Chapter 14
" Much of it, still I can't believe what I had witnessed today. You're a very tricky fighter, where did you learn it, who taught you? Why you're not answering to us early on."
They both leaned on at the Mabolo tree while facing to the glamorous sight of the moonlight.
" Beautiful! it's nice to see the moon again."
" But hey, Magee, where on earth you've acquired that modernized fencing.
" Beside our school's dormitory in Manila was the house of my college friend, they're well-off and her father had circle of American friends who were equally good sword fighters. They come together every weekends and since first year, my friend brought me there to watch her father's social fencing duels. Hmm...but I liked it more seeing the couple in duel after their friends left. It thrilled me, it's my first time to see a Filipino woman fights that way too. She really enjoyed fencing and the place was filled with their laughter. Their daughter and I also had small swords with us, my first attempts were so tiring, until I learned to hold the bigger ones after two years. She taught me the tricks and not to wonder she was a famous ballerina, she quickly turns to deceive the opponent and she lightly moved her body."
" Uhm...so from them you learned your skills in fencing. It was so unexpected of you to quickly touch the wrist without the opponent knowing the sudden attack. Wow! so I'm getting more interested of you now."
" Interested?" Magee smiled.
" I mean, you are interesting, life, your pastime when you're away from home, how about your favorite music?"
" Music, I do. But I know you knew these things, you were in our mini library right? You've maybe read everything in my diary." She mumbled and smiled at him.
" Yes, I know, hmm...probably sung by Josie Collins and Kitty Kallen, haha, all jazz!"
" Haha...yes jazz for Kitty's songs, I'm a fan of her, but don't you ever mention all these songs." She jokily warned him.
Under the moonlight they comfortably shared stories and after two hours of chatting, he told her to have a look of the old house so that they can return to the cave before midnight.
" I missed that house, so much. I missed my foster family and everything out there. But still, I'm grateful for the memories they have given me.
" So, let's proceed to the waterfalls now, you'll be bathing again, take note.
" You too. I saw you this afternoon, you enjoyed the waters a lot, men can do it whenever they want but women hides when they take a bath. See the difference.
"Ouch! those were big words but hey, never attempt to bath in the waterfalls, don't try it, understand!"
" Ah, I know, okay."
" Are you not afraid with that cliff we'll pa.s.s by?"
" Not at all." She smiled.
" Boom!" A sound of cannon blasted in not-so-far. Estimatingly, at around a thousand meters away, someone was desperately running, followed by the enemies. They both saw him reached the dead end and stopped helplessly. He was sadly hit by a gunshots on his head and in a minute silence crumbled the place again. Meanwhile, the enemies grabbed his camisa tsino and pulled him lifelessly away from the area. Magee was very angry as George tried to pacify him.
" They're horribly disgusting! the native already stopped and begged but still they killed him. He was powerless, he even don't have any weapon." She was teary-eyed.
" Hmm...there's nothing we can do anymore. Let's leave now."
" Wait, I'll get some fresh 'rosal' flowers to give an offer to the bloodshed, on that spot where he was murdered. The soul was still in shock beside it now, no family bade him goodbye...I want to show some respect to him and pray for his eternal rest." Then she gathered some rosal around the area and put them all beside the bloodshed.
" Amá nami, dalha ngawon kanmo ining isó mo, ining lumon nami. Ikaw da sini bahala kanya. " (Our Father, bring your son and our brethren with you. In you, we entrust him.") She knelt and solemnly bowed her head on the ground.
" After that short prayer and offering, George grabbed her hand while noticing some lights coming in a not-so-distant far. While hiding her in an upland safer place, he immediately returned beside the bloodshed, took Magee's offering and placed them all inside his pocket.
" Why you brought them in your pockets?" Magee whispered to him.
" They might suspect that someone's staying around. The flowers will be the lead. Report says that no one's already staying in their houses but all's in prison cells and they'll think about the flowers deeply. Their soldiers won't offer it that way nor the Americans - so they'll search for more natives around, it'll be more sacrificial to your fellowmen. Think about it."
" Hmm...you're right. So why they returned to that spot?"
" They might cover the blood. I dunno know if what does that mean. Hmm, they're almost near to the spot, there's around two of them. I guess, this is a good opportunity. Magee, go up to this mansanitas tree, slowly. I'll get back to you after I can get them." George whispered to her.
" No, no...no. They have their guns."
" It's okay. I'll get back, careful here."
While George tried to draw closer to the enemies, Magee was looking for bigger rocks where she planned to use if George would need a backup. Though, she was chilling in fear but she's willing to help.
But George crawled like an alligator, furiously attacked and smacked the mouth of the soldier tailing the other other one and twirled his neck backward causing a silent kill and hurriedly threw a dagger to the first one and the dagger hit in between the neck and shoulders that made him fell him so quickly.
Magee covered her mouth and stunned to what she saw. She back off crawling and relaxed a bit under the mansanitas tree. While inhaling and exhaling, she had observed him relocating the bodies in a direction heading to the river, twice he returned then after approximately an hour, he was already heading toward her bringing some enemy uniforms as part of their collection for the major plan.
" George..."
" Huh! our sight-seeing turned out as an attack demonstration." He had a deep breathe for a while, sat down, closed his eyes and leaned his body on the mansanitas tree.
" How are you?" He smiled and asked her.
" You did great and I was amazed by your sudden attack to the enemies for just a minute or two. You are so...brave."
" We have no choice. It's unusual to have two enemies in a silent place like this. Since they came so I did. I am a soldier and by all means will do my contribution to fight."
She smiled at him.
" O, what is that look all about? why you're...removing your sweater? Hey...hey...." He back off and she drew closer to him and put the sweater on his back filled with sweats. Magee arranged the sweater and left it there while he noticeably covered his face.
" h.e.l.lo? what are you thinking? I never thought you were born malicious." Then she walked away running, heading to the cliff while George brought the soldiers' uniforms and smilingly followed her. She slowly and was gently trekking on the slippery trail by the cliff, directing to left side of the falls without looking below the rumbling noisy river. She trudged the slippery trail within ten minutes. Albrecht immediately wrapped a towel on her after she came in chilling. Minutes after, George followed leaving to Albrecht the enemy's uniforms. To his surprise, Albrecht threw the uniforms to Gador who was sitting on the long table.
" Hala, sanina man ni sa mga kalaban, ang lietenant ba ang nakapatay nila? siya ra usa? pirting isuga." (These are our enemy's uniforms, did the lieutenant hunted some? by himself? He must be very brave)."
Magee, you go and change now. George, tell us everything."
He sat down and shared what happened in their sight-seeing.
" Good heavens, peace be with them." Elias seriously lamented.
" By the way, Gador, I will a.s.sign you to wash all these uniforms and hats and put them when dried in a rupero, Albrecht knew that storage. Interestingly, we'll use these uniforms later, as planned.
Albrecht offered to George a hot salabat while being amazed to the story of his attack at the enemy lines.
" Don't tell me she saw you." Albrecht crosschecked.
" She did. I have no choice, the enemies were too close at us. I can't just rant nor blameful of myself if I miss the chance."
" Urgh! she's going to think and rethink and ruminate about it tonight. I'm pretty sure of that."
" Calm down, I'll talk to her after she could change." George rea.s.sured the eldest brother.