Her Story, The other part of History III

Her Story III

The letter from his parents talked about the war which the japanese is starting. They had invaded Jehol but they were staying put. He sent a letter with some money back home, asking his parents to come to Singapore, so that they can escape the war.

No one knew what happened to the letter. His parents did not reply to him nor came over to Singapore. There was absolutely no news from his parents, until he heard the news on the radio that Nan Jing has been invaded by the Japanese.

He went in to a daze and then tears flow down his face. He kept on blaming himself for not able to fulfill his duty as a son to them. Everyday, the radio would reveal more and more about the atrocities that the japanese had unleashed in Nan Jing.

But he did not falter. Most people would grieve and give up on life, yet he did not.

"My mother said that my father was a very strong man. Although my father was very sad, yet he did not show any sighs of it. It's all because of her that my father stayed so strong..."

No would expect the japanese to attack Singapore. All of them had a common thinking, that the British would be able to protect them. The situation changed when the radio reported that two British war ships were sunk off the coast of Malaya. On, 7th of February, 1942, the japanese landed on Singapore soil.

He told her that he is going to join the volunteer corps. He told her to go back to her parents as it will be much safer for her. She stood there in shock. She tried to stop him from picking up arms. She don't want to lose him.

He promised her that he would be back alive for her, no matter what. She knew its hopeless. She took his hands, kissed his face and told him that she will believe in everything he had promised. With tears, she passed a handkerchief to him.

She wanted the handkerchief to stay with him. If they did lose the war and her fortune ran out, he could always remember her by. He held on to the handkerchief strongly, telling her that he will not give up on life no matter what had happened. Upon the handkerchief, he sweared to her.

"My mother, she tried so hard to persuade my father not to go to the war. But when she saw the look in his eyes, she knew that its pointless..."

She followed the progress of war on radio... All she could heard everyday was how the japanese was advancing through the parts of the country. All the efforts of the people who were defending Singapore seems to be in vain.

She has been worrying about him since the day he had left for the volunteer corps. She had no idea which regiment he was assigned to, where he will be stationed or where he would be defending. Everyday, she would sit beside the radio, hoping to get a glimpse of his news. But all she could capture, was the news of despair.

During his absence, his boss came over and took care of her and her family. He treated them like a part of his family. The reason that he took care of them was because her husband was fighting at the front, for this country, for this home, for them.

"My mother said that my father's boss felt that it is his responsibilities to take care of them and he does that without grudges. It's because my father is fighting the war, for this piece of land which they all had called home..."

Everyday, everyone would sit down in front of the radio, listening to the advancement of the war. They were hoping to hear the news that the British will push the japanese away, however, all that they was the the news of their own defence force, retreating and losing ground to the japanese.

But the defenders of Singapore were not pushovers. The fought back hard, fiercely with bravery. Even though most of them were trained to fight a war at the last minute, their sense of home, their courage, their chivalry; the bond they share, the life that they used to have, push them to be the greatest fighters of all...

Although the number is small, yet the unity in between them, did not give the japanese an easy time.

It took two months for the japanese to conquer Singapore, with a full scale attack. On the 15th of February, 1942, Singapore fell to the japanese.

"My mother told me that, it was the worst news that everyone who had lived in Singapore, had at that point of time..."

(To be continued)