A WOODEN CLOG FASHIONED
With the use of my sharp Army knife, I fashioned a wooden clog, or “BAKIA”, for my use instead of my shoes inside our quarters that had mud flooring and outside when I went out to the muddy latrine or toilets. My companions envied my bakia because their shoes got wet on their way to the latrine.
CHESS SET
When we dug our latrines I found out that the soil was black clay, and so I thought of making chess pieces out of our diggings.
With the use of a chalk, I colored white the other pieces and, with a piece of board marked like a Checkers board, we were able to play chess the whole day long, for lack of anything else to do.
I found out that nobody could beat me in our group that included Lt. Col. Simeon Valdes, our group leader, Col. Lucas Cauton (both became Congressmen later), Col. Louis Florentin, Lt. Col. Torres, Chief Engs., Lt. Ferdinand Marcos (who became President and dictator for 20 years, with Imelda), Lt. Carlos Lara, Lt. Fonacier, Lt.
Chua, Lt. Rimberto Ver, Lt. Peñaflorida (P.S., ex-boxer), S/Sgt. Basilio Viray, Cpl. Joselito Constancieg, and our cook. After eating, all we did was sleep, play chess, checkers (dama), cards, read, or gripe against the swarms of flies, mosquitoes, ants, fleas, body lice, foul body odor, etc., etc., sicknesses of malaria, beriberi, dysentery, diarrhea, anemia, headache, toothache, arthritis, rheumatism, hunger, and loneliness, and anxiety over our families. (December 1, 1991 – Now I have a computerized, TALKING CHESS SET. Praise the Lord!)
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