⌛ Of Childhood Sweethearts And Dead Revolutionaries

After being caught rolling my eyes for the third time, I struggled to keep a straight face. My cousin straightened her shoulders, lifted her chin, and spread her arms to emphasize her point. That is, many of us had a childhood sweetheart, that special someone who could have been our soulmates, if only we were a little bit older to realize it. I tried to look repentant.

But puh-leez, receiving a red wild flower when you were only nine years old is hardly a symbol of true love. Still, my mother taught me to be always tolerant of cousins. Cousins are wonderful creatures who can regal you with stories interspersed with their own insights and reactions.

And so we spent the next three hours talking about her first boyfriend. Well, not exactly boyfriend, she conceded. More like a childhood sweetheart. And he is now a respected historian who lives in the province of Laguna. My cousin believes that meeting him again, after more than twenty years, will be the most important event of her life. And I did my best to stop my eyes from rolling again.

Admittedly, the historian is quite an interesting personality. He is quite proud of the role that the Laguna province played during the Philippine revolution against the Spaniards. During the 16th century, the Philippine islands were colonized by Spanish conquistadors. This lasted for more than three centuries.

No longer able to bear the abuses and oppression of the Spaniards, the Filipinos, led by the great plebian Andres Bonifacio, created a secret revolutionary society which aims to unite the Filipinos to fight against the Spaniards. This secret society is called the Katipunan and the members are called the Katipuneros.

The historian brought us to an underground cemetery where the Katipuneros secretly met and plotted the overthrow of the Spanish regime. This cemetery was built in the 18th century by the Franciscan Missionaries. We entered a circular structure and went through a wrought iron gate. The intricate designs on the wall caught my fascination. I can only imagine the hours spent on it by the persistent artist.

We walk along a red-tiled aisle until we reached a small chapel. I glanced at the brick walls and found tombstones. Some names can still be read, I think, but I kept my attention on the impromptu lecture given by the historian. According to him, the katipuneros have code words. They also wore hoods to keep their identities secret. I looked around the structure and can feel the hushed urgency of the lives that the revolutionaries led. They were leading double lives. While playing merchants for Spain, they have ulterior motives.

I looked at my cousin and found her slight smile. Oh boy! She certainly has ulterior motives. After we came out of the crypt, the historian asked if we liked some snacks prepared by his wife. After a long silence, I declined.