dailygaelley

As fate would have it, somehow during the year 1933, Alicia was born to a U.S. Navy serviceman and a lowly bar waitress. A humble lass hailing from Baybay, Leyte , seeking fortune in a very young metropolis known as Manila and a young American doing his duty for good old Uncle Sam.

It was a relationship built on golden hopes. It was a promise for a better life for youthful Hermogina Agordo, and a vow sworn to by the agile Chris Anderson. They were now doting parents to Alicia Agordo Anderson, my great grandmother. 

It’s a cold and wet night in February when I set out on a journey back to the days of the Second World War. I had an ever trusty ballpoint pen as my bayonet, and about 12 sheets of yellow pad paper to write my draft on. Lola was arriving from an afternoon prayer meeting and fellowship with her peers, and an hour or 2 would be enough for a siesta. Enough for the memories to come and take us back to that era. I honestly don’t have the slightest expectation of how to conduct this interview, but I had that gut feel that things were going to be a little less than ordinary.

Lola Alice was nothing like your typical average wartime Lola.

Recounting chronological events of what happened then meant a night filled with emotions. 

The years past were rolled into minutes of happiness, laughter, and joy. It meant traces of tears held back in the swollen, misty eyes of my grandma. It meant a grueling 2 hours of my Lola’s antics and mood swings, embarking on a somewhat endless voyage through the 30’s and the 40’s. 

Nevertheless, Alicia isn’t known to be one of the faint-hearted. Her strength is commendable; the years have taught her to be bulletproof. 

So we begin.

It was December 6, 1941 when the Japanese made it clear that one of their missions during the Second World War was to steal the Philippines from the Americans when they bombed Manila and some parts of Luzon. At this time, the eight-year-old Alicia, or better known as Alice, lived in Pasay. She sat by the window, watching her sister play. Her mother, Hermogina, listened to the radio intently, hearing every detail about her country being invaded by the Japanese. Alice’s father, during this time, was out sailing, serving his country. Alice watched her mother’s worried look turn into a deep, gloomy expression as she wondered to herself: “What if papa’s ship had been attacked? Who would bring us scrumptious dishes? Who would teach us fun games? Who would tell us fun stories? Who?” She stared at the empty streets as she heard the radio reporting about how many Filipinos die every second and how Manila, her old home, was bombed. She sighed and wondered what her mama was going to do.       

       1941-1944. Empty streets, gunshots and screams from different places. Those were the years when the Japanese reigned over our country. For an eight-year-old like Alice, she had remarkable strength. It was as if she was used to hearing gunshots and ‘dogfights’ from above. Albeit the fact that her uncle was ambushed by the HUKBALAHAP, and had to join the Death March. If He would have lived, He would be about 96 now. 

         Since her children were Americans, Hermogina put all their pictures, documents, relics and mementos in a big sack and buried it underground. Lost documents, in which would cause problems in the future. Birth certificates, baptismal certificates and et cetera.

     Sometime later, the neighboring house was made into Japanese headquarters. Hermogina began to worry. She warned Alice about going outside. The adventurous Alice couldn’t resist and secretly went. While wandering, a Japanese general approached her and told her to come with him. Hours passed and Alice still hadn’t come home. Hermogina started to panic. She couldn’t explain what she felt when she heard a knock at the door and found Alice there, hands full of small cans, small cans which were filled with food. This experience made Alice stronger and more intrepid, she told her mama about the kind Japanese general next door. Since then, whenever the Japanese soldiers ate, they would call Alice to join them. The Japanese general was so fond of Alice that He gave Hermogina a job as the laundry woman of the soldiers. This was one of the reasons Alice’s family never experienced hunger or felt the temptation of eating grimy and foul food.

About a year later, the Nation’s condition worsened. People died, people cried, and people were desperate. People started hiding underground, afraid of getting hit by stray bullets. Hermogina started to move her family constantly looking for a safe shelter. Alice had a hard time coping, but remained strong for her mama and sister. Though it was tough, she still considered herself lucky, for they never experienced what other Filipinos experienced: hunger, destitute, or desperation. She once said that their time during the Japanese Occupation was much better than the time now, for then, you knew who you were dealing with. 

They lived through the money they earned from selling bananas, peanuts, and sweet potatoes. They never got sick, and never felt alone for they had companions, some friends and relatives, with them. Those companions, unlike Alice, were anxious and hopeless. It was like their only sources of energy were the traits Alice had: bravery, optimism and trust in God.

   Whenever there were ‘dogfights’, they hid underground, Hermogina always reminded her daughter to stay with the group for she was aware of some Japanese men getting young women and raping them. They were called ‘comfort women’ and if ever Alice went astray, she told her daughter to hide whenever she saw or heard Japanese soldiers, even if they seemed nice. Alice always listened to her mama but there was a time when Alice and their companions were eating and a ‘dogfight’ happened. Everyone ran in fear except for Alice, she simply hid under the table and continued eating. When the others returned, they started to worry. “Where’s Alice? Where did that silly child go?” Hermogina was about to cry her heart out when suddenly Alice poked her head out of the table. “What’s all the commotion about? I didn’t run because I was eating. You know how I hate being disturbed when I’m eating, mama.” Those words made everyone laugh despite the terrifying encounter they experienced earlier. 

This happened again, once or twice, reminding everyone how daring Alice was. 

She even once watched a ‘dogfight’.

A few months later, though hard to believe, she started to feel scared. It struck her that her papa still hadn’t come home. There were nights when she would cry on her mama’s arms because she missed her papa. She missed the stories, the hugs, the kisses and the treats he would always carry with him. “Why did papa go?” she pondered. It was a momentary fixation, and after a few days, the valiant Alice was back.  They moved places again, seeing people die before their very eyes. Many said that it was a sure thing that the Japanese were ultra-violent, nevertheless, Alice always remembered her soldier friends, putting into mind that there are always good people who are different from what they are known to be.

It was 1944 when the Americans came back to recover what the Japanese had stolen. When the Japanese knew about this, they burned Manila, leaving only Quiapo church and the tower of the City Hall standing. During this time, Alice was in Sta. Mesa. She saw Manila burn and couldn’t stop herself from shedding tears. Her old home, her memories with her papa, burned into ashes. She and her companions were in a place filled with tall trees and camped next to them were American soldiers; asking them to join them for supper and afterward, Alice and her companions were given lots of chocolate and extra food. Food, that reminded Alice of her papa but Alice knew her papa wasn’t going to come home, he was now in Heaven, guarded by angels. She looked at her family and smiled to herself. Everything was alright. 

September 2, 1945. This was when the Japanese signed their terms of surrender. The eleven-year-old Alice was now with her mama in one of those shelters the Americans put up. She smiled and hugged her mama. The war was over. 

They survived it and stayed strong, without getting sick, poor or crazy. Life was great, especially with her papa watching over them all the time.

    “Everyone faces challenges; the key is to never give up and always remember that God is with us.”