The Young and the Beautiful

Chapter 10

There were smoke everywhere, sand and soil went up in the air, I can't hear anything. It seemed like it was a grenade explosion. I was coughing and gasping for air. I don't know what just happened. Are the Japs here?

I crawled and tried my best to stand up and leave the tent for me to breathe and for the other men to see me and get me out of the location. My legs felt numb, my ears still ringing from the explosion. I made it outside and sat behind a nearby ditch. I saw a familiar face, it's Tom.

Tom handed me a riffle and is saying words I still can't hear. But it's getting clearer after more than a minute. I saw that the Japs look like they're just a few meters away from us. How come some of them reached our base? Maybe some redirected just to sabotage our base and destroy our equipment and its true. They wouldn't go here knowing that we outnumber them just to attack us.

I joined Tom and the rest of the boys in combat. I shot one, two, three, until I can't even count it anymore until we were able to make progress and moved our direction towards their base. The shots were getting rarer and rarer and it seemed like we have done our job. There was one battalion who surrendered when we reached their location. The generals were doing the talking but they can't seem to understand each other.

I walked my way through the sea of soldiers in front of me to interpret what the Japs were saying.

The Japanese man was speaking fast and I can't understand what he's saying. I can't even hear some of the words that he said. I asked him to speak a little slow.

"The Imperial of Japan surrenders. We have received a message from Japan that we have to surrender. Ceasefire on both parties is a must." I said, trying to summarize what this general was saying.

On that sunny day, the war officially ended in the Philippines. We have successfully regained our land. Captain Morales, our leader raised his riffle and shouted "Mabuhay ang Pilipinas!" everyone followed his lead and chanted alongside with him. I raised my rifle too. I was hoping that was the last time I was supposed to hold one or shoot somebody.

After almost five years of occupation and war, it is now all over. I don't know what to feel when I heard those words, and saw the reaction of the people around me. We can now finally go home to our families and loved ones.

Captain Morales made us stay in our camp for a while before letting us go after he sought things out with the Americans. We were given the gooey sticky food that the Americans serve during the war, this was the last time I would eat it.

Tom handed me a Japanese flag when we were about to go home. He said that it was my trophy for shooting several of them. I spread it out and the flag followed the flow of the wind. The flag was filled with writings in Nihongo. It was a Japanese tradition wherein the soldier's family and friends wrote messages all over the flag and the soldier will keep his loved ones' messages with him. His name was Masaki Fujimoto, but what caught my eye is the illegible writing that resembled a kid's. It was Masaki's child's handwriting and it said "Papa good luck and I hope to see you soon. I love you." I killed someone's father. Masaki's child will not see his father again.

We flew home after spending almost a day after the ceasefire took place. They sent me and my new friends to Manila while some of them were left in Davao to do things that were agreed upon by the Americans, and Filipinos. They will be tried for their war crimes and may be sentenced to death so the army immediately tied their arms and legs so that they can't run away and escape justice by ending their lives. It happened in Manila, instead of surrendering, the army heard several gunshots. The Japs all killed themselves instead being caught by the Americans.

While on our flight home, I grabbed a smoke that was left in my pocket. It's the last pack that I have. Almost all of us were smoking in the truck and not saying a word.

Tom later talked to Alfredo. He asked him about his family, and if what he's going to do after the war.

"I don't know, Tom. But at least I am alive. Our family won't be the same again. I lost my father, my grandmother and a cousin since the war started. My youngest sister was taken by the Japanese. God only knows what happened to her. I still don't know where my mother is. I hope she made it." He said. I turned my head to listen to what he said.

"I feel like justice has been served after what they have done to my family. To all our families, our country, and our future. I always keep on wondering how do we go on now? War has been like a normal part of life for the past five years." He added. Tom tapped his shoulder sympathizing with him. We arrived in our Manila barracks shortly.

I heard a lot of stories more after that. A lot of us looked happy that the war is over, but there were people who weren't so lucky who lost probably their whole family. I am lucky that I only lost two, Patricia, and Emily.

When I arrived in the barracks, I saw Camila. She visited me.

"So how was surveying the damage in Manila, Pancho?" She asked, putting her hands around my shoulder.

"There has been a lot of damage, and we thought that we could start in one area first." I replied. I think she already knew what I was up to.

"You're a bad spy Agent Carter. I knew what you were up to." She replied.

"I know that. I just don't want you to get worried about me." I said.

"No more lies dear, no more lies. It's all over now." She said as she kissed me. This is the best welcoming gift that I could imagine. What did you do to me Camila?

On that night, we knew that the future is on to us and we knew that we wouldn't be alone because we had each other.