THE OLD KAMIKAZE HEADBAND

CHAPTER 5 : A WEIRD OFFICER

After a month at the new prison camp, Usah and his groups were still struggling to complete the perimeter road of the airstrip.

The runway section was taking its shape and the Japanese camp commandant was expecting to receive the first Zero fighter by the end of April when suddenly the weather changed from sunny days to torrential rain making the whole camp water soaked and muddy.

The camp commandant who had been pressurized to complete the airstrip according to schedule shifted the working hour from six o'clock to five in the morning giving them ample time to work.

Soon the whole airstrip turned into daylight and throng of forced workers rushed in with their tools.

But the rain kept on pouring dragging the completion of the airstrip to almost to a halt.

Beside a lot of people were down with diarrhoea and bout of malaria taking a heavy toll upon the health and well-being of the prisoners.

Even a number of the Japanese soldiers was not spared, despite of the fact that they had doses of anti malarial medicine: it must be something to do with their immunity or malarial species.

One day, Usah was resting with his cousins beside a tall tree while waiting for the rain to subside when all of a sudden, a tall Japanese Officer appeared in front of them.

They were terrified : quickly they sprang to their feet and stood up expecting a slap or something worst from the weird officer.

But nothing came.

Unlike the other Japanese officers, this new comer was different:

He was wearing a grey combat uniform but had no sword, only a pistol tucked to it's hoister

He was wearing a Kamikaze Headband with red dot.

"What's you name? " the officer asked.

Accustomed to beating and slapping, Usah bowed his head and replied swiftly so as not to incur wrath from him. "Usah. Sir! "

"Usah, take this medicine to your camp commandant Baba. It will cure him! "

"Yes Sir! " Usah stepped forward and extended both his hands to receive a small bottle containing medicine.

Usah dare not raised his eyes after receiving the bottle but waited for further order.

When he received no further order, he looked up again but the weird Japanese officer was no where to be seen.

"What. Where did he go? " Usah whispered to his cousins but they were fast asleep.

Only their snoring kept him aware that he was not dreaming.

He looked around but no one was there except him and his cousins.

It was drizzling and a strange of sun lights filtered through the thick foliage of the tall tree.

Then he saw a hush of falling leaves not far from the tall tree they were resting under:

Something strange made the leaves spinning creating a mini whirlpool, sending dust and leaves in all direction.

As he gazed he saw a single Zero fighter emerged from behind the scrubs and ferns, taxied onto the unfinished airstrip and flew away.

Usah stood there with his mouth wide opened gazing at the Zero fighter flying and disappearing into the thick mist at the end of the unfinished airstrip.

Then he turned his attention to the bottle of medicine which he held on his palm: strangely its content seemed to vaporise into the air engulfing his whole palm and hands.