I have two sisters, one 5 years old and one 8 years old. I want them to finish their studies, which is why I volunteered to stop school and help my mother and father work as vegetable vendors, just like them, so we can afford my sisters' education.
My dream is for them to study high school in Manila, not just in this small community in the province.
They say Manila is very developed and everything there is beautiful, new, and high-class, which is why my family and I dream of living there.
I don't know how much money it will cost for my sisters to finish their studies, but I will strive to make it happen. No matter what.
I hope my efforts will result in a change in our lives.
But...
Is it possible for people like us to experience a comfortable life?
Do we have the right to dream in a country stripped of its own rights and now confined by the iron laws of foreigners?
~ End of Point of View ~
The truck they were riding stopped due to an authority checkpoint.
The checkpoint was guarded by Spanish police officers.
They were in grey uniforms, directing passersby and carefully checking belongings, as if searching for something.
Here, they asked people for IDs and listed them in a booklet. The checkpoint was a way for the government to prevent rebels from entering the towns and causing trouble.
The rebels at that time were Filipinos who refused to accept Spanish rule. The rebels were in many groups, and some of them were bandit groups who caused trouble and destroyed the properties of Spaniards living in the city.
They often blocked vehicles to rob them, and one of their favorite targets was vegetable trucks like Erik's.
~ Erik's Point of View ~
We are far from civilization, so I don't know what's happening in the country, but all we know is that the Spanish government holds control.
I was taught in the school I used to attend that it has been almost 500 years since the Spaniards occupied the Philippines and subjected it to their rule.
Some Filipinos do not accept their rule, so they revolt and become rebels. Honestly, I don't know the point of what they're doing because they say Spain has millions of soldiers, so how can they fight them?
There are also rumors that the Spaniards possess magic and extraordinary abilities, which is why they are not defeated in battles.
Whether that's a lie or true, I don't think it matters anymore. The Spaniards aren't doing anything strange in our area, so it's okay for me that they are here.
In fact, it's better for me that they are here because they keep us safe from the danger posed by bandits who want to rob us.
Hmm...
Freedom?
But what is its value to a simple citizen like me? Will anything change in my life's status if they succeed in liberating the country?
No matter how much I think about it...
Hmm...
I think it's useless...
I can't understand why they are wasting their lives for freedom when they could just live and go with the flow.
~ End of POV ~
While they were going through the process at the checkpoint, Erik looked outside to see what was happening.
At that moment, he saw the truck driver handing money to the Spanish police officers.
This money was another payment to the Spaniards for passing through the checkpoint, in addition to the taxes collected by the government. This payment was mandatory, and they had no choice but to give it to pass peacefully through the checkpoint.
The elders taught them to remain silent and simply follow whatever they were told so as not to get into trouble. This was ingrained in every vegetable vendor over the years and passed down through generations.
Their practice of collecting payment reduced the earnings of the vegetable vendors, especially those with small amounts of produce to sell, like Erik.
Erik didn't dwell on this or resent it much, having become accustomed to giving a percentage of his earnings to the Spaniards whenever they delivered vegetables.
In his belief, this was a small thing, considering that those police officers were guarding them against attacks from the rebels.
.
More than Five Years Ago
In the middle of the Philippines, in the heart of Manila, considered the country's capital, an enormous plaza was filled with the deafening noise of people and soldiers. Sunlight struck the complex architecture of the surrounding buildings, suggesting the historical significance of the place.
The air was heavy, thick with dust and the smell of sweat from the thousands of bodies gathered in the plaza. A historical and powerful gathering was currently taking place, a display of power and terror that had become symbolic under Spanish rule.
The plaza was packed with approximately ten thousand Filipinos, their faces a mixture of fear, confusion, and suppressed anger. Surrounding them were Spanish soldiers in shiny metal and dark cloth uniforms, their rifles raised and ready to move at any moment. The Filipinos, mostly forcibly brought from their homes and villages, stood under the intense heat of the sun, their clothes damp with sweat and dust, their eyes fixed on the stage in front.
The soldiers guarded every corner of the plaza, their voices rising as they moved the crowd to stay in line, treating them like animals. On the stage, five Filipinos—rebels fighting the Spanish government—knelt, their hands and feet bound by stiff chains that scraped against their skin. Their clothes were stained with bloody wounds and mud, signs of their intense suffering before being brought to this place.
Their heads were slightly bowed, but their eyes blazed with fierce determination, even though their bodies were barely able to move. Behind them stood the large gate of the courthouse, its yellow paint fading with age, and in front of it were the seats of the generals—men in white attire, their uniforms laden with gold and badges, reflecting their high status.
In the middle of the ten generals stood a robust man, his body exuding power and authority. He was Viceroy Antonio Magellan, the leader of the capital, dressed in an elegant gown with a golden coat that shimmered under the sunlight. His face was stern, his eyes like sharp swords that gazed at the crowd.
His presence commanded fear and respect, and his steps were like the music of power as he approached the center of the stage to face the spectators.
"Citizens of the Philippines," he began, his voice loud and resonating through the air, like thunder in the expanse of the plaza.
"Today, you witness the historic execution of the Philippine rebels who oppose the holy government of Spain!" His words were filled with confidence, and his hands were raised, like a king reigning over his kingdom.
He bravely declared his firm stance, his voice rising with every word.
"I will eliminate all rebels, Filipinos who have no respect for the peace of this nation! There is no place under my rule for the executioners who kill innocent citizens, the animals who destroy the order brought by Spain!" His eyes swept over every face in the crowd, as if daring anyone to fight against him.
"As long as I am the viceroy ruling this nation, I will ensure that no one succeeds in destroying the peace that Spain offers you!" he shouted, his voice full of anger and determination.
The soldiers behind him nodded, gripping their guns tighter, as if ready to follow every command of their leader.
As Magellan spoke, Filipino soldiers in simple Filipino attire climbed onto the stage, but their faces were emotionless, like machines shaped by their masters. Each carried a long rifle, aiming them at the five rebels kneeling before them.
The Filipino spectators were gripped by intense fear, their faces full of tears and anxiety. Children hid behind their parents, clinging tightly, while the elderly bowed their heads, as if defeated by the weight of their emotions.
"Watch all of you what happens to those who oppose the government of Spain!" Magellan shouted, his hand pointing at the rebels. Simultaneously, a soldier slowly raised a red flag, a signal that marked the beginning of the end for the bound Filipinos.
In an instant, the soldiers fired their rifles, the sound of the shots echoing like thunder throughout the plaza. Bullets rained down on the five rebels at close range, their bodies pooling blood that flowed like a river onto the stage.
Moments later, the rebels collapsed to the ground, their eyes remaining open, filled with anger and an unfinished fight. Blood spread across the stage floor, like a dark painting of despair.
The Filipino spectators were horrified, their cries of fear and dismay becoming a chorus of pain. Some viewers trembled, their hands covering their mouths as they held back their tears.
Others wept silently, their faces full of sadness and helplessness, while the youth ran away, unable to believe what they had seen. The soldiers remained standing, their faces emotionless, as if they did not understand the depth of pain caused by their actions.
The scene was broadcast live on television and the internet, showing the cruelty throughout the country. In various parts of the Philippines, rebels watched in their homes or hid in the forest, their eyes burning with intense anger.
"They are animals!" shouted a rebel from a remote village, his fist tightly clenched as he watched the live feed on an old television. "I will kill them! They will pay for what they did to our countrymen!" shouted another rebel, his voice full of bitterness and determination as he held a sharp bolo knife.
In a cave in the northern part of the country, a group of rebels gathered, their faces full of anger as they watched the execution.
"We should no longer allow the Spaniards to remain in this country!" shouted their leader, his voice piercing the darkness of the cave. "We must fight them until our last breath! The blood of our brothers should not be wasted!"
Filipinos in various corners of the country gathered in secret locations, their hearts full of hatred and determination.
To them, the world seemed to have turned a blind eye to the injustice committed by the Spaniards, and they expected no outside help.
"Our own strength is the only thing that will free us!" shouted an old rebel, his voice full of pain but also hope.
"We must fight for our freedom for the next generations of the Filipino race, even if it means our death!"
While the rebels raged in every corner of the country, Magellan returned to the stage, his face full of satisfaction at the success of his plan.
"You want war, so war I will give you!" he shouted, his voice rising in the air, like a challenge to the rebels.
"I will eliminate all of you, no matter where you hide! I swear by it!"
His words caused a greater stir in the crowd; the Filipinos were divided between fear and anger. The soldiers tightened their watch, their guns ready, while the blood on the stage slowly dried under the hot sun.
As the rebels swore vengeance, their hearts were full of fire, ready to ignite at any moment. The air was filled with tension, and the Philippines was ready to explode into a war that would change the country's history.
End of Chapter 1 part 2
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