Malti's Survivor

George opened up to the people in the granite house his encounter with the woman she had rescued. In a while, Sr. Sibal stood up and spoke.

" It's Malti's place, it belongs to the border of the next province."

" George, how can we get there. She must be rescued before the rest of the Japs could find her. We'll go there tonight." Edward readied everyone.

" Yes, Sir!" George answered and met his men outside. Of course Sibaya volunteered to have visited the place months ago so he can better guide the troop to penetrate in the area.

In a while, George returned to the granite house and already found her sleeping in room number two, so he carried and transfered her to room number three. After putting her on bed, he was still staring a her, smiling.

Exactly around 2000 hrs, he stepped out of the granite house, wearing his new military uniform and in full gear. Meanwhile, in the wooden house everyone were ready and just waited for the Captain's halt, then off they go. They were just 6 composed of the Captain, Baldur, George, Sibaya, Amado and Henry. While on their way, Sibaya was on the frontline, trying to pave their path as they trudged it all the way to Malti. The crickets and fireflies were having nocturnal celebrations in their fantasia setup in the vast wilderness. As they descended on a slippery slope, they found a bloody red pothos plant and George got attracted to it, so he carefully pulled the topmost part of it with just five big leaves and planned to give it to his wife. The plant was said can survive in water vases according to Sibaya.

" It's endangered these days. We seldom see this bloody red pothos, its rare, beautiful." Amado remarked.

As they continue to traverse, it's already 2200 hrs and George pointed the century trees and below, they found the secret hole going inside the woman's hiding place. Sibaya spoke and used his dialect to possibly convince the woman to come out. But no one gestured to welcome them so Sibaya went inside, slowly ...until he back off anxiously too, with calculated backwards as they saw a person pointing a handgun to Sibaya's head.

The person has a covered face so Amado tried to speak.

" Mga guerrillas kami. Kanami kaiban mga sundalo sang insular, ang isa kanilan, lieutenant nami, idtong yagpatay sidtong kalaban ta, sya isab idtong yag rescue kanmo. Sya idtong using gaina ngani kanmo, pigtagaan mo ng manok." ( "We're guerrillas. We're with the insular soldiers. One of them is our Lieutenant, the one who killed our enemy at the same time rescued you. He was the one who came here this morning where you gave him chicken.")

" Ah, kadi! pasensya da kamo. Nanga sa yagkani kamo." ( I see! Just please understand. But why you came?" A woman's voice.

" Gusto yang kanami Kapitan ngadto da kaw huya kanami pigtaguan. Mga madaway na utaw ini silan, Tara da, delikado ngani. Awon isab bobay ngadto, asawa ng kanami lieutenant." ( The Captain wants you to stay with us in our hideout. They are good people, so come, it's dangerous here. There's also a woman there, our Lieutenant's wife.") Amado added.

" Gustohon ko man pero kanak ina, di ko mabiyaan." With a low tone of voice she bowed her head. (Even if I'd like to go but I can't leave my mother." )

" Hain kadi siya?"( Where is she?) Sibaya intervened.

" Ngawon." (There.") Then she pointed the object wrapped with banana leaves and tightly tied with 'bagon.'

" You mean...she's dead?" The Captain asked.

" Yes." The woman replied.

" So you can speak our language." George said.

" Yes, I reached grade VI." The woman responded.

Amado and Sibaya smiled at each other.

" Good, so we can bring your mother's body too, we have a cemetery in our place."

" Thank you. Yes, I'll just take some few valuables inside. Please don't leave me."

While the woman returned inside they waited creepily when they heard some hisses around. But Sibaya took some garlic out of his bag and cut it in pieces with his dagger then threw it around. The hissing sound vanished.

" Wow! great job Sibaya. I guess those are big snakes." Henry said.

Minutes later, the woman got out and brought a packed pieces of stuffs on a rugged cloth while Henry, Sibaya and Amado carried the old woman's dead body. Then they started to travel back to Kabang. On their way, the woman accidentally stepped on the slippery grasses but good thing Baldur caught her on his arms. But the woman resisted and got up so instantly as if nothing has happened then they continued to walk through another miles. They reached to Kabang at 0200 hrs and the woman was teary eyed after they entered the granite compound. When Albrecht saw them, he immediately moved closer and greeted the woman whose face was still covered with a cloth.

" Hi! I'm Albrecht, Madelleine's fiancee, how are you." Then he led the woman in one of the second floor's room and she put her stuffs while Albrecht brought her downstairs again and pointed the bathroom. The woman immediately excused herself, returned upstairs to get her bag, got down and took a bath. But Albrecht pitied her so he grabbed some woman's clothes from Magee's cabinet and offered it to the woman.

Then he joined to the men at the receiving area and was smiling while looking at their faces.

" Why? it seems someone has died."

" Indeed. There's a dead body we brought outside that we need to bury outright, kindly call Fr. Matias, please." George requested.

Then Albrecht immediately got out from the house to fetch Fr. Matias.

At around 0300 am, the woman was done fixing herself and still covered her face with another cloth.

In a while, Baldur pulled George outside and asked.

" When you rescued her, did you see her face?" Baldur whispered.

" Yes." George answered.

" Hmm, was there any scar or whatever, why she's covering her face until now."

" I don't know." George smiled.

" How did she look like when you found her?"

" Beautiful. Just a beautiful woman, that's it." George smiled at him again. Oh, hoho! Baldur...what are you thinking. That's a little scary, ha."

" Hmm, no, nothing. I only asked, just curious.' Then Baldur smiled at him.