GOYONG

Chapter 2

The moonlight had roused Goyong from his nap. The kubo was engulfed by darkness save from the moon that shone like a brilliant gem. A melody produced by crickets hummed outside accompanied by the rustling of trees that swayed with the gentle breeze. He took a look at the sleeping figures of his companions and slowly stood up. The night lured Goyong outside and so he strode towards it.

The cold breeze immediately hugged him. He looked up at the night sky, the moon slightly obscured by a few tall trees. He looked around the vast expanse of land around him and started to walk, with no destination in mind. With his hand clasped behind his back, he strolled across the dirt, looking like a lost prince in the middle of the countryside. He marveled at the simplicity of his surroundings and felt a wave of tranquility. After a few strides, he heard the cackling sounds of a river nearby. Filled with curiosity, he followed the sounds until it led him to a crystalline river, its clear glassy water a sight to behold. The moon was no longer concealed under a blanket of trees; it now shone freely, its splendor fully exposed. Along with it, stars dotted the night sky. Goyong let out a smile, deeply moved by the beauty of Filipinas.

Goyong leaned at a nearby thicket, staring at the scene, drinking it in. He gazed at the river and asked it about how his family was doing. The river merely stared at him.

Goyong tried to recall the events that transpired. It was Goyong's first taste of the battlefield. And he had no idea what to think of it. The ear shattering blasts of guns and canons, shouts from all sides, blood, dust, sweat, engulfed his mind. The battlefield had been terrifying, but it injected an uncanny exhilaration in his veins.

At the far end of where he's standing, a figure sat on a boulder near the river, gazing at the night sky. Goyong squinted his eyes and came towards it. He later realized that it was the girl from the kubo, her hair wildly splayed against the wind. As he came closer, Goyong slowed his steps.

"Isn't it dangerous for a girl like you to be alone in the middle of a forest?" Goyong said as he was a few meters from her.

"The guardians of the forest looks after me, I am sure" the girl replied. She turned and looked at him "Isn't it a dangerous for a wounded soldier like you to walk about in the middle of forest?" she shot back.

Goyong smiled "A fair maiden shall look after me, I am sure."

The girl merely scoffed and stared at the moon again. Goyong inched closer to the boulder until he was directly next to it. He placed himself directly across the girl and made sure that he was nowhere too near, as he respected her and didn't want to scandalize her.

"What happened? At the battle, I mean" the girl asked.

Goyong raised a quizzical brow "I do not think the gruesome details of the battle would be an appropriate topic for a gentleman to share with a lady such as yourself"

"Indulge me" the girl persisted.

Goyong shared about his sojourn at Kakaron, and how he and his fellow comrades had defended the fort with all their might. The enemy came from all sides, the revolutionaries outnumbered. A few of them had stayed, answering the enemy fire with all their might. Once an opening at the enemy lines was visible, Goyong along with his remaining comrades escaped. They found not a single Katipunero in sight for all of them had escaped during the first few shots that were exchanged.

The girl listened attentively, and at the end of Goyong's story, she sighed.

"Is your father part of the battalion deployed at Kakaron?" Goyong inquired, wondering if she asked him because of it.

The girl shook his head. "My parents disappeared long ago. The guardia civil suddenly barged into our home one night and dragged them away. They never returned."