When the Elephants Dance (63 page)

“I must go. I am thankful that all of you are safe. That you have accepted me like one of your own. But I cannot stay. This will not be the last you see of me. But I must retreat like a bear and find a cave to lick my wounds until I am strong again. In time I shall return.”

“I do not understand,” I tell Domingo. “Stay with us. Mama will take care of you.” It pains me to think Domingo will leave. Who will care for him? I do not like to imagine him sad by himself. “But why do you need to leave, now that we have won? There is no need to hide anymore.” I cannot take my hand from him. “I do not want you to leave us.”

He places a hand on my head. “I do not hide, Alejandro. Remember this day. Remember how everyone fought together. Keep it in your heart, and never let anyone divide us again. As for me, I will try to build something from what remains. My soul needs time to heal. I go now to see where this new peace shall lead us. Please, tell the others good-bye.”

“Here …” I take the dead man’s watch from my wrist. “So you remember to come back and return to us as you promised, when the time is right.”

He takes the watch and pulls me to him and embraces me, then Roderick.

“We love you, Domingo,” Roderick says shyly.

Domingo chuckles at Roderick’s words and kisses us both on the tops of our brows. “I have not heard those words in a long time. Thank you, Roddy.” He shakes hands with Papa and Feliciano. He looks at us for a long time as if he is burning our image into his mind. Without a word he turns and walks away.

We watch him slowly climb the last steps up the hillside. He turns in the soft light of the morning and raises a hand and gives us a brave smile, though I know he is sad.
“Mabuhay!”
he shouts.
Long life!

“I don’t understand, Papa,” I say.

“The war has spared our family, and God has blessed us with a home. But others still have many miles to go.”

~
P
APA SAYS THAT THE
P
HILIPPINES
is far, far behind the other countries. He says that we are like abused children who have never been allowed to grow. How can we care for ourselves when we have always been told what to do? How can we stand together when so much division has been created between us? He says I must pray that there will not be another war such as this, for we may not survive a next time. He tells me that we have been granted a second chance now that the Amerikanos have given us back our independence.

I have my own thoughts. I keep remembering Domingo’s words. He said it is up to Roderick and me to build and to teach the other children that it is better to stand together than to let other nations divide us. My chest expands at the thought of how we survived.
We
fought beside our Amerikano brothers to take back our independence. It was not just given to us. I will remember how we Filipinos stood together and put our differences aside. I shall remember how strong we were. It is up to me now to keep our pride intact. We faced the enemy without weapons. We did not let them defeat us. I am proud to be a Filipino. I shall lift my fist forever in honor of my country.
Mabuhay
, my Philippines! Long life!

T
ESS
U
RIZA
H
OLTHE
was born in San Francisco, California. She has a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Golden Gate University. She lives in northern California with her husband, Jason.