Daniel Lim, or known as Danny to those who are close to him is the book keeper in hacienda Sto.Rosario he is living peacefully with his family when one day the japanese soldiers paid a visit to the hacienda that he is working with..
"Good afternoon sir, please come inside," he don't know how to speak japanese but one of them named kinomo understand and can speak in english, although he himself is not so fluent in english but they understand each other through his hand gesture, Kinomo serve as the translator though Nakamura can also speak english for he had studied in the U. S. for a year before he served in the Japanese imperial army. Danny always invited the japanese soldiers to his home and prepared snacks for them, surprisingly they become friends.
Everytime the japanese soldiers paid them a visit they entertain them with foods and show them respect and friendship or it might be because of his look, a typical chinese look tall, fair complexion and chinito eyes similar to Doni, Doni is one inches taller than Danny, he is always mistaken as japanese and maybe, i'm not so sure, that is the reason why he become friends with the japanese soldiers.
"Would you like to work with us?", One day Nakamura asked Danny...
" I will think about that ,because as of now I don't know how I'll be going to be your secretary there were very few words I can understand in japanese only ohayo and sayonara", he hesitated for a while because aside from he know nothing about their language, he don't want the filipino will think of him as a traitor to the country. But as he can see these japanese are also good people they were respectful and kind just like Nakamura and his men.
"we need a secretary, it's okay you'll just record and keep records of our meetings, but you need to stay inside the garrison with your family." the japanese explained.
" Yes, of course", he answered after a while.. He agreed because he wanted his family to be safe...
" Thanks that you decided to accept my offer you need to transfer and stay in the garrison immediately", the japanese was in a hurry. So Danny and his wife Ofelia with their daughter Maya transfered to the japanese garrison, or japanese headquarter in Binalbagan, He served as the japanese secretary and everytime the japanese soldiers have a meeting he is also attending but having a brother who is a commander incharge in their own hometown in the mountainous part of himamaylan is a big secret from the japanese, that will bring death not just to his own family but also to his parents,brothers and their family whom the japanese is aquainted with as of that time. His father Isidoro always pay them a visit in the garrison because being his father Isidoro is allowed to visit them in the garrison as often as he wish... When he became friend with the soldiers they are good to his entire family .
Their trust in him is unwavering, after a month, another batch of soldiers came , they were mostly korean, their arrival bring terror that began to spread in the whole Negros. They began raiding homelands and the killings are rampant. Even childrens are killed and young womens or beautiful ladies are taken away from their families and used as comfort women by the koreans as well as some japanese soldiers.
They are in a meeting and Nakamura is very frustrated, he is arguing with the new korean group, he disapprove of the killings of mens and children and raping of women.
Danny thought that they do not really understand each other. Kinomo played a big part in the group, being a translator of the group. He is knowledgeable not only in english but also in korean.
" How many language are you able to speak?", Danny once ask Kinomo.
" I can speak english, korean, japanese, and chinese",Kinomo answered he is not a fighter but Danny assume he became a soldier because they need translator to translate what the people in that place are saying.
" Wow, you are a very intelligent guy", Danny said his appreciation for Kinomo's intellect is real. Being linguist is not easy and expensive to be studied.
" Anyway , thank you very much",Kinomo said.
" But that is true, I really beleive it is not easy to learn five languages", Danny told him.
" It's easy for me because I love learning different languages", Kinomo said..
" How I wish I had the same chance to learn different language,that's will be exciting!", Danny smiling at the thought.
Aside from Nakamura,Kinomo is the closest to Danny. Communicating is a bit easier for Danny because of Kinomo's knowledge in different languages.
" Danny it's not safe to stay here, with so many japanese soldiers around us ", Ofel Danny's wife complained.
" I know, just please bear with me,this is not the kind of life I had pronised you, just wait till this war is over and promise we will go back to our previous life", Danny promised to his wife.
" When are we going to be peaceful again? I don't want Mildred to grow up with this kind of lifestyle"", Ofel said.
" I know I don't like this kind of life for our daughter either, more patience, we're in a war , and no one is exempted", Danny beg his wife.
" I hate this kind of life, we are a prisoner in our own country," Ofel complained as they whispered to each other.
" Me too but do not complained that much, somebody might hear you ,remember we are under the enemies roof, there might be some ears listening ", Danny warned his wife..
" It will be very difficult thinking we will have additional member in our family soon", Ofel told him.
" Don't worry everything will have it''s end in a proper time", Danny assured his wife.
" I wanted my kids to grow up in a safe country", Ofel said.
" I have the same wish", Danny sweared.
Ofel was getting impatient and scared because she always heared women crying in terror asking for help being raped by the japanese soldiers and it breaks her heart. Because they are being maltreated in their own country by a stranger and they have no strength to fight back, what is happening in her country? she is beginning to develop nervous anxiety.
Everytime the japanese soldiers have a meeting Danny is always present, being the secretary he had the chance to know the minutes and plans of the group. He is not the only filipino hired by the japanese to work for them, even the water pitcher ,the garrison cleaner, and there are filipinos who are being hired just to give the linformation about the location of the usafe fighter or those who support them.Those traitor that give information about the group or people that symphatize with the filipino soldiers..
Those symphatizer were taken from their homes and killed together with their family.
just like Anton Udez, he works as the driver of the parish priest of Candelaria Cathedral father Bermiz, because the priest is an avid supporters of the u.s.a.f.e. groups movements, in the nearby town,. Fr.Bermiz was killed and his driver was taken from his home in the middle of the night and killed,his wife and his eleven years old daughter was taken by the japanese to be a comfort women in the garrison,and his two little sons a two years old and five years old were killed by the use of bayonet.
He had given instruction to his father to come and visit him every wednesday that is after the meeting of the japanese soldiers..
Most japanese soldiers were young only eighteen or nineten like Kinomo who is nineten years old only , Nakamura is about thirty five years old and Danny can see that he is a good japanese soldier, he never raped anybody or killed anybody, he is trying to be friendly to everybody, unlike Kim Eng ,who is very cruel to every filipino they met. Even their presence in the garrison is not welcome, he frankly told Danny or he even show that he despise their presence ,but Nakamura fight for them. Japanese and Korean were not good in english except Nakamura who had studied in the U.S. for a year with Kinomo who is the nephew of Nakamura, but Kim Eng don't know how to speak japanese and Nakamura don't know how to speak in korean.
" Leave Danny and his family alone", Nakamura told Kim Eng.
"Eventhough he looks like us still he is a filipino", Kim Eng argue according to Kinomo.
Secretly Danny is worried about his young family that were here inside the garrison as well as for his brother Doni who is in the mountain preparing for the fight against the japanese soldiers. Luckily the Japanese soldiers hadn' t reach the mountain yet, where Doni and his troupe stay.
" Father i am glad you visit us"he told his father when he come.They chatted for a while,then he played with his granddaughter and when the time came for him to leave,.
"Give this to Doni", he whispered secretly placed the letter in his father's hand. So when his father go to the mountain he can give the letter to his younger brother Doni, who serve in the military. The letter contain all of the details when ,where and how the japanese soldiers planned to attack the mountain where they were located.
Nakamura is his friend,, but Doni is his brother, as what the famous saying says,
" blood is thicker than water."he can never let his brother be in a danger knowing how cruel the new troupe are.
Most of the families in their place were already in the jungle hiding from the japanese soldiers.The japanese are mostly kind, but the korean soldiers are more cruelier, they are trigger happy especially Kim Eng, and sadly they are usually the raider among their troupe.
"Right now they hadn't been able to reach their location", Doro reported in a whisper to Danny.
" That's much better, they are more dangerous than before, Nakamura and his troupe are kindlier compared to the troupe of Kim Eng", Danny told his father back in a whisper.They always talk in a whisper, because their every move is being watch..
Danny is aware of that, because Kim Eng told him frankly that he will be watching their every move.. That's why they are being careful, they don't want that kim Eng will have reason to do something cruel to his family.But for now, he is thankful because Nakamura protect them from Kim Eng.
One day, another group of women was captured by the group of Kim Eng, one of them was a very beautiful elementary school teacher.Naida Valdez, she is Kim Eng new favorite comfort girl,whenever he is around he wanted Naida to be beside him. Danny know Naida resent Kim Eng so much because he can see the dagger look that Naida gave Kim Eng whenever he is not looking. but it seems Kim Eng is really taken by Naida's beauty. Since Naida's arrival he had never been interested to no one except Naida. Ofel really pitied Naida she imagine how hard it had been for Naida, being with the man who killed her future husband.
" We are just walking in the street when they pick us up",narrated by Naida when she and Ofel had the opportunity to talk.
" Didn't you know that it is very dangerous these days because they might pass by and pick you up?", Ofel asked.
" Honestly I don't know because they were kind and respectful before", Naida said.
" They are of the same group but this one is korean, they are cruel than the real japanese soldiers.", Ofel said..
" I don't know, I have no idea, only when they shot my boyfriend in the head I realize they are dangerous", Naida is crying.
" I wish this war will be over soon," Ofel felt pity for the girl who had lost her loved one and shot in her presence.
" Yes and I want Kim Eng dead, I can't take it any more I hate him so much", Naida said.
" Please calm down, you might place yourself in danger if you let anger rule your heart", Ofel advice her.She hug the girl to comfort her.
" Please don't, I want to get my revenge as soon as I have the chance", Naida said.
" Don't lose hope, we will have our chance for revenge against this bad guy, someday when this war is over, that's why I am begging you to lived inorder to witness that moment that you will have the chance to fight them", Ofel advice her.
" Yes I want to be the first to throw him the stone", Naida is determine.
" Yes we will do that, for all of those that were killed and raped, he is really a devil in disguise", Ofel said .