This is a tribute to my mother's discipline style - with her use of the ubiquitous 'bilugon' or a cane to keep ten children in line. We were approximately 2 years apart except for a 6-yr gap between 2 children, so you can imagine how much drama goes on every moment of the day! Anyway, I wrote this to have fun on a family reunion in 1993!
She uses a branch from a guava sapling. Guava tree is touted as one of the strongest tree, and its branch gives a zinging sound and, well, really hurts when it hits your behind! She always has one hidden on the top of our china cabinet, and woe is she/he who will steal it!
This is written in Ilonggo, my mother's tongue. To my Ilonggo friends and readers, enjoy this!
Ana
_________________________________________
Ang Bilugon
By: Ana Teo
May 1993
Sa tanan nga mga butang
Sa amon balay nga gindaku-an
Isa gid lang ang akon nahamut-an
Kay ini nagasugid sang isa ka kasaysayan.
Pagkakita ko pa lang makaisa
Sa iya bulotangan –ibabaw sang platera
Nagbalik-balik sa akon huna-huna
Ang akon ‘inheritance’ pinaagi sa iya.
Siya isa ka butang nga diutay
Wala sing bugal kag pobre ang dagway
Pero kon ma-igo ikaw sang bilugon ni Nanay
Ang imo kiwi nga pensar mapa-iway.
O bilugon, bilugon ni Nanay
Indi ko gid gusto ang imo dagway
Kon puede lang ikaw akon bali-bali-on
Kag sa akon tinig-ang i-gatong!
Kasakit, kasakit sang imo agi
Buli ko naglabhag sang ako Grade three,
Kay ginhinay-hinay ko bukad ang sobre
Ginkuha sinsilyo ni Nanay kag ginbakal dulsi.
Akon nadumdoman sadto anay
Si Otay kag si Pepe naga-away,
Indi na maka-agwanta si Nanay,
Tag-napulo ka hanot sa kada isa gin-angay.
Samtang kami naga-eskuela
Indi gid puede ang maglakwatsa
Wala labot sa akig, ang bilugon handa
Sa pagtudlo kon diin ang husto nga puerta.
Manipis, malaba, nagabagrong
Mainit ang agi, nagabiti, indi halandumon
Nagtudlo ini sa amon sang matarong
Gani kuedaho gid kamo kon inyo kawaton.
Madamo pa nga mga kasaysayan
Ang indi ko mabutang kay wala ko naagyan,
Gani kon may gusto kamo nga amon mahibal-an
Isugid sa akon kay aton idugang.
Asta subong sige pa ang trabaho
Sang bilugon ni Nanay – mga bata, kuedaho
Si Third kon treinta minutos na nga naga-ingos,
Kon makakita sing bilugon daw santos.
Madamo pa tani ang akon isaysay
Pero ang panahon masyado kagamay,
Isiling ko lang sa inyo – tungod sa bilugon ni Nanay,
Ang akon karon pangabuhi matawhay!
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4 comments:
This is sooo good! I can't explain the feeling reading your "Ang Bilugon". I am teary eyed remembering our childhood. It is so different reading it than listening to you reading it in our reunion years back where you made all of us laugh and talk all together at the same time telling each other of our bilugon encounters.
Tonight, reading this, I think of Nanay and how I miss her sooo MUCH!
I MISS EVERYBODY!
Keep on writing!
(Still at the office this time of night, 8:00 pm here. Just finished my work and emailed it to the boss).
Our emotions are changing as we grow older, aren't they? Yeah, nostalgia is an older person's ailment. Thanks for your comment - maayo kay may nagabasa gali sa posts ko. Bisan pamilya ko daw wala man ni gabasa. LOL!
My ex hubby had a heavty hand with my daughters, just short of my daughters being battered children. I blame myself for putting up with him for so many years. He did not use bilugon but my daughters wold have gashes and bruises on their bellies and hidden parts of the body. I would only learn about them if I take s shower with my daughters, as they were instructed not to tell anyone.
So I was so careful not to use my hand or anything to hurt my daughters. But looking back now, we were extremes....maybe I should have disciplined physically my daughters too....would they be more disciplined if I did......
MS, that was bad! You must still be feeling awful when you remember this. I know - I have my share of parental guilt - all the 'what ifs.' I realize, however, that we cannot move forward if we keep kicking ourselves for all the 'if onlys' that we can think of. What gives me comfort is that I have asked God and my children for forgiveness, and I have to trust that He did and they did forgive me as well. We can only make decisions on what we are/what we have at that given time. For the present, I have to trust that the God who sees the end from the beginning can and will make something good from all the bad things we do & experience. Trust Him - He is trustworthy to all who trust Him.
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