"Kapag nagkita kayo ni Julian..." It was the last time that Julian del Pilar was mentioned by Goyo before he was abruptly interrupted from saying the rest to his aidé-de-camp, Vicente Enriquez. What was he actually supposed to say at that time if he was given the chance to continue?
* * *
Goyo was troubled by last night. He would be lying if he would say that he had a good night sleep, when it had been so visible with just a look how exhausted he was. The dark circles underneath his eyes were prominent, just as how the stance he carried himself showed as if he was carrying the entire world on his shoulders. Walking seems to be both a remedy and a curse—remedy that he could put that tiredness towards something else, and curse for the silence that lingered on with the truth of everything that was currently happening.
He heard Vicente sighing heavily next to him, a parallel call of fatigue like that of his.
"Hindi naman siguro tayo aabutin ng pasko dito, ano?" Vicente told him with an audible hint of depression. "Kating-kati na 'ko umuwi ng Bulacan."
Bulacan... he pondered. His heart tightened when the place that had been closest to his life was mentioned.
Vicente elbowed him by the side to snap him back to attention. "Hoy... di ka uuwi sa Bulacan?"
He stopped walking, bit his lower lip and sighed heavily before facing his aidé-de-camp. "Kapag nagkita kayo ni Julian..."
Sabihin mo na naging maayos lang ang lahat, he thought. Sabihin mo na pag-pasensyahan niya na di ko magagawang tuparin ang pangako naming pag-kikita muli. Sabihin mo na lagi siyang mag-iingat, pati din ang aming mga magulang at mga kapatid. Sabihin mo na nawa'y bumalik ang dati niyang ligaya at kisig tulad ng dati kung ako ma'y mawala. Sabihin mo na sana'y maipagmalaki niya ako bilang nakakabata niyang kapatid; bilang sundalo na inialay ang buhay para sa kanyang pagmamahal sa bayang ito. Sabihin mo na nagpapasalamat ako sa lahat-lahat ng kanyang suporta. Sabihin mo na naisin ko man makita siya muli, ay hindi ko na magagawa pa. Sabihin mo na 'wag niya sisihin ang sarili niya sa anumang mangyayari. Sabihin mo na... mahal ko siya, aking kapatid, at 'di ko sinasadyang humantong sa ganito ang lahat.
He closed his eyes for a moment to begin a new.
Sabihin mo na patawarin niya ako.
He sighed heavily again and opened his mouth. But before words could even make it out of him, they heard Señor Presidente screaming and their own soldiers fighting one another, that led the two of them to run towards the chaos.
It only later transpired to him that he has too many words to say that couldn't be said in a second. And that he wasn't even able to say anything at all.
# # #
It was only after Tirad Pass and when he finally met Julian that Vicente remembered that Goyo wasn't able to say what he wanted to tell his brother in any case.
"Julian..." he called softly, a tear trickling down his eyes silently, remembering the pain. "Nabanggit ka niya sa akin. Sabi niya..." His voice grew almost inaudible. "Sabi ni Goyong sa akin na, 'Kapag nagkita kayo ni Julian...'"
The tears were falling now in great succession.
"Yun yung huli niyang sinabi tungkol sa 'yo." Vicente tried to keep himself from sobbing, but emotions overruled him. "Yun na yun. Hindi niya na nagawa pang ipagpatuloy." He said, no longer trailing since there were no words after that, "'Kapag nagkita kayo ni Julian.'"
* * *
A/N: Follow me on twitter @23meraki for more updates. ;)
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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...
