Dead Reckoning - A Gregorio del Pilar x Reader story

XVIII - Kairosclerosis

"Hmm? Kinuha na rin ba ng paglalakbay nito ang dila mo, Pendejo?" he asks, chuckling lightly.

"H-Hindi, ano!" I answer, keeping my head focus onto the road ahead. "Napaisip lang ako saglit sa tanong mo."

"Bakit naman? Ayaw mo ba sa inyo?"

"Hindi sa ganoon. Naging... maayos naman."

"Naman."

"Oo!" I turn to him, surprised to find out that our faces are just a few inches away from each other. I immediately look away, lowering my eyes as if that will hide the flush that suddenly erupts on my cheeks. I wonder where this warmth is coming from; perhaps the prospect that if he had been leaning much closer to me, we could've...

"Kung maayos naman sa inyo," he replies with an indication of the word 'naman', "bakit ka pa tumungong Kabite? Nasabi sa akin ni Isidro na nandoon ka raw noong labanan sa Aliaga. Tapos sumama ka sa kanila patungong Maynila. At ngayon... bakit ka pa sumama sa amin pabalik ng Bulacan? Kung maayos naman ang buhay mo sa inyo?"

Dahil hindi ko pa natatapos ang misyon ko. Dahil madami pa akong hindi napapatunayan sa laro na ito. Dahil nakakatakot din ang totoong buhay ko. Dahil ito lang ang lugar kung saan ako maaring magtago upang makatakas sa katotohanan. Dahil gusto rin kita makita...

I shake my head. "Hindi naman ibig-sabihin na maayos sa amin ay tunay na maayos siya para sa akin."

"Ano? Maayos sa inyo pero para sa iyo hindi maayos?" He laughs a little. "Pendejo nga talaga. Ang gulo rin talaga ng utak mo, 'no?"

"Baka para sa akin, ayos na. Pero may kulang pa rin. Kaya, bumalik ako dito," I answer. "May... May kailangan din ako malaman."

He didn't answer at that.

"Ikaw? Kumusta ang ibang bansa? Kumusta ang Hong Kong?" I ask him, turning his earlier question back to him.

"Hmm... bakit ka naging interesado kaagad sa kung paano ang buhay ko sa Hong Kong nitong nakaraan na anim na buwan? O, mga kulang-kulang na limang buwan dahil yung ibang linggo ay nasa barko kami. Nasa gitna ng dagat, ng kawalan, sa pagitan ng Hong Kong at Pilipinas." He snorts. "Ibang-iba sa Pilipinas. Medyo... payapa? Maunlad sa sarili nilang pamamaraan? Baka dahil nasa pamamalakad sila ng mga Briton. Mas... Mas bihasa sila sa teknolohiya na maari rin sana nating matutunan mula sa kanila."

I look back at him, now much careful to take note of the minimum distance that we can keep away from ourselves. I notice something from the way he speaks now, as if there had been some sort of accent that wasn't there before. I frown and stare. "May nagbago sa iyo?"

He slyly lowers his gaze at me. "Ha?"

"Ayun!" I point at him, chuckling.

"Ano?"

I can't help chuckling as I point at me the next. "Sa ngipin mo. Kaya may kakaiba sa tunog ng boses mo kapag nagsasalita ka. Parang ingat na ingat? Parang di pa ganoon kasanay? Gawang Hong Kong, ano?"

Goyo looks at me, surprised that I've noticed that, and later on, he smirks with absolute interest. "Pati yung sa ngipin ko, napansin mo. Talaga bang ganoon lang ba kalalim ang pangungulila mo sa akin?"

"Hmph!" I immediately turn away from him. "Asa ka."

He chuckles, and we continue on our voyage to Bulacan in silence after that.

# # #

We arrive just around midnight at the outskirt of Bulacan. Everyone are exhausted and had been lacking sleep. However, Goyo doesn't seem to be tired at the slightest. Surprisingly, for someone who had been for a few days or even a good week in a boat crossing the sea from Hong Kong to the Philippines, he has a lot of energy in him for this time of the day. He assured everyone that we just need to position ourselves into strategic positions, fired simultaneously to instigate terror to the Spaniards in the town of Bulakan itself, and we can all do the shifting of the guards to keep a strong hold.

"Naibigay na ba ang mga baril sa ating mga tauhan?" Goyo asks Isidro.

Isidro nods. The exhaustion on his body is visible but he tries to shake it. "Oo. Naibigay na namin sa kanila. Hinihintay na lamang nila kung saan kailangan pumwesto at ano ang magiging palatandaan ng sabay-sabay na pagputok."

Goyo's smile widens, confident that he is going to win this one easily. He then discusses with Isidro regarding the plan. I hear him having ordered him if it will be possible to gather the rest of the members of his musketeers who are, no doubt, in Bulakan. Their presence will be helpful in leading groups of men. He can trust such people much more than anyone else in random. As Totoy volunteered to gather the others, he discussed the positioning with Isidro.

I, however, remain quiet; listening, since I am unsure if I completely understand the locations he had been pertaining to. All I know is that, during any battle as this, I'll be needing to stick with Goyo. Wherever he is, I'll be there.

It takes half an hour for Totoy to return with the rest of the musketeers who've been from Bulakan themselves. They come running upon seeing Goyo, especially Julian, who has tears of happiness in his eyes upon seeing his younger brother. They're all eager to inquire and ask each other how they are, but Goyo remains dignified and tells them, "Mas may malaki pa tayong kailangan pag-usapan. Makakapaghintay ang ibang bagay, pero ang Inang Bayan, matagal na naghihintay na tayo ay kumilos."

They agree, and Goyo, along with Isidro, discuss the plan to them, and allowed them to take an equal partition of men for each group. And just like that, we find ourselves taking every strategic point to surround the town of Bulakan. Each man ready with the firearm earlier distributed, awaiting for signal.

As I remin next to Goyo all throughout this, I hear him muttering in the dark, holding his hand up as some sort of a signal for everyone to be ready, "Inang Bayan, konting tiis na lang."

And then he closed his fist. And the first fire of the rifle erupts, and then another; awakening the already sleeping people from their deep slumbers.

This is the start of the siege for the liberation of Bulacan. And in turn, of the Philippines.

* * *

A/N: Currently in La Union, will be returning now back to Subic! Follow me on twitter @23meraki for more updates. ;)

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