Third Anniversary of the Pacific War

Our House ACT V began at 0900 exactly, when Fukushima and Okazaki arrived with six other Embassy officials. They were extremely polite and somewhat flabbergasted at the pile of furniture downstairs. They probably thought we had been bluffing. We met them with a firm stand.

I explained that my father would not agree to move downstairs as both he and Ma were aged and ill. Their doctor was against it too because the dampness of cold cement would affect their health. Fukushima faced a dilemma. He pointed out that it would be impossible for Tashiro to share the same floor because of the nature of his work. I asked him if he would insist on such a change, in view of the condition of my parents.

He didn't, probably because he realized the logistical problem of moving all the furniture, an angle that Tony Campos and I exploited to the hilt knowing that they had neither trucks nor alcohol to spare. We brought the issue up at least five times, even if we had nowhere to move the furniture. We went on about Luisa's furniture; Heinemann's, he evacuated to Baguio without his furniture, I explained; then Meyer's, he moved to Mandaluyong but we didn't know where exactly.

We sauntered out. "My problem is the Minister's house. Let's see..." said Fukushima, mentally arranging the rooms, the men, the Minister's Spanish maid and five servants. It was obvious they wouldn't fit. As we reached the garden, I naively pointed to the adjacent and already vacated house on our left, but Fukushima said he knew about it, and he came back to the Embassy's need for more rooms. I said I also had a problem — my mother and father being old and not well. In the meantime, Dad had been sticking around like the Rock of Gibraltar, speaking only once when Fukushima tried to take the whole upper floor again: "No, cannot be." And Fukushima pulled up short and swift.

To make a long story short, he decided to talk to Figueras about finding another house for Tashiro, but he might house "a number of staff" with us. "Please," I said, "in case the furniture is to be moved, arrange for trucks as soon as possible." They left, promising to call me when a decision was made.

continues...