The Young and the Beautiful

Chapter 4

Days became weeks, weeks became months, and months became years. It's now the last quarter of 1944. The war is still not over, and every day more and more people die. The air raids of Manila destroyed the historic buildings in Escolta Street, buildings that were once the identity of the city.

The Japs were controlling anything that was happening. They wanted to get rid of everything American related and closed down universities in Manila which they perceived that has the said belief. Some became abusive and lived on homes in Manila abandoned by rich families. If they encounter someone who isn't in favor of them, they will kill them just like what happened to the Almeidas. 

O'Hara assigned me to do a covert mission by listening to the conversations of the Japs. In October 1944 on a dinner hosted by new Philippine-Japanese government. He said that I was strategically placed in a table near the Japs and  I should listen to everything they talk about. 

I went on a date that they provided me with. A young lady named Julia Rodriguez. She's a daughter of a politician in Pampanga, a known allied province where some American bases are. We posed as a statesman and wife who are in favor of the new government. She was wearing a red dress, red lipstick and  wore pearl jewelry.  We wore wedding rings, and were given a list of topics that we should only talk about. I was wearing a Philippine-Japanese government uniform that the allies provided.

We were seated with some men and women from the troops posing as our friends, while I don't know anyone of them. We were eating dinner when I started to hear them talk. The place was filled with live band performances with  Japanese and Tagalog songs. Then the Jazz band too over and played some music. 

"Plans, Immediate, Support, whale hunting (torpedoes), American force, Plants, bomb, South." Those were the things that I heard and understood so I wrote the first letters of it on my notes in case I forget it. I ripped the said page and discreetly slipped the folded paper to my socks. I placed it in my socks so in case that the Japs will frisk me and see the notebook. They will not see the notes that I took. 

The night was filled with scripted conversations, as if we were in some movie, and then we laughed every now and then to lessen suspicion. We ended it with some drinks as I tried to listen to them more. I think I got enough information, they weren't talking about the war anymore. 

The people on our table started to dance when they heard the jazz band playing swing music like Glenn Miller's Moonlight Serenade. My supposed to be wife that night was pretty, her eyes peered from her curled hair.  We started to dance slowly like the rest of the people that night. I held her hand with my left hand then her hips with my right hand. She played along and looked me in my eyes, smiled, without saying anything, then in the middle of the song she leaned on my chest. My heart stopped beating and since that moment, I knew I was in love with this girl. What I loved the most about her was the way she smelled that night. I will always remember and associate it with this feeling. 

We were instructed not to tell each other our real names so she knew me as Samuel, and I only knew her as Julia. I took stolen glances towards her while she was seating next to me. I wish to talk to her but I can't. I don't want to bend the rules. I gave her a kiss on her cheek when she went down the car. Cheek, Pancho? Really? What happened to you! You used to make out with a girl you just met.

I reported everything to O'Hara the next day and we interpreted it as a sign that they're planning further expansion in the Visayas region, southern Philippines. The Japs are focusing more presence in Leyte Southern Philippines, so the Allies took this opportunity to take down Lingayen Gulf, a province north of Manila, resulting to victory. In January 1945, the Americans attacked in Lingayen Gulf and won, making it the largest Navy battle in history. The Filipino American troops are now starting to win back the country.