32 Briefing Inside Malapague Camp

Chilling. That's the exact description for people putting their hands akimbo, moving their jaws, warming hands inside pockets and bandanas. Their widely held question pertained to the small amount of light above when its intolerably warm outside. Snooping eyes looked around and everyone were amazed by the natural structure of the secret mountain. Some also pinpointed the ceiling-type rocks in tilt with a long and vertical slit on the sideway - beside the mountain-edge facing the sea. It showed them a unique trait of its natural contour and habitat where most of the places inside were covered by a gradient ceiling of rock bravura. Likewise, they were astounded by the well-arranged formation of fruit bearing trees, root crops and lovely flowers sprouting gleefully like in a subway modern park charmed by the motherspring that flows melodiously.

In a moment of inquisitive guises around, there's one of the elderly queried Baldur.

" Who made all the arrangements inside? such awesone distance from one tree to the other is splendid."

" Its my Dad who planted the trees and grandpa Sibal tilled and maintained them. When he sowed each of the fruit seeds, he was thinking and smiling if who among from his children would climb at it first and thought one day, his grandchildren would have them. These fruit trees were not even the pioneered ones; they cut those once every ten years aside from star apple, mabolo, marang and durian - those are perennial fruit trees they retained and take note Lola, I watered almost everything you see when I was small." Baldur smiled.

" Really? What's that one, the tallest with oblongated green fruits?" The old woman smiled.

" Its breadfruit, I loved it! Lolo Sibal called it 'kolo,' in Lolo's mother tongue and 'rimas' in other dialect. Its just like a staple food, you can survive years for just eating it as a primary food like rice, and its carbohydrates."

" So its 'kamansi.' " The old woman insist.

" No Lola, they belonged to just one species but in different varieties. Kamansi is breadnut and tastes like a combined potato and cassava, but its just a little soft and sticky while kolo is breadfruit. Kamansi is only good for viand; best when mixed with coconut milk, garlic, onion, ginger and lemon grass and whose seeds are like nuts. Yes, nuts." He smiled.

" Haha, you're good in Filipino food but you can't even speak tagalog and mandaya, right?"

" Haha...I'm in a hot seat around. Hmm...I spent 85 percent of my life here but there were only three persons I grew up with. They all spoke in German and English."

They never teach you to speak our national language, it has been approved for use since 1937." The old woman smiled at him.

" But I'm an American soldier now."

" Still, you are a Filipino because you carefully watered the trees of this beautiful land." Then she left him puzzled with his imaginary goosebumps.

" Yes, Mama is a Filipina. Isn't this frightening enough? No one taught me, its not my fault! Just wondering why this grandma did not even know the difference between breadfruit and breadnut or whether this breadfruit without any nut inside - is on her land. You caught me wrong Lola, I am a Filipino. There's just a misunderstanding on that point you think I'm not. He thought smiling while rubbing his arms.

When Baldur continued to check everyone, he saw the faces contently filled with soft smiles. In noon time he assigned them to areas where they can put a temporary shelter since not all can be accommodated inside the house. Some were busy in the kitchen for hidden sips of hot water just to warm themselves and from afar he saw George picking up glowing white flowers. He got out and teased him.

" What are you doing to the Captain's flowers? that's stealing. He just planted that last September for her daughter's wedding."

" That's the reason why I'm picking all these to freshly deliver to his beautiful daughter in his absence." He stood up and smiled.

" Good. We're lucky we have you for her, are you both god and, dating well?" Then he gave him a hand.

" As usual, I respect her rule on social distancing. Dating, yap!" He was silent but recoiled their dating encounters in his thoughts. When they were supposed to just sit down and watch the moon but unexpectedly, two Japanese soldiers passed by and he seemed demonstrated to her on how to cleverly defeat the enemies with physical attack and a dagger. Another dating happened when he sat down stoically after she forcibly pulled his collar down during the attack of the slaying dogs and green anaconda in the house. They were too close but she was chilling in fear to the sound of huge animals fighting outside the room. Third, when they were swimming and she insisted to discover if what's inside the smiling skull and he locked her shoulders with his belt; the last dating encounter was when they hanged at the edge of the cliff when the Japanese soldiers where on their shift, with sweats all around coupled with flaring arteries and veins as he still gently readied his body to clip her sideways supposed she'll fall. " Gosh, I dated her with those typical timing." He thought and sighed.

" Hey, you were too silent and sighed.

" Ah, its nothing Baldur, let's talk for a while before I take my exit at around 1800 hrs." Then he placed all the daisy flowers on his lap.

They both sat on a log beside the flower garden.

" What's that." Baldur asked.

" I'll try to peep from the mabolo tree the estimated number of backups after their fallen comrades."

" The mabolo's passable?"

" Yes. Its hole above can only accommodate one person at a time. From its hole to the ground also runs to fifteen feet high." George told him.

" I tried helping there thrice in the past, its chancy. There was one time when the chisel fell and it hit to the right shoe of Edmund. So its four months in the making." He smiled.

" That's our ear and eye with its door facing the cliff."

" Thank God!" Its a grace for defending this place and its people." Baldur bent his head on the ground.