Taking control of the entire province with my asly band of greenhorns would be extrely difficult—that is, if I relied solely on them. But I had at my disposal a much greater and more effective force. One that would frighten the principalia more than my ard n ever could.
I had the news about the war spread as soon as I could. While I conducted the eting in the conference room, it had already reached the town and nearby villages.
When I called for an assembly that sa afternoon at the plaza, a large, boisterous crowd responded.
I had prepared accordingly, playing to their patriotic spirit. Along the fringes of the plaza, I had so recruits in their well-pressed uniforms and polished boots stand at attention. On the veranda, I stationed the senior officers in full dress, complete with shoulder straps.
Isabela fixed my collar and readjusted the regalia on my khaki uniform as I stood, a bit nervous, near the doorway leading to the balcony—already hearing the cheers and whistles from the crowd.
This was not Martin’s first ti. When the Spanish were defeated on the island a year ago, he had also made a public appearance. But back then, he was only a side character, with Colonel Abad and the gobernadorcillo taking center stage. All he did was say a few lines and wave a lot to the crowd.
"You look sharp, Papa," Isabela said, standing on her toes to take a closer look at the embroidery on my shoulder straps. "You look every bit a general."
I smiled. "You think so?"
"Yeah. You’re already intimidating . You seem like a new person," she said, taking a step back to admire my attire. "The ladies outside will be swooning at the sight of you."
She wore a smirk I couldn’t quite read—amusent, sarcasm... or both.
A thought suddenly crossed my mind. I hadn’t ant to say it aloud. It wasn’t the ti. But to my surprise, I did.
"Do you think... it would be outrageous for to remarry?" I blurted out.
Her reaction made chuckle. She wasn’t outraged by the idea—but perhaps she thought I was being ridiculous.
"What is this, Papa? Did soone catch your attention while you were in Bulacan?" she said, softly chuckling. "Was the handkerchief from her? The lady with the P.T. initials?"
I huffed. "Were you sorting through my things?"
"Nope. It was out on your table that one night," she said, still smiling widely.
"Unbelievable," I muttered, slightly flustered—more at myself than at her.
"And the answer to your question... would be no... I wouldn’t be outraged. But... that still depends... I’ll have to judge the lady myself," she said, eyes twinkling with mischief.
I was so absorbed in our exchange that I hadn’t noticed the crowd had fallen silent—and that Colonel Abad had begun speaking. He was a schoolteacher, and honed by his profession, he had the gift of public speaking.
"Peace is broken with the Aricans..." he began, his baritone voice booming. "Just as we were about to completely defeat the enemy and were on the cusp of taking Manila, they arrived in the guise of friendly aid. Now, that guise has been discarded completely."
A chorus of boos erupted from the crowd. "Invaders!", "Liars!"—and viler words followed. Abad waited for the noise to subside before continuing.
"Last Sunday, they began their expansion out of Manila. We lost our first battle... but the war is just beginning. The final victory will be ours!" he shouted. His voice cracked at the end, but the crowd didn’t care. They roared their approval.
I sighed, knowing my turn was coming.
"Don Martin Lardizabal... I know you all know him... a beloved son of Marinduque," Colonel Abad continued, now adequately glazing my na. "He didn’t need to do this. He could have stayed on the sidelines. But his love for country compelled him."
"He has accepted the appointnt from President Aguinaldo to be the Heneral in charge of Marinduque, Mindoro, and Romblon."
A quieter, more respectful applause followed the announcent.
"Until now, he’s done everything by himself. The uniforms, the rifles, the bullets—even the wages of these soldiers now standing before you—have all co from his own pocket," Colonel Abad said. "Perhaps it’s ti we helped him."
"Please welco... Heneral Martin Lardizabal!"
I roughly patted Isabela’s hair, to which she responded by pushing closer to the doorway.
The crowd’s cheers reached a crescendo as I stepped onto the balcony. Capitan Roque, Capitan Madrigal, and Teniente de Navio Alcantara patted my back as I passed. Colonel Abad shook my hand at the center of the veranda and stepped aside.
I placed my hand on the warm stone handrail and took in the sight of the crowd. But the stage fright never ca. If I had stood my ground before a hostile principalia, how could I not before a friendly mob?
There were more than a thousand attendees, many familiar faces—workers, farrs, fishern. And they could help , just as they were.
"My fellow countryn... all that I do and will do, and all that I will ask of you... will not be for myself or for Aguinaldo—but for the Inang Bayan," I began. "As sons and daughters of this country, it is our duty to defend her when she is threatened... at all costs."
"Alas, we are fighting a mighty opponent in the Aricans. It will take everything from us to stand a chance."
The crowd listened intently—uncharacteristically silent.
"All able-bodied n will be conscripted. Resources and services will be requisitioned. Curfews will be implented. You’ll see soldiers left and right, as we co under military governance," I said. "It will be difficult—but I hope you’ll join in this sacrifice."
I sighed in relief when my ssage was t with loud cheers and applause. It was surreal how the poor would more graciously accept hardship than the rich would tolerate even slight inconvenience.
But I had not yet reached the most important point. Everything I had said until then was rely a façade. I could have announced it without this grand speech in the plaza. This assembly had another purpose.
This crowd could be my army, even without enlisting them.
I continued, after the noise died down.
"And finally, my friends... our province overflows with patriots. But a few among us sympathize with the Aricans," I said, choosing my words carefully. "Should you notice any suspicious activity, any violations—from anyone, whether a humble fisherman or a wealthy hacendero—do not hesitate to report it to us."
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