GOYONG

Chapter 10

After Heneral Luna's death, Goyong spent his nights with unease. He was now stationed at Dagupan, because Aguinaldo had appointed him as provincial commander of Pangasinan with the headquarters based at Dagupan.

Goyong's stay at Dagupan was spent in a somewhat restless manner. The ladies, however, would prove to be a suitable distraction for the young general. He would often distract himself by wooing the available lovely ladies in the town, but the same dread would always creep at night. The moon rarely showed itself, as it hid beneath the dark clouds with the stars. 

He did not particularly talk to the goddess anymore after their last meeting, but he would always find himself flipping the locket open and close which became a habit before he went to sleep.

He worried about the girl, for he knew that Bulacan was under numerous attacks everyday and she would be involved in the midst of it all. But other than that, a strange ominous feeling had started to drag over him. He rarely felt the usual strength and glory in his veins. He would always find himself unable to sleep. Goyong disliked the ominous feeling, but somehow he understood what it meant, and it filled him with fear.

Once, when his eldest brother Pablo visited him, he gave a troubled message to Goyong. "We are confronted with great battles. Against such strong enemies, I shall fight to the very end. You can tell our family to consider me dead. I do not expect to survive much longer." Pablo had no desire to distress his family but the dread had started to overcome him. Not wanting to waste a moment, Pablo had said his goodbye while he still can. He died a few weeks after that.

Goyong's brigade slept early, for tomorrow they would leave Dagupan. Among the soft snores, Goyong turned relentlessly while he slept, an unknown nightmare possessing him.

Suddenly, Goyong woke up in the middle of the night in cold sweat. His heart raced wildly in his chest as droplets of sweat continuously flowed around his face. He willed his heart to calm down and took deep breaths.

He stared outside the window onto the moonless night. The dark sky was blank. With the crickets uncharacteristically quiet, not a single sound can be heard outside. Goyong fumbled around and as a habit, took the locket under his pillow. 

But as he clutched it in his hands, the gold locket's surface emitted a cold sensation. Goyong hesitated. The locket had always been warm to his touch before.

His heart raced again as he slowly opened the locket. The moon reappeared for a brief moment, casting its light towards Goyong, illuminating the locket as it opened. 

Goyong's heart skipped a beat. For inside it, was a strand of a long hair.

Goyong froze. 

His breathing became irregular. His eyes started to moist and soon, tears silently began to fall.

He closed the locket and clutched it closer to his heart, his whole body shaking violently, filled with sorrow. 

This was a sign from the goddess. 

A message, that the brown-eyed girl, along with his promise, was dead.

As they left Dagupan, Goyong entrusted one of his bulky wallets to his aide-de-camp. Encased in it was a farewell letter dedicated to a nameless girl. Goyong had written it a few hours ago, as he bid farewell to the girl he had promised to come back. He wrote the words that would never be spoken; words that would never reach her, words that were too late.