My Handsome Katipunero

KABANATA 15

I wiped my tears. I shouldn't be crying right now. I should find them. This isn't the time for me to give up. Knowing Antonio, he's tough and smart. I'm sure nakagawa siya ng paraan para makatakas. Maybe they are hiding somewhere.

I stood up, ignoring my woobling feet. I'm tough, I'm a bitch, but those were all faćade. I actually am weak and a huge coward. I act tough because I am within my safety zone. But when I'm not, I let fear take over.

I shook my head and started running. This isn't the time to be a scaredy-cat. I'm in a dire situation right now. I'm on my own in this. Karlos won't help me. 'Di ko siya sinunod kanina, and I'm sure paiiralin na naman nun ang gahiganting pride niya. He doesn't want me to interfere with history yet he wants me to save all these people. Karlos' mind is twisted. He's nuts. Totally nuts.

I'm no hero like Andres Bonifacio or Rizal. I'm just a college girl forced to time travel for the reason I do not know. I'm not brave. I don't have the courage to risk my life for the sake of this country. But I'm willing to put my life in danger for my own selfish reason.

Mabilis akong nagtago sa likod ng isang malaking puno nang dumaan ang tatlong sundalong kastila. Katabi ng puno na pinagtataguan ko ay isang bahay na tinutupok ng apoy. I could feel the heat coming from the burning house. I wiped the beads on my forehead.

Sumilip ako nang mapansing nakalagpas na ang mga ito. I exhaled at maingat na naglakad paalis ng pinagtataguan, still glancing at the civil guards' direction. Mas binilisan ko ang paglalakad at tinungo ang direksyong pinaggalingan ng mga kastila. But I stopped on my tracks nang makita ang sundalong nasa harap ko.

I gasped, he was three or four meters away from me. Inilibot ko ang tingin sa paligid and grabbed the first thing I could see. A cooking pot on top of a haystack. A palayok, really?

Itinutok ng lalaki ang hawak niyag mahabang baril and I know it was dumb of me to use the pot as a shield, but that's all I have! My heart pounded, this isn't the first ime someone pointed a gun at me. Kung nung una 'di ako masyadong natakot, iba na ang ngayon. There's no Antonio or Karlos to save me, to get me out of this situation.

"Detener!" the guy said.

"I-I'm good at throwing pots! T-try pulling the trigger and t-this pot will head that head of yours!" I stuttered.

The man raised a brow at sinamaan ako ng tingin, "Venir conmigo si no quiere salir herido!" the way he said it, he's threatening me.

"I don't understand you! I've had enough of this already, so just drop your gun and let me through!" I snarled, my legs shaking. "I've no time to deal with you!"

Really, Kristin? Threaten the man? That's the best idea you could think of? He can't even understand you! I really shouldn't be pissing this guy off considering the fact that he has a gun and I have a goddamn cooking pot to protect myself?

"Wala akong pakialam kung ano man ang sinasabi mo. Sumuko ka na kung kasapi ka man ng samahang tumutuligsa sa hari ng Espanya-" I cut him off. Taking a deep breath, I throw the pot towards the man's direction. He was too shocked, he didn't even flinch or even bother to dodge the pot.

Nagulat din ako. He can speak filipino.

At dahil malakas ang pagkakabato ko, and I'm good at aiming, tumama ito sa noo niya dahilan upang mapahandusay ito sa lupa.

"Kristin, now's your time to escape." I said to myself, taking a deep breath before I continued running. I decided that it was a bad idea na tahakin ang dinaanan nung mga kastila kanina, I turned right at tinahak ang daan palabas ng barrio.