Chapter 30: Darkness in Town, Light in the Heart
The sun gradually rose over Plaridel, yet its golden rays seemed too weak to fully dispel the gloom and fear enveloping the town.
As Georgia and Erik walked toward the church, they noticed the people around them—eyes fixed on the ground as if terrified, the murmurs around them thick with dread, and their footsteps quick and hurried, as if danger lurked in every corner of the town.
Meanwhile, the police walked the streets and patrolled every corner, the loud sound of their boots echoing on the cobblestone road, their rifles slung over their shoulders, seemingly ready for use at any moment.
On the wall of a store, "Wanted Dead or Alive" posters for Hustisya were plastered, accompanied by a bounty and a warning.
"Hustisya: Wanted Dead or Alive," the poster stated, along with a warning of severe punishment for anyone who would aid or shelter him.
A police officer stood near the poster, shouting at the passersby. "Anyone who shelters this criminal native will face the wrath of Plaridel's law! You will cooperate with us to capture Hustisya, for he is the one bringing danger to all of us here in our peaceful town!" His voice was full of intimidation, while the people bowed their heads, afraid to meet his gaze.
Georgia noticed Aling Linda, an elderly woman, trembling as she clutched her basket of vegetables tightly. "Have mercy, Señor, I know nothing about Hustisya," the old woman pleaded when a police officer approached her.
"Don't lie, Indio!" the officer yelled, shoving Aling Linda. Her basket fell, scattering the vegetables on the ground. "If you know something, speak up, or I will drag you to the precinct!"
Aling Linda cried, her hands shaking. "I swear, I know nothing of what you're saying, please!" she cried out, until the officer simply walked away as if nothing had happened, while the onlookers remained silent, too terrified to intervene.
"They are heartless, did you see what they did to that poor woman?" Georgia whispered, her eyes burning with anger. "How can they treat the people of Plaridel like this?"
Erik was too disturbed to reply, but Georgia saw him clench his fist in rage. She knew they shared the same hatred for the Spaniards, but his silence only fueled Georgia's anger. She knew Erik was a kind person who could not tolerate the cruelties he was witnessing.
As they walked, they noticed that almost no one was selling on the street, and few people were walking around due to fear.
"We are forbidden from selling outside the market," whispered a vendor, quickly arranging his cart. "If we're caught, the Spaniards will jail us."
Erik and Georgia felt disappointment upon hearing this as they looked at their produce.
"What now, Erik? We can't sell the fish," Georgia said, her voice laced with frustration. Although sad, Erik simply smiled at her and invited her to go home to cook lunch instead.
"What do these Spaniards want to do? They are the real danger here in Plaridel, not Hustisya!" the young woman bravely stated.
"Georgia, lower your voice," Erik whispered nervously, looking around. "A police officer might hear you, and you'll get into trouble."
Georgia's eyes flared with intense anger. "Why should I keep silent? What I'm saying is true! The Spaniards have been oppressing the Filipinos for a long time, Erik! If not for Hustisya, who will fight for us? He is the true hero of Plaridel!"
"Georgia, please, calm down first," Erik urged, his tone full of worry. "I agree that Hustisya's cause is honorable, but his methods... I think... they are not right."
Georgia froze at what she heard, seemingly unable to believe it, and her anger shifted to Erik. "What? Are you siding with the Spaniards? Do you want them to catch Hustisya too?" she shouted, raising her voice.
Georgia felt hurt by Erik's words, feeling as if he wanted her to be caught by the Spaniards, and she was angry that he couldn't understand her.
"That's not what I meant!" Erik clarified, his face etched with sadness. "I know the situation of the Filipinos in Plaridel, Georgia. I've also seen how they abuse our countrymen. But I also heard that Hustisya kills Spaniards, and... that just doesn't seem right."
"They deserve to die, because those Spaniards are demons," Georgia interrupted, unable to control her rage. Before she could utter more curses, Erik grabbed her and covered her mouth, his eyes showing fear.
"Georgia, be quiet! Someone might hear you!" he whispered, pulling her into an old building beside the road. Georgia struggled, pushing Erik away to free herself from his grip, but he held firm.
"Let go of me, Erik!" she shouted, her voice slightly muffled but seething. "Why are you silencing me? I cannot accept that Filipinos are being abused and hunted like criminals in their own town! If no one fights like Hustisya, who will help us? How long will we endure this?"
Erik understood Georgia's anger and waited for her to calm down before speaking. "I know, Georgia, I'm angry too. But we have no power against the Spaniards. If they catch you, they will punish you."
Georgia looked at him with defiance. "I don't care! I'm not afraid of those Spaniards!"
But Erik's next words stopped her. He spoke with fear and concern for her. "But I do care... I'm afraid, Georgia. I don't want the Spaniards to hurt or torture you," he said sadly.
Georgia suddenly fell silent, her cheeks flushing at the words she heard from Erik. But instead of gratitude, she became angry at him. "You're annoying, Erik! You're stopping me from saying what I want to say—do you know how it feels to be unable to fight back? Are they going to forbid us from even expressing our anger?!"
Erik stepped closer to her and held her hand in sympathy for her sorrow.
"I know, and I apologize for that. Be angry with me, but please, listen to me for now," Erik pleaded, pulling her hand as they walked out of the building. "Let's go home before we get involved in this."
Georgia had no choice but to follow as the young man pulled her along, though her anger remained. As they walked down the street, they passed a commotion.
In the distance, a group of police officers was forcibly arresting men, while their wives and children blocked the way, crying and begging.
"Have mercy, Señor! My husband did nothing wrong!" a woman cried, clutching her husband's arm, but a police officer pushed her away, and she fell to the ground.
"Father!" a seven-year-old child cried, clinging to his father's leg, but a police officer kicked him, and the child fell to the pavement.
Georgia's blood boiled at the sight. "Shameless Spaniards!" she muttered, but her voice was loud enough for a police officer near their location to hear.
"What did you say, Indio?" the officer yelled, approaching Georgia. "Repeat what you just said!"
The young woman stood her ground, meeting his gaze bravely. "Don't touch me, you devil!" she shouted, slapping the officer's hand when he reached for her. The officer became enraged, raising his hand to strike, but Erik stepped in between them.
"Señor, please, don't hurt her!" Erik pleaded, his voice trembling with worry. "She didn't mean it, please just let it go!"
The officer slapped Erik, knocking him to the ground, the sound of the slap echoing through the area. "Stay out of this, Indio!" he sneered.
Georgia's anger erupted at the sight of Erik being harmed and she screamed, "You have no right to hurt us! Abusive Spaniards, all you're good for is drinking and bullying, you're useless to this town!" Her eyes were ablaze with fury.
"You disrespectful Indio, you need to be disciplined!" the officer shouted, raising his hand again, but Erik grabbed his arm to stop him.
"Señor, no! I will pay for her mistake!" Erik said, immediately reaching for his wallet and pulling out money.
Before he could hand over the money, Georgia pulled on his clothes. "Erik, no! I won't let you pay those Spanish crocodiles!" she said angrily.
The officer was insulted and grabbed the young man by the collar but quickly snatched the money from Erik's hand. "Your companion has a sharp tongue," he sneered at Erik. "You should teach your girlfriend some manners!"
"She's not my girlfriend," Erik quickly replied. "She's just my friend."
The officer laughed, surprised. "Just your friend? You're quite kind to defend her like that; I could punish both you and your friend and take you to the precinct for what you did!"
"Please, I beg you. Let go of what she did. She's important to me; she's like a younger sister," Erik said calmly. "My sister sometimes doesn't know what she's doing, so please forgive her." The young man pleaded with his head bowed.
Georgia was stunned by what she heard, completely unprepared for Erik's words. Her anger seemed to vanish, replaced by shock and a sharp ache in her chest.
"Sister?" That word pierced her heart like a dagger. She stared at Erik as he stood bowed before the officer, her eyes filled with sorrow as she felt the pain inside.
The police officer agreed to let the incident go, counting the money. "Your sister is lucky to have someone who pays for her," he said, and walked away as if nothing had happened.
Once the officer was gone, Erik breathed a sigh of relief, as if a weight had been lifted from his chest, and turned to Georgia with a smile. "Let's go home," he said, but was met with the young woman's sharp glare.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" he asked, puzzled.
Georgia did not answer his question; her eyes just stared back defiantly. After a moment, she turned her back on him and walked ahead, annoyance visible as she concealed the pain in her heart. She hadn't expected to hear the young man call her 'Sister,' a word that continued to echo in her mind.
The young man was confused by why Georgia seemed angry again and called out to his friend, "Georgia, wait for me! Are you mad at me?"
🚶♂️ Erik's POV
Hours later, since we couldn't sell any produce, we went home. I was sitting in a hammock in the backyard, trying to rest from the chaos of the day.
The fear in the townspeople's eyes, Georgia's burning anger, the argument with the police—it all kept replaying in my mind, leaving me anxious, especially since I didn't know how long this would last.
I didn't know what I could do anymore. But while I was thinking, I was startled by a sudden blow to my head. I quickly faced forward and turned around to see who had hit me. There, I saw Hiyas standing before me with sharp eyes.
"What are you doing here, Hiyas?" I asked, rubbing my head where she had hit me.
She hit me again with her thin stick. "I'm impressed that you have time to rest at a time like this, Erik," she said, her voice tinged with sarcasm.
"What do you mean?" I asked, confused.
"The situation in Plaridel is getting worse, Erik. You need to act now!" Hiyas said in a commanding tone.
"I know, Hiyas," I replied with a sigh. "They are hunting Hustisya, and arresting anyone suspected of helping him. But what can I do? I have no power in this town."
Hiyas sighed, but her gaze remained sharp. "If you do nothing, Hustisya will attack again—and he will continue to kill Spaniards."
"I know," I said, a flicker of doubt in my mind. "Hiyas, is it right for me to stop Hustisya? What if he's right, and I'm wrong? I've seen how the Spaniards treat our countrymen."
I shook my head at Hiyas as I said, "I'm furious at them too!"
The area was silent for a moment as Hiyas just looked at me, her expression tinged with sadness, as if disappointed.
"Just because you're angry like Hustisya, do you also want to kill Spaniards to save the Filipinos?"
I immediately shook my head and denied it. "No! I don't want anyone to die!"
"But you still doubt whether you should stop Hustisya, don't you?" Hiyas asked. I couldn't answer her question and remained with my head bowed.
After a few moments, she approached me, gently cupped my cheeks with both hands, and stared at my face.
When she held my cheeks, I felt a warm energy flow from her to me, like a warm energy from nature mingling with my soul.
"It's normal to doubt, Erik. It's normal to hesitate. A human like you is naturally weak, and you need to accept those weaknesses."
She suddenly brought her face closer to mine, her forehead touching mine so our noses were almost touching, and I felt her energy flow into my body again, light and calming, dispelling the confusion in my mind.
It was so pure, and I felt like I was in a bright, serene place, a paradise. Her words echoed in my ears with every utterance.
"In this moment, Erik, we are connected. We will know what is in our hearts, if we understand each other," she said, her voice soft and peaceful. "I trust you, because I know you have the power to change what is wrong in this country."
I was silent, her words penetrating my heart. "Being a hero is a heavy burden," Hiyas continued. "Sometimes, it's not about what is right or wrong for everyone. If Hustisya continues to kill Spaniards, the government's anger toward Filipinos will only increase, and they might hurt innocent people. You don't just need to save Hustisya, Erik. You need to protect all of Plaridel."
End of Erik's POV
Georgia's POV
Since we couldn't sell anything, Erik and I just went home. Just hours after I finished cleaning the kitchen, I looked for Erik to see if he was alright, but I was shocked by what I saw outside the window. Erik was with a woman in a white dress whom I had never seen before, and they seemed to be doing something strange.
Their faces were very close to each other in front of the hammock. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. My mouth was open, and my world seemed to stop as I felt a sharp pain pierce my chest.
I took a step back until I stumbled to the floor from the shock. I couldn't understand why, but I kept feeling the ache in my heart.
I wanted to believe I was mistaken, but it was clear to me that Erik was there, seemingly in an intimate connection with another woman. I turned away, holding my head, my mind in turmoil.
I realized that after Erik showed me kindness, invited me on a date, and defended me from the police, he ended up just calling me 'Sister?' And now, I saw him with another woman?
I was filled with confusion, and the pain in my chest was replaced by irritation, feeling as though I had been betrayed.
I didn't know if Erik was just playing with my feelings. Anger flared up inside me, and I peeked out the window again, but they were no longer there. I hurried out of the house, ran toward the hammock, but found no one.
I was left stunned, and I remained standing there, my heart growing heavier with doubt and resentment. Who was that woman? And why did this hurt my heart so much?
End of Chapter.