Back to Bataan Page #4

with him.

- Have you seen Maximo?

- He hasn't come back yet.

I can't imagine what's happened to him.

And Jos Lopez and Tomas Rinaldo,

they left for Balintawak yesterday.

And they haven't come back yet.

He just won't eat. I don't understand it.

He's been through

a pretty rough experience.

Yes, but his pulse is normal,

his eyes are clear. What is his trouble?

- Among other things, a woman.

- A woman?

This certainly is not the time

for that sort of thing.

- He's got to get her out of his mind.

- Sometimes it isn't that easy.

So we spend the winter in Palm Beach.

- Doing what?

- Taking it easy.

- Have either of you seen Maximo?

- No, ma'am.

- Or Jos Lopez, or Tomas Rinaldo?

- No, ma'am.

Let's see. Now where were we?

Taking it easy

in Palm Beach, Florida, U.S.A.

Yes. So we spend the winter in Florida.

Then we hop a train, a streamliner,

mind you. Nothing but the best for us.

- We still don't buy any ticket for this train?

- Who buys tickets?

We hop off at New York

in time for the opening ball game...

- we crash a few shows.

- Say, Joe...

- Yes?

...when do we work?

- Never.

- I sure am going to like the USA.

Say, where you been?

Picklepuss has been looking for you.

Okay.

I know a place in New York

where they make hot dogs a foot long.

- A whole foot long?

- Yeah.

- With relish and mustard?

- The works.

Maybe you're wondering at this point

how we get money to pay for these.

There's ways and means of getting money

without working. Strictly legal, mind you.

Where have you been?

The idea of a grown man

talking like that before these boys.

- What have you there?

- A radio.

Radio?

Colonel, look, a radio.

- Where'd you pick it up, in Balintawak?

- No, I stole it from the Japs.

... then every man, woman, and child

in the district will be wiped out.

Filipinos, do not resist.

For every Japanese life,

we pay with 10 Filipino lives.

Sixty Filipinos were executed today.

I now read a list of the names...

of those who paid with their lives

for the recent disorders.

In Balintawak, for the murder

of four Japanese officers...

40 Filipinos were executed.

Forty men.

Tomas Rinaldo, age 28.

Felipe Luiz, age 16.

Juan Dios, age 30.

Pablo Quincaro, age 19.

- Ramon Cuenca, age 35...

- That's my father.

They killed my father!

The war hurts everybody.

Rest a while, and then

we'll send you back to Balintawak.

Your mother'll need you.

But I'm coming back. You said I could.

Sure, Maximo.

... submarines have been reported

in the Gulf of Mexico...

where they sank two American vessels.

In Burma, British-Chinese forces

continue to withdraw...

up the Irrawaddy river towards Bhamo.

Last night, after six days of

ceaseless cannonading by the Japanese...

the fortress of Corregidor in Manila Bay...

and satellite forts,

Hughes, Drum, and Frank...

were surrendered at 11 p.m.

by Lt. Gen. Jonathan Wainwright.

- The news is a little tough.

- Tough?

We're licked, Joe.

Licked? When is a nation licked?

Military textbooks say a war is over

when the objectives are taken.

The United States

fought your grandfather.

- We found the textbooks were wrong.

- Were they?

You fought off the Spaniards

for over 300 years...

Then the American came.

And a handful of revolutionaries,

calling themselves the Katipunan...

took everything we could throw at them.

Fought us to a standstill

with bolos and clubs.

Now the Jap is here.

What would've happened

if we hadn't fought the Spaniard...

if my grandfather

hadn't called out the Katipunan?

- You'd be slaves.

- What are we now?

I've been doing a lot of thinking

these last few days.

I wondered why you saved me

out of all those thousands of prisoners.

- You picked the wrong guy.

- I picked Andrs Bonifacio.

I know you did. Now you expect him

to spread the word that Bonifacio's back.

To arms, Filipinos.

Remember the Katipunan.

Kill the Japs, even if it means

you'll be killed 10-to-1, 20-for-1.

When there are no more men,

then women and children, uselessly.

- Uselessly?

- You know that alone we're helpless.

Where are all those American warships

we were promised?

Where are those American guns

and planes?

Why didn't they come

to Bataan and Corregidor?

I don't know.

- Can you promise they'll come back?

- I can't.

Now you want me to urge them on

to more slaughter!

It's easy for you. They're not your people.

I don't mean that, Joe.

I know you're a better Filipino than I am.

Maybe you should've left me prisoner.

It's just that we've taken too much

these last few months.

Sure.

A guy can only take so much,

then he loses something.

I know.

I've seen too much.

We really don't know whether

the Americans are coming back or not.

A guy's got to have something he wants

to live for before he can ask others to die.

Sure.

After a while you lose something.

Do you feel strong enough

to go to Manila?

- Trying to get rid of me?

- Yes. You don't belong here.

I'm willing to fight.

In this kind of war, you got to

believe in what you're fighting for.

Maybe if you go to Manila,

you'll find something...

- that'll change your mind. Will you go?

- Sure.

I want to get a message through.

I've got a contact there.

We'll get you a monk's robe.

You'll go to the chapter house

of the Dominicans. Ask for the prior.

Tell him you want to hear a confession.

...to intercede for the soul

of Andrs Bonifacio...

who has passed from this world.

May he be set

in a region of peace and light...

through our Lord and Savior,

Jesus Christ. Amen.

You have come from the prior?

- Andrs.

- Dolici?

Is it Dolici?

I thought you were dead.

Andrs, they are watching us.

- Be careful.

- I must look at you.

Don't.

There must be some place

we can talk and see each other.

- Dolici, you haven't gone?

- No. I'm trying to think.

There's a little park behind the church.

Wait a few moments after I'm gone.

I'll meet you there.

- Dolici.

- Darling.

We have only a few moments together,

and I'm crying.

You haven't changed a bit.

You're just as I remembered you

a thousand times.

I can't tell you how much

I wanted this moment.

How I wanted to hold you...

Is there someplace we can be alone?

Where? They cast a long shadow.

I don't care.

I can't leave you now that I've found you.

What good can we do now?

Maybe the Americans

will come back someday.

I'll come back with them then.

No. We're not waiting

for anyone to come back.

We don't want freedom as a gift.

We want it as a right to something

we've fought and died for.

- I'll kill him if he comes back.

- I've got to go now.

You're throwing away our happiness.

Come away with me.

- Are you with Madden?

- Yes, we're on Balintawak.

When can I see you again?

When can I come back?

Don't come back here ever.

Maybe I'll be able to come to you.

We must fight, Andrs.

- So you came back?

- Yeah. I saw Dolici.

- Good.

- You've known about her for some time?

- Yes.

- Why didn't you tell me?

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes