Monday, January 22, 2007

THE YOUNG TERRORIST

It's been awhile that I was disconnected online, if I would just count it-it has been four days. Cybercally, I used to be online checking my two sites which is my personal website and my blog.
Day to day records, especially the significant and credible one's must be evidently recorded in here so that everyone could read and spiritually be blessed ( I hope so).
I have this beautiful story which I got from a high school book..that indeed touches and moved me...I truly love to share this story and hopefully melts your heart as well.

The Young Terrorist
Anonymous
There was a violent encounter between a group of terrorist and an army detachment in Mindanao.The terrorists succeeded in wiping out the group of soldiers whom they had ambushed. After the last shot was sounded, the terrorists went around among the dead with the hope of salvaging whatever was useful to them. As the youngest of them was doing the search, he found an unmailed letter in the pocket of a young soldier.
Curious to know the contents of the letter, he opened it and hurriedly read it.

Dear Mother,
Please forgive me for leaving you and my brothers and sisters. Dont ever think that I am a bad son.
I had to leave our family even if it was against my will because I wanted to improve our family's life situations. I just want to earn and help my brothers and sisters get an education.
I know that what you earn as a vendor is too meager to support our family. That's why I joined the army.
As a soldier I have encountered many hardships. Death walks with me everyday. But I'm not afraid, for I know that God will protect me. I do my job faithfully and well. That was what you taught me.
Yesterday I received my first salary and I'm sending you a postal money order for one thousand five hundred pesos. With this amount you can buy a sack of rice, a few cans of sardines, and pay the tuition fees of Lita and Caloy.
I should have sent you twice this amount but I'm not so sure if it wont be lost in the mail. I'll send you the rest after you have answered this letter.
How's everybody? Is Terry still no.1 in her class? Does Dan give you anymore problems? Tell baby she'll have her dream doll when I come home. Tell the others that we'll go shopping and eat out when I return.Just be patient.
Give my love and regards to them all. And of course to my dearest Cherry. Tell her I miss her. I'll write her soon.
Please take care of yourself, Ma. Don't work too hard. And please don't worry about me. I shall be home this Christmas, perhaps.

Love,
Arnold

The young terrorist was beside himself with grief for the first time in his life. Deeply touched by the soldier's letter, he felt and upheaval, an internal turmoil. As he took one last look at the young lifeless soldier, he saw himself in him.He began to reexamine his own choice, his ideology, his own life-style. This event, this tragic encounter arose deep stirrings within him. For the first time he was confronted with the enemy--the war. But now it has put on a new face. The impersonal enemy became an enemy with a name, a person with the same aspirations as he. He remembered his own family, his mother, trying to make both ends meet to feed his little brothers and sisters.
This encounter revealed to him a universal and a personal aspiration and cry for help. The cry kept ringing in his ears.
At the break of dawn the next day, he headed for town with the letter in his pocket. As he dropped it into the mail box, there was only one thought in his mind. Then slowly he walked toward the camp of the 23rd Army detachment.

8 comments:

Gabrielle Halili said...

Hi there. I'm abbey from Philippines. 14year old Junior High Student. Thanks for the story. It helped me a lot. I have my report about this and thank God there's this story: The Young Terrorist. Thanks.

Eric said...

Thanks Abbey for dropping by....

denisemae5 said...

I heard this story from my teacher its interesting...thanks!

denisemae5 said...

My teacher told me about this story its very interesting!

Unknown said...

hi there...im angel from philippines..14 yrs old from bnchs student....thanks for the story....i understand .....that arnold is a good example of a kind son,brother and a soldier....

Unknown said...

i cried while i was reading this message..it was 15 years ago the last time i read this and til now it touches me..even in a friend core conversation i always include this kind of story..i hope one day this kind of story turned into a great movie..i hope so especially right now that we dig back again the war in mindanao..

Eric said...

Thanks @Denisemae5 @Grace_bueno @alain_tan for the comments..I really do love this story so much.

Anonymous said...

i want to know the complete analysis of the story pleas help me to find out the main theme of story.thanks

My Favorite Instrumental Music