⇏A random complilation of compositions ⇍

War

STARTED:[17.4.19, 5PM]
FINISHED:[3.5.19, 9AM]

I did not know why they were here. I did not understand why those strange men set foot in my kampung.[4] No matter how much I asked my parents, they would not give me a proper answer. Oh, those men just come to the kampung to collect some fruit from the banana trees, my mother would always say. Those men really like taking strolls along the rice fields nearby, my father would answer. But I know they are lying to me. If what they said was really true, why does everyone in the kampung cower in fear whenever those strange men stop by? Since the arrival of those men, I had been followed around by three feelings- confusion, fear and loneliness. And they have never once left my side.

Just like any other day, I stared blankly out of the small wooden window of my attap house. Outside my house lay a dry sandy stretch of land that had a few patches of yellowish dried grass growing  on it. Usually, especially during this time day, the other children from the kampung and I would be playing catch or chapteh[5] while screaming joyfully. I smiled as sweet memories of my friends flooded back into my mind.However, that smile slowly faded as I realised that it was dead silent. So quiet that I could hear my own steady heartbeat from within. Slowly, I pulled my eyes away from that plot of land and riveted them on an attap house similar to mine. That very house belonged to my best friend, Salim. My eyes flickered towards a paper calendar hanging on the wall beside the entrance of my house. 23 November 1944 was written in fat bold red letters on the front page. As I rested my arms on the windowsill, I tried to remember the last time I chatted with Salim. Or anybody other than my parents. 

Ever since, as what my father calls it, this war started, I barely met any of my friends or neighbours anymore. Everyone in the kampung, including me,locked themselves and their families up in their own houses, to hide themselves from those strange men who my father said to be Japanese soldiers. Since I was not allowed out of the house anymore, I spent most of my time reminiscing about my carefree days that had been abruptly taken away from me years ago. 

I shifted my gaze from the calendar to Choco, my stuff toy bear lying limply on a stool next to me. Gingerly, I picked Choco up and placed it on the windowsill. I stroked Choco’s brown face gently as I looked at Choco’s right eye, which dangled from its face by a thread. Mother bought Choco for my 4th birthday. She had used up all her extra savings just to buy me that single teddy bear. Although Choco did not come to me in the best condition, I appreciated Choco very much as it had always been a source of comfort and company for me, especially during this period of my life.
 
Crunch!
 
A faint crunching sound broke my train of thoughts. Immediately, I stuck my head slightly out of the window to see what was happening.
 
Crunch!
 
I heard the sound again. This time a little louder.
 
Crunch!
 
I noticed two tall brown figures, dragging something white and dark, approaching the kampung. I recognised the figures. They were the strange men. This time, they brought something along with them.
 
Without wasting any more time, I rushed to my mother and father who were sitting crossed-legged in the cramped kitchen, peeling the skin off the sweet potatoes that they had harvested.
 
“Ibu, Ayah! Mereka sudah datang!”[1] I blurted out while frantically pointing a finger at the window I was at.
 
My parents instantly abandoned what they were doing and hurried to the living room. They shut the windows with the wooden windowpane and told me to stay quiet. As they returned to the kitchen, I caught a glimpse of my Mother’s tired face. Eye bags had started to underline her eyes while creases were formed on her forehead. She flashed me an awkward smile before disappearing into the kitchen with my father.
 
As soon as they were out of sight, I peeked through the small gap at the bottom left edge of the windowpane. I was curious to know what the soldiers had brought as they had never brought such an item to the kampung before. Normally, they would only come to the kampung to patrol the rice fields beside it to make sure no one would steal any of the precious crops.
 
I fixed my eyes on one of the men’s shoes. I flinched every time his shoe produced a crunching sound upon stepping on pieces of gravels scattered all over the sandy ground-that sound would always be a telltale sign of the strange men's arrival. Apparently, that something the men brought along was a someone. Someone I knew. The restrained person was Mr Aqil, my neighbour who lived next door! Mr Aqil had never gotten into trouble before in the kampung, so why was he being held by those strange men?
 
I watched on in confusion as Mr Aqil thrashed about wildly, trying to free himself from the grip of the soldiers. Unfortunately, the soldiers were stronger than him. The men stopped walking once they arrived at a rusty water tap that was placed near Salim’s house. One of the soldiers grabbed the basin, that was meant for collecting water, situated beside the tap and started filling it up with water. After it was filled to the brim, he shoved the basin towards Mr Aqil. The soldier forced him to his knees as he poured in some peculiar water from a small bottle he took out from his dark brown uniform. The soldier then proceeded to swirl the solution with his hands which caused many bubbles to appear in the water.
 
“Sore o nomu anata baka!”[2] The soldier commanded as his pushed Mr Aqil’s head towards the water.
 
I didn’t know what the soldier was saying but whatever he said must have sparked fear in my neighbour.
 
“I-I really did not steal anything from the rice field just now,” Mr Aqil stuttered in Malay.
 
The Japanese soldier had one of his eyebrows arched in doubt. Swiftly, he reached for one of Mr Aqil’s pants pocket. He grabbed something inside and pulled his hand out of the pocket. When the soldier unclenched his hand, grains of rice could be clearly seen. I saw anger flash in the soldier’s eyes as he threw the grains of rice onto the floor, scattering them all over the ground.
 
“Uso-tsuki!”[3] He shouted.
 
“Please have mercy on me… I only stole because-“
 
Before Mr Aqil managed to finish his sentence, the soldier landed a hard slap on his right cheek. He whimpered in pain as he rubbed the angry red spot on his face repeatedly. I covered my mouth in shock and I wanted to look away but I could not bring myself to.
 
“Sore o nomu anata baka,” The soldier said slowly but in a cold steady voice.
 
Despite so, Mr Aqil refused to obey his orders.
 
Without any warning, the soldiers forced his head into the water and pinned it down inside the basin for what felt like an entire minute before pulling his head out of the water. Mr Aqil sucked in a big ball of air upon surfacing and coughed out water onto the ground. Snickering, the soldiers dunked the his underwater again. 

I quickly pulled myself away from the window before I could catch another glimpse of the torture being carried out. I grabbed Choco from the windowsill and squeezed it with all my might. Tears started dripping one by one from my eyes and soon enough, they started to stream down my cheeks.

Why would anyone do that? My inner voice screamed in my head. Even if Mr Aqil did something wrong, he did not deserve all of that pain! Those men are heartless, they are just beating people up for fun!

All of a sudden it hit me. I finally realised why everyone in my kampung are so afraid of the soldiers. Those soldiers… they want to have control over the kampung. They would to everything they can to make people see them as some ruthless tyrant - even if it meant torturing innocent civilians. 


Translations:
[1] “Mom and Dad, they are coming!”
[2] “Drink it you idiot!”
[3]“Liar!”
[4] Means village in Malay, these kampungs, was present  in Singapore until 1980s [I think but I know it's somewhere around that time]
[5] Chapteh is a type of traditional game where players have to kick this thing

And they have to try to prevent it from touching the ground.

Extra information:
° This story took place in the middle of WW2 in Singapore
° This was told from the perspective of a 6-year old boy
° This story was based on my Grandfather's experience during WW2
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This is probably the longest short story I've ever written, 1495 words owo.
This story was written for a graded English assignment if your curious btw.

Anyway, thanks for reading!

-Flamestalker