Within the Walls

Chapter 11

 Can you please stop staring at me, please. His unnerving gaze never leaving my widened and questioning eyes, as I await for his lips to part and utter a single word.

 Just say something already!

 “Hmm” He muttered.

 “Hmm?” I mimic.

 He tilts his head sideways, and so do I. His eyes dart from my lips to my hair. Then as his eyes descend, he halts at my eyes and licks his upper lip.

 I am screaming internally at what this man is trying to do. I purse my lips and forcefully gulp a huge lump in my throat. I can’t handle this anymore. I look away and inhaled a huge amount of air, noticing that I have been holding my breath ever since.

 Suddenly, a hand grasps my jaw and gently squeeze my cheeks, pulling it and now I’m face to face with Aurelio’s surveying eyes. Shifting my head from side to side, uttering an ‘hmm’ every now and then.  Too close! Too close! If he could just hear the screaming I am doing right now, I will wake the whole neighborhood up. I try to retreat my head but he grips me firmly. My heartbeat quickens as he pulls me closer to him, our lips a small distance apart from embracing. My lips shake from nervousness and my jaw clench.

 Then, he removes his hand. “Are you the daughter of the governor?” He places his curved index finger on his chin.

 My eyes widen. He speaks English! Why did I have to bust my brain out to say everything in Tagalog! A thought crosses my mind about our national hero. Oh yeah, he does speak English. I wonder how rich this guy is. Well, I can already tell. His house has polished floors, banisters, basically everything wood is polished to its shining glory. Pristine capiz windows that sets it apart from the dusty ones I saw from the other houses. It compliments well to the pale walls also made of wood.

 “Sino? (Who?)”

 “I knew it,” he stands up, “ang mga nasa may posisyon lang sa gobyerno ang nakaiintindi ng wikang Ingles!  (only those in the government understands English!)” He slams his hands on the table.

 My body jerks from the sudden loud noise. He’s mad. Wait. But why. I haven’t even answered his question. What’s about the governor. Questions race in my mind more than answers to put them to rest.

 He looks away from me, pinching the scrunched-up nose that flare with anger. “Bakit ang tanga-tanga ko! (Why am I so stupid!)”

 He kicks the chair down. Screaming and almost tearing his hair out. I feel my body tense up, shifting my body slightly to look small like a curled up ball. Please stop.

 “Uhh…” I try to break his frantic anger with himself.

 “WHAT!?”

 I jump a little from his raised voice. Should I tell him? We’re in the 1800s, I feel like he’s gonna kick the idea off like what he did to that chair. Here goes nothing. “Hindi ako taga-rito (I’m not from here.)”

 “Ha? Anong ibig mong sabihin? (What are you implying?)” His tone apprehensive, but not angry.

 Great, he calmed down. I inhale a sharp breath and explained in English since my Tagalog is so rusty that I’m just forcing myself the last couple times. “I am from 2019, I live in Tondo, Manila not far from here. We are taught English in school that’s why I know it and we use it everytime in our house so…” I blurt out the words.

 He looks at me. Shocked?.  At a lost at words? All I can see is he scoffs and picks up the chair. Sitting down and rests his chin on his interlaced fingers.

 His eyes in deep thought as he looks at everywhere but me. “Wait, wait. You’re telling me you’re from Tondo?” He looks up at me.

 Really? Didn’t he hear I’m from 2019. “Wait, I told I’m from 20–”

 “You must have met Restituto!” He cuts my sentence with a gleeful tone.

 I shrug his ignorance of the 2019 fact and went along with myself questioning how he knows Restituto.

 “Yes, but–”

 “Kasama namin siya sa aming layon! (He’s part of our purpose!)” He quickly sits up and covers his mouth. Muttering a curse word.

 “Kaibigan ka nga pala ni Restituto.”

 Out of nowhere, he wraps his arms around me, not gonna lie I felt little tingly inside as I felt his muscle flex from within his barong tagalog. “Mabuhay ang Pilipinas! (Long live the Philippines!)” His face brimming with pride as he lets go of me.

 Wait, what’s up. We would only hear that phrase during festivals in schools. I have never heard that be said out of nowhere without context whatsoever.

 “Ano’ng mayroon? (Is there something…)” My brows furrowed.

 “Pakilala kita bukas sa kapatiran, bibigyan ka nila ng trabaho sa ating layon.” He announces.

 Then, he envelopes me in a hug once more. “Mas lalakas ang ating pwersa laban sa mga Espanyol! (Our forces will be much stronger against the Spaniards)!”

 What is happening. Why am I being joined in some cult. I can’t wait tomorrow, I need answers no–. A thought enters my mind, this was the 1800s. There was always a coup happening now and then from the oppressive hands of the Spaniards. So then I am–.

 “Bukas ay sa ibang lugar naman tayo (Tomorrow we will be in an another place),” he calls for someone, “maari mo bang samahan si Binibining Josefina sa kanyang patutulugan? (May you escort Miss Josefina to her sleeping quarters?” A smile forming on his face.

 The man wearing a suit nods and raises his arm to point to a large double door that was as big as the house.

 Aurelio grabs my hands and holds them in between his. “Lalaya ang Pilipinas, dahil sa iyong tulong.”

 I knew it. I called it. But I simply show a hesitant smile as he rocks my hand up and down and lets go. I’ve only read of things like this in textbooks. Doesn’t almost all of them get bloody! Aurelio says his farewell and bows as I turn my heel to follow the man. Entering the door seems like a new house altogether. At the side were closed rooms with the same doors. In between them were wooden dressers, above are portraits of different people. One side were the closed windows with one of them opened that showed the glowing moon. I admired the house, it was very grand and what I would see everytime in those exhibits.

 The man stops walking and extends his arm to show my room. I thank him and walk in.

 Wow.

 A queen bed, with a roof! And its wood is very dark it looks elegant. A white curtain with vine-like designs swaying in the gentle breeze. This is over the top rich! I mean, I saw wealthy people have this and exhibits of prominent people had this. I could only view them from afar, but now. I wasted no time. I rushed to the bed and jumped through the curtains. Landing on a soft, comforting mattress that immediately lulled my senses. My eyes fight to stay open to admire the whole room, but it was getting heavier and heavy until I ultimately shut my eyes, and let the cozy bed take me away.