When Back In Time

THAT NIGHT Agustin trudged his way home. It was dark and there was no light on the path. The forest was separated by the road he took. Moonlight was his only source of light. He looked at his back and then to his front as curses started coming fluently from his mouth.

He just came from an important meeting, an important business and was heading his way home. But on his way, he found that there's no kalesa (caleche) to ride on.

He put his two hands on his h.i.p.s in frustration.

It will take him a lot of time to go home on foot and he doesn't want to be late for the dinner. He's anticipated that his wife might be worried sick if he came late.

He sighed and clicked his tongue, "You've got to be kidding me."

He continued walking as he followed the road in frustration.

After a minute, he heard something was approaching.

He turned around and was delighted to see a kalesa (caleche) was coming.

He put out his hand and the driver of the kalesa halted the horse from walking.

Agustin went inside the vehicle and ordered the driver, who's wearing a strawhat, to get him to his home and gave him directions. The driver nod, he took the rein and the kalesa started to move.

Agustin told the driver to wake him up if they're already in his house. Agustin was tired and wanted to take a nap.

The driver silently nod.

Agustin was intrigued by this driver's attitude but he shoves this immediately off. He was too sleepy and tired to entertain such curiosity. Before he closed his eyes, he made out from the light that was illuminating the vehicle that the driver's hands looked weird as he hold the rein.

'Hmm..' he thought to himself, 'His hand is not big muscular nor course. It looks slender and smooth... like... like...'

And drifted to take a nap.

When he woke up, he found that the kalesa was already on the halt. The driver was no longer sitting in front of him. The driver was gone.

Agustin went outside the vehicle and sighed in fume. "Where is that bastard? Didn't I tell him to drive me home? That idiot!"

He looked around as he recognized that he was not even near his house or in his town. He was in a place surrounded by big trees and bushes and mosquitoes and noisy cicadas.

"Where the heck I am? And where is that idiot?"

He slapped his neck as a mosquito bit him. "For Pete sake. There's a lot of pests here."

He put his hands on his h.i.p.s and clenched his jaws in fury. "Nasaan ka na p*tang inang kumag ka! Anong sa tingin mong ginagawa mo? Anong sa tingin mo, nakikipagbiruan ako sa iyo? Magpakita ka sa akin!" (Where are you, you f*cking bastard! What do you think you're doing? Do you think that this is funny? Show yourself!)

The forest was silent except for the sound of the cicadas. He turned around and saw only trees, bushes and no one.

'Where is that bastard?'

His head snapped to his right as he heard a rustling of leaves. He saw the silhouette of a man wearing a hat. It stood there for a second and then started to run.

"Huy! Bumalik ka dito, kumag ka!" he yelled as he chased him. (Hey! Come back here, you bastard!)

The silhouette ran faster in ease in this forest. Meanwhile, Agustin who's very unfamiliar of the place was having a hard time chasing the driver in this maze-like forest.

Agustin stopped as he lost sight of the silhouette of the driver.

"Where is he?" he asked himself. His hands gripped his h.i.p.s. He was panting very hard. "Where... Is he?"

He heard a rustling behind him. He turned around and followed the sound.

And there, up ahead, he could see the silhouette of the driver. He leaped and ran faster and grabbed the driver's arm. when he had a grab of it, he noticed the arm was slender than he thought. Before he lifted his head to see the driver's face, the latter bent down his head and bit Agustin's hand.

Agustin let out a scream and curse.

"You darn bastard! I will kill you!" he shrieked and started to chase him.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, the driver who was hiding behind a tree swung a dead and thick branch with great force on Agustin's face. The latter, who was surprised and had no time to defend himself, hit the ground and laid there unconscious.

The driver looked at Agustin who was laying on the ground. She took off the strawhat on her head and combed her head while panting.

Esperanza tried to calm herself after hitting him and after all those chases.

She did it. She never knew that her plan would work.

She didn't know that after stealing the kalesa (caleche) and taking that road, she never knew that she will find her target. Agustin also made it easy for her after he snoozes off to sleep. All that is left is to make him unconscious.

"I know it's hard to get you on a one on one. You have your men, your influence and you have a gun. I'm glad today you don't carry it," she said as she kicked his side to investigate if he carried one.

Agustin grunted which made Esperanza hit him one more time on his face in panic.

She shoves off the branch and took a step backward. She was surprised by what she had done. She hit him twice on his face.

"No-nothing to fear," she reassured herself, "He's not dead. You just knock him unconscious. That's right. And besides, this is the only resort you have. Right... Right."