General del Pilar knew the load of responsibility that was placed on his shoulders, and it was downgrading him way harder than anything else. Too heavy for him to focus his thoughts to other things, and lose track of time. Even forgetting what date it is today.
* * *
Goyo was up early that respective Tuesday. It had just been a day since he and the rest of the Philippine Revolutionary Army started their guerrilla movement against the Americans who were threatening to knock them on their knees and have them serve another imperialist again after that of Spain.
It wasn't that he was unable to adapt with the sudden change. He was able to sleep for some time during the end of everyday during the battle to replenish his strength, and he would immediately be up when something wrong happened. But today, it had been different. Like there was something in the air that made him fidget, woke up way early that majority of the camp was still asleep, and he decided to trail on their way as if scouting the perimeter.
But 'scouting' doesn't seem to be a good way to describe it all. He wasn't in his uniform, just the garments underneath his regalia for the night had been way warmer. From afar, he could have been mistaken for a peasant, and not as the Boy General. He doesn't even have his sword or revolver. He was empty-handed, not even thinking of keeping himself armed.
A few more meters of walking, with the camp behind him, he came across a cliff. If he had been absentmindedly walking, he would have fallen a great feet from here and it would all be over for him given the rocky edges by the side and below. And there, at a nearby old and huge tree, he sat contently. Visibly thinking, and troubled.
Kamusta na kaya sila Kuya? He pondered on. Sana naman ay nasa maayos silang kalagayan. Panigurado ay nabalitaan na nila ang nangyari sa Tarlac, at ang aming pagtakas.
He sighed heavily. He knew that if he and Julian would be meeting each other again after all of these, his brother would surely strangle him to death with a great hug of relief. He chuckled lightly to himself at that mere thought.
Sana'y maging maayos lang ang lahat. Sana nga'y matapos ito bago man mag-Pasko. Kung di man ako makauwi ngayon, ito na ang magiging pangatlong beses na di ako makakapagdiwang ng Pasko sa Bulacan, he thought; remembering that two years ago, he was busy being part of the Republic of Kakarong, and last Christmas, he was with Señor Presidente at Biak-na-Bato and the exile in Hong Kong. Sana talaga'y makauwi ako ngayong Pasko.
He remembered how his family celebrated Christmas. Their family gathered, the foods on the table, the music and air of festivity... it was that scene that he knew too well that he wanted to return to, if possible.
The small smile he had vanished as his mind drifted to another. Kamusta na rin kaya si Remedios, he wondered. Ipinapanalangin ko na siya ay ligtas. Iniisip niya rin kaya ako?
"Goyong!"
He froze, hearing his name being called amidst the thick trek of the forest. He immediately stood from his seat at the second call, and looking back, he saw that it was Vicente.
As he made his way to where Vicente was, the latter said, "Kung saan-saan ka na naman pumupunta. Paano kapag may nangyari sa iyo?"
"Wala namang mangyayari sa akin," he answered.
"Paano ka nakakasigurado; eh ang lahat ng iyong sandata'y nasa kampo? Isang tamang-tama na asinta lamang ay maari kang mapatay."
"Bakit ganyan ka naman makapagsalita? Ang aga-aga pa naman."
"Pasensya na, Goyong." He bit his lower lip before continuing, "Nag-aalala lang talaga rin ako."
Goyo smiled sheepishly and gave his aidé-de-camp a pat on the shoulder. "Alam ko iyon. Pero wala ka dapat ikabahala, Enteng. May almusal na ba? Kumakain na ba ang lahat?"
Vicente matched his smile before nudging him by the side. "Mayroon na, pero hinihintay ka pa nila. Nais sana nila na kahit sa maliit na pamamaraan ay maipagdiwang natin."
He seemed oblivious, frowning with curiosity. "Ang ano?"
"Veinticuatro ka na kaya ngayon." Vicente laughed.
He was frozen, foolishly forgetting today's date.
"At pagkatapos ng lahat ng ito, sisiguraduhin natin na isang engrandeng pagdiriwang ang ating gagawin. Kaya ihanda mo ang iyong hinihiling sa araw na iyon ha?" Vicente's eyes softened when he added, "Maligayang kaarawan, Heneral Gregorio del Pilar." Seeing that he was still at shock, Vicente clicked his tongue. "Tara na nga. Nagugutom na ako."
Goyo snapped back at attention, following Vicente on the way back to the camp where the rest of the soldiers and people of the rearguard were. As they made their way, Goyo smiled wistfully as he looked up at the morning sky and sent off his hopeful wishes to the Heavens.
Isa pang araw para sa aking kalakasan. Isa pang linggo para sa pagtitiyaga at pagtitiis. Isa pang buwan para sa Pasko. At isa pang taon para maipaglaban ang Pilipinas.
* * *
A/N: Follow me on twitter @23meraki for more updates. ;)
A/N: See "DEAD RECKONING", a Goyo x Reader story.
#GoyoAngBatangHeneralStories || #ProjectAguilaStories || #GoyoAngstStories
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Bayani Unmasked: A HENERAL LUNA & GOYO: Ang Batang Heneral One-shot collection
Historical FictionThis is a new series of unrelated (perhaps some will be related in the future) one-shots. I receive requests in my PM inbox and reviews, and I write little one-shots/drabbles based off of those requests. Who knows what requests will show up in my in...
