When Back In Time

AT THE end of the path, she was shocked to meet the young man whom she saved, the one who also hit her while he was riding the kalesa.  On his hand, he was holding a lamp.

"Ikaw? (You!)" Esperanza asked. The young man jumped in surprise.

"Binibini, a-anong ginagawa mo dito sa ganitong oras?" he asked. (Miss, w-what are you doing here at this kind of time?)

"Ikaw dapat ang tanungin ko niyan. Diba hindi pa maayos ang sugat mo? Bakit ka nandito?" Esperanza asked. (I should be the one asking you that. Isn't your wound fully healed? Why are you here?)

Esperanza, with a frown, eyed the young man. She thought to herself, 'Is he the one whom Bangun Bangun was referring to? My guide to this quest? Why him?'

"By the way------" she started.

"Bay t----- ano?" he asked. (What?)

'Oh shoot! I forgot! I speak in English again.' She thought to herself while cursing herself.

Esperanza immediately responded, "Ahhhh----- ang ibig kong itanong ay, kung—kung ano ang pangalan mo. Hindi pa tayo nagkausap at nagpakilala sa isa't isa. Ako ng pala si Esperanza. Ikaw? Anong pangalan mo?"  (Ahh---- what I mean to ask is---is--- what is your name? We haven't had a chance to talk and introduce each other. By the way, I'm Esperanza. You? What's your name?)

"Pepe po, binibini," he said. (Pepe)

"Sa tingin ko hindi mo na kailangan mag-po sa akin kasi kasing-edad lang kita," Esperanza said. (I think you should not address me politely because we are in the same age)

Pepe turned his back and started to walk. His left wounded arm was bandaged.  Esperanza followed him.

"U---Esperanza, anong ginagawa mo?" Pepe asked. (U---- Esperanza, what are you doing?)

Esperanza asked, "Anong ibig mong sabihin?" (What do you mean?)

Pepe said, "Bakit tila sinusundan mo ako?" (Why is it looked like you were following me?)

Esperanza said, "Kung saan ka pupunta, doon din ako." (Where you are going, I'll go there too)

She thought, 'Since you are my guide, I must follow you. You must help me in this quest of mine.'

Pepe stopped and faced her, "Iyong totoo Esperanza? Ano ba talaga ang ginagawa mo dito? Baka hinahanap ka na ng ate Clara mo." (Seriously Esperanza? What are you really doing here? Your older sister, Clara, must be looking for you)

She stopped and looked at him, "May pakiusap sana ako sa iyo Pepe. Kung maari matulungan mo ako. Gusto ko na kasi umuwi sa tahanan namin." (I have something to ask you, Pepe. I hope you can help me. I badly want to go home)

"Pero," he started, "Anong ibig mong sabihin? Hindi mo ba kaanu-ano ang mabait and matulungin na si ate Clara?" (But--- what do you mean? Are you not related to the kind and helpful Clara?)

She nodded, "Sa totoo lang, hindi ako taga rito. Kaya kung maari tulungan mo sana ako." (To be honest, I'm not from here. That's why, please help me out)

Pepe looked at her, hesitantly, "Paumanhin pero hindi ka maaring sumabay sa akin." (Sorry but you can't go with me)

She looked at him, "At bakit?" (And why?)

Pepe scratched his head, "Eh--- ano kasi----" (Eh------- because----)

"Kasi ano?" Esperanza asked. (Because what?)

Pepe said, "Kasi….. Nako, mahirap sabihin eh." (Because….. it's hard to say)

Esperanza started, "Kasi rebelde ka, 'yon ba 'yon?" Pepe looked at her, surprised. "Alam ko sa simula pa lang na rebelde ka. Isa ka sa mga takas sa kulungan noong nakaraang araw." (Because you are a rebel, is that it? I know that from the very beginning that you are a rebel. You are one of those prisoners who escaped the jail the other day)

He looked at her dumbfounded. He told her if she already knew who he was, why she didn't sell him to the guardia civil (police). Why, instead of fearing him just like how the people treated him, she rather helped him out?

"Ewan ko, hindi ko rin alam. Sadyang mahilig lang talaga ako tumulong sa ibang tao," she said. "At isa pa, alam ko rin na ikaw 'yong bumangga sa akin sa Plaza." (I don't know. I just like to help other people. And one thing, I know you were the one who accidentally hit me in the Plaza)

Pepe, who had lost his words, looked at her shocked. His eyes were apologetic.

"At dahil doon, kung gusto mong bumawi sa akin, dapat mo akong tulungang hanapin itong isang tao para makauwi na ako sa amin." (And because of that, if you want to repay me you need to help me find a certain person so that I can finally go home)

Pepe asked, "At sino naman itong hahanapin natin?" (And who is this person we are looking for?)

She said, "Jose Rizal."

Pepe looked at her with a perplexed face. While they were walking, Pepe told her that Jose Rizal was imprisoned in Fort Santiago, as far as he remembered.

Esperanza told him, that there was this rumor about Jose Rizal. Jose Rizal was about to deported from Fort Santiago and be exiled in Dapitan but then, suddenly, he disappeared. That's why, Esperanza said, they should find him.

Pepe was curious. Why finding Jose Rizal would help her to get back home? He also questioned: what's her connection with Jose Rizal. But Esperanza just brushed the question off.

Of course, she could not tell him about her quest. Her story might sound to him as stupid and nonsense.

"So," Esperanza looked at Pepe. The light coming from the lamp carried by Pepe illuminated his face. The young man, Pepe, has a dark complexion, just all Filipinos in this era. He may not have that protruded nose but his face is handsome in its own way. Esperanza continued, "Paano natin hahanapin si Jose Rizal?" (So? How do we find Jose Rizal?)

Pepe, using his free hand, scratched his head. "Balak ko na sana magtago at magpakalayo, mamuhay ng matiwasay. Ayaw ko na sana bumalik doon. Pero," he sighed, "wala na akong magagawa. Kinakailangan mo ang aking tulong at malugod akong tulungan ka Esperanza." (I planned to hide and escape, to live a peaceful life. I don't want to go back there. But I have no choice. You need my help and I'm happy to help you, Esperanza)

"Ayaw mo na bumalik doon? Anong ibig mong sabihin sa 'doon'?" she asked. (You don't want to go back there? What do you mean by that?)

He sighed, "Tondo, ang tahanan ko. " (Tondo, my home.)

Esperanza looked at him, perplexed. Pepe looked like he was in trouble.

Pepe said, "Mayroon akong kakilala sa Tondo na makakatulong sa atin." (I have someone I know in Tondo who could help us)

While they were walking and talking, with a lamp illuminating the road, they didn't notice two guardia civil (police) were tailing them.

One of the guardia civil yelled at them to halt. He asked them, what they are doing at this kind of time, walking outside while people were sleeping.

Pepe glanced at Esperanza. The two looked at each other and already know that they were in deep trouble. Pepe held Esperanza's hand, and the two began to sprint away.

The two guardia civil (Civil Gaurd) tried to shot them with their rifles as they chased the two.

...…

A few seconds ago…

...…

Not far from where Pepe and Esperanza were, a man was standing on the road. He was wearing a 'salakot' or a traditional wide-brimmed hat made of rattan (phragmites reeds). He has a well-trimmed mustache on his upper lip. He was wearing a 'camisa de chino' (white shirt) and black pants. He looked at the small object wrapped around his wrist. It was a high-tech device, a wristwatch.

He's back, he thought to himself. He's finally back.

He heard a gunshot near where he was standing. He immediately hid behind the nearest tree and scouted his surroundings.

He looked at his wristwatch. What should he do?

'I guess not today,' he told himself, sighing, and turned the crown of the wristwatch counterclockwise. He then suddenly disappeared in space and time.

Right on the spot where he once was hiding, Pepe and Esperanza stopped and hid. They were panting. The two guardia civil were no longer in tow.

Esperanza heaved a deep breath, her heartbeat would not stop from pumping faster.

She thought to herself, 'this is hell. Is this going to be my life for a time being? Being chased by bullets and cops? You've got to be kidding me?'