Alicia

Kabanata 40: Pangako

NANANAKIT man ang sugat na tinamong pinsala sa gilid ng tiyan mula sa pagkakasaksak ay hindi naging hadlang para kay Kapitan Hirayama na muling magbalik sa munisipyo. Nagkalat sa harap ng munisipyo ang mga bagong sundalong Hapon upang doblehin ang seguridad sa pook.

Kitang-kita rin sa harap ng gusali ang mga pinsalang tinamo bunga ng pagkakabaon ng mga punglo mula sa naganap na sagupaan kahapon. Abala naman ang mga trabahanteng tagapaglinis ng munisipyo upang linisin ang bakas ng mga dugo mula sa mga nasawi na kumulay sa bawat pader, halaman, puno, at lupa.

"Taichou, anata wa jibun o muri ni machiyakuba ni kuru beki de wa arimasen deshita. Anata no kizu wa mada kanzen ni naotte imasen." (Captain, you shouldn't have forced yourself to come to the municipality. Your wound hasn't fully healed yet.) Pagmamalasakit ng sarhentong Hapon kasama ang iba pa nitong kasamahan nang salubungin ang pagpasok ni Kapitan Hirayama sa bulwagan ng munisipyo.

"Watashi no kizu wa chimei-teki de wa naku, jibun de yatte ikemasu. Tadaima wa, watashi ga dashita meirei ni kansuru kōshin ga aru ka dō ka shiritai desu." (My wound is far from fatal and I can still manage on my own. But right now, I would like to know if you have any updates regarding the order I issued?) Tanong ng Kapitan sa pangkat ng sarhento na umaasang mayroong positibong ulat.

Matapos ang naganap na kaguluhan kahapon sa munisipyo ay ipinulong ni Kapitan Hirayama ang iba nitong mga sundalo sa hacienda na tinutuluyan upang sila ay utusan na tugisin ang iba pang kamag-anak nina Aling Linda at Manolo.

"Hai, appudēto ga arimasu. Damian no haha to tomodachi ga todomatta ashienda o mitsukeru koto ga dekimashita. Shikashi, watashitachi ga tsuita toki ni wa, ie wa mou karappo deshita. Tonari no hitobito kara uketotta houkoku ni yoru to, houjou no juumin o tomonau gerira-tachi ga, nigemawatta POW o hokaku suru no o mita soudesu. Sono aida, katei no sutaffu wa jibun no ie ni kaeru you ni meirei saremashita." (Yes, we have our update. We were able to locate the hacienda where Damian's mother and friend are staying. Unfortunately, the house was already empty when we arrived. According to the reports we received from the neighbors, they saw some guerrillas picked up the residents of the hacienda, including an escaped POW. Meanwhile, the household staffs were ordered to went to their own homes.) Pagbibigay ulat ng sarhento.

"Kare-ra wa jibun no ie ga tsugi no tāgetto ni narudarou to ketsugō shita no de, gerira-tachi wa sugu ni karera o utsushimashita. Bokutachi wa ashienda ni sundeiru hitobito no genzai no basho o mada shiranai. Shikashi, bokutachi wa karera ga Karayaan no kakurega ni nigiwau koto ga aru to sōsoku shite imasu." (They might have concluded that their home would be our next target, so the guerrillas promptly moved them. We are not sure the current whereabouts of the people living in the hacienda. However, we suspect that they might have sought refuge at Kalayaan's hideout.) Pagbabahagi ng karagdagang himaton naman ng isang sundalo.

"Anata wa sono ashienda ni sumu hito ga dareka o shite imasu ka?" (Do you know who are the people living in that hacienda?) Usisang tanong ni Kapitan Hirayama.

"Romano ke no kazoku ga sono ashienda o shoyū shite iru koto o shirabemashita. Kinō Manoro (Manolo) ga shinda no wa tatoeba, chichi no Don Howancho (Joancho) to nijūin no musume no Konsuwero (Consuelo) ga mō nagai aida shinda koto ga arimasu. Romano no yakuin wa Donya Retisha (Leticia) dake de, katei yōhin no shien o motte, sono saisho no musume Gurashia (Gracia) wo hokorobi ni shite idō shiteimasu. Soshite, daisansono wa amari ie ni otozureru koto wa arimasen." (We found out that the hacienda is owned by the Romano family. Aside from the recent death of Manolo yesterday, their father Don Joancho and the second daughter Consuelo have long passed away. Only Donya Leticia manages the hacienda with the help of the household staff, including their youngest daughter Gracia. Meanwhile, the third son rarely visits their house.) Tugon naman ng ikalawang sundalo.