Isidoro Lim,the father of Doni and Danny, he has ten children with his wife Maria six girls, and four boys. His father is chinese and his mother is pure filipina, they grow up with a nanny that takes care of them while his mom is busy with her gambling. His father is a very hard working businessman. He is married to Maria a good dressmaker whom he had ten children. His wife is very kind, patient and hardworking too. it just happened that his wife had been infected of mild tuberculosis and there is no cure for the mean time for such illness. It so happened that his three boys were all married, except Doni the youngest among the four boys and right now he stay in the mountain because they were called to serve the country for the world war two.. He is called to join the army as one of the commander incharge together with his bestfriend Mario in their troupe , both Doni and Mario were graduating law students and both were in their last semester of the year. He felt the resentment and cold treatment that Doni gave him everytime they are together, maybe because of his gambling, now that war had erupted in the whole country he can't gamble anymore, and because his son is in the mountain serving the country, while the other son Danny is with the opposite force. Danny is very worried about his younger brother Doni situation in the mountain. Doro is just happy because his sons help each other.
" When are you going to visit Doni?", Maria asked her husband while they are eating dinner.
"Papa, can I go with you to see Doni?", Virgi the twelve years old and the youngest among his daughters asked.
" On thursday, I will bring Mario's family because they want to see Mario ", Doro explain to his wife.
" Papa,can I go with you?", Virgi repeat the question.
" If your mom come, you can come also", Doro replied to her daughter's query.
" That's will be very stressful for me, i'd better go next time", Maria undecidedly decline.
" You know it''s so nice there, i'm sure the fresh air, fresh fruits,and fresh foods will be good for you. Besides i'm sure Doni will be very happy when he see you, you know that son of yours is an unadulterated mama's boy", Doro said to his wife. Maria smiled at the term used by her husband to describe her youngest son.
" But the walk over the terrain is difficult for me", Maria said.
" You can stay there for the main time if you want." Doro explained to his wife.
" How about you girls ?would you like to go there?", she asked her three remaining daughters aside from virgi.
"Yes ma,that's will be an exciting adventure", fiften years old Lilian said.
"How about you ?" she asked the eighteen years old Mari.
" I will go if you go mama", , Lilian replied.
" Me too!..",Marga said in an excited voice.
" Then okay, we will go together, so no reason for me to stay here", she told her daughters.The next day Doro had visited Mario's family.
" Yes, Doro we would like to go with you to visit my son",Anselma, Mario's mom said.
" We will be preparing tonight what we will bring for the long travel", Menandro, Mario's father said.They will be bringing their two daughters too.
" We will be leaving at three in the morning so no one will notice us", Doro's suggestion.
"Okay, I really miss my son, we will be bringing all sacks of rice that hadn't been sold and some chickens for them to raise there in the mountain and some crops anyway we will bring the carriage to be pulled by the two carabao , and Melisa, our dog, we couldn't leave them behind because no one will feed them", Mario's father said.
" It's up to you, but it will take a long walk before we reach their location, beside your carriage will be left downhill, but I know they will be happy for that foods they badly need that", Doro said.
According to what Mario said his father is a good farmer, all of the plants he planted has produce good harvest, he had a green thumb that's why they have a carriage, only rich families can afford, which only shows Mario belong to a well to do family , even by looking at their home which is made of hard woods and their lifestyle is that of a rich family.
" Are you sure you will leave your crops and home?",Doro is unsure if they will really leave the comfort of their home.
" Yes, it is too hard to live peacefully in this kind of situation, I'd rather be in the mountain with my family, anyway I just hope this war will be over soon, so we can go back to our usual life like we used to do when everything is normal", Menandro explain.
" Yes I conform with what you said",, Doro said.
" The most important is, we have Makisig, Maganda and Melisa", Anselma said.
" Your daughters and son?" , Doro innocently asked thinking it was their kids nicknames or alias, Menandro shake his head and the two girls and Anselma laugh at his innocent question.
" Our two carabaos and dog", Menandro seriously answered.
" Ah, okay, that's why you will bring the carabaos to pull the carriage instead of horses and your dog", Doro said.
" Actually we don't have horses we prefer carabaos because I can use them in my field works", Menandro answered.
.When he arrive home Doro talk heartily to his wife and daughters.
" We have to delay our trip to the mountain for the mean time because Mario's family will bring a carriage which they will use as a transportation and some foods to be brought for the kids there in the mountain. I might go with them to be their guide, anyway I can bring you next week. At least you will have plenty of time not just visiting Doni but stay there with him you will be much safer with them, but for the mean time I will bring Mario's family first as I had promised, and because they were not used of being away from Mario for a long time", Doro explain.
" I also miss your son", Maria protested.
" I know but it will be difficult for me to bring you , and it will be hard for you to catch up if you walk while they ride in the carriage, I need to accompany them in going there because they don't know the way", Doro tried to explain.
" Okay, by next week we will go there too", Maria said.
"Yes,I promised you ",Doro promised.
luckily His daughters understand the situation when he explained the cicumstances of his task, that all of them will not fit in the carriage, their father will accompany Mario's family, the thought excite the kids upon knowing that Mario's whole family will be staying there too.
During the day of their travel, they started much earlier than they had planned, at two thirty in the morning. So the japanese soldiers will not notice them, the japanese soldiers do not patrol at night outside of their camp, and they tried not to use light while they are in plain areas, Doro rode the other carabao and Menandro rode the other one, while Anselma and the girls as well as the dog melisa were inside the carriage they just stop aside when they need to eat or drink or do their personal necessities anyway there is no one in the street except them as they travel,luckily nothing intercept on their way traffic isn't a trend at that time.
When they reach the hillside, they remove the carriage and they still ride the carabaos with their baggages and foods, they had eight sacks of rice, they use two burning torch to light the way. the three ladies decided to walk with Melisa until they reach the nipa houses where the troupe stationed..
The new arrivals were too tired to enjoy the scenery to think that it's almost dinner time, when they finally reach their destination. The family were in deep sleep as soon as they lie down in Mario's Nipa hut.
" Doni, Danny, send a letter for you", Doro give the letter that he had kept for three days already. Doni is so excited to read the letter so he opened it immediately.
" Dated: March 6, 1942;; Doni, how are you my brother? I send you this letter to let you know that the japanese soldier will attack the mountain were you are located on the twenty fifth of this month . They are planning to attack Binalbagan jungle on the twentieth and on the fiftenth in Isabela mountain to check if there are soldiers presence there they call it clearing operation ,always take care ,God bless us all. We love you always take care of dad when he is with you..love, Danny." the letter said.
" I know how difficult it is for you son, I will go back to the house two days from now, when I come back I will bring your mom and four sisters, I beleive they are much safer here with you, and for the meantime I will be left in the house because the japanese might wonder when they visit us and they might suspect something, if there is no one left at home, anyway they hadn't met any of your sisters. I am thankful that they are hiding everytime the japanese soldiers arrive, so the soldiers thought only me and your mom lived in the house. ", Doro told Doni.
" Good for them !", Doni replied, he is aware that his sisters were anti social, they never show up everytime they have visitors in the house.
" I had asked permission from Menandro to borrow their carriage and Makisig, their carabao, so that your mom won't be too tired from walking in coming here , she might have an asthma attack if she got tired from walking", Doro explained to Doni.
" Yes, that's better dad,anyway they can be friend with Mario's sisters and mother", Doni is excited about the coming of his mom and sisters..
Doni, counted the days and he realized, four days from now they will attack Isabela and the commander in charge is Mona, they need to inform Mona that the japanese troupe will attack them on the fiftenth of the month.
" Mario, wake up! we need to talk about something", Doni knock on the door of Mario's nipa hut, obviously they were already soundly asleep.
" What are we going to talk about Doni?", Mario asked Doni wiping his face with a face towel.
" I receive a letter from my brother Danny, come read this", Doni give the letter to Mario. after reading the letter Mario is horrified of the possible attack.
" Oh my God ,we need to send Orlan to inform Mona about this or they'll get in trouble", Mario told Donii..
" Actually I have the same idea", Doni said. The Orlan that they are talking about is the one that serve as the messenger of the group ,he is the most familiar with all the jungle or mountainous part of the whole Negros. He is fond of mountain climbing, trekking and hiking . Early in the morning after breakfast, they send Orlan to inform Mona about the coming attack. He hadn't been back for a few days because after informing Mona he will go directly to Gilbert the commander in charge of Binalbagan troupe. Orlan came back after six days. He brought good news for Doni and Mario.
" I decided to come back to Mona's troupe, so that I might be able to help Mona after I had delivered the news to Gilbert" Orlan related.
" That's why you hadn't come back soon" Mario said.
" Yes, I was there when the japanese troupe attacked and they lost almost ten of the japanese soldiers were injured" Orlan said.
" That's good!", Doni and Mario are happy for the good news.
" You know , their winning strategy is , Mona wore a very sexy dress with hi cut boots, then she ride in a horse while her long black hair blown by the wind, then when the japanese soldiers saw her they tried to capture her, you know how beautiful she is. They hadn't captured her because she's a good horse rider she gallop the horse in the direction of the jungle. The japanese soldiers follow her till they reach where the soldiers are waiting ready to attack the japanese soldiers Because they are ready, after the exchanges of gunshot, I had seen almost ten of the japanese soldiers were injured , I am not sure if someone died among the japanese soldiers", . Orlan, said in a long story.
" That's great what a good strategic plan, she is really smart and courageous", Doni said.
" Yes, what a brave woman", Mario said.
" She difinitely used her intellect in times like this, but this is just the first actual attacked by the japanese, expect for the worst, from now on ", Doni said.
" Yes, expect that they will definitely comeback", Mario said.
" You're right especially now that they are aware there are people who lived in the mountain, for sure they already know they are soldiers because they have guns." Doni said.