Freedom Fighters

2. Brothers

"Don't you feel that things may get out of hand? Don't you feel there's a very real possibility that Batista will decide to eliminate you and the rest of your gang for rousing rebellious sentiments against him?" Dario raised his voice slightly.

Camilo did not reply immediately, his gaze on the floor and shoulders shrunken. He exhaled slowly, and turned to his friend with a slight curl on his lips. "You are worried about my safety, aren't you?"

"Well, of course! You are practically like a brother to me."

Camilo leaned forward and his face came inches away from Dario's.

"Of course I am scared, Dario. We all live in fear all the time. What if this happens? What if that happens? But fear is not an excuse for allowing our country to slide into the abyss with Batista."

Camilo paused, before continuing, his tone softer this time.

"I understand your sentiments, brother. And I appreciate them. But this means a lot to me. I can't stop, even if I know this will lead me down a very rocky path. Those "what ifs" are always at the back of my mind and sometimes, alone, I wonder..." Camilo stopped mid-sentence. The rest need not be said.

"Camilo..." Dario wanted to open his mouth, to perhaps offer some words of comfort to put his friend at ease. But his mind went blank. The friendship between the two ran deep, back from when they were but mere children. However, now, even as Camilo revealed a vulnerable side of himself, Dario found that he could not respond in kind. Instead, he looked down at the table, fiddling with his cutlery in silence.

Sensing this, Camilo's face relaxed into a grin. "Now that turned morbid quickly." He broke into a throaty fit of laughter that filled the tense silence.

One of Mariana's helpers, a young boy, brought dinner to the table. A plate of delicious looking grilled pork, accompanied by fried plantains and a large bowl of the specialty black bean soup was placed on the table. Dario and Camilo gave their thanks to the boy before tucking in.

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Camilo, being Camilo, managed to steer the conversation away with ease, actually making the whole affair rather enjoyable for Dario. Mariana joined them halfway as the restaurant's crowd died down into the night. As the meal neared its end, the conversation somehow drifted to the subject of romance as Camilo remarked on the fact that Dario had been single for quite some time.

"Camilo is right! You really need to find yourself a nice girl, and stop making your old mother worry. You are already twenty-two!" Mariana chided.

Dario shot Camilo a dark glare that was met another cheeky grin. "I am trying. Really, I am. Don't worry too much, Mama."

"Trying? You are always so quiet and aloof in classes!" Camilo scoffed, reaching for a fried plantain. "Tía, I can't count the number of times I try to set him up, and he never ever tries to make the time with those girls remotely bearable!"

"Hey!"

"Hey what! Remember the last time with Isabella? After that ordeal, she complained that you did not even try to start conversation, just responding with one-liners to whatever she said."

"I didn't like her! Besides, it's still better than you, changing girls like people change their underwear!"

Mariana interrupted the building argument. "Oh my sweet son. You should at least try. Bring a nice girl back home for once, will you? Promise your Mama?"

Dario was getting a little frustrated. "Yes, yes, yes. Alright Mama."

Mariana smiled and moved to get out of her seat. "Oh, that should put my mind at ease for a while! I think I have to get back to the kitchen. Do see kind Camilo out once he's done, will you?" With that, she walked back into the kitchen, leaving the two friends alone, a playful tension in the air.