FILIPINO BOOK: ANG LUMANG APARADOR NI LOLA | CHILDREN'S BOOK WITH ENGLISH/TAGALOG SUBTITLES PHILIPPINISCHES BUCH: LOLAS ALTER GARDEROBE | KINDERBUCH MIT ENGLISCHEN/TAGALOG-UNTERTITELN FILIPINO BOOK: LOLA'S OLD WARDROBE | CHILDREN'S BOOK WITH ENGLISH/TAGALOG SUBTITLES

Ang Lumang Aparador ni Lola Grandmother's Antique Wardrobe

Kuwento ni Genaro Gojo Cruz Story by Genaro Gojo Cruz

Guhit ni Jose Miguel Tejido Illustrated by Jose Miguel Tejido

(MUSIC) (MUSIC)

Mayroon akong kinatatakutan sa aming bahay. There's something in our house that's giving me the creeps.

Ito ay ang lumang aparador sa aking silid. It's the antique wardrobe in my bedroom.

Walang sinuman ang nakabubuhat sa aparador kundi sina Nanay at Tatay. No one except Mother and Father could move it.

Ano kaya ang laman nito? I wonder what's inside it.

Siguro, isang dambuhalang damit. Maybe, it's a monster-dress.

Kapag umuulan o dumadagundong ang langit sa kulog at kidlat, When it rains or when the sky booms with thunder and lightning,

agad kukuha si Nanay ng puting kumot at tatakpan ang salamin ng aparador. Mother quickly grabs a white sheet and covers the wardrobe mirror.

Saka isasara niya ang mga bintana. Then she closes the windows.

Pati ba kulog at kidlat ay takot sa salamin? I wonder if thunder and lightning are also scared of the mirror.

Lumang-luma na ang aparador. Kulay putik ito. The wardrobe is very old. It is the color of mud.

May maliliit na ukit ng mga bulaklak sa mga gilid at may mukha ng anghel sa itaas ng salamin. On its sides are small flower carvings and there's a face of an angel above the mirror.

Sa malayo, tila isang malaking kuweba ito. From afar, it looks like a giant cave.

Naisip ko, baka may natutulog na higante sa loob. I think an ogre is sleeping inside.

Iniiwasan kong mapadaan sa harap ng aparador. Baka kasi magising ang higante. I avoid passing by the wardrobe, lest I wake up the ogre.

Isang araw, binuksan ni Nanay ang aparador at kinuha ang isang mahalagang dokumento. One day, Mom opened the wardrobe and took out an important document.

Lumangitngit ang pinto nito na parang nabibiyak na lupa. The door creaked like a breaking ground.

Kumalat din ang pambihirang amoy ng luma at inaamag na libro. The extraordinary smell of old and moldy books spread.

Natakot ako. Baka lamunin si Nanay ng dambuhalang damit o ng higanteng natutulog sa loob. I was scared. Maybe Mom will be eaten by the monster-dress or the ogre sleeping inside.

Pero walang dambuhalang damit o higanteng kumuha kay Nanay. But no monster-dress or an ogre took over Mom.

Sinilip ko ang loob ng aparador pero agad-agad na isinara ni Nanay. I peeked inside the wardrobe but Mom immediately closed it.

Minsan, lakas-loob na nanalamin ako sa aparador. One time, I got brave enough to stand before the wardrobe mirror.

Malaki ang salamin, kitang-kita ang buong katawan ko. The mirror is long and wide I could see my whole body in it.

Pero umihip ang kakaibang hangin sa aking likuran. But a cold wind blew behind me.

Tumaas ang puting kurtina sa bintana, at nag-amoy sampaguita ang paligid. The white curtains at the window billowed, and I smelled

Pakiramdam ko, parang may babaeng nakaputi sa aking likuran. the fragrance of sampaguita* I felt a lady in white was standing behind me.

Kumaripas ako ng takbo. I ran as fast as I could.

Mula noon, hindi na ako nagsalamin sa aparador. I never looked in the mirror again.

"Sa Linggo, magsisimba tayo ng Tatay mo sa bayan. "On Sunday. we'll hear Mass in town with your Father.

Ikapitong kaarawan mo, kaya kailangang maganda ang iyong isusuot. It's your seventh birthday so you have to wear something nice.

Halika," yaya sa akin ni Nanay. Kinuha niya ang isang bungkos ng mga susi. Come," Mother said to me. She got a bunch of keys.

Bumilis ang tibok ng aking puso. My heart beat faster.

Baka lamunin kami ni Nanay ng dambuhalang damit o kaya ay ng higante. The monster-dress or the sleeping ogre might swallow Mother and me.

Muling lumangitngit ang pinto ng aparador at kumalat ang amoy ng inaamag na libro. Again, the door of the wardrobe creaked and I smelled the moldy book.

Hindi ko alam kung tatakpan ko ang aking tainga o ang aking ilong. I did not know which to cover, my ears or my nose.

Pero hindi man lang natakot si Nanay. But Mother was not frightened at all.

Namangha ako nang ilabas ni Nanay ang isang napakagandang bestida. I was amazed when Mother brought out a very pretty dress.

Noon lamang ako nakakita ng ganoon kagandang bestida, kulay rosas, pinaulanan ng pulang-pula at maliliit na rosas. It was the prettiest dress I've ever seen—it was pink, and decorated with small red roses.

Buhay na buhay ang mga rosas. At mayroon itong malaking lasong puti sa likod. The roses looked real. The dress had a big white ribbon on its back.

Lapat na lapat sa akin ang bestida, parang isinukat ng modista sa akin. It fitted me perfectly, like the dressmaker had known my measurements all along.

Sa pagdiriwang ng Linggo ng Wika sa aming eskuwelahan, kailangan kong magsuot ng kasuotang Pilipino. During the celebration of Language Week in school, I had to wear a Filipino dress.

Agad inilabas ni Nanay mula sa aparador ang kasuotang terno na punong-puno ng masalimuot na burda. Mother brought out from the wardrobe a native dress with butterfly sleeves which had a delicate embroidery.

At noong ako'y magkumunyon, inilabas naman ni Nanay ang puting-puting bestida And when I had my first communion, Mother again brought out from the wardrobe a white dress.

na may katerno pang belo na yari sa pina. There was even a veil made of piña that came with it.

At noong ako'y sabitan ng medalya, namangha ang aking mga guro at mga kaklase sa isinuot kong bestida. And when I received a medal, my teachers and classmates were awed by my dress.

Ang tela nito'y sinasaniban ng liwanag sa gabi at may mga burda pang mga bituin. The fabric glittered at night and was even embroidered with stars.

Lalo akong nahiwagaan sa lumang aparador. I became more fascinated with the wardrobe.

Siguro, may isang malaking makinang-panahi sa loob nito na gumagawa ng magagandang damit na isinusuot ko. Maybe, inside it was a big sewing machine that sewed all the pretty dresses I've been wearing.

Minsan ay kinuha ko ang bungkos ng mga susi ni Nanay at sinubukan kong buksan ang aparador. One time, I took Mother's bunch of keys and tried to open the wadrobe.

Mahigpit ang pagkakapinid ng pinto at The door was shut tight.

anuman ang gawin kong pagpihit at pag-ikot-ikot sa kalawanging susi ay hindi ko talaga mabuksan. I turned the key this way and that way but it would not open.

Isang gabi, habang nagsusuklay sa harap ng salamin si Nanay ay tinanong ko siya tungkol sa aparador. One night, while Mother was combing her hair before the mirror, I asked her about the wardrobe.

"Ang aparador na ito ay minana ko sa iyong Lola Dominga. "I inherited this wardrobe from your Grandmother Dominga.

Kilala siyang magaling na mananahi at magbuburda noong panahon ng mga Amerikano. She was a well-known dressmaker and embroiderer during the American Occupation.

Kapag may sobrang tela ay tinatahi niya ako ng bestida," kuwento ni Nanay. Whenever she found some cloth lying around, she'd sew me a dress," Mother said.

"Matibay ang aparador na ito, "This wardrobe is very sturdy.

hindi nagbabago ang kulay o inaanay. The color never fades, and it's never prone to termites.

Sa amin ng iyong tatay, ito ang pinakamahalagang gamit dito sa ating bahay." Between your father and me, it's the most treasured possession in this house."

Binuksan ni Nanay ang aparador. Mother opened the wardrobe.

Namangha ako sa aking nakita. I couldn't believe what I saw.

Maayos na naka-hanger ang kay gagandang mga bestida na iba-iba ang kulay; gayundin ang parang buhay na buhay na mga burda. Arranged neatly were very pretty dresses of different colors; also life-like embroideries.

Marami ring nakaikid na sinulid at kahon. There were threads in spools and boxes.

Nang buksan ni Nanay ang unang kahon, nakita ko ang maraming karayom na iba-iba ang laki. When Mother opened the first box, I saw needles of different sizes.

At sa sumunod na kahon, sumambulat ang kay daming larawan. From the next box, photographs spilled out.

Sa bawat larawan ay naroon ang batang suot ang mga damit na isinuot ko. In every picture was a little girl who wore the clothes I've worn.

Tinanong ko si Nanay kung sino iyong bata. " I asked Mother who the little girl was.

Hulaan mo. Hindi mo ba siya nakikilala?" sabi ni Nanay. "Make a guess. Don't you recognize her?" Mother said.

Pumustu-pustura siya at ginaya pa ang ayos ng bata sa larawan. She posed this way and that way, and even imitated the pose of the little girl in the picture.

"Ay, oo nga!" Si Nanay ang nasa mga larawan, ang may suot ng magagandang damit na isinuot ko! "Oh, yes!" It is Mother who's in the photographs, wearing all those pretty dresses I've worn!

Hindi ako dapat matakot sa lumang aparador. I shouldn't be frightened of the wardrobe.

Dapat kong alagaan tulad ng pag-aalaga rito nina Nanay at Tatay dahil ito ay alaala ng aking Lola Dominga. I should care for it like Mother and Father do because it's the only thing to remember Grandmother Dominga by.

Tama si Nanay. Magaling na mananahi at magbuburda si Lola Dominga. Mother is right. Grandmother Dominga was a good dressmaker and embroiderer.

Naisusuot ko pa rin ang mga bestidang tinahi niya para kay Nanay noon. Can you imagine? I can still wear the clothes she sewed for Mother.

Pakiramdam ko, kilalang-kilala niya ako, dahil lapat na lapat sa akin ang mga damit na tinahi niya para kay Nanay. I think she knew me well, otherwise the dresses she made for Mother wouldn't fit me at all.

Nasabik ako. Sana, ikalabingwalong kaarawan ko na. I wish it were my eighteenth birthday already.

Kinabukasan ay binuksan kong mag-isa ang aparador. The next day, I opened the wardrobe by myself.

Tiningnan ko sa mga larawan ang magandang babaeng laging may akay kay Nanay. I looked at the lovely woman with Mother in the photographs.

Kay ganda pala ng aking Lola Dominga! How pretty my Grandmother Dominga was!

Kay ganda niyang ngumiti. Pakiramdam ko ay nagkasama kami nang matagal. How pretty she smiled! I feel we were together for a long time.

Ngayon, tuwing mapapadaan o magsasalamin ako sa aparador, lalong napapamahal sa akin ang aking Lola Dominga, ang aking magaling na mananahi at magbuburdang Lola. Now, every time I pass by the wardrobe or look in the mirror, my love for grandmother Dominga grows deeper.