(This story first appeared in the January 28, 2012, issue of the now-defunct Philippines Free Press. The screenshot above is from the magazine's website, which likewise no longer exists.)
Kumander Gaston glanced around his men. “The Moros cannot drive us away,” he told them. “They cannot claim this land all for themselves. This is our land too. This is where our children and grandchildren will grow up.
“They slay Kumander Dalia and her men, thinking that we would cower in fear and run for cover. The idiots. They’ve just committed their greatest mistake. They think they’re fierce? They think they’re merciless? What they’ve done is not even half as much as we are capable of. They do not know the people from Panay. They do not know how powerful our amulets are. So tonight, we shall let them know!”
Some of the warriors shouted in assent, but most of them murmured.
“Kumander Gaston,” Titing asked, “is it just us who are going to attack?”
“Why,” Gaston answered, “don’t you trust your amulets? Even if there are only forty of us, we can wipe out a thousand Moros, much less one hundred forty.”
The noise grew louder, and Gaston smiled bitterly. “So now you all have chickened out?” he said. “You no longer want to follow me?”
“It’s not that, Kumander Gaston,” Titing said. “We want to kill the enemies. We will fight them up to the last ounce of our strength. But why do we have to expend so much energy if they can be crushed easily—by a few hundred men?”
“I wish you had let me finish first,” Gaston said. He addressed everyone: “For the past few days, I’ve seen you lose confidence in my leadership. I looked into your eyes and saw doubt. Doubt if I can still seek justice for my sister and your brothers. Doubt if I can still give you victory . . . I’ll admit it to you: I’m hurt! I’m hurt, because I want you to trust me as much as I trust you. Do you think I’m not capable of taking care of you? I am not a commander for nothing. It is just our group that will strike out and destroy the enemy’s first line of defense. But once we’ve broken into their camp, our allies will come.”
Silence filled the air, and all eyes were on the chief.
“Yes, what you have in mind is right,” Gaston continued. “My negotiations with Colonel Bangit and Kumander Higante did not end in failure. When I met with them yesterday, they agreed to my plans. They will help us, because we are indispensable to them.”
“Indispensable?” Titing asked. “But they don’t need us.”
“Yes, they need us,” Gaston said. “For here with us is an invincible babaylan. He’s got a powerful amulet, more powerful than that of Ikang or Kumander Higante.” Murmurs grew again. “The man I’m referring to have been hiding his true identity from you, but it is time he embraced his fate and performed his duty. Men, I would like you to meet Nong Seño’s son . . . Badong!”
The warriors were surprised, including Badong himself.
“Badong will be our new babaylan,” Gaston continued. “And to prove to you that nothing can defeat his amulet, he will lead the attack tonight. He will fight in the front line.”
* * *
Titing found Badong sitting behind the tree.
“Kumander Gaston’s lying,” Titing said. “The soldiers and the other warriors won’t come. He told Ikang so. I peeped on them last night.”
Badong said, “Now I understand.”
“You understand what?”
“Nothing,” Badong said, shaking his head. “We must inform the others.”
“Are you crazy? Kumander Gaston’s going to kill us. Let them follow him blindly. We must save ourselves. Let us escape.”
“They will die.”
“Let them die. They came here to die. They pledged their souls when they joined the movement.”
“Didn’t you?”
“Of course I didn’t,” Titing said. “When Kumander Gaston recruited me, he promised nothing but victory. How can I stay loyal to him when he’s lying to us? He does not truly care about us. He’s going to use us as pawns so he could avenge his sister. Let us escape, Badong. No one’s going to go after us, anyway. Kumander Gaston will surely die too tonight.”
“No, he’s not going to die.”
“What made you say that?”
“Listen, Ting, I have something to tell you. I never told anyone about this except you and Ikang.”
“Ikang? So Kumander Gaston’s suspicions are true. You’ve been more than friendly to her.”
“Cut it out, Ting.”
“Is that why you don’t want to leave, why you’re going to the battle tonight? So you can eventually have her?”
“I will go tonight because I’m a warrior. I will fight for our people’s right to this land.”
“Hah! You think I’ve forgotten what you said, Badong? You joined the movement because you want to run away from home.”
“But I’m home now, Ting. I’m going to be a babaylan.”
Titing laughed. “All for a piece of pussy,” he said, shaking his head. “Well, tell you what, Badong, I don’t blame you. I perfectly understand you. We have the same purpose. Let me tell you what I’ve been planning all along. Tonight, I’ll pretend to go with the party, but I’ll sneak away along the way and come back here in the camp. And here, I will have Ikang all for my—”
Badong stared blankly at Titing, deaf to what he said next, lost in another place and time. As if it was happening right before Badong’s eyes, he saw his friend’s final fate. Titing would be staring at something, or someone, on the ground, and then he’d gasp. He’d look down at his chest, and see the tip of a long, bloody knife protruding from it. He’d turn around and stare in shock at his assailant.
When Badong heard Titing’s voice again, he was saying, “. . . friends. That’s why I’m letting you in on this, just like how I taught you to peek at the dugout. Come with me. Let us share Ikang. Let’s not be selfish like Kumander Gaston.”
“No, Ting,” Badong said. “Come with us. You’ll die if you stay here.”
“That’s absurd.”
“Listen. I can see a person’s death. This is what I’ve been wanting to tell you, but you’re not giving me the chance.”
“You’re telling me you know how I would die?”
“Yes. I saw it just now. You will be stabbed.”
“Stabbed? Thanks for the warning, then. I’ll tie Ikang first before I have my way with her.”
“I’m serious, Ting. Come with us. You won’t be harmed during the battle. I will share to you my amulet. I’m doing the same thing with Kumander Gaston. He ordered me to pour half of the oil in my bottle into his. That’s why he wouldn’t die—why I haven’t seen how he would die.”
“Your story doesn’t make sense. Kumander Gaston wants you dead, and he doesn’t care if he dies.”
“I do not know. I can’t read minds. Perhaps he truly trusts my amulet. Perhaps it’s not true that he’s suicidal. Who wants to die?”
“You’re just saying all these to protect Ikang.”
“I’m telling you the truth, Ting. The boy is the proof. I knew he was alive because I didn’t have a vision of him being killed. It’s true, I have a third eye like my father. But mine is more like a curse than a gift . . . I had this since I was a kid, and I thought it would go away if I left home. But it didn’t. And since I obeyed Kumander Gaston’s order to be the babaylan of this camp, my ability has become more powerful. It became worse. Now I can see how a person would die. After Kumander Gaston addressed all of us earlier, I saw that . . . our fellow warriors . . . most of them would die in the battle tonight. At first I was puzzled how this could happen, but when you told me that Kumander Gaston was lying about the reinforcement—”
“I don’t care, Badong. I no longer want to have anything to do with this camp, with this war. This war is madness. Nobody’s gonna win. We will all just die. I’m leaving. If you were someone else, I wouldn’t waste a word more with you. But since you are my friend, Badong, I’ll ask you one more time. Come with me. Stay out of battle and save yourself.”
“Yes, I am your friend, Ting. That’s why I insist it’s you who should come with me. Join the battle and save yourself.”
“We will never agree,” Titing said, smiling. “We differ in style. So, all right, have your pussy your way, and I’ll have mine my way.”
Before Badong could say anything more, Titing walked away. Badong watched Titing’s back, where the knife would pierce through. Badong felt for the weapon on his side, wondering if he was the one destined to stab Titing, if he would be capable of killing his friend.
(To be continued)
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