Chapter 8: The Pre attack

Doni's troupe had been busy for the last few days they had been busy making big holes in the middle of the roads, holes that will not allow any trucks to pass through. They have no choice but to leave their trucks behind. They just left a small portion of footwalk enough for only one person to pass through.

They had already destroyed the bridges, although far from their camp they were just making it sure those japanese will not reach where the people were located.

" What the heck, I hope we won't be punish by the government for doing this.", Romeo one of the soldiers said.

" Right now we have no choice but to destroy roads, and bridges so that it won't be accessible for the japanese to be able to come near the mountain where we are camping", Doni explained.

" Besides there are many civilians hiding in this area, they are partly our responsibility, we don't want them to be captured by the japanese soldiers." Mario said.

" Why would the government will punish us? even big buildings nowadays are being bombed down by the japanese soldiers", Romeo said.

" Whowahh, what a mess the government will spend a big amount of money for infrastructure then they were just being destroyed by the enemy", Doni said.

"" You're right, I just hope this war will be over soon, I pity those people who had been directly affected", Mario said. They can't just leave this people to cope alone in the ugly face of war.They wanted to ensure the safety of their own family, but those people living outside of the mountain are people Doni knew since a child. They were like family to him, he knows what kind of people most of them because most of them were his neighbor, most were his distant relative or family member in either side of his parents. While in deep thought Doni met a worried Linda on the way, while he is on the way back to the camp.

" Linda, why are you crying?", Doni asked the middle aged woman.

" Hu,hu,hu,Mark was captured by the japanese soldiers while selling fish in the market", Linda said.

" Why is he still selling fish in the market? doesn't he know he will be in danger of being captured if he exposed himself in the open?",Doni is worried, admittedly he is not in the position to be able to help.

" Hu,hu,hu I've tried to warn him,but he said he couldn't stand seeing us,his parents and siblings suffering from hunger." Linda said.

" Poor child, where are you going now?", Doni asked because the woman is seemed to be in a hurry.

" I will visit him in the garrison, hu,hu,hu I talk to Antonio about it but he don't want to go to check on his son's condition ", Linda seemed so determined on her decision.

" Please don't do that Linda, there's a tendency you'll be apprehended too", Doni warned her.

" Huhu,hu, I don't know what to do please help me!", Linda begged.

" Please Linda I wish we could help you, but I don't know how!", Doni said in a frustrated tone,something flash in his mind.

"I feel like I'm going crazy hu,hu,hu,", desperation swallowed Linda's wisdom at this time.

" Please don't make a stupid decision that might harm you, think of your other younger childrens",Doni reminded her.

" But I want to be sure Mark is safe, I don't want him to think I didn't even raised a finger to help him hu,hu,hu!', Linda said.

" please wait, dad might come here I will tell him to ask Danny to check on Mark's condition, if ever he can help to release Mark out of prison", Doni promised.

" Please Doni, how I wish he can be released as soon as possible", Linda seemed relieve upon hearing his promise.

" I will tell dad your problem, but right now I can't promise anything just pray that Mark is still alive at this moment", Doni explained.

" Thank you very much Doni hu,hu,hu, I do hope he is still alive.", Linda said.

" Linda please pray for the safety of Mark", Doni urged the grieving mother.

" Yes,I'll do that," Linda is already smiling when Doni turned his back toward the mountain. Luckily Doro arrived that night, Doni didn''t waste any time, he relate to his dad the concern of Linda.

" What? Mark is a very responsible son of Linda and Antonio!",Doro exclaimed.

" I know dad, he is the one that helped his father since he is a young child", Doni agreed.

" Pity for him, Danny said those that had been captured experienced hunger, beating and many other abuses without any reason", Doro said.

" What a stupid animals are those japs, they are the one that causing hardship to us,in our own country, it should not be this way! we are treated like criminals in our own country", Doni is really angry for this sudden turn of event. A year ago they are hopeful students, just in a few months they are already treated as a nuisance in their own country by a foreighner?",Doni clenched his hand tightly at the thought.

" Please calm down son, focus on your strategies, you might be out of focus if you let anger to rule your determination to fight", Doro adviced.

" Don't worry dad, I know what to do, right now we are already prepared," Doni assured his father.

" Yes, I had notice the broken bridges, and uneven roads,did you do that big holes in the center of the roads?", Doro asked.

" Right,we just did it today," Doni admitted.

" So many had been captured among the soldiers from the other mountains, even those who were with the U.S. forces",Doro informed Doni.

" From the Acheng mountain,they had captured almost sixty individuals because some had family members in their camp", Doro said.

" What? they are our war brothers, Mario, those who are in acheng mountains were captured!", Doni called to inform Mario.

" What? how they had been captured?", Mario had the same reaction as Doni.

" Oh my God, what happened to them dad? they were imprisoned also in the garrison? Doni asked.

" No, they were tortured and killed as soon as they were captured," Doro said.

" How about their family? ", Mario asked.

" Many were killed, and many had escaped", Doro said.

" How sad, their commander incharge were our batch mate.He is suppose to graduate this semester if it hadn't been because of this war," Mario said.

"But they are of a different course, they were both suppose to be civil engineers", Doni said.

" Pity for their parents,they might be grieving because of their sons death", Doro said.

" What a joke, imagine they studied for more than four years for their course then all of a sudden the war came, and then both of them were dead!" Doni shake his head as if he don't beleive the news .

"Papa, why you didn't come and see mama? she's waiting for you in Doni's hut", virgi said.

" Okay virgi, I am just talking to your brother", Doro told Virgi.

" I thought you had already forgotten mama",Vifgi said.

" How am I suppose to forget your mom, we have ten of you as proof for the many years of our love for each other", Doro told her daughter.

" What have you brought for me papa?", Virgi asked, she's used that everytime her father came home he brought something for her secretly.

" I'm so sorry my young Virgi,but right now there's nowhere I can buy a bread for you because all kinds of businesses were closed."

Doro explained to her daughter.

" Really papa? our place looks like a ghost town already?", Virgi innocently asked.

" Yes, even dogs were no longer seen", Doro said.

" So scary", Virgi said.

" Tell mama,I'll be coming soon, I just need to talk to Doni for some important matters, okay?", Doro said.

" Yes papa!", then the young girl happily run in the direction of the nipa hut where her mother stay.

" When are you going back to the house dad?",Doni asked his father.

"" I need to go back early in the morning tomorrow,I don't want that some japanese soldiers will see me here that's will be dangerous for Danny and his family as well as for me", Doro said.

" It's okay dad,I understand what you mean, what do you think, how many japanese soldiers will going to attack us next day?", Doni ask.

" I'm not sure but there were more soldiers arrived the other day, because of their dead and injured men ", Doro said.

" They are preparing for their attack on our troupe on the twenty fifth!", Doni angrily said.

" Yes, okay I will go to your mama now,she might be waiting for me already",Doro said.

" Okay dad, we will just call you when dinner is ready", Doni told his father.

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