One early morning I saw a Jap officer with his sword dangling at his side walking slowly towards our hut. He appeared weak and hungry. My first instinct was to take revenge for the death of my late brother, Elix, but Pat prevented me from executing my diabolical plan and pulled me back to our hut.
Then other evacuees who saw him swarmed over him, and finally killed him. I was saved from spilling our enemy’s blood. Praise the Lord!
Suddenly we heard the rumbling of tanks and heavy gunfire near us. I went to find out what I could until I reached a RICOA (RICE AND CORN ASSOCIATION) hut built by Japs, which I entered. It was empty. There was lots of rice and corn all around and two bicycles inside.
I got a sack of rice, placed it on one of the bicycles, then returned home. I was the only person out from our huts at that time, but when I tried to get back for the other bicycle and another sack of rice, I saw people swarming the hut and running away with all the rice and corn they could get hold of.
Heavier fire was heard and even tracer bullets were flying into our evacuation camp. I told Pat to lie low, for I knew that the liberation forces were coming to town.
Then several guerillas came and greeted us, saying: “Mabuhay!” “Nandito nakami?” We went to greet them and invited them to our hut.
Pat roasted some horse meat and cooked some rice for them. How they loved the native food! They said they were fed up with canned Army rations and gave them to us.
For a long time we had not tasted chocolate, cigarettes, and candies. They also gave us canned pork and beans, my favorite food!
When the American tanks finally rolled into town, all the liberated townspeople went out to greet them and cheer them, WELCOME!
Leave a Reply