their victim, one of them spoke through the phone. I recognized his accent and how he can't pronounce the word 'hostage' properly. 'Ostage,' he said."

"So they have problem enunciating the letter H?"

"Some Kapampangans can't fluently pronounce words with that letter. They say 'os-pi-tal' instead of 'hos-pi-tal' and 'a-nger' instead of 'ha-nger.' You should learn the language if you are planning to stay in this province a little bit longer."

Hindi ko nga alam kung hanggang kailan ako magtatagal dito. When Dad and I met at the Diogenes Cafe months ago, he told me that I should return to Manila and study there. Dahil ayaw ko nang maging sunud-sunuran sa kanya, I shook my head and said no.

"At anong sinabi ng housekeeper kanina sa gate?"

"Tinanong niya kung mga kaibigan tayo ni Jamie. Nang um-oo ako, sinabihan niya tayong tumuloy sa loob."

"Lungub kayu! Lungub kayu!" The housekeeper opened the wooden door for us and let us in. Pagpasok namin sa loob, sinara niya ang pinto at humarap sa amin. "Simap namu dintang kayu! Eku balu nung nanung gawan ku kang Jamie. Manibat yang minuli ya yang metung a aldo, makamulala nemu. Balamu ala ya king sarili na."

Parang durugo yata ang ilong ko. Tissue and translator, please!

"She said that she's glad we came here," Loki explained. "She doesn't know what to do with Jamie. Since she came home after that incident, she's no longer her usual self."

"Agli, ali ya makaintinding Kapampangan ing kayabe mo?" turo sa akin ng housekeeper.

Loki shook his head. "Tiga Menila ya pu kasi kaya ali ya makaintindi king pisasabyan tamu."

Lumapit sa akin ang houskeeper at hinawakan ang mga kamay ko. "Ay, pasensya na, 'a? 'indi ko kasi balu na 'indi ka nakakaintindi ng Kapampangan. Mag-Tagalug tanamu, ne? Este, mag-usap na lang tayo sa Tagalog."

That's way better.

"Ako nga pala si Dolores," pagpapakilala ng housekeeper sabay hawak sa kaniyang dibdib. "Matagal na akong katiwala ng mga Santiago, mga twenty years na yata? Ako na ang nag-alaga sa kanila mula nang maliliit pa sila."

"Nasaan ho ang mga parents ni Jamie?" tanong ko.

Yumuko si Tita Dolores at nabahiran ng kalungkutan ang mukha niya. "Ilang taon na silang patay. Para ngang merong sumpa ang pamilyang 'to dahil kada dalawang taon, may namamatay sa kanila."

What she said caught our attention. A family curse? Like the case in the Bougainville Subdivision?

"'Yong nanay ni Jamie, namatay na six years ago. Pinasok daw ng mga magnanakaw itong ba'ay tapos mag-isa lang noon si madam—sumalangit nawa ang kaluluwa niya. Pinagsasaksak siya at la'at ng ala'as at pera niya, tinangay. 'anggang ngayon, wala pa rin na'u'uling suspek para sa krimen."