Norwalk, Connecticut. Christmas was in full blast in 1984. Prairies and rooftops blanched with recently fallen knee-deep snow. Despite the cold, children played snowballs while two squirrels frolicked joyfully on a sagging oak tree branch. Yuletide carols resounded all over the land. Inside their home, the Martin family exchanged gifts. JC got a tie from his father and a watch from Joan, his stepmother. His father received a Cuban pipe from him and two shirts from Joan. She, on the other hand, received more: a ring from his father and a golden locket from JC aside from books and chocolates. His sister Jacky had the most gifts. Then they had dinner with grilled turkey. After having dinner and the champagne Joan and Jacky took all the dishes to the kitchen, leaving both of the men at the dining table.
Father and son walked toward the window, warmed up against the cold with the fireplace blazing nearby. The previous night they wer
1985 Becky Roberts. The girl with the tape walked the miles, crossed rivers, and penetrated thick cropped trees into the forest. On horseback or water buffaloes were the only transportation available. On the way, she could sense eyes watching but she was advised reassuringly of their presence by her guide. It was creepy. But time and time she saw they were only sentinels guarding the way. The Cordillera guerrilla hideout was not easy to find, whether on land or by air and was ever safe from any outside harassments. It was completely hidden in a vast valley and would require miles and miles of traveling on foot over rugged mountain ranges, through a secret passage. The means of access was a concealed opening on the mountainside. Safety was relatively exceptional. All those years, there were occasional encounters and skirmishes with the monster but f
Celia and Rosemarie went down to the city, on horseback with the sick child. They exited through the secret passage, traveled over hills and mountains, and crossed rivers. They stopped and rested at several points, to see how Jeanie was doing. Her temperature remained high and her shivering never stopped. It pained Rosemarie to see her daughter in this situation. Finally, they reached the highway. They waited for the bus which took them to the city, then transferred to another bus to the hospital. It was an arduous trip with a sick child, oftentimes going slow to check and give her fluids. The horse went back to the Cordilleras with the caretaker. Not very long, they reached their destination. The hospital loomed as a magnificent structure. They entered with hesitation. At the admission section, they talked and haggled with registration. Relentlessly, the
Throughout no more than a few days, Tessa Lopez found herself shuffling to the Cordilleras. Celia's revelation made her decide to take the initiative. There were indeed people out there who needed help. The trips became regular. She even cared less about herself, most of the time getting fatigued by walking. Then there was taking care of her patients jumping from one hut to the other visiting to check how they were doing. It took time and painful sacrifice, but she never complained because she had to do it, not only because of the Hippocratic Oath that she upheld but also for humanitarian reasons that she was inculcated with. Without the help of Becky, Celia and Rosemarie it would have been too laborious. They became her aids and on-the-spot nurses. With their valuable assistance, her job became lighter. She treated her patients with love and care so that most of them got healed. Over time, the whole population sh
The events in Tessa's country did not escape JC at all. Most especially the hearing of the case against the military to see who was guilty. He had been following every bit of it from the feedback sent to him by Tommy's people, never even missing a single day. The higher court overruled the investigating body's decision and acquitted all the accused. Observers said that the pressure from the palace made the court decide in favor of acquittal. Everybody knew they were responsible. General Ver was jubilant, as well as all of the other accused. On TV his haughty countenance returned. This made people angry in protests. Even the introduction of the tape proved nothing to find them guilty. Doomed, people were flabbergasted. Anger was boiling all over the country. “How can they get away with murder?” they asked. The decision added fire to the already rising anger of the people.
Enlightened burst into his office at full speed. Huddled around a table in the middle of the room, Freedom and four other members were attentively listening to the radio. It blared with hope and inspiration. After some commercials and waiting, the weakening voice of the strongman came finally on the air. He started with a brief introduction then moved forward with his announcement. This was what they were waiting for. Then he finally said it. Opening with all the intricacies of the law, he announced the holding of an election. The message echoed on the walls of the university. Their whooping outburst overshadowed the remaining flicker of the broadcast. Then they contained themselves gradually to absorb the implications of an election. Christmas was around the corner and that news was so far the best gift for the people who had been waiting for a long time. “Do you think a presidential election was the solution?” asked one mem
In the early morning of Feb 7, 1986, public schools were opened, and throngs of people trekked to the polls to cast their ballots. People were excited and hopeful. Optimism filled the air, for freedom had come back, at last. The election went on roughly with several skirmishes in the provinces. Countrywide fraud was committed by the military to help the incumbent. They were powerful so they intimidated the opposition poll watchers, most of the time stealing ballot boxes and replacing them with tampered votes. When the balloting closed, the administration without waiting for the official canvassing of votes, declared preemptively the incumbent as the winner. Protest rang all over the country culminating with the walking out of the computer programmers who supervised the canvassing. There was a report of a coup d'état. The non-violence struggle for justice was de
The chief editor’s door was closed. Outside, the other workers were wondering about what was going on inside the office. Through the glass window, they could only guess what the fracas was about. JC jumped to his feet, paced then sat down again. He was firm in his stand. What they saw was his hand jabbing in the air to explain something. Even Kate couldn’t make out what it was all about. “It’s me who should go, Mr. McMillan,” he said, insisting. Mr. McMillan remained seated, calm, and cradling a pipe in his hand. “Look JC. There’s a group there who’s after you. And I don’t want you to be harmed.” “I assure you nothing will happen to me, besides the reason has already disappeared. More than two years had passed. Despite the evidence, all those responsible got an acquittal. What is there for them now to go after me?” He blew smoke
JC left at once, not knowing what would come next. He took the left-wing of the building and out onto the parking space. On turning the aisle to the left, his heart jumped when he sees her face. He asked himself, is this Tessa? Is she real? Yes, it was her. She was wearing a white uniform with a stethoscope hanging on her neck coming his way. She looked the same and was ever lovely. He stopped in his tracks. He was unable to take away his eyes from her demure face, wanting to watch her eternally, his joy matching his desire. She slowed her walking on seeing him and her face lit up. She stood there unmoving, not knowing what to do. As he gazed at her his longing shot through him in the same way as it always did when she was near. Three years had passed and he had never wanted a woman as much as he wanted her. It seemed she was even more beautiful than ever. In that instant, she was all he had desired.