War Mission Over Family

The next day was a fun day. Magee shook his head and slowly put a fencing stick on his calloused hands.

" Why, what's this..." His eyes were still closed while murmuring.

" You promise me a lineup of activities like, fencing and down to explore the smiling skull."

" Hmm, but I'm still sleepy and so inexplicably tired." George later had his push up so to energize and opened his eyes. Likewise, it's helping to frantically wake up despite body pains out of running sloppily over hitting some logs and rocks on his way going back to Kabang last night.

" That's good, higher, higher - repeat." She's making fun of him doing some push-ups.

" Hey, haha...you go out first, go out, haha! you serial silly girl!"

Then she hastily ran outside while he locked the door and steadfastly arranged his mat, blanket, pillows and packed them up going back to the century-old like cabinet.

Their sumptuous breakfast followed. Served were riped papaya, 'tisa' with 'paksiw' white beans and sayote leaves, boiled banana and black snails with coconut milk mixed with horseraddish.

" You made a lot of it this early."

" It's not 'early' anymore, it's past 10 o'clock."

" What?"

" How did you know? "

" Got it from your wrist watch."

" Hmm, I see." Then he slurped his first try with her soupy recipe on snails.

" What do you think is it's taste?" She asked nosily.

" It's delicious and pleasant. There's this lemon grass potion that makes the entire breakfast a kingly experience. Being a cook runs in your blood, Albrecht's a great cook too, so do with Baldur and Dad - of course, the Captain." He sadly smiled.

" Dad. He must be somewhere else right now, suffering. He's already old to be tortured by the opponents, why can't he just keep away from the general's decision? If he surrender the soldiers to the opponents and if they fought it's just the same, still the enemy's way to win is to slaughter them all. Why go for suicide and end up losing your competent men at war. Dad could have said NO and got back here until the war is over."

" Haha, he's a captain, don't forget but at least he lectured to me first the arguments that I must fight for. Seriously, there's one secret you must know so that you won't blame the military ways - and Dad. Most of the men fighting against the enemies were unarmed and lacked military training. Only a few among the soldiers are combatants. Why the Captain has surrendered? This is what he thought, if he surrenders his men will be charged 'splitting,' to simplify the idea. Splitting goes to losing one another as a command or troop, loss of contact and considered powerless. If he will not surrender, he will be traced and his men's whereabouts and the enemies will assume that he still strongly fight for the federal order and combat's command. Dad chose the first one as he planned this already. Along with him in his last travel going there, he brought one pair of my uniform and all army accessories with it, same goes with the rest and he left only two to three dummy survivors in low-in-rank under his lost troop. Hmm...we are considered dead already. He prepared this Kabang hideout for the people we'll have to save. Right now, all the station heads have oriented the newly released prisoners to prepare themselves to vacate in a safer place - here. So this is our last day with your parents paradise, before they come tomorrow, we will leave tonight going back to the waterfalls. It was not part of the plan but we will have you stay with us - our family, in that falls. We cannot guarantee your safety along with the rest of the locals and guerillas, they've lost their family members just because you were Hakanori's fiancee. That's why Dad wants you to be my automatic wife, or call it a partner, girlfriend, whatever. There's already some arrangements done months before the war. Other than that, this place will be converted to a training hub and this is where we house the natives and locals left. They will have our special force on duty everyday and most of the soldiers will have their shifting mode of guarding here. The rest of the soldiers will go out mostly at night, like ghosts that will ambush them one by one. The people can survive here, there's enough food and springs, they can build houses only that they have to follow the strictest rule - SILENCE. The Captain, Dad has planned all of these."

" Hmm...now I know if why you look after me like your own. You should have told me earlier and made me understand things quickly. This war really gave me goosebumps which has full of surprises." She looked at him.

" Hopefully one day soon, you'll accept the changes."

" You seemed too close to Dad."

" It started three years ago when they've met again with my father over some drinks. They were at the backyard sharing stories he had in the Philippines and collectively showed to us pictures of his children, including your picture sent to her by grandpa Sibal. I have stolen one and it's always in my wallet. I spent my free time in your house with brothers, we tagged along very well too.

" Really? Did grandpa Sibal secretly sent pictures to Dad?"

" Yes, till such time that he jokily pre-arranged us to my Dad, and same goes, the marine man liked the idea. So there's not a single day that I missed looking at your photo until such a time that the military heads got the early info that the war will traverse in the Philippines. So the Captain knew that this country is one of the safest and there's no reason for us to back out, it's our duty. So in September, we arrived peacefully just as peacekeepers but Dad brought us down here after knowing that you left the dormitory. He ordered me to guard you and give him updates. It's how I tracked you." He winked an eye on her.

" Wow! Sound so serious but there's nothing wrong with it. I just can't believe that these are happening and I just began to sink in thoughts that might help.

It's midday. After washing the dishes, let's go to the waterside and bring your mighty swords."

It's already foggy and they started the duel. He enjoyed a lot watching her hitting him just as her amazing speed and acuity blowed up his mind.

" Wow!" that's why you never had any relationships in school because you studied fencing very much!"

" What?"

" Haha! nothing, you're adorable!"

He noticed how attentive she was in the duel where equally competent with the experts.

As time passed by so fast, he urged her to stop so they could rest.

He put some cloth on his back to prevent him from sweating too much just as she placed a piece of cloth on her back too.

" Wanna help?" He said.

" No, it's okay. I used to it. When I play or working household chores I do it and used to do it."

While sitting on the waterside and amiably looking at the foggy surrounding, the feeling was mutual.

" I enjoy with your company." He giggly smiled.

" Me too." She pulled a strand of a pandan grass and threw it to his face."

" Hmm...and why you burdened yourself too much to the proposal."

" It's something, I can't imagine. You missed the protocol."