The Young and the Beautiful

Chapter 46

In January 1995 I saw a documentary on TV about the war. It was about the Japanese families that the soldiers left in 1941 before they attacked Pearl Harbor wherein several of those men never returned.

I saw the soldiers' flags that they bring with them and was a piece of home that was close to their hearts. Then I remember that I have one of those flags on the Battle in Davao in 1945. Several American soldiers flew to Japan recently to give back the flags that they took during the war. The Japanese families were sobbing and they said that they felt finally free from thinking if their family member was killed or was still alive somewhere in the world.

I opened the said flag and saw the ink of messages fading and remembered Masaki Fujimoto. The man I gunned down in the battle. I think I should return the flag to his family, the child's writing who may be his child.

Without any doubts, the next day I contacted the Japanese Embassy and made arrangements on what can I do to personally hand this flag and apologize to Masaki's family in Japan.

Alfonso was with me when I went to the embassy. I was deeply embarrassed for I did several years ago. The Japanese Ambassador was way younger than me when we met him.

"Ambassador Fàbregas. It's nice to finally meet you, sir." Ambassador Yamaguchi said as he met me. He looked way younger than me and may be in his 40s or 50s that day.

"The pleasure's all mine Ambassador. Please call me Francisco. I was an ambassador in Spain forty years ago." I said. He smiled and addressed me by my name.

"First of all Francisco, on behalf of the Japanese people, I would like to apologize for what my ancestors did to your country." He said then bowed really low. I let out a deep breath and said that he doesn't need to apologize since he was not the one who did me wrong.

When we were seated, with a cup of green tea on my hand, we started talking about the war and that I would like to return the flag that I have with me to the owner's family to give them closure about their loved ones' death. I told him what I did as a radioman and as a spy then finally killing several Japs in Davao before the war ends. Alfonso was in owe, and was very much amazed on what I did. He knew that I was a war vet but he didn't know exactly what I did in the war. They said that they would do further arrangements and search for Masaki Fujimoto's family. They might find it easier if the embassy would have the flag in search for clues from other writings.

Alfonso cannot stop asking me questions and was like a boy again when he knew my story. Especially when he knew that his father was a spy for the Allies and used a different name. I told him to ask his mother if she knew Julia Rodriguez if he wanted to know more about the war. It will blow his mind for sure. I told him that's the story behind the WW2 badge that I gave him before they left for Spain when he was young.

After over four months, I got a call from the ambassador and informed me that they found Masaki's family, and if I could fly to Tokyo immediately. I don't want to make a big fuss about it and requested to keep it as private as possible, without any coverage from the media.

My daughter Bela, Alfonso, my grandson Joaquin, and my wife accompanied me to Tokyo. Charlie wasn't able to fly to Tokyo since he said that his work consumes a lot of his time. Tokyo was an amazing city and looked like it had a lot of potential for the near future.

Little Joaquin was as quirky as his father when he was his age, sometimes he can get a little unmanageable but he is a good and charming little boy.

A car took us further to Japanese suburbs, a town called Kanagawa just near to Mt. Fuji. We were all amazed from the views that we saw. Bela can't stop taking photos and told us that she's inspired by the Japanese 90s fashion in picking up new items for her fashion job.

In Kanagawa, we met Ambassador Yamaguchi, and the local town mayor to be in this another historical moment. It was held in the Fujimoto's home which was a very typical Japanese middle class home.

The ambassador told me that we were to meet his daughter, Ayaka and her family, and Masaki's mother who was over a hundred years old.

There were people from local Japanese papers taking our photos and I understand that it was a big deal for the Japs. I handed the folded flag to Ayaka as she started to shed tears and realize that her father was really dead.

I kneeled down, and apologized to the family especially to Masaki's mother and talked to her in Nihongo. I was trying my best to hold my emotion, as she strokes her hand over the flag. I knew that for them, what I did was unforgivable but I didn't want it to happen. I was just fighting for my country like he did. Ayaka apologized to me and my country for what his father and the other soldiers of the war did.

The old lady was almost blind and was holding the Japanese flag where she wrote in to several years ago. She said that his son left in 1943 and never returned. They knew that he is already dead but this is like finally getting something out of her chest even before she leaves. She was happy that even with just a flag, they will honor their son.

I felt so relieved after doing that. The proper home of that flag is not in mine and it shouldn't look like a war trophy that I won. But it deserves to be given to Masaki's family, and loved ones.

We had several pictures that were taken by their local newspapers, and some copies to be kept by my family. Bela just realized that what I did was extraordinary.

"Papa, you make us all proud for what you did. You are really a hero to us all." She said, as she gave me a tight hug.

Alfonso was hushing Joaquin after seeing her aunt Bela and grandma Camila cried, he cried too.

When it was all over, I shook Ayaka and her family's hands goodbye and left their home with a smile realizing that I should've done that many years ago.

Not long after what happened, news spread like wildfire in Manila on what I did. I only agreed to be interviewed once by a broadcaster friend of Bela's. I did it because I want to end all of those things associated to one of humanity's darkest hours. I wanted our children and the Japanese children to be at ease with each other in the future.

Maybe we should all move on now, but we shouldn't forget it for us not to make the same mistakes again.