Chapter 3
" George!" She was calling his name again.
" Yes." George went out from his place whose sleeping pad was made of a flattened surfaced bamboo slices; too closed on the ground and was just a meter away from her corner.
" Hmm yes, I'm just next to you. Maybe that's also the reason why I was a.s.signed to a.s.sist you aside from being the spokesperson around." Then he smiled.
" Hmm...I just wanted to ask if...where will I take a bath and where's the comfort room." She awkwardly asked.
" This may be unbelievable, but we all take our shower at the falls, though, Albrecht tied some sort of alom poles to design a place where you can privately take a bath, meters away from the bathroom, he began to install those poles yesterday and walled it with some leaves. He was an architect before joining the army so he has the challenging ways for that a.s.signment. Likewise, we have a nice comfort room, it's located at the end of this small alley but no one is allowed to take a bath there. So even if you're the only lady around and we'll consider you as the youngest comrade still you have to adapt the military way in order to survive here. Hope that wouldn't upset you to forcibly stay with us or die outside. Anyway, this war will not take a longer way, hope so." Then he smiled while giving to her the coconut sh.e.l.l water dipper, his extra long sleeves and the rest of lady's necessities that Albrecht had solicited from the messenger.
" Thank you, I appreciate all of your efforts and concern, including these things on my feet, they look great." Despite her reddish and sullen eyes she smiled at him.
" Ah...those are good socks. It's good to have it to protect your feet from chilling since it's really cold down in here, the waterfalls freezes us." He grinned on his smile.
" George! Sibaya's here, new stocks are coming! come on here!"
" Great! we've been waiting for these goods to reach here, for a while Magee, I need to record the goods in the ledger as a budget officer does." He smiled while moving away
" Why...huh, this looks like I'm really in the army now..." She whispered to herself and looked around as if she wants to get an explanation for the dagger. So she returned to her place, sat back on the bamboo surface, pondered about it and suddenly she heard a sound of the j.a.panese fighter plane from a distance. For weeks it has been one of the noise in the skies. She bowed her head and looked at the dagger that George has given her.
" Hmm...we are at war with those enemies. But I could still recall Lolo Sibal's biblical words, " Thou shall not kill." This dagger may just help protect myself, right...but I need to learn how to use this. Though last week, I saw how the invaders threw those babies and caught it below with those sharp bayonetes. Those were really sharp ones enough to kill those innocent Filipinos. They were murderers! If the parents were guerillas, why they included the innocent babies!" She sobbed and rubbed her eyes carelessly without knowing the dagger accidentally hit her wrist.
" Jesus!" She shouted so loud but then covered her mouth. The blood burst like fountain and she immediately pressed it with her palm. She was sweating and loosely put herself on the rocky ground. Despite panic she looked around to look for anything to help her control the blood.
" What happened, oh dear...wait, I'll grab some kit, I'll be back?" The German soldier Albrecht returned after minutes bringing along with him an emergency kit and applied some ointment on it.
" It hurt too much, right? it was stabbed almost half an inch, how could you do that to your wrist." Albrecht said.
George rushed and appeared in front.
" How's the pulse!"
" It's almost hit, almost..." Albrecht confirmed as George knelt and looked at it curiously.
" Please wrap it now, it was badly hit. By the way Magee, can you return that dagger to me now, you might misuse that again." George opened his palm and waited for the dagger to be placed on it while Albrecht continuously wrapped the wound with a safety cloth.
" No, just teach me with self-defense. I wanted to join in the army. She smiled before she collapsed. The two soldiers immediately put her back on bed and while waiting for Magee to wake up, George was beside her and Albrecht prepared some herbs with food for her when she wakes up.
" Huh! she can't even use it well and her endurance failed then how much more with the military training. Aside from that, her wrists are too small to join in the army." He smiled and pityingly looked to her pale face.
Someone came over and handed a piece of paper to George. He received and read it.
" Copy, I'll be there in a minute."
There were almost 10 Filipino guerillas who arrived and additional American soldiers in uniform on their combat head gears and s.h.i.+elds. Some fourJewish Germans who just migrated to the Philippines via Bihol have heard the recruitment and joined in. They were so tired climbing the watetrfalls enough to put their guns on their lap and altogether squat on the rocky ground.
" Water...was there any solution to get rid of this creepy shower that almost every now and then kills me. It seems a ton of it destroys my back everytime I come and leave." Simon funnily said.
" The hole up there seems to be the solution. I'll share the preliminary details when the rest will be here." The Captain announced.
George opened the ledger for the meeting and started to prepare for his notetaking.
" Checking the partic.i.p.ants for the agenda; Mabolo tree; another ground exit point - west bound; ammo reserves; toolkits; new recruits; continuing education and communication."
All's in quorum at 1500 hrs and Magee started to open her eyes. She noticed the bamboo mug with a coconut sh.e.l.l filled filled with food as laid beside her. Then she heard somebody was approacheing her place.
" Hi, how are you?" The Captain knew already, I told him about the accident.
" Sorry for my carelessness. I'd be more cautious next time."
" We have an informant who added more infirmation of you. You're from UST taking philosophy, you returned home upon hearing the war to rise in December and he said that your grandfather was a respectable man in the village too.
" Hmm...it was just a dream now, educating a native in a university is nothing at all. I better try in the warzone and see myself grow for our land. Those were the days, when lolo Sibal almost had sold everything just to send me on my 3rd year in Manila. He said I must be educated there, safely return and help the indigenous people around.
" He also learned that your father was a German soldier and yes, the informant told us everything about him, but the informant was wrong.
" I...I wanted a private life. Can you please stop there and may I learn some physical training so I could also help my country soon." Magee smiled to George.
"Haha...sure. Actually, the Captain has approved it already. He said you have no choice but to join the army. Besides, being on the enemy's wanted list is never a joke. So c'mon, eat this food and thanks to Albrecht, our chef." George smiled at him.