The Revolution Came

Intermission: Reconnecting with the Past

________June 4th, 1933_________

It has been four weeks since the ratification of the Constitution.

Cody and Ken Drick were able to marry the women of their dreams while settling down in Revilla.

Both were able to set up a law firm, mostly to defend the innocents who were affected during the Revolutionary War.

It was after one such trial that someone walked up to Cody.

"Excuse me, señior," Cody turned to look from his client to the girl who tapped his shoulder. He kept quiet as he studied the girl's attire.

Somehow she looks familiar, yet he can't place his finger where he saw her.

"Are you Cody Rivera?" He raised an eyebrow as he kept a passive face.

"Yes, how can I help you?" His turn to ask the girl.

"Well, señior, I was searching for my tiyo, since he disappeared ten years ago,"

The puzzle pieces started to fit into place, his eyes widened in surprise.

"Mi sobrina," Cody said as she nodded, her smile pained as her eyes glazed with unshed tears. He was about to place a comforting hand on her, yet she immediately hugged him. He allowed the embrace, looking at his niece.

He started to wonder about many things as he felt his vest get wet from her tears.

"Why is she here? Is she accompanied by Astrid or Chesney? Is the family okay without me? Did they really treated her that badly?"

"Why are you here kid?" He voiced out as she looked into his eyes.

Those eyes, those eyes who used to look up to him whenever they needed an answer, those eyes who look up to him for comfort whenever she gets hurt, those eyes who are looking at him now with unanswered questions that were simmering under the surface for the past decade.

"Abuela considered me a disappointment, tiyo... She blamed me for everything that went wrong in their perfect lives. That's why I ran away," she answered casually yet he could tell that there was an anger that simmered under the surface.

He was surprised by that answer, it also told him something. His leaving to protect them was in vain. All those years of wanting to go back and hug his sisters and mother, all those years of running and hiding just to protect them, all those years of isolation from his family, it was all in vain.

"Come kid, let's talk in my office," He said as they broke from the hug. She nodded mutely as he offered his hand. She grabbed it as he started to guide her out of the courthouse.

They crossed the street and passed the Senate building and Presidential Office until they landed at a simple brick building.

Cody took out a key from his vest and used it to open the door.

She looked in awe as books and folders were stacked to the point they nearly reached the ceiling. Many things were scattered on the desk from pens and pencils to papers and inkpots.

She looked at the shelves and saw something that caught her eye.

There were three pictures, the first shows her tiyo and tiya(?) in wedding attire both of them smiling brightly. It reminds her of Abuela and Abuelo's wedding picture.

The second photo shows her tiyo and the family, especially her máma and tiya.

"He wants to go back yet he can't," She thought as she looked at the last one.

It was a photo of him with her and her primos and primas. Him being overwhelmed by all the children around him yet despite that a smile is on his face, showing that he is happy where he is then and he wouldn't change a thing in the world to make the moment end.

She looked back at him as he gave her an intuitive smile.

"I love my family, yet me being there was causing all of you to be in danger," Cody said as she looked at her uncle with sadness.

"On the night of your fifth birthday. People in the village told me that the Guardia Civil were hunting me, since me and your Abuelo aided Señor Bonifacio to start their revolution. I know I could stay, but I don't want to place our entire family in danger..." Cody continued as he took out a folder from his desk drawer.

"Abuela told me that you never loved any of us," Cody could only shake his head, his smile turning into a sad one.

"Your Abuela never meant that... she was just severely hurt from me leaving the family that fateful night," Cody said as she looked down at the folder that he brought out. She looked into her eyes asking him if she could open it, he gave her a soft smile and nodded.

She opened it and saw it was letters from different dates. They were all addressed to the family, yet despite her not remembering him well her eyes teared up at the mention of her being his favorite niece.

She went to his side and hugged him. He could only hug back as tears went down her face.

"It's okay if you don't want to go back for now, you can stay with me and your tiya," Cody said as she nodded.

"Thank you tiyo, you're the best," she said, while an old foe watched from a distance.

End of Intermission