The Young and the Beautiful

Chapter 12

The aftermath of the war is now a daily sight for us to see until the restoration projects begin. People were walking over the ruins of buildings trying to look something useful from their old houses, until I arrived in Ermita, I saw our once majestic garden maintained by Hiro is gone. Hiro was killed by the Japs when they knew he was working with the Allies. He didn't do his job of spying on us in the early 1930s and became attached to my family. My parents are very nice to him, that's probably the reason why he wasn't able to do it. 

I went to Ermita when I was doing a mission in surveying the war's damages. There, I saw our house that used to be one of the beautiful houses on the district as several parts of it were destroyed and had visible damages caused by the fire and bombs. I didn't go in anymore as the structure of our house was weak and may cause an accident. Our house may be broken but knowing that my family is safe is already a blessing for me.

A lot of houses in that district were all gone. It's either totally gone or most parts of it are severely damaged. I heard a lot of stories that happened in those houses that I don't want to know about.

The Japs took over our community church that housed and helped civilians who lost their homes due to the Japanese aggression. Until one day, the priests who was taking care of the civilians went missing not to be seen again. 

A lot of people were living by the streets and just made tents to have a place to stay in to. Most don't know how to start again, how to rebuild their lost houses and how to continue living by themselves and accepting the fact that their loved ones are now gone forever.

I saw a beautiful horse and a carriage passed by in front of me. I knew the horse looked familiar. It was a polo pony. I saw who the coachman is and I was surprised to see who it was. It was my childhood friend, Hugo Alba. He was the son of pápa's German business partner and a godson.

"Hola! Hugo is that you?" I waved and asked the man who looked so different from the last time I saw him. It was in 1940 Manila polo cup I think.

He wasn't answering and made his horse run faster and away from me. I think he knew who I was despite wearing a military uniform. I ran towards his direction and asked for a ride. He was still not looking at me when I rode the coach.

"Hugo. I know it's you. It's me, Pancho! We used to play polo together in 1940. You guys won against us in the last chukkas." I said.

He looked at me again and nodded. He was not talking to me. Then he put his attention back to the road.

"Pancho, I may be Hugo Alba, but I'm a nobody now. I'm not one of you anymore. I'm just a common pobrecito as our parents call people like me. Estoy un cochero y muchacho de casa. I lost everyone. Máma, Pápa, mi hermano Rodrigo who I saw got beheaded on our lawn while begging for his life, mi hermana Delia who they killed in the stairs of our home after raping her, mi hermana Rebecca who they took away. I only manage to make it because the servants hid me and my youngest brother Victor in the attic. I saw how they massacred my whole family." He replied. Then I remember, he is Rebecca's brother. He didn't know that she was alive.

"Of course not Hugo. We're friends! We grew up together." I said as I tapped his shoulder to console him.

"I have good news about your sister Rebecca." I said. Hugo's face lit up. Then I saw her six-year old brother Victor beside him.

"The army found her alive and she's now in the hospital recovering from what happened to her. I think you know what I mean." I told him.

"That's good. But how can the three of us survive now? I only work as a cochero and a houseboy who barely makes enough for my food. I always give more food to Victor. He needs it more than I do." He replied.

"You should join us in our home in Rizal. I think pápa would like to see his godson again." I replied. My pápa is a good man especially when it comes to family. Hugo's father is a close friend and a business partner. Hugo and I were not really that close compared to how I was with Enrique. As a matter of fact, the two of us were always rivals in everything. In school rankings, polo matches, and even when it comes to girls. I remember this one soiree that we attended to when we got into a fight over some girl. I know that this is not a good time to remember all of those things.

"I don't know Pancho. I don't think padrino, tú pápa will like me there. I used to be your rival in high school." He said.

"Don't think about it. It's all in the past now. We were just boys then." I replied.

I managed to convince him to go with me in our home in Rizal. Maybe Uncle Poldo and Aunt Nancy can help them start a new life again specially for Victor who was too young to witness all these atrocities. The couple never had children.

Pápa looked sad when he saw the two brothers, Hugo and Victor in their state. They were wearing worn out clothes, and looked like they haven't eaten decently in months.

He gave the two boys a hug and Uncle Poldo asked the household staff to prepare food for them. That was the first time I saw my number one rival cry. A young man with a very strong personality. He doesn't know what to do anymore and my pápa saved him and his brother.

"You can take Victor. I can work here as a stable boy. I know everything about horses." He replied.

"Don't speak nonsense. You're my godson and I made a promise to your pápa to be your second father in case anything happens to him. You and Victor are safe now." Pápa said.

I saw the two of them eat a lot, and saw Hugo ate as if he forgot the dining etiquette that he learned when he was young. We didn't mind them and let them eat everything they can.

Later that night, I heard uncle Poldo and Aunt Nancy talking. They were thinking of adopting the two boys and Rebecca when she gets out of the hospital.

"Maybe they are the children that we were hoping for, Poldo." Aunt Nancy said.

"But three kids? Can we sustain them?" Uncle Poldo said.

"Of course we can. Of course." She replied.

The couple talked about how can they help the three orphans and decided to adopt the three of them together. The next day before I go back to the city uncle Poldo broke the news and told Hugo and Victor that he's going to adopt them. Rebecca will follow when she's well enough to travel again.

"I'm sorry, but there's three of us. You can adopt Victor, I can work here and won't be a burden to you, sir." Hugo said. Insisting that uncle Poldo should only take Victor.

"No. I insist Hugo. Even if you're twenty now, you still need our guidance. The three of you can be our children, even in papers. You can keep your surname but we will help you stand up from this." Uncle Poldo said.

Hugo agreed and was overly thankful for what my family did to them. He will now live next door together with Uncle Poldo and Aunt Nancy. From that day onwards. I think I had three new cousins.