Chapter 62: Bribe
The 6:00 p.m. curfew made little difference in the town of Boac. Most people were early to bed and early to rise.
Like always, just before sleeping, I stood in front of the window, gazing outside with a cup of coffee in my hands. Caffeine had long since stopped being a stimulant for me. Instead, it had the opposite effect—it warmed me like milk and calmed my mind, slowly making me drowsy.
The plaza outside stood empty and silent, a sharp contrast to how lively it had been earlier in the afternoon. The only things moving and making sound were the stirring leaves of the acacia trees and the creaking, swaying lantern carried by a pair of patrolling soldiers.
Above, a thousand stars shone in their usual stations, too lofty to be touched by whatever ills and storms afflicted the world of men.
The peaceful scene first put me at ease—then I felt a silent ache. The same stars that looked down on quiet Marinduque also bore witness to the chaos and bloodshed now wreaking havoc in Manila. On our way to Cavite, I had seen several trench lines being built; some of them had likely fallen to the Americans during the Sunday battle. I wondered, among the many faceless soldiers I had passed and the generals and officers I had met in Malolos—how many of them still walked the earth.
Having been reminded of Malolos, the train of memory led me to the Tiongson house.
I wondered if Paz was looking at the same night sky at the same time I was, breathing in the scent of jasmines as she did so. I wondered if she was safe.
Then, like an idiot, I found myself smiling. I remembered what Isabela told me earlier. She had been very young when her mother died—perhaps that was why she wasn’t opposed to me remarrying. In fact, I had a feeling she had been hoping I’d come to the idea for a long time.
It was the former Martin who refused to look at another woman. Through his memories, I could still recall how heartbroken he had been fifteen years ago when he lost his wife to a terrible fever. He hadn’t eaten properly for months afterward.