Pilar of Mindanao: A Story of Courage and Love in World War Ii

By Sarah Halvorsen

Meet Pilar, a captivating, feisty sixteen-year-old Filipina girl, who watches as war steadily creeps across her beloved island. When Japanese soldiers unexpectedly storm the village, Pilar escapes by hiding in a prickly pineapple plant. After witnessing the atrocities from her hiding place, she feels emotionally shattered, yet she discovers an inner strength and depth of courage she hadnt realized she possessed. Pilar flees into the highland jungle carrying her baby sister, the only survivor she can find after the deadly attack. Despite her harrowing experiences, Pilar boldly determines that shell work for the resistance. She falls in love with an American soldier aiding the Filipino guerilla forces. Will her newfound love be enough to bring the emotional healing Pilar so desperately needs? And will Pilar ever resolve her struggles with her faith, sparked when God seems so conspicuously absent in this time of war?

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Jul 19, 2012
• ISBN: 9781477224830

Sarah Halvorsen

Sarah Halvorsen began writing stories and poetry when she was eight years old, much to her parents’ delight and amusement. By high school, the author had advanced to writing for the school newspaper and editing the yearbook. Her love of writing led her to initially choose English as her college major. Subsequently, she switched to a counseling program because of her passion for helping others. Her extensive training in counseling prepared the author for a lifelong career as a mental-health therapist. The author’s understanding of inner struggles, the effects of trauma, and the critical role of faith in healing imbues her writing with insight and sensitivity. The author’s husband has not only supported her writing efforts but has moreover graciously contributed the watercolor illustrations for the book.

Book preview

CONTENTS

About the Author

About the Book

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Dedicated to Josiah Fernandez and his Family

About the Author

Sarah Halvorsen began writing stories and poetry when she was eight years old, much to her parents’ delight and amusement. By high school, the author had advanced to writing for the school newspaper and editing the yearbook. Her love of writing led her to initially choose English as her college major. Subsequently, she switched to a counseling program because of her passion for helping others. Her extensive training in counseling prepared the author for a lifelong career as a mental-health therapist. The author’s understanding of inner struggles, the effects of trauma, and the critical role of faith in healing imbues her writing with insight and sensitivity. The author’s husband has not only supported her writing efforts but has moreover graciously contributed the watercolor illustrations for the book.

About the Book

Meet Pilar, a captivating, feisty sixteen-year-old Filipina girl, who watches as war steadily creeps across her beloved island. When Japanese soldiers unexpectedly storm the village, Pilar escapes by hiding in a prickly pineapple plant. After witnessing the atrocities from her hiding place, she feels emotionally shattered, yet she discovers an inner strength and depth of courage she hadn’t realized she possessed. Pilar flees into the highland jungle carrying her baby sister, the only survivor she can find after the deadly attack. Despite her harrowing experiences, Pilar boldly determines that she’ll work for the resistance. She falls in love with an American soldier aiding the Filipino guerilla forces. Will her newfound love be enough to bring the emotional healing Pilar so desperately needs? And will Pilar ever resolve her struggles with her faith, sparked when God seems so conspicuously absent in this time of war?

Chapter 1

Pilar stepped outside to scan the morning sky, the tangerine red shifting to gold behind the dark hills of Mindanao. She hoped to see American planes flying overhead. She wanted to believe that the Japanese invaders would soon be pushed off her beautiful island of Mindanao back to their homeland. But no silhouettes of planes flew in the sky this morning. She breathed a quick prayer for her older brother, Josiah, and Papa Hernandez, who were Filipino soldiers fighting to defeat the Japanese Imperial Army.

She glanced back toward the house. Her throat tightened as she heard the sound of Mama sharpening the blade. Today their pig, Bruno, was to become a feast for the family and local villagers. She knew her mother planned to give some of it to Papa and his guerillas, who were camped in the hills. Mama had warned her not to name the little pig. She should have been too old for such silliness since she was fifteen when they got Bruno as a baby, but when he looked up at her with such adoring eyes, she couldn’t help herself.

Although she had turned sixteen last month, she still felt a special attachment to Bruno. Her younger brother, Manuel, liked to tease her about talking to a pig. Sometimes she teased him back about his conversations with Pepita, his pet canary, but she knew Mama disapproved.

Much of the time her little brother moped about, missing his hero Josiah, who was some distance away on Luzon Island, and Papa, who spent most of his time somewhere in the mountains. She understood that Manuel talked to Pepita because he was so lonely. Having conversations with the canary would be easier for him than talking with his older sisters, none of whom understood what it was like to be the only male in the house, he said.

Pilar, please run to the market for me and buy some rice and fish sauce, Mama called from the kitchen. They had already purchased a variety of fruits for the pig roast. Their garden provided plenty of vegetables, but some foods they still needed to purchase.

Pilar quickly put on her light green dress; the color reminded her of new grass. She tied her hair back simply and put on the new tennis shoes Papa had bought her. She loved wearing them, because she enjoyed running more than almost anything else.

She was aware that her mother wanted to spare her feelings, so sent her to the market when Bruno was about to be butchered. She was glad her pig would ease their hunger, and she was glad he wouldn’t be snatched by enemy soldiers. Raising her cross necklace to her lips, she said a quick prayer for the little pig. She was certain God would understand.

Racing down the dusty road toward the village, she felt pride in how fast she was. Her two older sisters told her she was too much of a tomboy, but she still ran when no one was watching. While running, she daydreamed about what she would do when the war was over; and she imagined their happy home when Papa and Josiah returned from fighting.

She also imagined her wedding. She would wear white pineapple cloth with lace trim; her head would be adorned with a crown of fragrant plumeria. Papa would proudly walk her down the aisle to the priest. Her sisters Isabelle, eighteen, and Rosaline, seventeen, would naturally be married first, once Papa approved of the men who would have to ask him for permission to wed one of his beloved daughters.

Hey! an old farmer shouted as he guided a caraboa pulling a cart loaded with produce. Surprised, she saw she was almost nose-to-nose with the lumbering water buffalo. She hurriedly murmured an apology and slowed to a more dignified pace for the remainder of the walk to town.

Carts with every imaginable fruit and vegetable lined the sides of the market square. The mayor’s imposing house sat central to the square. Next to it was the little church where her family worshipped. The store that sold rice, sugar, coffee, and canned goods sat across the square from the church. It had a bright awning over the opening in front, and there was a heavy shutter fastened to one side.

As she drew close to the center of the market square, she noticed two very tall men speaking with the local pineapple-plantation owner outside the store. They were dressed like field workers, but she could tell they were Americans. One of the men had sandy hair; he glanced briefly at her. She saw his eyes were as green as the ocean. She had never seen eyes like his before. The other man had bright red hair. They left the square quickly and disappeared into the fields. It happened so fast that she was not sure whether she had truly seen them. What had they been talking about with the plantation owner? she wondered.

Pilar turned then and saw the Bagala’s son, Eduardo, leaning against a cart by his family’s stall. She wished she had fixed her hair more carefully, as Rosaline most certainly would have. Her sister always wore flattering clothes and took pains to brush her hair until it shone.

Eduardo straightened and assumed a masculine nonchalance as she approached. She shyly said good morning to him. Embarrassed, she quickly realized he was staring right past her to Angelina, whose Italian mother had endowed her with an ample bosom. The shapely girl wore a white lace blouse and bright, flowered skirt. She exaggerated the sway of her hips and seemed to thrust out her chest, Pilar noted in annoyance. Trying too hard, she thought critically.

But the young man was clearly enchanted by the noteworthy curves. Her sisters called Pilar’s breasts delicate. Not delicate, just plain small, she sighed to herself.

Angelina seemed to be oblivious to Eduardo, which made her wonder who it was