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

6. House of Cards

The First Philippine Republic has every resources it has. But its President knows that something is missing. Until, a young general arrives. What is a Jack for a King's deck of cards?

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Perhaps the reason that he didn't hesitate promoting Gregorio del Pilar from an unknown soldier to a lieutenant to a captain to a lieutenant colonel to a brigadier general and governor of Bulacan within less than three years was because there was something about the young man that he couldn't define.

He heard that there was a boy who suffered a bullet graze and be one of the last ones to retreat during the Battle of Kakarong de Sili. At that, he knew that he must do something for that bravery.

There were too few Filipinos who act the way he did. That was why when he first saw something out of the boy during their first meeting, he could sense the spark and passion on his eyes that couldn't be rivaled. To be honest, despite his age back then, he was so confident. So sure and so willing to do everything for something that he believed on. He would fight for the Philippines as it so happened.

The young del Pilar had shown not only courage, but as well an unrivaled leadership. He was good with disguises and undercovers. If he wasn't a known soldier who was garnering a name of his own, he could have been chosen to be a spy instead. But despite that growing ego of his, he knew how to inspire people to fight than make them just follow orders.

He knew that there was something with the young man that made him trust him with his life. That made him thought of him as his Jack among his deck of cards.

But perhaps, during that time that he had treasured his Jack too much, it was also the time that he was losing him from reality.

The great feats of del Pilar's untarnished reputation changed. Even he noticed that. Since Luna died, he thought that del Pilar would remain the same. But the Boy General was slowly dying right in front of him the very moment that del Pilar started following him; than before when he took inspiration of how the young man led. The Jack that the King had treasured was slowly becoming a Joker.

He heard the words on how the rest labeled del Pilar as his pup. His henchman. The one who would do everything as long as it was ordered by Señor Presidente. If he was a Caviteño, perhaps there would be no questions asked; but for a Bulakeño? The one heralded to be the Great Eagle of the Revolution? What happened?

Approaching the Boy even made him scared. Afraid that if he was to say something, it would turn out to be different. But he knew that behind the façade, the Boy was also suffering. There were times during their escape that he saw him staring at a distance, unmoving; and when he realized that he was there, the Boy would immediately retort back to the General he was.

He knew when the first shot was fired at Tirad. He knew that the Americans had caught up. And the only way left was to wait for the fight to end. He was with Simeon Villa by five o'clock in the afternoon; at the time that two soldiers from the fight had returned back to camp.

"Patay na po si Heneral Goyo," the two reported back. The two continued on talking about how there were just a few of them; that the Boy's aide-de-camp had been staggering on the way back and won't even speak a word and won't allow anyone to be close to him. They went on and on about what could the Americans be currently doing. And yet—

"Heneral del Pilar," he started, cutting the conversation. "Paano?"

Through the neck, they said.

When?

"Kaninang alas diyes po," they replied.

He nodded.

The rest of his officers suggested that they must leave tonight.

Another nod.

Knowing that they would not be receiving any other word from him, they left him alone. But even being alone wasn't enough. For he could hear the whispers and the cries coming from outside the hut. His sister's cries hurt his ears; the soldiers left from the Brigada Pilar, who didn't volunteer or weren't chosen, were lamenting the death of their General and their comrades who've died.

But none of them knew that Señor Presidente was suffering on his own. The Boy's death would be another part of his nightmare. Another death which he couldn't bear to be in vain. His house of cards finally crumbling—that was the last straw.

Perhaps the reason that he had been fond of the Boy General was because he first saw him as someone whom he envisioned himself to be back then. Someone he had hoped to be. Someone he expected will be so much greater than him.

Perhaps that was why he lamented so much upon hearing the news. Because it felt like he had lost a son whom he had failed to save.

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