"Bayan ko, ikaw ang nag-iisa, ang bawat Pilipino ay dapat mag-isip." (My country, you are alone, every Filipino should think for themselves.)

– Apolinario Mabini

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[Capítulo Cinco: Mestizo de Sangley]

"MABALIK tayo sa mga katanungan ko (Back to the question)." The gravity in the man's tone returned, signaling that the situation might take a more serious turn. "Anong nangyari sa inyo (What happened to you)?"

"Jong, panot (Jong, creep)!" the crazy girl called. "Kilala mo ba kung sino yung (Do you know who)-"

The situation became more perplexing as the crazy girl continued to speak in Filipino, forgetting my inability to understand. "What's that?" I inquired, seeking clarification.

"Waley (Slang: None). No... Nothing!" she replied hastily.

"Okay." The atmosphere became charged with unspoken secrets as the crazy girl hastily diverted the conversation, leaving a palpable sense of mystery hanging in the air.

"Uhh... Manong, hindi ko po alam kung sino po ang bumaril sa amin kagabi (Sir, I don't know who was the one who shot us last night)," the girl replied.

"Bumaril (Shot)? Kagabi (Last night)?" The man posed the question with a calm demeanor, crossing his legs in a thoughtful manner, creating an air of inquiry about the events of the previous night. "Ang ibig sabihin ba ng bagay na iyon ay matagal na kayong palutang-lutang sa ilog (Does that mean that you floated so long at the river)?"

"Hindi ko po alam. Basta kami'y muntik dineadball ng mga shakabells (I don't know. All I know is that those ugly goblins almost killed us)," she replied, still not translating anything.

"Maaaring mga Espanyol iyon (Those might be the Spaniards)," he added in a serious tone.

"Uh... Siguro po (I guess so). Korek (Correct)," she replied, her expression revealing a hint of perplexity, indicating her struggle to grasp the situation.

"Alam niyo ba kung nasaan kayo ngayon (Do you know where you are)?" the man asked.

"Actually speaking, hindi po namin alam (Actually speaking, we don't know)." She echoed her previous response with a mischievous grin, implying uncertainty about the events of the previous night.

"Nais kong sagutin ninyo ng tapat ang mga susunod na tanong (I want you both to answer the following questions truthfully)," I sensed a heightened seriousness.

The atmosphere grew tense, and my focus shifted to one of the three men who approached me with a sense of urgency. "¡Primo! ¡Gracias a Dios que estás despierto! (Cousin! Thank God you're awake!)" His presence beside me was accompanied by a gentle touch as he rubbed my head, a gesture that felt oddly reassuring in the midst of the escalating tension.

"Kilala mo siya, Emilio (Do you know him, Emilio)?" the man asked the newcomer.

The man claimed kinship, referring to me as his cousin, but a fog of confusion enveloped my mind. Faces and names eluded my memory, leaving me questioning the very nature of reality.

Is this a dream, or something more perplexing?

"Opo, Supremo (Yes, Supremo). Sila po ang nakuha kong bagong kasapi ng ating samahan (They are the new ones that I recruited for our organization)," the man replied and then sat beside me.

"Señor (Sir)." In a hushed tone, I spoke, seeking solace in the pursuit of elusive answers.

"Lo hablaremos más tarde (We'll talk about it later)." Cloaked in mystery, he replied with a whisper, an enigma veiled in secrecy.

The others, clad in white long-sleeves, stood resolute before the figure they referred to as the 'Supremo.'

"Magandang gabi pala sa iyo, Binibini (Good evening to you, Miss)." Caught between mystery and eccentricity, I found myself seated beside a newcomer who exchanged greetings with Marianne. The situation felt like a bizarre dance between enigma and lunacy.

"Helu (Slang: Hello). Gandang umaga, like me, Kuya (A beautiful morning, like me, brother)," the girl replied.

"Emilio, maaari ba kitang makausap (Emilio, can we talk)? Sandali lamang (Just for a few moments)," the Supremo asked.

"Disculpe, Señor, Señorita (Excuse me, Ma'am, Sir)," he uttered respectfully, exiting the room. My eyes followed their march to the other part of the room, leaving the two remaining men scrutinizing our every move.

.

"¿ESTÁS seguro de que uno de ellos es tu primo, Emilio? (Are you sure that one of them is your cousin, Emilio?)" Even though they were out of sight, I could still discern their conversation.

"Maaari silang maging isang espiya ng mga Espanyol (They could be the Spaniard's spies)!" he added.

"Sí, Señor. Joaquin es mi primo y esa chica es su criada (Joaquin is my cousin and that girl is his maid)." I heard Emilio reply. "El es un mestizo de sangley (He is a Filipino-Chinese)."

Relief swept over me. If this wasn't scripted, it might work to my advantage. Mestizo de sangley, a term suggesting a mixed race of Chinese and Filipino, sounded plausible.

"Siguraduhin mo lamang, Emilio (Just make it sure, Emilio). Alam mo namang kalat na ang mga pangalan ng kasapi sa ating organisasyon (You know that the names of the members of our organization are already exposed)," the Supremo warned. "Kung hindi sila mapagkakatiwalaan, maaaring habang natutulog tayo ay bigla na lamang nilang palusubin dito ang mga Espanyol (If they can't be trusted, then they could call the Spanish to attack while we are sleeping)."

"Ano kaya ang pinag-uusapan ng dalawa (What could they be talking about)? Ang tagal (It's so)-" The sight of the sheathed daggers raised the tension in the room. The air felt thick with uncertainty as Marianne's path was obstructed by the two men.

"Ipagpaumanhin ninyo, Binibini, subalit hindi ka muna maaaring pumunta sa Supremo (Pardon me, Miss, but you should not go to the Supremo yet). Babalik na lamang siya rito (He will just come back here)," said one of the men.

"Ang sungit naman ng mga ito (These men are conceited)! Amoy paa naman ang hininga nila (Their breaths smell like feet anyways)," I heard the crazy girl groan, going back to his recent position.

"Maniwala ka sa akin, Supremo (Trust me, Supremo)," Emilio responded. "Podemos confiar en nuestros visitantes (We can trust our visitors)."

"Pues, si eso es lo que crees, entonces confío en ti (Well, if that's what you believe, then I put my trust in you)," replied the Supremo.

Emilio, instead of returning to his seat beside me, stood next to the Supremo, holding a stack of papers in his hand. The tension heightened as their discussion seemed to involve important matters, reflected in the documents Emilio held.

"Nakakaintindi ka ba ng Espanyol, Binibini (Can you understand Spanish, Miss)?" he asked the girl beside me.

"Hindi nga, Kuya (I said no, Sir). Magulat na lang kayo kung alam ko (Be surprise if I know). Bakit (Why)?" she answered.

"Maaari mo itong isalin sa wikang ginagamit ninyo para mas maintindihan ng kasama mo, Binibini (You could translate it to the language you both use so that your companion could understand it clearly, Miss)," the Supremo spoke towards Marianne.

My eyes widened as he spoke those words. If he could speak Spanish, why didn't he translate it himself?

The atmosphere shifted back to a serious tone, and a sense of suspicion lingered in the air.

"Unang tanong," Emilio spoke. "Tapat ba kayo sa ating bayan?" He began to read the words that might be written on his document.

"First question, are you loyal to our country?" the girl translated.

I hesitated; I'm not a Filipino, but I sensed resisting might jeopardize my life. It occurred to me that they could be the ones behind the attempted murder.

I closed my eyes, embracing the question with a hopeful heart.

"Opo (Yes)," replied the crazy girl.

He probed us with numerous questions about our identities, with a particular emphasis on the girl.

"Ikaw ba ay tunay na isang Pilipino (Are you a real Filipino)?" Emilio's gaze dropped towards Marianne once again.

"Opo, Kuya (Yes, Sir). Siyempre naman po (Of course)," Marianne spoke. While the man's attention returned to the documents, she turned to me, her brows knitted. "Not unlike the other man in the room who just tell lies to live," she whispered.

I mirrored her expression, mouthing the words, SHUT UP!

Her response echoed my sentiment. WHAT DO YOU MEAN SHUT UP?

"Nais niyo bang sumali sa mga Anak ng Bayan upang ipaglaban ang kalayaan ng ating bansa (Do you want to join the Children of the Nation to fight for the freedom of our country)?" he added.

Horror filled Marianne's widened eyes. I pondered over what revelation had just struck her.

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