The Young and the Beautiful

Chapter 5

I threw a book over some piles of bottles to distract them. I used that time to get into the truck planned to drive away as far as possible, it was no luck. I can't fire up the engine of the truck. The Japs were about to see me when I finally turned it on and immediately stepped on the gas.

I can hear them firing their guns to my direction and hit a window at the back. Then they hit one of my side mirrors so I can't see them clearly. I'm fearing that they might start to fire on my wheels. I didn't leave the truck driver behind and just moved him to the passenger seat. He doesn't deserve to be left behind. He's a hero who helped steal those maps.

I drove away for thirty minutes and hoped that no one followed me. I reached a small village nearby and stopped to try to locate my peers. I grabbed my radio to try to communicate with O'Hara and the troop but no one was listening.

It's noontime and there's still no sign from them. I am waiting for their response in the radio so I brought it down with me as I tried to seek some other troops that may be in the area. While walking around, a middle aged farmer called me.

The noontime sun was hitting through my uniform. I can feel the burning heat of the sun and continued to sweat due to the heat.

"Are you lost, son? I know where the rest of the troops are. They went north this morning." He said.

"No sir. I just drove away from the camp." I replied. He seems suspicious. Why is he out in the fields at this time? Is he a Japanese collaborator? Maybe he is, I don't want to raise any more suspicion so I answered him with all his questions.

The town not so far away from the camp, and this town must be still held by the enemy so I decided to play my cards right. 

I saw a group of young women nearby as I was walking with this farmer. They look distressed. As if something really bad has happened to them. Maybe the stories about comfort women circulating around Manila are all true.

"What's your name sir?" I asked the farmer.

"My name's Pablo." He replied trying his best to avoid eye contact with me, then he faced the direction we're walking to. I grabbed my tin of water and drank, I can't take this heat noontime heat. People were avoiding me as I pass by them. Maybe they associate men in uniforms to trouble.

Pablo told me how some Filipino guerillas are now their next big enemy aside from the Japs. The guerillas were Filipino resistance group fighting alongside the Americans but they weren't regulated. Most of them fight independently. Rumor spread that some rich and influential people are secretly funding the groups and giving them information about the Japs since these powerful people make the Japs believe they're one of them. However, there were some Filipinos who take advantage of the situation for anarchy, chaos, theft, and even rape whoever they please just because they have firearms. 

Uncle Poldo told me in one of his letters that the guerillas have a plan to liberate some parts of Rizal from the Japs. Uncle Poldo and Papa are carefully doing their best to gather information from the Japs whenever they visit. They recorded the timings, and the guerillas studied how they moved, where is their arsenal is, and where they stay. I informed O'Hara about it and said that he will inform the troops near their area. I hope they succeed, because if they don't. I think I already know what's going to happen to pápa and Uncle Poldo.  

After minutes of walking, we arrived in a farm house. They had chickens downstairs and some vegetables around the garden. One thing's suspicious. There's a Japanese flag outside by the window, upon seeing that I knew that I am in trouble.

There was a Japanese man sitting on the head of the dining table in Pablo's house. I flashed Pablo a look but he won't look at me. I might die today, and got so scared that I can't move any further.

It's a good thing that before I went down the truck, I rolled the maps and tied them on my thighs. The Japs won't find it easily unless they remove my pants.

Another Jap in the house grabbed my backpack. I don't have any high caliber guns with me tight now. All they got was a pistol.

The Japs tied my arms and brought me down in the chicken's cage. They tied me up in a post and left me there. I can't stop thinking if I will make it or not. In case if I don't, I know that Pápa and Máma would understand that I only did it to defend our family's honor and our country. I've lived a full a good life and I won't wish for anything else. I had a flashback of memories running in my head like a movie where I saw in my mind the best moments of my life. Upon seeing those, I realized that I think I should do my best for these people to see me be back and be alive. I should fight. I need to fight for my family, I need to fight for myself, I need to fight and find Julia.

I spent two days being captive in the chicken cage. I was only given milk by a woman that looked like his wife, at times she releases my hand and let me relieve my bladder and stomach but it wasn't often since I just feed on milk. She wasn't allowed to talk to me but she seemed kind. It was all getting hopeless as each day passes and I heard them talking on how I will be used as a bait to bring the allies to them. They were planning to get more backup and make Pablo contact the army. 

I had nothing else to do but to try and understand what the Japs were talking about. All I understood that they think that the Filipino American troops are planning to liberate Manila from them, the Japs said that it would be bloody. I hope it would be soon. That's probably the reason why the Americans requested for more men to be sent in the Philippines. They all arrived some weeks ago according to O'Hara.

An hour before sunset, I saw an army of Filipino and American troops walking towards my location. They're all quiet. Maybe they saw the truck and got a hint that I'm not far away. I left a note in there saying that I've gone to town. I saw men with rifles and some other men. One of them untied me. After two days, I felt my arms again. It was a bit discolored due to the restricted blood flow.

I heard footsteps approaching the door and then one of them kicked it. I heard gunshots all over the place. There were more or less than twenty Japs in the house when I arrived.

"Run soldier Run!" I heard one of the men instructed me.

I ran to their direction and suddenly, my shoulders felt numb. I kept on running like a headless chicken until I was far from the house where I saw a pile of dead women piled up like trash.

Then all of a sudden I saw blood flowing on my arms and then on my legs.  I lost my consciousness and I can't remember what happened after that.

Note: Some events/scenarios may or may not be accurate with the actual history timeline. 

What do you guys think about the story so far? I am looking forward to your votes, and comments. 

What do you guys think about our hero, Pancho?