GOYONG

Chapter 1

Goyong walked limply, side by side with his brother Julian. His body drooped; the battlefield had drained his energy. The rest of his companions looked rugged and worn out, with traces of dirt, blood and sweat crisscrossing over their bodies. The sun was slowly setting, bathing them in orange light. The company had lost track of time trudging mindlessly along the path when they finally saw a kubo in sight. As they neared it, they saw a woman collecting sheets of laundry. The woman saw them too and as soon as she did, she hastily ran inside the kubo with her laundry. Goyong and his brother shared an apprehensive look. Thinking that the battered soldiers approaching had spooked the woman, they started to veer away from the kubo, but the woman emerged again, and gestured for them to hurry inside.

The kawayan floor creaked under the weight of the soldiers. As soon as they entered, everybody went to work. The woman tended to the injured soldier who had suffered three gunshot wounds. Julian tended to the soldier who had suffered a wound on his left forearm. Goyong stood at the corner, looking over the scene before him.

"Hurry up with those leaves and get in here! I cannot tend to these blubbers alone! And hurry up with the brandy!" the woman shouted with such ferocity.

From the kitchen, a girl emerged. She balanced a large steaming pot on her hips and held a bottle filled with a dark liquid on the other hand. At this point, Goyong's eyesight became blurry as the world slowly spiraled.

The old woman snatched the brandy away from the girl's arms and chugged it briefly, before handing it to her patient. "Stop your whimpering and drink this" the old woman snarled.

Goyong's body swayed as he was about to pass out when two hands gripped him. Goyong blinked a few times, the world still in disarray. Slowly, his eyes focused and a face loomed over his face. The face had almond eyes, short thick lashes, and full lips. He stared at it, dumbfounded.

"You have a nasty cut on your forehead" the girl said. She had a high-pithed voice, but her tone was firm. Goyong stupidly placed his hand on his forehead and gazed at the scarlet liquid that covered his fingers. The girl gently dabbed on the wound, cleaning it first. She muttered 'can't even dodge a bullet' under her breath.

Goyong heard her and chuckled. "Fair maiden, may I ask your name" Goyong mumbled.

"My name is none of your business" the girl replied in a curt tone

Goyong blinked a few times and chuckled. He suddenly winced, for the girl had dabbed something in his wound. Goyong's brother, Julian, hovered behind the girl.

"A Mauser bullet must have grazed your forehead" he said.

The woman suddenly appeared beside him. She yanked the scarlet-soaked cloth out of the girl's hand. "Why don't you go fetch the mats from the chest for our guests. And go and fetch more water from the poso" the woman barked. Leon volunteered to assist her, and Goyong's eyes followed her out of the kubo, trapped in a haze.

"The gods must favor you," the woman muttered. Goyong was about to ask why when she continued, "I reckon this is the first time you faced fire. While your comrades over there suffered gunshots, a bullet merely whizzed past your face."

Goyong winced, for sharp pains started to throb at his head. After a few minutes, the pain had started to ebb, and the woman slapped a bandage on the wound. The old woman stared at him for a moment. "There's something about you....you look like a man destined for greatness" the old woman absentmindedly said as she cleaned up her supplies "But not all greatness ends with a happy conclusion." The woman's strange musings pierced through Goyong's soul despite the haziness he felt. Goyong, decided to lie down for a while.