Chapter 9: The Attack

" Doni, I had seen the japanese soldiers coming this way!", he had been awaken by the urgency in Armando's voice, one of the civilians that sympathized with them.

" Where did you see them?",Doni asked.

" There at the broken road, they decided to leave their trucks maybe because of the big hole in the middle of the road",Armando said.

" Okay thanks for the infomation, did they saw you?,",Doni asked Armando.

" For sure they don't, because if they did I'm sure I'm dead by now, beside I pass by at the secret passage way,", Armando said.

" Whew, it's too early in the morning ,too bad! they"ll going to attack us this early?", Doni said., he had woken all of the soldiers including Mario.

" Wake up guys, we're under attack!", Doni said.

" What? what a bad morning, why, it's too early for fighting," Mario complained.

" They might have change their own tactics ,then it's suppose to be a surprise attacked ,imagine it's only five in the morning", Doni said.,while taking his gun and decided to go in the foothills where he'll going to wait for his men. In a few minutes everybody were ready with their guns fully loaded and ready for gun fires.

"Orlan, Romeo and Gerald, three of you will stay here to watch after the girls, shoot any unfamiliar face that will come,okay?", Doni instructed.

" Yes Doni", the three answered.

" Make your move as light as a feather," Mario instructed his troupe as they approach the bridge.

"Let's wait at the side of the bridge let's see if they will really try to cross the broken bridge ", Doni said in a whisper.

" Don't fire your guns, unless they crossed over the bridge", Doni instructed. he signal to his men to crawl down so the japanese soldiers won't notice them, they quietly and patiently crawled and waited at the other side of the bridge, they had destroyed the hanging bridge last night and this is the only way the japanese soldiers can pass through ln going to the mountain.They watched and waited, until they saw the back of the retreating japanese soldiers..They were not aware of the secret passageway where they can pass through,because it is unnoticeable except when you go down the water,it's under the bridge made up of stones to be able to step on. but it is invisible during high tide and visible during low tide only, unluckily it's low tide at this time, luckily they hadn't search thoroughly the area that's why they hadn't notice the secret way.

"Yessss,, they left," Mario excitedly exclaimed.

" Don't be too over excited, they might comeback on another day", Doni warned.

" But for now we're safe, our families were also safe, Thanks God!", Mario said.

" We will wait for further instruction from Danny but we need to make an artificial bridge to be used by the civilians and so that when my dad come here I won't worry that he might slip and fall on the slippery stones down the bridge, right now I am expecting a letter from Danny, he is our messenger that provide us information about the japanese plans. We will put it at night time so that many can use and remove it at day time ", Doni said.

The troupe made a removable temporary brdge made of bamboo,. It had been difficult and needed an extensive care to make but they had accomplished the task for one and a half day only,it wasn't perfectly made but they make it sure that it is durable

" Thanks, we are done!", Orlan said while stretching his calves and limbs.Twelve of the soldiers were assigned to put over the bridge the newly made artificial bridge.

"From now on we will assign soldiers to guard this bridge for three shifting schedule", Doni said that everyone agreed. Everybody were happy that the unexpected turn out of the said attack was safe,there was no gunshot or real encounter that happened. They assume that the japanese decided to backout when they saw there was no possible way going to the mountain, so they no longer bother to search further.

" Let's talk about the shifting of guards that will start tonight, call everybody", Doni said.

" I'm glad the japanese soldiers decided to leave, I'm so nervous this morning" Maria said,she's praying hard this morning that may nobody will be hurt, Doni is important to her but these kids were also important for the troupe and to her son.

" Me too, you just don't know I trembling with fear this morning, Menandro just keep on

assuring me,everything will be alright", Anselma said.

" It's so scary, given a choice I don't want

Doni to be trap in this situation, I wish I had been given a chance to choose if I will let my

son to be a soldier", Maria told the couple,

Menandro is just smiling sitting in the bamboo chair beside Anselma.

" You say so, if it isn't war I will not let my son either, I just have three kids and now I am not ready to lose in whatever cause any of them", Anselma said.

" Both of you were so nervous, that will cause more danger, just like Anselma,what if you'd have a high blood attack or worst than that you'll have stroke attack?", Menandro asked.

"It's so stressful for me, added to it when I heard my girls cry in panic",Anselma said.

" My girls are courageous than I am, they even tried to follow their brother going to the bridge", Maria said.

" I just hope this will not happened again",Maria wishfully said.

" Our sons are soldiers, it's normal that they'll go to fight for the country", Menandro said.

" It breaks my heart just thinking my son's life is in danger", according to Anselma.

" You've got a point there, but I was not informed when they send my son to war", Maria said.

" But you see it's for a noble cause, to protect our country,they will be heroes if ever they'll survive in this war.", Menandro said.

" That is if! if ever they'll survive in this war , what if they won't?",, Maria asked.

" Oh my God! please don't say that! always think positive!", Anselma told Maria.

Everybody were very happy during lunch time, there are joking, talking about charming british famous actors like,Ian Fleming who is a former journalist who enlisted into the Royal Naval volunteer reserve army even before the war. started.

" Doni,what is the reason of this war?", Virgi asked her brother, he wanted to know how it all started.

" It started because of Hitler's hatred against the jewish", Doni answered.

" Who is Hitler? and what is meant by jewish?", another question from Virgi.

" Hitler is a nazi leader, and jewish is a religion who beleive in judaism they were traced to be the descendant of abraham and jacob.

" That was taught to us in school, why what is the religion of Hitler", Virgi is very curious while others were just listening intently.

" Hitler was born catholic, but he also despised christianity,he beleive it to be religion of slaves", Doni replied.

" Just because of Hitler unbeleif that's why we have war?",Virgi is confused of the situation.

" It's because like U.S.we sympathize with the jewish., countries like japan,Italy and other sympathize with Hitler that's why they are attacking us", Doni patiently explained to his youngest sister.

" They are killing our fellowmen because of that evil? yes, he is an evil because he is an occult, then they are evil like Hitler, how I wish he is dead", Virgi angrily said.

" That's enough questions, let your brother finish eating his food", Maria told Virgi.

" Ma, I still have a lot of question to asked", Virgi complained.

" Please, reserve those questions for next time", Maria said.,she know how curious was her daughter, the information provided by Doni to his sister were all correct.She don't want to confuse her youngest daughter further.She know that Virgi at her age wanted to hear more information about this war .Because this war had robbed them all of the many opportuniity which is rightfully their .first and foremost is their education, they don't know when they'll go back to school, They were deprived of their right for education, a ,apeaceful and loving home unlike like this that they are treated like criminals, they can't stay home because of fear that they might be taken by the japanese soldiers from their home.Like others who had been slain infront of their love ones, and the girls who had been as young as Virgi were taken into the garrison to be comfort women of the japanese and young boys were thrown into the air and stabbed by a bayonet while in the air.Right now they're safe but it's not a guarantee that they will not be captured in the future, hahh,the sad reality of war...