#henlu2015

If General Luna didn’t die, Colonel Enriquez must steel his nerves to meet him to deliver a message… or will he end up falling in love with Joven, the General’s adopted son?

Part 1 //

“Goyo…” he was exhausted—light-headed from some drinking spree last night—and he pressed his hands against his temples to ease the ache. “Si Julian na lang ang papuntahin mo doon. Nakakatakot harapin si Heneral Luna. Mapapatay niya ako kapag naamoy niya na amoy alak ako. Narinig mo ba yung usap-usapan tungkol sa kanya?”

“Tungkol doon sa Artikulo Uno? Oo; magandang batas na dapat ay nakalatad sa ating konstitusyon kung maari. At yung pagpapahiya niya sa Brigada ng Kawit? Oo; totoo naman na walang panahon ang dapat ipasadya sa gitna ng digmaan,” his friend replied with a sharp voice. “Tsaka mas lasing pa sa iyo si kuya. Ayoko mabalitaan na sumuka siya sa harapan ng Punong Heneral.”

It was actually a surprised for him to find out that Goyo wasn’t drunk from last night. He knew that the young general was courting a woman last night, but had been always rejected and yet he remained as a fool. He started to wonder what Goyo had eaten to start acting a little weird.

In the end, he finally agreed on. He was sent to deliver the letter of seeking an audience with General Luna. He was still in the end of his wits, but he ensured that he would have a very good impression for the sake of the Brigada del Pilar. He made sure that he doesn’t smell like alcohol, that he would not vomit, and he would not pee on his pants due to his own fear.

But, good Lord, he surely didn’t regret being the messenger. He was surprised to find out that in a great battallion of valiant soldiers loyal to General Luna, there would be a man who wasn’t at all a soldier. Someone who was completely out of place… and yet, there he was.

“Sabihin mo kay Goyo na ako’y nagagalak tanggapin ang kanyang paanyaya,” General Luna told him. “Inaasahan ko na magkikita kami ayon sa aking nasabi. Kailangan nating magkaisa kung nais talaga nating matalo ang mga Amerikano.”

“Opo, heneral,” he managed to reply back. He was a little embarrassed that he was stealing glances at the man who’ve been watching him since his arrival as well, seated with Colonel Róman, Captain Rusca, and Major and Captain Bernals, as they enjoyed on their afternoon siesta of tea and ensaymadas.

And so he returned back to his general. But not before having another lingering look at the man who’ve shyly turned away.

Vicente could swore that he had been surprisingly eager for the meeting between Goyo and Heneral Luna. It wasn’t the first time, but it would be for someone, aside from the soldiers, whom they’ll collaborate with. Being the aide-de-camp, it was his obligation to be next to Goyo for throughout the audience. That didn’t stop him, however, from glancing on at the man—now standing next to the Bernal brothers.

When their eyes met for a second, he smiled at the man. All of a sudden, the man averted his gaze. He wondered if he was having false assumptions, but his smile widened upon seeing him blushed.

The days that followed had been peaceful. Both forces of the two generals had come to an agreement of working together to fulfill their common goal to ensure that the Philippine Republic will have an advantage if a stronghold battle will ensue. And Vicente was asked to overlook a respective part of the troops working on with building almost unpenetrable trenches at the other end of camp.

He could’ve asked Goyo to place him close to the main base, but he knew that the young general would not allow the older del Pilar to be on his place; since Julian would certainly linger with the work. Compared to being close to the base, Julian would remain under Goyo’s reach and the watches of General Luna’s forces, which will make Julian act as a commendable soldier than a reckless one.

Anyhow, he remained thankful for once in a while, the man—whom he later learned to be named Joven Hernando—would be trailing one end of the trenches all the way to the other with José Bernal. For some reasons, he could say that General Luna had chosen the younger Bernal to act as some guard for Joven. Though there were times that their meeting were fleeting—a nod, a greeting, and an acknowledgement—Vicente could not stop himself from wanting to have a more in-depth conversation to get to know the man much more.

After all, there was something about the man that made him want to get closer to him.

It was only after a few days more that Vicente had been cornered by the del Pilars and by his own younger brother, Jose.

“GAH!” Julian screamed in frustration, one that could be heard by practically everyone on camp. Surely another would insinuate General Luna to barge in right at their hut to find out the reason why.

“Kuya, maghunustili ka nga,” Goyo chides from the series of papers he had been reading. He was about to start taking notes onto his journal before Julian shouted. The ink from his pen had caused a blot onto the otherwise clean paper. He mumbled sharply, “Puñeta!”

“Ano na naman bang nangyayari sa iyo, pinsan?” Juan, the del Pilar brothers’ cousin, inquires while he was polishing their rifles and swords along with the younger Enriquez.

Vicente remained looking from outside of the hut, while the four others bickered on.

“Nakakainis yung ganito,” Julian settled onto the floor next to Juan. A heavy frown on his face, he reached out for his own rifle and aimed it at the empty space. “Wala namang nangyayaring labanan, bakit hindi tayo puwede magkaroon ng pista? Hindi gaya dati bago tayo sumanib sa mga puwersa ng Punong Heneral. Ngayon man ay ‘di man din tayo makapaglabas ng alak.”

“Isa pa talaga, kuya, at ilulunod kita sa ilog,” Goyo warns, completely angry and depressed with another paper being wasted after another dripped that caused another blot.

“Goyong naman oh!” Julian pleaded, before turning a casual look at Vicente, who’ve been quiet all along. He smirked. “Mukhang malalim ang iniisip ng kapatid mo, Jose.”

At that remark, all of them turned to look at Vicente who remained oblivious, still looking out at the small window of the hut they’ve been sharing. His eyes fixated on to the nearby hut where General Luna and his closest confidants were. Finally, after a few minutes of silence, Vicente suddenly spoke out of the blue, “Paano ba hadlangan ang pusong umiibig?”

“Kuya?” Inquired Jose. The rest were bewildered with how strange Vicente was talking. Apparently, it was only Goyo who doesn’t seem to have read the situation correctly that he snorted, smiling after finally giving up with writing today’s entry.

“Makukuha mo lang naman siya sa isang tingin eh,” Goyo started. “Ngitian mo tapos gumawa ka ng hakbang para makapagusap kayo.”

The three others who were in remained quiet. The three of them thinking the same thing: “Tanga nga itong si Goyong sa pag-ibig. Di alam kung ano ang totoong ibig-sabihin ni Enteng. Nagsalita ang magaling.”

They waited for Vicente to say something again, but he sighed heavily first before saying, “Ang hirap kasi. Pakiramdam ko na bago pa ako makagawa ng hakbang, babalatan na ako ng buhay ng Punong Heneral.”

“At bakit mo naman iyon nasabi? Sino ba yang inii—” Julian interrupted Goyo by covering the latter’s mouth. The older del Pilar chuckled and said, “Hindi ka naman babalatan ng Punong Heneral, Enteng. Panigurado ay babasahan ka muna nung—” And so, Juan del Pilar interrupted Julian, doing the same thing that the latter had done, assuring later on, “Hindi iyon totoo! Susuportahan ka namin kahit ano pa naman—” Jose placed his hand to cover Juan’s mouth, and annoyingly, he asked, “Sino ba kasi, kuya? Kahit sino na, ‘wag lang yung inampon ng Punong Heneral.”

But Vicente’s flush was enough to answer that troubling question. And what trouble it truly was to be secretly in love.

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If General Luna didn't die, and became Joven's adopted father... how will he meet—fall in love—with Colonel Enriquez?

// Part 2

Joven could still remember that day that he first saw the Colonel. It was during the time that his now foster father, General Antonio Luna, had received the audience that the young General del Pilar had petitioend for with the rest of his officers. It was when the Colonel himself was asked by his general to deliver the message beforehand the meeting, and Joven was having tea and ensaymadas with the rest of his father's closest confidants. At first meeting alone, his eyes were pinned on at the guest; only diverting to hide the blush when their eyes met for a second.

It had been a brief encounter alone, since his father immediately dismissed the Colonel to report back to the Boy General that they were meeting each other in few days time to strategize their next plan of fortifying the northern regions as originally planned before that misunderstanding in Cabanatuan that ended as a fiasco for the Kawit Brigade. Anyhow, Joven was expectant of the meeting. Especially if that would mean that he'll be seeing the Colonel again, befriend him, and be within approach.

"Heneral, bakit po kayo pumayag makipagkita kay Heneral del Pilar? Hindi po ba at hindi siya sumadyang humarap sa inyo noong tayo'y nasa Bagbag?" asked Paco with a curious frown, worried that a misunderstanding will happen again just like that of in Cabanatuan.

Rusca almost choked on his tea before chuckling. "Baka nga paborito ni Señor Presidente si Heneral del Pilar, pero mas mataas pa rin ang posisyon ng ating Heneral. Tsaka, Bulakeño yun. Di naman Caviteño. Hindi yun tatakbo hangga't kailangan. Magkakasundo sila panigurado ni Heneral."

"At yung huling beses..." General Luna trailed off with a wistful smile. "Kung di dahil kay Mascardo, baka nagtagumpay tayo depensahan ang Calumpit at ang Quingua. Kaso nga lang..." He laughed. "Caviteño talaga. Asahan mong lagi silang maghahanap ng gulo porket ang Señor Presidente ay isang Caviteño."

"Ang mga nasa ilalim po ba ni Heneral del Pilar ay mula saan, Tay?" Joven suddenly inquired out of curiousity. After all, if the Colonel was under General del Pilar, it would mean that they were from the same province. And he'll want to know as much detail as he could have. Additionally, he still found it weird regarding General Artikulo Uno as his father.

The rest of the officials stopped for a second on their foods and drinks to look at him. A long moment of silence settled as they turned to their general for any reaction. A second later, his foster father turned away as he covered his face with his hands and the others hurried next to him in comfort.

Joven was dumbstrucked about the reason, and remained helplessly traversing the darkness with the unanswered question.

All the while the officials gathered to assure General Luna that he heard right; the latter muttering, "Tinawag niya akong 'Tay'."

The day of the meeting with the forces of General del Pilar came much faster than Joven had thought. To be honest, he had been eagerly waiting. He had wished that it would be sooner, and now, the meeting was being conducted.

Joven stood close to where the Bernal brothers were just as the two generals finally came face-to-face with each other, as well as their next ranking officials—General Luna with Colonel Román and Captain Rusca; while General del Pilar with his brother, Colonel Julian del Pilar, and the same colonel who've delivered the message, Colonel Vicente Enriquez.

"Tignan mo nga naman itong si Goyo," Manuel whispered to his younger brother, Jose, nudging him by the side with a smirk. "Bayani ng Bulacan."

"Kuya!" scolded Jose as a whisper, stopping the older Bernal from being disrespectful.

The eyes of the rest of Luna's troops might be on General del Pilar; the same way that del Pilar's troops were on General Luna. But it had been much more embarrassing for Joven, since he was looking at one of the men who flanked the young and handsome general. The same man he had seen few days prior.

As if his thoughts had travelled on, the Colonel suddenly turned to his direction, catching his eyes. Joven instantly flushed, but before looking away, he noticed the Colonel smiling at him. That charming and captivating smile.

It hadn't gone unnoticed. Apparently, even if it was noticed by the officials, especially by the two generals, they didn't commented about it. Even when the two managed to finally have a formal introduction with each other, the others remained acting oblivious over the matter.

As the rest of the soldiers under General Luna and General del Pilar worked together, the time that Joven had with Colonel Enriquez also became frequent. Of course, Joven's foster father would not allow him to just wonder around without an officer with him. Most of the time, he was asked to come along with wherever Jose Bernal would be like some bodyguard of his. Too bad that his father would not even allow him to get-along with the forces of General del Pilar; and all he could do was to steal glances at a certain Colonel.

It was only during dinner after a few days that the discussion was brought on board. Despite being meant to work closely together, the generals had decided to take their meals at different times. Though they were offered the same food, they won't seat at the same time in front of a meal. It was all due to the fear that enemy attack would sprang at any moment, and well, there's the underlying inquiry that both generals couldn't be killed at the same time if there would be some poisoning or something. So, that time, it had been Joven, his father, and his father's officials who were seated on the table first.

"Heneral, baka maaraing hayaan na natin si Joven na makapag-ikot-ikot sa kampo magisa," Jose brought up. If Jose was to be asked, he was already fed up with having to always snap Joven from his daydreaming everytime that they were to be close with General del Pilar's men, especially when Colonel Enriquez was around. "Alam naman po ng lahat na ng sundalo rito na kapag napahamak si Joven, sa inyo sila malalagot."

His father regarded him for a second before turning to the other officials. "Joven, kay Manuel ka naman sumama."

Manuel suddenly stopped eating. "Heneral... Seryoso ba kayong hayaan si Joven na malayo sa lugar kung saan pinakaligtas? Alam niyo naman po kung saan ako naka-atas."

"Eh di kay Rusca," the General remarked on, but Rusca gave him a pointed look.

Joven remembered that the General had allowed him to be with Captain Rusca for a few hours, and when he heard the latter teaching Joven to curse, he immediately regretted it, giving his captain a long set of lecture not to be a bad influence.

"Paco?" the General suggested another time. But to follow Paco meant to be close to him as well. And any position close to him has a danger trailing on. He sighed. "Jose..."

"Tay, kaya ko naman po protektahan ang sarili ko," Joven interjected.

"Noong una at huling hawak mo nga ng baril, nabaril ka."

"Pero, tay... Tama naman po si Kuya Jose—"

The rest of the officials turned to Jose at that point, before the latter turned away as he brushed a sleeve across his face and Manuel, who was seated next to him, gave him a pat on the shoulder.

His father smiled with great joy, relief and pride, urging him to continue on.

"Di naman po ako mapapahamak basta't napapaligiran ako ng mga sundalo pong tapat sa inyo at kay Heneral del Pilar," Joven added.

Suddenly, all of the officials turned to him another time. The smile dropped from his father that seemed to make the room have a dark aura going on. He suddenly wondered if he had said something wrong.

The General stood from his seat, his heighttowering them all right now. He then stated, "Wala akong problema sa mga sundalo ni Goyo. Ang kinakatakot ko ay kung anong binabalak nung Koronel na kasama niya sa iyo."

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

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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Angelito Bernal was the younger brother of Manuel and Jose Bernal, two of the late General Luna’s most trusted comrades. But when General Luna died and General del Pilar was asked to eliminate every Luna loyalists, tragedy continued on.

“Heneral Goyo… Heneral del Pilar…”

When Angelito heard the name, he knew that he must escape whatever happens. The Boy General, the very moment that he would found him, he would surely be confined to submit. And maybe, he shouldn’t have thought of that… because it invited trouble.

The Bernal name had been known by the Brigada Pilar. For Manuel and Jose Bernal’s close tie with the late General Luna, they were asked to submit. But as matters currently stand, they were running away. Hunted.

That was why, when Colonel Vicente Enriquez visited the shop of Laureáno in search of a photographer to match the vanity of his young commanding officer, he shivered. And the very moment that Colonel Julian del Pilar arrived, realizing his name: he was led to submit. Tied and forced to meet the Faborito del Presidente.

“Nasaan ang mga kuya mo?” The General asked, calm and patient.

Angelito looked on. Biting his lower lip as he stifled a cry. He would not speak, even if they were to force him. He would not submit to the del Pilar brothers.

“Yung mga traydor mong kapatid!” Screamed the Colonel.

“Kuya…” trailed the younger del Pilar.

He noticed the brotherhood that remained between the two. And he couldn’t wonder why these two wanted to separate him from his brothers as well. Couldn’t the del Pilars noticed that the relationship that they have also mirrored that of them Bernals?

And yet… fate seemed too cruel for them. Jose was assassinated, and Manuel was killed right in front of him. The latter none other than done upon the orders received by General del Pilar from Señor Presidente.

“Palayain niyo na siya,” the General stated.

The energy within his system vanished in an instant with the ringing of the gun that killed his Kuya Manuel. He seized struggling. His eyes were pinned onto the blood that stained the cold floor rather than to the face of his brother. Warm tears fell from his eyes and down his cheeks.

Someone forced him to look up. At the face of his brothers’ murderers. Though they didn’t look menacing at all, for him, their faces shifted from a gentle monster to a vicious villain as if they were dipped in blood. As if they were laughing at him when no one does; and hear his brothers’ shrieks of pain when they were long gone.

“Kuya Manuel… Kuya Jose…” he mumbled helplessly. His eyes seeing them as his brothers ran, looking at him with their smiles once in a while to see if he was still following them. They were urging him to catch them; just as how they play the game when there wasn’t any war separating them.

He was covered in dirt. Dry tears smeared his cheeks. Eyes straight ahead, looking at nothing. Footsteps staggering. As he wandered around.

The whispers said that he used to have a happy life. With two brothers serving the greatest general the Philippine Revolution of its war against the Americans ever had. And those two brothers were killed by brothers as well.

It seemed like innocence was stolen too early for those who loved so wholly. Like an angel whose wings were stolen before they were even given the chance to fly.

What have they done to you?

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