A Bullet of Love Since 1900

Bullet

January 17, 1900.

Guiguinto, Bulacan.

The Filipinos clashed fiercely against the Americans who wanted to occupy the area, many houses, livelihoods, and dreams of Filipinos who hoped to be freed from the hands of the invaders were destroyed.

The dead bodies were scattered on the road, but the Filipinos were not discouraged. Their patronism is beyond everything, even if the Americans are heavily equipped and staffed.

The scene was intense. The leader of the Filipino soldiers shouted with all his might, "We will fight for our motherland!" The passion in his voice was palpable, but not everyone felt the same way. One soldier spoke up, expressing concern that their forces were too outnumbered to win, and suggested that they might be better off retreating.

The General's response was immediate and aggressive. He grabbed the soldier by the collar and choked him, his voice dripping with anger as he declared, "No retreat! We will fight to the death for our country! Give your loyalty to the Philippines!"

Despite the chaos and destruction all around them, Miguel Dela Fuente remained focused on his mission. He was a Filipino soldier fighting for freedom, driven by a deep personal loss. He had witnessed firsthand the cruelty of the Spaniards, and later, the Americans who had conquered his country. His entire family had been killed in the conflict, leaving him with only one purpose in life: to fight for his people's freedom. And so he fought on, amidst the gunfire and explosions, determined to make a difference and honor the memory of his loved ones.

As the battle raged on, the Filipino soldiers were getting fewer in number and were also running out of ammunition. The situation was making them nervous and causing them to lose hope. To make matters worse, their general was hit, further shaking their confidence. Miguel looked at his fellow soldiers and felt a sharp pain in his heart. He knew he had to do something to turn the tide of the battle.

Miguel approached his friend Tomas and said, "Tomas, I'm your backup."

Tomas was surprised and asked, "What are you going to do?"

Miguel pointed to a spot on the battlefield and said, "If I can get there, I can get ammunition from the fort of the Americans. We can win this battle."

Tomas was hesitant and said, "Are you crazy? That's too dangerous! You could die!"

Miguel replied, "I know. But we have no other way."

Despite Tomas's objections, he obeyed his friend's order, "Just be careful, Miguel."

Miguel ran as fast as he could, with Tomas following behind and providing cover fire. Bullets were flying in all directions, but Miguel kept moving forward. He fired back at the enemy soldiers as he made his way to the fort of the Americans. He quickly entered the hallway and grabbed the ammunition and guns. Suddenly, another soldier appeared and fired at him. Luckily, Miguel was able to escape and fired back. When he was sure that there were no more obstacles, he quickly made his way out of the fort.

Tomas was waiting outside and continued to provide cover fire. When Miguel arrived, they both quickly ran away toward their base. When they got back, they used the guns and ammunition to fight back against the Americans. The Americans were taken by surprise, and fearing retaliation from the Filipinos, they withdrew from the battle.

Miguel's heroism did not go unnoticed, and his fellow soldiers cheered for him. Tomas shouted, "Hey, come back you cowards!" while firing his gun, but the Americans were already retreating. Meanwhile, Miguel fell to the ground due to exhaustion. Despite this, their mission was successful. The Filipinos emerged victorious, thanks in part to Miguel's bravery and quick thinking.

As night fell, Miguel lay in bed, exhausted from the day's battle and taking medicine to ease his aching muscles. Suddenly, their General barged into the room and started shouting Miguel's name in a hostile tone.

Startled, Miguel sat up and greeted the officer, wondering what was wrong. However, before he could even ask, the General grabbed him by the collar and slapped him hard across the face.

Miguel winced in pain and shock, unsure of what he had done to deserve this treatment. The General's face was red with anger as he berated Miguel for his actions on the battlefield, accusing him of endangering not only his own life but also the lives of his comrades.

Tomas, who was also in the room, tried to interject and defend Miguel, but the General shut him down, accusing him of covering up for his friend.

After a tense moment of silence, the General took a deep breath and spoke again, his tone now weak and uncertain.

"Because of what you did, you can't join the missions," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

Miguel and Tomas were stunned. They had always been at the forefront of the battles, risking their lives to protect their country and their fellow soldiers. To be told that they couldn't continue doing what they were trained for was a shock to their system.

"But General?" Miguel started to protest, but the General cut him off.

"Until I say so, you will not come again. You will stay here at the fort to watch over the locals and help them with their work. Is that clear?"

Miguel and Tomas had no choice but to agree with the leader's decision. They knew that the General was just jealous because Miguel had grabbed the spotlight during the height of the fight. Miguel looked like a hero while the General was terrified and hiding while being treated.

As they left the room, Miguel couldn't help but feel a sense of injustice. He had risked his life for his country, and yet he was being punished for it. But he knew that he had to accept the General's decision and make the best of his new assignment.

On the side of the Americans, they suffered a major defeat which left them feeling sorry and ashamed. They believed that the loss was a huge blow to their nation's pride and image. To recover from this setback, Major General Daniel Buns devised a counteroffensive plan that he hoped would demonstrate America's strength and power.

Buns ordered his men to attack the Filipino stronghold the next day, but he cautioned them not to show any signs of weakness or defeat. He believed that the Americans should project an image of strength and confidence, even if they were still reeling from their previous loss.

That night, Buns sent a group of soldiers to infiltrate the Filipino stronghold. The night was quiet, but suddenly they heard a gunshot. One of the Filipinos stationed at the stronghold immediately ran to Tomas and Miguel's place to deliver the news.

"The Americans are attacking us!" the Filipino exclaimed, clearly alarmed and panicked about the situation.