Morning Sickness

He got back to the granite house very late in the evening while she's already sleeping and looked so exhausted.

" What did she do within the entire day? Huh, what's that stuff on her hand?" George moved closer and meticulously look at it that she's tightly grasping.

" A baby pajama, haha! this is I guess the 20th one." He smiled and removed it from her hand and he tried to check it by himself, smilingly. After which, he rushed to the kitchen outside just to boil some jackfruit seeds that Albrecht gave him, considering her wife can have it in the morning with chicken eggs and sweetened 'ginataang gabi.'

Boom! Boom!

" Huh!" He has heard a loud burst of mortar with series of handgun shots.

" Prisoners! there might have Filipino prisoners who have escaped and the Japs are following them. It could be possible."

He tried to go up to the granite house surface and checked whether someone's seeking help as he brought along with him some ropes. He ran so fast, stooping on bonsai trees and stopped on that location where Magee left a rope used to escape heading to station one, months ago.

" Here, I can glide down and could clearly see if who's being chased while the moonlight could help."

The rain outpoured as he landed so silently and immediately hid himself on a rubber tree propped with clinging vines. There, he saw silhouettes of three running men but he was astounded if why they've ran in the center of the path where the Japs can easily follow them.

" Why...this might be a trap! They could have been in shortcut pathways and seemed obviously stopped and waited for the Japs to reach them. Hmm, their knee bending when it comes to running seems different too - they're fake prisoners!" He thought while hiding. When the Japs and so-called dramatic prisoners have passed by, he carefully climbed back to the mountain top, ran and returned to the daylight optic hole and slid down.

" Whew! they almost got me. Hmm..what happened tonight only tells us that the Japs have speculations of this spot of Kabang. Great heavens! I'll meet the Captain tomorrow for this." He continued boiling the jackfruit seeds and when got it cooked after minutes, he poured it altogether on a granite bowl and covered it with a green banana leaf.

Then he joined her on bed while he thought deeply of the Japs' recent tactic.

In the next day, he woke up late and has heard her experiencing morning Sickness. He immediately ran towards her in room number six and tried comforting her from series of vomits and still drooling afterwards with a hand to reach him to hang on her exhausted arms.

" Mag, what do you want to eat...tell me."

" Breadfruit. But you cook it for me. Please boil various leafy vegetables and if - there's chicken meat, I can maybe swallow it all. My....my tongue is not working well these days. I just imagine those food I thought could make me better. George...tell me if it's too much. I know we're at war with the Japs...I know it's scarcity time, I know we don't have any chicken outside for food but I'm sorry I just thought it so tasty and ..." Then she swallowed her saliva again and again.

" Haha! Alright. Don't worry Mag, I'll find a way. Just wait a little here and if the chicken will be delayed just expect for it, okay?" Then he smiled while kissing her forehead and carried her back to bed.

" Thank you. I have to rest once more. My tummy's causing tantrum." Then she closed her eyes and turned her head on the other side of bed that made him smile.

" I'm beginning to sink in more challenging role these days, and its for being a father. C'mon! haha! reporting to duty. Hmm, I'll go then and find a chicken." He thought. After ensuring that she's just fine, he grabbed his pack bag and left to see the brothers at the wooden house.

" Albrecht, Baldur! I need a little help help." Then he brought out the pica topic to the siblings.

" Oh dear! Great!go we only have a pair of chicken left, a rooster and a hen. If we release one for her, the production would stop. They insofar gave us eight chicks. What do you think?" Albrecht clarified.

" Our troop needs the pair to multiply, huh!, I'll get out and find a way. Just ask a favor to Sibaya to harvest some breadfruit, she wants it too. But she said she wants me to cook it."

" Ah! haha! really? what a package! sort of, great! even if I wanted to help then, what else can I impart fir help." Albrecht seriously uttered.

" Boiled leafy vegetables." George tapped his shoulder and Baldur smiled at him too.

They separated ways as George carefully got out from the granite entrance gate then started to travel northeast. It was a cozy morning with some cottony skies. He has traveled a bit far and wide but still he hadn't found any chicken or signs that the place was habitated by co-Filipinos.

" Hmm, there's a smoke estimated around one kilometer away, there'd be possibly some poultry and swine products around, let me check." George climbed the tallest truee and looked down, searching for any signs of life in the wilderness.

" Wait...the smoke I see isn't just an ordinary one, there's a bigger fire already sprouting from the treetops, oh my..." He quickly moved down and ran towards the place but he suddenly hid to one of the century tall trees after hearing a noise coming from nowhere. He was sweating, doubtful if who that strange person drawing in, so he was tightly grasping his dagger and ready for an attack. Confusingly, as the running sound drew closer, he could sense for another person chasing through the pricking of the branches and commotion of big grasses on their way, heading to his direction. He was sweating even more, for in an instant he has to decide to grab the person towards him and if how sure it was to save such a victim. After a while, as it was nearing, he grabbed the person he then found as a woman, put her on side and slid to the chaser who arrived like lightning. A man with a handgun that he identified as enemy; so they fought in bare hands while their weapons were thrown out of their defenses. George"s opponent was also good in self defense so the fight lasted a bit longer but when George found a chance to pick out his dagger, he then stabbed the opponent and there, the man died. Later, he was holding his knees and breathless while the woman was teary eyed looking at him, sobbing with her untidy outlook and seemed pitied on him. Speechless. Even if he was physically drained but he signaled and described to the woman for a chicken. But the woman didn't get it so he blurted it out.

" Please, I need a chicken. Chicken, for my pregnant wife." Then he smiled.

The woman smirked and tidy her face. She led him to her place which was a bit closer to the houses burnt by the enemies. It was under a big tree camouflaged by balite roots around and when she got out, she handed to him a hen with its eggs. The woman was teary eyed and pressed his hands, thankful, but signaled him to go back from where he come from. George was so thankful and left smiling while carrying a hen with eggs packed in a very untidy cloth but was heartily given to him.