Donald Lim, is not a typical filipino male, he ia more of a chinese in looks in his 5'11" height, fair complexion and chinito eyes, while Mario his bestfriend is pure filipino in his 5'3" height, dark complexion and charming smiling eyes,
which makes him easy to be friend with.
" I'm so excited for our graduation day", Donald who is known as Doni to his friends happily said.
" Me too, anyway this is our last year in our law course", Mario said
" Yes, after this semester we will be called attorney. I will be Attorney Donald Lim", Doni exclaimed. with a hand gesture in the air as if writing his name.
" My papa will be proud of me", Mario who had all the reason to be proud.
" Good for you, for me all I want to be proud of my achievement is my mom, I want to be able to help her, she,s getting sick with her sewing job", Doni said.
" How about your dad?", Mario asked.
" All he did was gamble, we work hard in the ricefield to have a good harvest then after the harvest the product were just enough to pay all of his debt to different people because of his gambling", Doni said with a quirk of his lips.
This is not the first time he talk about his father to his friend, though he doesn't know if he remembered it just felt good to talk about his disappointments and frustration about his father's gambling vices and his worries about his mom's deteriorating health condition.
" Wow,it is just now that I appreciate my father more for being responsible", Mario said.
" Lucky for you for such a responsible father, but for me if it wasn't because of my brothers that collaborated to send me to law school, I won't be here", Doni said.
" Anyway still you have something to thank your father for", Mario said.
"What is that suppose to be?", asked Doni, wondering what's meant by his friend.
" You should thank him for the good genes, your height and goodlooks, as well as intelligence", Mario tease.
" ha,humm, that's funny!", Doni said.
December 7, 1941, Pearl harbour was attacked by the japanese imperial army.
The news was all over in print and radios. December 8,1941 the japanese soldiers scattered around the Philippines,specially in luzon December 10, 1941, at 1 pm their college professor gather them in a meeting.
" Guys have you heard that Pearl harbour was bombed down by the japanese imperial army?", Mr.Sanchez, the university director asked.
" Yes sirr!", everybody answered in unison.
" I am sorry that something like this happened in our time", Mr.Sanchez continued.
" What will happened with us sir, being graduating college students?", Mona Rodriguez the first female university student council president ask.
" Good question Mona, we are contacted by our government that all male students will serve as military for our government, you guys having ROTC training.will help fight for the country. This is a great opportunity for you to show your worth", Mr. Sanchez said.
"All of those who are in the lower years from first year to third year college, please see Mrs. Bransuela your english college professor for further instruction and all of those graduating students please stay with me", Mr. Sanchez instructed. All males students from lower years get up and headed for their english college professor's room.
" How about us sir? what if we want to serve in the military also?", Mona asked.
" We are in urgent need right now of male students, but we'll give you a chance if you really want to", Mr.Sanchez said.
Almost hundred fifty male students remain in the room including Doni and Mario.
" Guys who amongs't you has self defense training?", Mr.Sanchez asked.. some students had raised their hands including Doni, he urged Mario to raised a hand too.
" But I know nothing about self defense", Mario argued.
" Shhh! Don't worry I will teach you", Doni whispered,so Mario raised his hand too. There was about fiften of them who raised a hand.
" All of you who has self defense training you will be the commander incharge among your troupe, you will be the one that will trained your men in combat fighting and there will be an american counterpart that will teach you how to use gun", Mr, Sanchez said.Doni personally requested to be with Mario and Mr. Sanchez allow them.
Because of the war, the university where they were studying closed down and they were brought in the mountain and jungle of Negros where they will spend their training days and will be their secret haven while they are preparing for the real fight.John Reiss a U.S. army taught them how to use guns and combat fighting.
Combat fighting is much more easier for Doni, because they were trained by their father
in self defense as a young child. All four of them who are boys in their family were taught to fight in their bare hands. Because their father said it is more better if they know to defend themselves. They will be respected if people know they can protect themselves..His father might be irresponsible and not a good provider to their family, but he made it sure that they are well equipped with knowledge on how to defend themselves and he know his father was right and now he knows why he prepared them for this time. God is good, he had prepared him for this war.
Doni and Mario were brought in the mountain of Himamaylan, which luckily is a mile away from Doni's family which is in the rural area, before this war they were not allowed to come near this mountain because they said the spirit that take care of this nature will be angry and her anger will give them bad luck for being unwanted visitor.
But now this mountain is their refuge in time of war.
" Wow look at this place, this is a tourist destination for nature lovers, look at the fresh running water of the river, the falls where we can get fresh drinking water, the fresh air, and the fresh fruits, and the wild animals that we can cook as foods, that surrounds us", Doni told Mario together with the younger soldiers that like them enjoy the scenery. Most of them were young filipino students that were called to be soldiers to help fight for the country. They were mostly younger, age rangest from sixteen to nineteen and Doni is the oldest at the age of twenty three.
" Yes, and the water of the river where we can use for swimming, for our laundry ", Mario said.
While in the mountain they had been busy training on how to use gun and for combat fighting. They built small houses made of nipa for their own personal used.
As he thought about it, this must be the right time that he could use what his father had taught.
His father came from a financially blessed family, ingact a nanny had been hired to take care of them, and his grandmother is a gambler , that's where his father get his interest in gambling. Here in the mountain they don't need aircondition because the temperature is really cold specially in the evening til morning. They had learned how to make fire for cooking, they become expert in catching fishes from the nearby river as well as catching wild animals and Mario become expert in fist fight as well as in using guns.
" If it wasn't war, this is the best place for for a vacation,beautiful sight,probably a tourist attractipn for those nature lover." Doni said as his eyes roam around the area.
" I'm glad we are together in this war, I'm sure my dad is very worried about me being the only boy in my family and I am also worried about their condition, at least with us we have weapons to fight the japanese soldiers, but for them they have nothing to protect themselves", Mario said.
" Yes, you're right, I am worried for my mom
and sisters.It will be difficult for them because right now my mom is suffering from mild tuberculosis, pity for her", Doni told Mario. This war had made a big impact on them mostly negative This is frustrating for him He wanted to finish his study sooner, so that he can help his mom, he can be able to work and bring his mom to the best doctor. He is the youngest among the four boys, a mama's boy, now he felt that he missed his mom.
" Are we going to see them after this war?",
Doni is wondering.
" I hope we can, if we lose inspite of our effort, that's will be a very sad truth which is hard to face", Mario explained.
" Yes it is, we can do it",an enthusiastic Doni said. They spent most of their days in training on how to use guns and combat fighting,they busied themselves to learn on how to defend themselves. Being the commander incharge,they both knew these men rely in them for their safety and fighting strategies,their glad their enthusiasm to learn is limitless.There are twenty five of them in their platoon, being new recruits they had no experience to the real fight all they were doing
right now is training and preparing themselves for the real encounter. But no one can undersetimate their will to fight for their country.
During the first few months of their stay in the mountain they were so homesick,or maybe they just worry for their family outside of the camp. After a month they were already familiar with the mountain surrounding. They already know where is the safest part or where to pass through incase of emergency.
The first visitor that came to the camp is Doro.
" How do you know were here dad?", Doni asked his father.
" I looked for you in your school when you did not come home eventhough the japanese soldiers started to come here in Negros. The guard brought me to talk with Mr. Sanchez and he directed me to come here", Doro explained.
" Uncle Doro can you please tell my family I'm okay?" , Mario told Doro.
" Don't worry I'll talk to them, how about if they come here?",Doro idea.
" Do you think uncle,that's will be a good idea if they come here ?",Mario asked.
" Threat outside of your camp is much bigger than being here inside", Doro said.
" Yes as I can see,you have a much more better condition in here,this is a good place to stay.I think it is better for your mom and sisters to stay here for their safety, and this is a good place for your mom's health condition right now", Doro suggested.
" Really? I wish my family can stay here for a while too!", Mario exclaimed excitedly upon hearing what Doro suggested.
" Yes, that is a good idea, but I don't know if Mr. Sanchez will let them", Doni hesitated at the idea.
" My son,we are facing a world war two,for me this is the safest place for them, because you can protect them,outside of the camp they will be in danger of being raped and killed.Beside if they are here they can cook for you,wash your clothed and do others household chores", Doro suggested,Doni thought of it as a good idea.
" Okay dad,let them come here to decide if they want to stay with us inspite of the danger they might encounter", Doni said.
" Can you please tell my family to visit me here please uncle?", Mario begged.
" Okay don't worry I will accompany them in coming here next week",Doro promised.