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

10. Secrets Pt. II

If General Luna didn't die, Colonel Enriquez must steel his nerves to meet him to deliver a message... or will he end up falling in love with Joven, the General's adopted son?

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"Goyo..." he was exhausted—light-headed from some drinking spree last night—and he pressed his hands against his temples to ease the ache. "Si Julian na lang ang papuntahin mo doon. Nakakatakot harapin si Heneral Luna. Mapapatay niya ako kapag naamoy niya na amoy alak ako. Narinig mo ba yung usap-usapan tungkol sa kanya?"

"Tungkol doon sa Artikulo Uno? Oo; magandang batas na dapat ay nakalatad sa ating konstitusyon kung maari. At yung pagpapahiya niya sa Brigada ng Kawit? Oo; totoo naman na walang panahon ang dapat ipasadya sa gitna ng digmaan," his friend replied with a sharp voice. "Tsaka mas lasing pa sa iyo si kuya. Ayoko mabalitaan na sumuka siya sa harapan ng Punong Heneral."

It was actually a surprised for him to find out that Goyo wasn't drunk from last night. He knew that the young general was courting a woman last night, but had been always rejected and yet he remained as a fool. He started to wonder what Goyo had eaten to start acting a little weird.

In the end, he finally agreed on. He was sent to deliver the letter of seeking an audience with General Luna. He was still in the end of his wits, but he ensured that he would have a very good impression for the sake of the Brigada del Pilar. He made sure that he doesn't smell like alcohol, that he would not vomit, and he would not pee on his pants due to his own fear.

But, good Lord, he surely didn't regret being the messenger. He was surprised to find out that in a great battallion of valiant soldiers loyal to General Luna, there would be a man who wasn't at all a soldier. Someone who was completely out of place... and yet, there he was.

"Sabihin mo kay Goyo na ako'y nagagalak tanggapin ang kanyang paanyaya," General Luna told him. "Inaasahan ko na magkikita kami ayon sa aking nasabi. Kailangan nating magkaisa kung nais talaga nating matalo ang mga Amerikano."

"Opo, heneral," he managed to reply back. He was a little embarrassed that he was stealing glances at the man who've been watching him since his arrival as well, seated with Colonel Róman, Captain Rusca, and Major and Captain Bernals, as they enjoyed on their afternoon siesta of tea and ensaymadas.

And so he returned back to his general. But not before having another lingering look at the man who've shyly turned away.

# # #

Vicente could swore that he had been surprisingly eager for the meeting between Goyo and Heneral Luna. It wasn't the first time, but it would be for someone, aside from the soldiers, whom they'll collaborate with. Being the aide-de-camp, it was his obligation to be next to Goyo for throughout the audience. That didn't stop him, however, from glancing on at the man—now standing next to the Bernal brothers.

When their eyes met for a second, he smiled at the man. All of a sudden, the man averted his gaze. He wondered if he was having false assumptions, but his smile widened upon seeing him blushed.

# # #

The days that followed had been peaceful. Both forces of the two generals had come to an agreement of working together to fulfill their common goal to ensure that the Philippine Republic will have an advantage if a stronghold battle will ensue. And Vicente was asked to overlook a respective part of the troops working on with building almost unpenetrable trenches at the other end of camp.

He could've asked Goyo to place him close to the main base, but he knew that the young general would not allow the older del Pilar to be on his place; since Julian would certainly linger with the work. Compared to being close to the base, Julian would remain under Goyo's reach and the watches of General Luna's forces, which will make Julian act as a commendable soldier than a reckless one.

Anyhow, he remained thankful for once in a while, the man—whom he later learned to be named Joven Hernando—would be trailing one end of the trenches all the way to the other with José Bernal. For some reasons, he could say that General Luna had chosen the younger Bernal to act as some guard for Joven. Though there were times that their meeting were fleeting—a nod, a greeting, and an acknowledgement—Vicente could not stop himself from wanting to have a more in-depth conversation to get to know the man much more.

After all, there was something about the man that made him want to get closer to him.

It was only after a few days more that Vicente had been cornered by the del Pilars and by his own younger brother, Jose.

"GAH!" Julian screamed in frustration, one that could be heard by practically everyone on camp. Surely another would insinuate General Luna to barge in right at their hut to find out the reason why.

"Kuya, maghunustili ka nga," Goyo chides from the series of papers he had been reading. He was about to start taking notes onto his journal before Julian shouted. The ink from his pen had caused a blot onto the otherwise clean paper. He mumbled sharply, "Puñeta!"

"Ano na naman bang nangyayari sa iyo, pinsan?" Juan, the del Pilar brothers' cousin, inquires while he was polishing their rifles and swords along with the younger Enriquez.

Vicente remained looking from outside of the hut, while the four others bickered on.

"Nakakainis yung ganito," Julian settled onto the floor next to Juan. A heavy frown on his face, he reached out for his own rifle and aimed it at the empty space. "Wala namang nangyayaring labanan, bakit hindi tayo puwede magkaroon ng pista? Hindi gaya dati bago tayo sumanib sa mga puwersa ng Punong Heneral. Ngayon man ay 'di man din tayo makapaglabas ng alak."

"Isa pa talaga, kuya, at ilulunod kita sa ilog," Goyo warns, completely angry and depressed with another paper being wasted after another dripped that caused another blot.

"Goyong naman oh!" Julian pleaded, before turning a casual look at Vicente, who've been quiet all along. He smirked. "Mukhang malalim ang iniisip ng kapatid mo, Jose."

At that remark, all of them turned to look at Vicente who remained oblivious, still looking out at the small window of the hut they've been sharing. His eyes fixated on to the nearby hut where General Luna and his closest confidants were. Finally, after a few minutes of silence, Vicente suddenly spoke out of the blue, "Paano ba hadlangan ang pusong umiibig?"

"Kuya?" Inquired Jose. The rest were bewildered with how strange Vicente was talking. Apparently, it was only Goyo who doesn't seem to have read the situation correctly that he snorted, smiling after finally giving up with writing today's entry.

"Makukuha mo lang naman siya sa isang tingin eh," Goyo started. "Ngitian mo tapos gumawa ka ng hakbang para makapagusap kayo."

The three others who were in remained quiet. The three of them thinking the same thing: "Tanga nga itong si Goyong sa pag-ibig. Di alam kung ano ang totoong ibig-sabihin ni Enteng. Nagsalita ang magaling."

They waited for Vicente to say something again, but he sighed heavily first before saying, "Ang hirap kasi. Pakiramdam ko na bago pa ako makagawa ng hakbang, babalatan na ako ng buhay ng Punong Heneral."

"At bakit mo naman iyon nasabi? Sino ba yang inii—" Julian interrupted Goyo by covering the latter's mouth. The older del Pilar chuckled and said, "Hindi ka naman babalatan ng Punong Heneral, Enteng. Panigurado ay babasahan ka muna nung—" And so, Juan del Pilar interrupted Julian, doing the same thing that the latter had done, assuring later on, "Hindi iyon totoo! Susuportahan ka namin kahit ano pa naman—" Jose placed his hand to cover Juan's mouth, and annoyingly, he asked, "Sino ba kasi, kuya? Kahit sino na, 'wag lang yung inampon ng Punong Heneral."

But Vicente's flush was enough to answer that troubling question. And what trouble it truly was to be secretly in love.

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