Love Beyond: Walang Hanggang Pagmamahal

by Grant Leishman

  A quick assessment of the wounded was good news. Although sadly, his company had lost three men in the battle, the wounded were few, with most only carrying superficial cuts and contusions that could easily wait until they got to the fort, to be dealt with. There were two soldiers with serious injuries, one who had taken a pistol shot to his left cheek and one poor man who had been the unfortunate recipient of a bayonet to his stomach. A quick look at this soldier told Hernando, the man was not long for this world. His entrails were hanging from his stomach and as he approached, he observed one of his comrades, gently try to push the protruding colon back inside the man’s stomach. Hernando grimaced and knelt beside the soldier’s head. Looking into his eyes he could see the soldier had already resigned himself to his fate. “I’ve had it, haven’t I, Colonel?” the man softly whispered.

  Hernando gulped deeply and forced a smile onto his face. “Hang in there, soldier, we’ll have you at the fort in no time and the doctor will fix you up as good as new.”

  The Private coughed noisily and blood dribbled down his chin to stain the ground red. “Good try, Colonel, but I’m not that stupid.” His eyes squeezed shut in pain, before opening again and refocusing on Hernando. “Just, please, just stay with me… don’t let me die alone.”

  The tears came, unbidden now, as Hernando sat down, completely, beside the young man and taking his hand, began to gently massage his fingers all the time whispering softly to him, “I’m here…” He looked up into the face of the Soldier’s comrade who still hovered anxiously above him. “What is this man’s name,” he queried.

  “Ahhhm, Private Balthazar, Sir.”

  “No, soldier, what is his first name?”

  “Ahhh, Salazar, Sir… Salazar Balthazar.”

  Looking back into the pain-ridden eyes of Salazar Balthazar, he squeezed his hand tightly and finished. “I’m here Sal and I’m not going anywhere.” The soldier’s face relaxed and a slight smile crept across his visage. Every few seconds, Hernando could feel the man’s fingers tighten on his hand as a new wave of pain wracked through his body. He never took his gaze from the soldier’s eyes and he knew the exact moment Salazar Balthazar’s soul departed this mortal coil. Despite his rejection of religion, Hernando found himself whispering the words of his childhood. “In Nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti” (In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit). Leaning over, Hernando placed a gentle kiss on Salazar’s forehead, closed the man’s eyes with his fingers and uttered. “Rest in Peace, good man. You have served your country and your people well. Your sacrifice will not be forgotten.”

  Struggling to his feet, Hernando realised he was now openly weeping and he straightened up, furiously wiping his eyes, worried that such emotional behaviour may be seen as a sign of weakness, by his men. He need not have been concerned. A group of soldiers had gathered around in a circle, as Private Balthazar had breathed his last and to a man, all had tears streaming down their cheeks. Hernando continued to wipe his face and knowing it was his duty to take control of the situation, ordered; “okay men, we need to bury our dead and get our wounded to the fort as quickly as possible. Quick as you can, men.” The soldiers, jolted out of their emotional state, rushed to accede to the Colonel’s orders.

  Hernando spotted Minda just out of reach and gestured for her to come closer. Forsaking any thoughts of military discipline, he grabbed her in a bear hug and buried his face in her shoulder, shuddering gently as sobs overtook him again.

  She stroked his forehead, brushing his hair from his face. “I know, my love. It’s never easy losing a man, but this is war and casualties will happen.” She lifted his head so she could look him in the eyes. “The men look to you now Hernando. They saw your compassion and your humanity today. They will follow wherever you command.”

  Hernando’s lips tightened into a half grimace, half smile and he nodded at his wife. “Yes, my darling. As always, you are right. Let’s get to the fort before we run into any more trouble.”

  ***

  FORT KAKARONG DE SILI:

  Pulling the few seriously wounded behind the horses, on improvised litters, the now slightly bedraggled and smaller company of soldiers, under Colonel Hernando de Abreu, arrived at the gates of Fort Kakarong de Sili.

  After ensuring that his injured men were taken care of and organising a place for the soldiers to set up camp, Hernando had the opportunity to look around the impressive, little fort. Although relatively small, he was impressed with the work that had been put into the building of this fortification. There were streets laid out, lined with small home-based factories, and equipment repair facilities.

  As General Aguinaldo had instructed him, he initially reported to a young Lieutenant by the name of Gregorio del Pilar, (A man who would later rise to the rank of General in the Philippine Revolutionary Army). Lieutenant del Pilar greeted the trio of Carlos, Minda, and Hernando with enthusiasm and gratitude for bringing the reinforcements to him. “We are expecting an attack at some time from the Spanish forces. They are frustrated and annoyed that we have set up our own Republic here in Bulacan and they want to destroy it completely, ‘before the rot takes hold’, as they put it.” Hernando informed him they had already stumbled across a scouting party that no doubt was part of the main Spanish attack force.

  Del Pilar nodded and explained that they had a fully functioning Government at Kakarong de Sili, headed by their Supreme Chief, Canuto Villanueva. He leant in close with an obvious sense of pride when he informed him that the head of their Army, was none other than the legendary General and well-known mysticist, Brigadaire General Eusebio Roque. Of course, Hernando had heard of the exploits of the General and was suitably impressed.

  “So, del Pilar, how many men do you have here? What’s your fighting force?”

  Del Pilar smiled widely. “We have over six thousand men here Colonel, ready and able to fight for the glory of The Philippines.”

  Hernando whistled loudly through his teeth. “Six thousand, you say. Wow, that’s quite a number. So, when do I get to meet this great General, myself?”

  Lieutenant del Pilar snapped a quick salute. “Right now, Sir… Right now. Please, all three of you come with me. General Roque and Senor Villanueva are awaiting your presence with anticipation.” The young man spun on his heels and led Carlos, Minda, and Hernando down the main street of the town, with the only interruption being the continual need to stop and return salutes to the soldiers as they passed.

  Eventually, they reached the rear wall of the fort and Hernando was faced with an imposing two-storey wooden structure that although large, was clearly functional rather than decorative. “This is our Civic Centre, Town Hall and High Command for the Army,” del Pilar explained.

  The first thing that struck Hernando, as introductions were made, was the stature of the legendary General. Roque was a slight, wiry and fairly short man, probably no more than five foot four inches, but he had an air about him that exuded confidence and leadership. After saluting him, Hernando shook the General’s hand and it was only when he looked directly into the man’s eyes that he realised what steel and resolve lay within. His eyes were typically dark brown, but there were flecks of gold within them that seemed to sparkle and shine, independent of the eye itself. He had heard of Roque’s reputation as a magical and mystical man and he could easily understand where it came from. There was a power in those eyes that Hernando found hard to resist. He had to force himself to look away from him else he be sucked into that penetrating gaze.

  “Colonel de Abreu, welcome to you and especially your men.” The General smiled gallantly and nodded to Minda, “and of course to your woman, also,” he added.

  “General, I’m not sure how much use my small company will be to you. We are only fifty-five men and we have already lost three in a skirmish with the Spaniards, on the way here. Lieutenant del Pilar here, tells me you already have over six thousand men here. That’s impressive.”

  The General laughed. “Yes indeed, we
do have six thousand brave men… farmers, shopkeepers and more than our fair share of ‘town drunks’. What we do not have are soldiers – true fighting men, well versed in the art of warfare.” He leant in close to Hernando. “And that, my dear Colonel, is where you come into the equation. You will train my six thousand men to fight, not just to fight and die bravely, for they will do that without question. No! To fight and to win! I intend to push these accursed invaders back into the seas they came from, so long ago.” He took a deep breath and spoke softer. “I am eternally grateful to have been gifted your talents, Colonel. You can turn my six thousand brave men into six thousand soldiers.”

  Hernando was genuinely moved by the power and passion of the General’s words. Swallowing hard, he replied. “Sir, I would be honoured and humbled to assist you in training these men. My men have already seen battle, be it an occasional skirmish against the soldiers at Santa Maria, or a full-blooded attack on the encampment we discovered this very morning. I know they will be able to impart their new found confidence and knowledge to your men.”

  “Excellent! Excellent! de Abreu. When Emilio told me he was sending you to me, I was initially sceptical about having a damn traitor, no offence meant Colonel, working alongside me, but he assured me you were the genuine article and I find myself having to agree with him.” He leant in close to Hernando’s ear and whispered, “you know something, Hernando. Even my young Lieutenant del Pilar is still wet behind the ears. Still a battle-virgin, so to speak, although, I do expect great things from him in the future. You will make it so, Colonel… you will make it so.”

  “I’ll do my utmost to make it so, General,” Hernando replied, chuckling.

  “That’s all I ask of my men. Now, before I forget, I understand congratulations are in order, Mr and Mrs de Abreu,” casting a sidelong glance at Minda. Hernando just grinned, “Well, in honour of your nuptials, I’ve arranged for the pair of you to have some privacy whilst you are here. You have been allocated a private room in this Town Hall complex, as has your Captain.”

  “Very gracious of you, Sir. We do appreciate it.”

  “Fine, fine. Now your training of the men starts at oh-six-hundred hours, tomorrow morning. Until then, feel free to wander around and check out our little town. We’re sort of proud of it, you know.” The General saluted Hernando and the others before ordering Lieutenant del Pilar to show the trio to their new quarters.

  ***

  After the deprivations of the past few months, living in the barn, albeit with the delightful Minda as company, Hernando was thrilled to bits with the accommodations provided for them by the General. A real bed! Yes, a real bed, with fresh linen and most importantly, a Queen-sized one. Oh what luxury, he smiled ruefully to himself. He insisted on picking Minda up, much to her chagrin, and carrying her over the threshold, into their boudoir.

  “Put me down, you silly man,” she squealed, laughing with him. “Have some respect for my rank, please. I’ll have you know I am a Lieutenant in the Free Philippine Revolutionary Army and, as such, I deserve to be treated with decorum and grace.”

  “Ha!” Hernando snorted back at her. “Well, Lieutenant, I am your Colonel and as such, I am ordering you to remove those damned, annoying clothes.”

  She giggled at him coquettishly and fluttered her eyelashes. “Well, my Colonel, far be it from me to disobey the order of a senior officer.” She slowly and seductively began to undo the buttons on her blouse. Hernando watched, his eyes glazing over as she revealed, once again, her beautiful and lithesome body.

  After making up for the time when they’d had no privacy, they lay, physically exhausted and emotionally sated, on the crisp, linen sheets, the slight breeze coming through the window, providing just enough residual coolness to begin to dry their sweat-covered bodies. Minda had a secret grin playing around her lips and Hernando was determined to find out what that was all about. “What are you thinking about, my darling,” he gently enquired.

  She pursed her lips and seemed to be trying to make her mind up about something. Finally, looking him firmly in the eye, she began. “Hmmm, Hernando, my love…ahm, I’m… well, I’m sort of late.”

  He sat bolt upright in the bed and ran his fingers through his hair. “Late? Did I miss something? Are we supposed to be somewhere else?”

  Slapping him gently on his shoulder, she responded. “Idiot! Not that sort of late… ahm… you know… I’m late for my time of the month. I’ve never been late before.” Hernando looked at her and screwed his eyes up in confusion. “Honey, you silly man,” she continued. “I think I may be ‘with child’. I think we’re going to have a baby.”

  Every emotion under the sun seemed to flash across Hernando’s face – disbelief, consternation, worry, and finally an overwhelming sense of excitement. He laughed aloud. “A baby! Minda! A baby?” he whispered in amazement. “Are you sure?”

  She smiled softly at him. “Yeah honey, I am actually. I feel it deep inside. There is a little Hernando growing inside of me.”

  His grin grew even broader if that was possible and he softly repeated, “a little Hernando. Wow! Just think of that, eh!” Suddenly his countenance changed and he became serious. “Well, that’s certainly the end of any silliness about fighting. I’m not having my wife risking not only her life but our unborn child’s life as well, on the battlefield.” He pulled on his beard. “I’ll have to have a word with the General and see if we can get you a job at Headquarters, planning, or something. Hmmmm, yes, that’s probably the best solution.”

  This time, the hit on Hernando’s shoulder was neither gentle nor loving. “Don’t you dare, Hernando de Abreu. Don’t you dare think you can stop me being with you and fighting with you, on the battlefield. I joined this Army to fight the Spaniards and fight them I will. The baby changes nothing.”

  He sighed heavily. “Now, come on Minda. You can’t possibly be serious. We’re talking about our baby’s life – our future heritage. You can’t possibly want to risk that?” Grabbing both her shoulders, he looked into her teary eyes and whispered. “Come on Minda, be serious, please. You cannot continue to be an active soldier in this army.”

  Tears streaming down her face now, she shrugged away from his restraining hands and began beating furiously on his chest, with both fists. “NO!” she screamed. “I will not let you go out there alone. I will not sit and wait for someone to come back and tell me my beloved husband died heroically on the battlefield.” Pausing to wipe her eyes, she stopped her flailing and this time held both of his shoulders in her hands. “When we got married, my love, it was for better, for worse, till death do us part. I will be there beside you when the Spanish arrive at the walls of this fort. We will live or die together Hernando; that was always the deal. The baby doesn’t change that.”

  He sat there, saying nothing, his face set like granite, as she continued. “Look, I’m not talking about fighting forever, just until the baby starts to show.” She looked down at her flat stomach. “At the moment, nobody could possibly tell I was pregnant and I want to keep it that way.” She smiled through her tears. “Honey, as soon as the baby becomes too obvious, I will take a back seat, I promise you, but you must let me fight with you, for a while. We are a team.”

  Hernando sucked in a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “Alright, just for now, we will keep this a secret.” His lips moved the short distance to hers and wrapping his arms around her shoulders, he drew her into a tight embrace… “Wow, we are going to be parents,” he muttered, when they came up for air before he again pulled her down on top of him and they made gentle, sweet, love, before both of them drifted off to sleep, wreathed in smiles.

  ***

  Minda was the first to awaken from their siesta and she judged from the angle of the sun, that it was now mid-afternoon. She giggled at the sheer immorality of the pair of them, lying in bed on a beautiful day and making love. It seemed so naughty to her. She idly wondered what her parents would say if they could see her now – fully naked, tangled in the she
ets, her leg thrown over her husband’s thighs, like some wanton hussy. It certainly wasn’t the way they had brought her up to behave, but as their previous discussion had emphasised, life was uncertain and life was potentially very short. She was determined to enjoy every single second of her life with Colonel Hernando de Abreu, realising full well that it could all end tomorrow… and end horribly. She shuddered at the thought, but then noticed Hernando’s eyes were open and he was brazenly staring at her naked breasts, licking his lips lasciviously.

  She laughed and playfully slapped him on his chest. “Down, big boy! It’s time we got up and got some food. I’m famished and anyway, I feel a little bit guilty being in bed, in the middle of the afternoon.” Before he could grab her, she jumped out of bed and began to pull on the clothes they’d left scattered all over the floor that morning. “What do you say we get some food and then take a proper tour around the fort? See what we can see?”

  He yawned noisily, scratched his chest and nodded. “Hmmm, we can always justify spending the afternoon wandering around by pretending we’re inspecting the fortifications.” Jumping out of bed also, he finished, “Come on then slowpoke,” as he pulled on his own breeches, almost tripping over his feet in his hurry to outdo her.

  After a surprisingly satisfying merienda (snack), the pair set out for a tour of the fort. Hernando was very impressed with what the General had achieved here at Kakarong de Sili. The wall that completely enclosed the fort was well over ten feet tall and constructed of single bamboo trunks, which had been sharpened to a fine point. All around the top of the wall ran a wooden gantry that supported four guard posts, one on each corner. He was amazed, given the actual size of the fort, to realise that somehow more than six thousand men and the composite number of support women and their children had crowded into the place. What impressed him more, though, was the general tidiness and formal layout of the town. The inhabitants obviously took great pride in keeping their town clean and in comparison, to Santa Maria, for example, the streets were well gravelled and the rubbish was clearly disposed of properly. Equally impressive was the discipline and demeanour of the soldiers in the town. Wherever they went they were hailed and greeted with sharp military salutes. Hernando’s arm was tiring from the constant snapping to attention and saluting, every time they passed a working soldier.