When Back In Time

RIFLES WERE fired and bullets came cruising in mid-air, missing Esperanza's right ear.

Pepe grabbed her hand and hustled her away.

Esperanza couldn't remember when did she stop from running. She couldn't remember when was the last time a guardia civil (Civil Guard) didn't chase them.

Her legs were about to give up but her body insisted not to stop from running.

Meanwhile, her long dress was nothing helpful but always hindering her to run faster. Instead, it caused her to trip many times. This made her let out a curse, which shook Pepe.

'When will this hellish chase end?' she thought to herself. She was getting tired day by day.  

Then came the time they finally escape the people who were pursuing them.

The two sat on the ground, panting so hard. Beads of sweat streaming all over their body. Hearts kept beating faster and faster.

Pepe was smudged with dirt all over his face, body and even his camisa de chino (white shirt). While, Esperanza was wearing her dirty camisa (chemise) and her long skirt, which was slightly torn in the hem. Her panuelo was wrapped around her waist. Her hair was worn down and unruly.

She lifted her head towards heaven and thought. It's been days since they left the house of Clara. After their departure, it seems that bad luck always chased them wherever they went.

"Malapit na ba tayo? (Are we there yet?)" Esperanza asked Pepe for the nth time.

Pepe heaved a sigh and answered they were almost there.

Esperanza grunted. How far must they go for this quest? How far would she go to face this lots of trouble? This punishment of hers was harder than she thought. 'I hope we will see Jose Rizal soon,' she desperately thought to herself. She did not know when their luck would run out. 'Being chased by the cops is not healthy for me. I need to go home immediately before I ended up dead here.'

It was July 20, 1892, when they finally arrived in the outskirt of Tondo, Manila. Pepe pulled Esperanza and told her to find the man, whom they're looking for, alone.

Esperanza asked, "Ano?" (What?)

Pepe explained he could not set foot in Tondo that's why she needed to find the man alone.

"Ako ang maghahanap sa kanya? Ibig bang sabihin nito iiwan mo ako?" she asked. (I'm the one who's going to find him? Does this mean you are leaving me?)

Pepe shook his head. He was not leaving her. It just that there was a reason why he could not set foot in Tondo.

Esperanza wanted to ask him more, to squeeze out the reason he was hiding from her. But she noticed the troubled face of his. Why? She then remembered Pepe once told her that Tondo was his home. So why it looked like Pepe does not want to go to his home?

As Esperanza walked in streets of Tondo, she saw it was brimming with people. There are lots of bahay na bato (stone houses) that she did not know where she'll start to look for Andres.

She promised to Pepe, if she didn't find Andres before nightfall, she should go back to the outskirt to meet Pepe.

'Who the heck is this Andres anyway?'

Pepe told her a while ago that there was this man, whom he trusts the most, could help them find Jose Rizal. Apparently, this Andres could be the only one who can help them. Andres once knew Jose Rizal and Pepe was hoping Andres knew where Jose Rizal was right now.

'Now what?' Esperanza asked herself.

She started to ask around but people kept avoiding her because of her appearance. The haggard look and filthy dress of Esperanza made her looked like a crazy girl. This triggered her. 'What is wrong with these people?'

Someone bumped her, which made her fell on the ground and angrily told her to watch where she was going. The person who bumped her was a guardia civil (Civil guard).

Esperanza's heart skipped a beat. 'No more cops please!' she pleaded.

The guardia civil was on his 40's. He was wearing the same uniform, blue cotton uniform with red wool collar and cuffs. It has white with black center stripe collar tabs with a button at the end point. The buttons were silver plated embossed with the cipher "GCV". On his head, he wore a cap of black oilcloth with tortoiseshell visor. A number was painted on his cap, the number "101". What's that?

The guardia civil looked at her coldly, his eyes roamed from her head to toe. "Bawal magpagala-gala ang mga baliw sa kalye. Umalis ka na bago may mapahamak ka pang iba," he said. (Crazy girl like you are not allowed to roam around the street. Go away before you disturb other people)

'Crazy? Who? Me? How rude!' she thought to herself. The guardia civil turned his back on her and continue to walk. She glared at him.

Someone approached her. "Binibini, mukhang gutom ka na ha," a man asked her. (Miss, you looked like you are hungry).

She looked at him, he a man of his 20's who has a mustache on his face. He kindly offered her food and gave her coins. He smiled at her and lowered his salakot (wide-brimmed hat). He bowed and smiled again before he left her.

She looked at the man's back. 'What does he thinks of me? Na pulibi ako? (That I'm a beggar?)' she was fuming. But….

When she stared at the food her stomach grumbled. It's been days since she had decent food.

She looked at the man. She thought to herself, she should have thanked him.

Her gaze went to his right wrist and saw a familiar object wrapped around his wrist. That's….

'That's a wristwatch! The other clock of Bangun Bangun!' she thought. She started to call out to him and chase him. But the crowd was like a maze to her as she tried to pass. She tried to call him one more time and saw him turned to the other street. When she finally gets herself to the other street, she could no longer see him.

'That wristwatch of his, that's it. That's the other clock. Who is he? I need to find him,' she thought to herself. But first, she needed to find Andres.

"Nasaan na ba kasi itong Andres na to?" she mumbled.   (Where in the world is this Andres is?)

Someone again bumped her.

Pepe grabbed her.

Esperanza looked at him, surprised. She asked why he was here. Pepe was wearing a salakot (wide-brimmed hat) to hide half of his face from the prying eyes of the guardia civil.

"N-naisip kong dapat hindi kita pabayaan lang dito habang naghahanp kay Andres," Pepe said. (I was thinking that I should not let you here, alone, looking for Andres)

Pepe looked around and grabbed her.

Esperanza could glimpse that same troubled face of his. She looked at him, concerned.

Pepe started to hustle her from here and there. It looked like Pepe was trying to avoid someone and Esperanza didn't know what was going on.

Pepe and Esperanza halted when suddenly a guardia civil (Civil Guard) intercepted them. It was the same guardia civil before with the hat that has the number of '101'. Pepe tried to escape from the back when suddenly two more came to stop him.

"Tatakas ka na naman Manuel?" the guardia civil asked. (You're escaping again, Manuel?)

'Manuel?' Esperanza asked herself. 'What is he talking about?'

Esperanza looked at Pepe. The rebel, Pepe bit his lower lip and turned to face the guardia civil. "Kamusta, ama," Pepe said. (Hi father)

Esperanza looked between Pepe and the guardia civil with wide eyes.

The father of Pepe, with the number 101 on his hat, smiled at him bitterly. Then he ordered his men to arrest Pepe.