n. the desire to be struck by disaster – to survive a plane crash, or to lose everything in a fire.
* * *
When I arrive back to the world of the game, I find myself, surprisingly, above a tree. Good thing that I've been conscious right away with my surrounding that I almost embrace the huge trunk to keep myself from falling. For unknown reasons, I can't explain why I ended up here, a few branches away from the ground. And from the echoes of voices I can hear from my position, I realize that a chant of celebration is sparking all around.
I try to keep myself even on the branch, and look around. I almost gape in shock, even fall over in surprised, to find that a huge open field had been littered with dead bodies with that distinguishable uniform of the Spanish artillery unit. If ever there are those who are still moving around, wearing the Spanish uniform, they've been a few and had been subjected into a group, being led by a Filipino revolutionary soldier.
And there is a crowd of Filipinos—gathering the captured, scouting the perimeter, looting what could be salvaged from the dead ones, and had been chanting in joy. Not to mention that, also, from my position, a familiar flag is being hoisted. That remarkable blue, red, white and yellow. The three stars and a face of the sun.
I can't help but smile at the sight of the Philippine flag.
Is this way passed the declaration of independence? That event will highly be a remarkable moment to witness. Even if in just a game as this.
"(Y/N)?" someone calls for me. I am surprised to find out that it had been, none other than but Isidro himself. Along with him is one of the seven musketeers, and the one that frightens me the most.
Adeodato Manahan remarks with a visible smirk on his face as he crosses his arms across his chest. Chuckling lightly, he says, "Aba, may kakaibang hilig din pala ito. Anong ginagawa mo diyan sa itaas ng puno, binibini?"
Hindi ko ginusto ito... I shake my head lightly and answers, "M-Mas maganda tignan ang nangyayari mula dito sa itaas."
"Talagang pagkatapos ng labanan? Iyon kaagad ang inisip mo? Di ba dapat tumutulong ka sa pag-asikaso ng mga sundalong sugatan?" He further inquires.
"Saglit lang naman kasi, at... alam mo ba na mas madaling patayin ang mga kalaban dito? O di kaya, mas mataas ang tsansa mo na manalo kung ikaw ang nasa mas mataas na lugar?" I counter.
I don't know if that is true. I just remember Star Wars quoting that whoever has the high ground usually wins. And somehow, probably, yes. That it is effective. After all, during this time, no one truly expects someone to just be high above to kill them. Perhaps the highest point ever will be a tree or the terrain itself.
He just shrugs his shoulders. "Sabi mo eh."
Isidro smiles, turning to the other for a second to say, "Tama ang sinabi ni (Y/N), Totoy. Kung sino ang nasa mataas na lugar ay mas may tsansa na manalo. Lalo na't kitang-kita ang mga kalaban mula sa matataas na lugar. Batuhan mo lamang ng granada at sabihin na 'kung kanino na lamang ito bumagsak'." He then returns his attention to me. "(Y/N), kakailanganin mo ba ng tulong sa pagbaba? Madaling umakyat ng puno na madalas ay hindi na pinag-iisipan kung gaano kahirap bumaba."
I bite my lower lip and chuckles lightly. "Ah, o-oo, Isidro. Kakailanganin."
Totoy laughs at that and looks back at Isidro. "Suporta lang ang maibibigay ko, Isidro. Ikaw na bahala sa isang 'yan. Wala si Goyo eh."
I remember the first time that I've met him. He was flirty and had been making moves with me. What happened to him? What suddenly made him to act this way? Even though that is better since I won't be needing to always be wary of a connection with Totoy... it is still a surprise for me. And why? Why on Earth will he even mention Goyo to his lack of interest to make a way with me now?
Isidro smiles sheepishly at me. "Sige, (Y/N). Higpitan mo ang kapit mo sa bawat sanga. Subukan mo rin ang bawat sanga kung matibay ang mga ito bago mo ito gawing tapakan. Mahirap na kapag nabali iyon, at tuloy-tuloy ang iyong pagbagsak."
Nakakatakot pero... kailangan, I tell myself. If Goyo will be here now to witness me like this, he surely is laughing out loud or either scolding me for being an idiot of not knowing how to solve this simple task. In the first place, I've never done this in my real world. I didn't thought of climbing a tree as something profitable as a skill. Now I envy that other kids do, and going down is not a huge problem as this is now to me.
In the end, I did as what Isidro had suggested. My feet search for every strong hold possible. Before I know it, I am already just two feet above the ground. Isidro, being the always gentleman he is, helps me to finally settle back to the ground.
"M-Maraming salamat," I tell him.
"Walang anuman, (Y/N)," he replies before smiling another time. He draws closer to me and whispers, "Tamang-tama lamang ang iyong pagbabalik."
I turn to him. "Hmm? Anong nangyayari?" I whisper back.
"Isidro," Totoy calls for him with a grin. He ushers his head somewhere. "Doon muna ako. Mukhang may mga magaganda silang nakuhang bagay." Before Isidro could say something, he is already walking to the direction he had been diverting his head on.
Isidro sighs heavily and turns to me. "Masasabi natin na... malaya na ang Pilipinas? Mula sa mga mananakop na Espanya? Tayo'y nasa Kabite ngayon. Sa may Alapan. Imus sa Kabite. Ilang kilometro lamang ay ang Cavite el Viejo."
"Ha? A-Anong petsa na ngayon?"
"Ika-labing-tatlo ng Mayo 1898," he answers. "Kakabalik lamang ni Heneral Aguinaldo. O di kaya... ni Presidente Aguinaldo."
"Mula Hong Kong? Ibig-sabihin niyan, kasama niyang bumalik sila—"
"Goyong?" he interrupts with a smirk. "Si Presidente pa lamang. Pero balita ko'y pabalik na rin sila. Kung nandito si Goyong, hindi naman kami mapapabilang dito ni Totoy. Malamang, hindi magpapahuli iyon. Gugustuhin nun na sumugod kami sa Bulacan upang palayain din ang aming lalawigan." He turns to me with an assuring smile. "Huwag ka mag-alala, malapit na siya bumalik.
# # #
Three days after I returned on this game, Isidro tugs me along with the rest of the soldiers from Bulacan to a port by Manila Bay. They call the place as Kay Luntaw. I am trying to remember a known place within Manila for that and failed to do so; but then again, history and geography had never been my forte. According to him, the ship that Goyo is aboard will be docking today at this very port. That knowledge had been shared by President Aguinaldo himself to the rest of them.
"Isidro," I tell him, sighing heavily. "Bakit mo pa ako sinama dito? Maari naman akong maghintay sa Kabite. Babalik naman kayo doon, di ba? Pagkatapos sunduin si Goyo? Tsaka, malaki na siya, di niya na kailangan ng ganito karaming kaakibat na sasalubong sa kanya."
He smiles at me timidly, looking at the grandeur of the docked ship, awaiting for Goyo to be sighted unboarding. "Hindi ka ba nasasabik na makita siya muli? Ilang buwan din noong huli kayong nagkita."
I sigh heavily.
He turns to me at that and corrects himself with a slight blush on his cheeks for his error. "Ah, wala pa bang buwan para sa iyo? Sa panahon dito sa laro, mag-aanim na buwan nang wala si Goyo dito sa Pilipinas. Dahil nga doon sa naging kasunduan ni Presidente at ng Esanya."
I nod again, needing to deal with his redundancy of reminding me. For one thing, I am starting to remember facts. I just wonder if they are completely accurate to the timeline that my world knows; perhaps, yes? Since those events had been the basis? And there's no apparent warning in the start of the game that it will be diverting a little from history... right? Or I just forgot about that one?
It didn't take long before Isidro calls for my attention, saying that he had seen Goyo. And no wonder that it hadn't been hard to notice him. He appears daper, in every way dignified, while wearing that strange looking suit against his frame, and all the same... he also appears different. Is it because of being in a foreign land for about half a year?
Before I even know it, Isidro tugs me along with him to meet Goyo. Even Totoy follows after us, and a few others that I didn't know. New faces that I'll certainly befriend later on. But for now, what's important is Goyo's presence here. Finally back to the Philippines, and me hoping that he's still the same Goyo that I know from before we two part ways.
Perhaps, he is still the same. He greets Isidro and Totoy with a warm smile, even being eager to catch up with news just like old friends does. He asks about the other members of his musketeers, his brother and his family. He is also eager to leave Manila right away and head to Bulacan, hoping to restart the revolution there now that the Americans are on our side against the Spaniards who'll continue to dare in using their power over us. And in the end, I just watch and listen him speak with the same familiar voice and glee. Maybe, time just continue moving forward and everything is still the same.
In the end, he notices me. Some sort of unexplained happiness appears on his face, the same time that some unexplained blush seems to cause my cheeks to flush a light shade of red. I remember our last meeting, when he asked me if we're going to meet again. And after six months, as per the calendar of this world, we did.
"(Y/N)," he calls.
"Goyo," I say.
* * *
A/N: Follow me on twitter @23meraki for more updates. ;)
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