Bayani Unmasked: A HENERAL LUNA & GOYO: Ang Batang Heneral One-shot collection

8. Return

Tirad Pass surely has its fair share of history in Philippine history: for it showcase the heroism of the Boy General. But... what if it had been otherwise? Instead of dying, Goyo survived Tirad Pass. Will he be able to have his own happy ending, and find it at Dagupan? 

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Despite winning and surviving Tirad Pass, it would forever haunt Goyo that he almost died for another time. That it had been another dance with death. Perhaps, upon knowing his conviction to survive for his family and for a certain woman he hesitantly had left in Dagupan, Death had spared him for another time. To bring him back home, and to at least give him a chance for the taste of a happy ending.

That's why, right after the battle, he had asked Señor Presidente if it would be possible for him to at least spend Christmas with the people he truly had kept on his heart at the moment he had considered to be his last. He said that the war had torn apart families for far too long, and everyone was edgy to make it to their homes for Christmas. With the success of Tirad Pass, Señor Presidente allowed him and his brigade. But made him promise, along with his forces, that their loyalties remained to him—that when he'll be in need another time, they must submit to their duty. That they'll only be at home with their families for Christmas, at most until New Year; but they must return after such celebrations for everyone must remember that they remain at war.

Señor Presidente had warned him himself that the journey back to Bulacan will be greeted with a battle with Americans. That the best option he and his forces have was to scatter away. And to at least mislead the Americans than to give the enemies the advantage of knowing that their target would be their home province.

Goyo had plans already. He was planning to drop by Dagupan first before heading home. Vicente teased him that he better grabbed the necessary opportunity to finally settle the scores. The war would continue on, and they had promised to be at Bulacan for Christmas. They mustn't missed it, or else, Julian would kill them. After all, news surely had been spread already that the two of them had survived the ordeal.

The two of them, along with Joven, had reached Dagupan a few days later. At the outskirt of the town, they learned that Dagupan was already under the occupation of the Americans. Due to that, he and Vicente stripped off their military coats, cap and hat, boots and their armaments, before burying them at a secluded place, leaving a subtle reminder, and they entered the city on their inner shirts, faded military pants and satchels. With them being known around Dagupan, they needed to be much more careful, trailing the long road to the house of Don Mariano—the one almost trailing the outlet of the gulf.

"Hoy, Goyo," Vicente called out to him in almost a whisper, patting him on his shoulder that caused him to stop. "Hindi ba si Remedios iyon?" He asked, pointing at a lone figure seated by the rocks and overlooking the setting sun.

"Anong ginagawa niya—" Goyo was interrupted right away when both Vicente and Joven pushed him out of their hiding spot. He fell back to the ground with a groan, and as he sat up, he mumbled under his breath, "Puñeta." But now that he was out in the open as he lifted his head up, he realized that the woman had turned to him, surprised and unsure as she called his name.

"Goyo?" she asked with a slight frown, standing from her seat among the rocks.

"Remedios," he sighed, pulling himself upright. He brushed the existent dirt on his clothes, realizing that he was completely stripped off his honor as a soldier because this was the only way that he, Vicente and Joven could enter Dagupan safely without being hinted by the Americans as commanding officials of the Philippine Republic. He felt ashamed, when the previous times that Remedios had seen him, he was proudly wearing his uniform as an esteemed soldier. "A-Ako'y—"

"Nagbalik ka," Remedios finished off, drawing closer, slowly, afraid that he was just an illusion right now. She bit her lower lip as she was finally standing right in front of him. "Nabalitaan ko ang nangyari sa Pasong Tirad. At..." She lowered her head, stammering for a second. "At... di ko inaasahan na babalik ka, sapagkat nasa ilalim na ng mga Amerikano ang mga bayang palibot ng Golpo ng Lingayen. At magpapasko na din, at iniisip ko na ika'y uuwi ng Bulacan upang kahit papaano ay makapagdiwang ng Pasko kasama—"

"Remedios," he started another time. With them being this close to each other, he couldn't even find the strength in him to be so much more.

When he read her letter to him, he understood something—that the way to earn her love was to break apart everything that heralded him as a hero. That he must find it within himself his true essence. That from the start and in the end, no matter what happens, he would always just be a boy—a man—named Gregorio del Pilar.

And he was here to make her know that. "Nagbabalik ako dahil... Dahil tama ka sa lahat ng bagay. Tama silang lahat tungkol sa akin. Pero, naparito din ako upang sabihin na... Na nagkamali kang ituring akong isang bayaning di mo maabot." He hesitantly took her hand on his own, guiding her hand at the place of his heart. He was no longer shaking compared to the last time. For he was no longer lost. "Dahil buong-buo akong nandito sa harapan mo ngayon upang iparamdam sa iyo na buong-buo rin ang aking pagmamahal sa iyo."

She bit her lower lip another time before sighing heavily. "Goyo..."

He squeezed her hand, and he was surprised to find out how the hand he had been holding close grasped the fabric of his shirt. Not to mention that she was shivering.

"Akala ko..." She gulped in hard. Her voice small and quivering. "Akala ko... di na ulit kita makikita. Akala ko makakalimutan mo na ako."

His eyes saddened, lowering a little to see the presence of a chain around her neck. Looped onto the thin link had been a familiar ring. The same plain gold ring that he had given to her since her father won't allow her to take that diamond ring that he initially wanted to give. "Remedios... yung singsing na iyan—"

All of a sudden, she drew her face closer to his chest, surprising Goyo himself. "Tumahimik ka, Goyo. Kapag nagsalita ka pa, isusuko kita sa mga Amerikano."

Goyo was so dumb-struck that he heard himself gasping. He could swore that even Vicente and Joven who've been still on their hiding behind the bushes and watching them all along had gasped rather loudly. It took Goyo a second later to relax and chuckle as he finally allowed himself to surround his arms around her. He breathed in her familiar and sweet scent, and his fingers tangled on her hair. He imagined the debt to God for sparing him, but it could all be a good life.

"Alam mo ba na 'Goyong' ang tawag sa akin ng pamilya at kaibigan ko?" he inquired in a whisper as he slowly and gently swayed her, allowing her to cry on his chest.

"Sinabihan na nga kitang tumahimik," she mumbled, trying to suppress her tears. "Goyong."

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