Copyright © 2000 HHT Irrevocable Trust. All rights reserved.

 

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Chapter 3

PALAWAN, PHILLIPPINES

 

TEOFISTO SAT IN A CORNER OF THE BOAT, between the cabin and the life raft, out of the direct view of Ernie. It was easy for him to blend into the crowd of poor, scruffy Filipinos.

Ernie, on the other hand, stood as a defiant sentinel against the railing. He, being the only white person on board, received many inquisitive glances from the other passengers. It was as if they wondered why a rich American would travel with the lowly Filipinosâ —to them all Americans must be rich. The thin and lanky Ernie ignored the others as he smoked and blew smoke into the air with a quick cocky turn of his head. With his obvious aloofness, however, he secretly surveyed the crowd for pretty girls—his ever-present passion for sex controlled the majority of his daily thoughts. He eventually selected a Filipina girl as his prey, a small delicate girl with long black hair. Casually, he slowly moved toward her.

Teofisto watched in silence as he observed Ernie’s actions. He began to develop an inner feeling for the personality of Ernie. It was as if he gradually knew Ernie’s thoughts. He saw him slowly position himself closer and closer to the girl and knew Ernie had found himself a new playmate.

“You going to Puerto Princesa?” Ernie asked the girl.

Looking away when she sensed his presence, quietly she responded with a faint, “yes.”

“I am too, for a couple days. Do you have relatives there?”

“Yes, my family.”

“Oh, your husband.”

The girl smiled and giggled quietly and answered, “No, I’m not married.”

“Me neither,” lied Ernie. He had been married twice and still has a wife and two children in the States. “Maybe you could help me find my way around Puerto Princesa?”

“My family can’t meet me; so we could take Jeepney together.”

Ernie sensing that he was gaining control suggested, “If you can show me how to find a hotel, I’ll pay for a taxi.”

“Very nice,” the unsuspecting girl answered.

“What’s your name?”

“Maria, sir. What is your name?”

“I’m Ernie, and you don’t have to call me “sir”—it’s too formal.”

Maria smiled and immediately directed her attention away from Ernie and looked into the ocean.

Teofisto knew where Ernie would be for the remainder of the day and night; so he slouched into a humped-over position on the floor of the deck and relaxed. The gentle rolling action of the ship created a soothing rhythm causing him to fall asleep periodically. Each time he awakened, he would glance toward Ernie and found him each time next to the same girl. Just before darkness of night settled in, Ernie was sitting on the deck with the girl, and she was laughing politely to his comments.

Nighttime at sea around the Philippine islands is extremely dark because of constant cloud cover. Such was the case on the ship heading for Palawan and Puerto Princesa. Darkness was Ernie’s companion. He reached forward and touched the bare arm of Maria as he talked and fondly pulled her closer. Maria responded with a submissiveness common to her race and moved into Ernie’s protective arms. He, wisely, held her securely for several minutes, intentionally pretending a feeling of concern for her well-being.

Maria couldn’t believe what was happening. Never in her wildest imagination would she have dared to think of such an experience with a rich American. “I’m glad that I am alone,” she thought and snuggled closer.

Ernie usually did not prolong his encounters with native girls, but this time he wanted it to last throughout the night; so he played the role of a tender lover. He hugged her firmly and kissed the top of her head as she rested her head on his chest.

Running his hand under her chin and behind her neck, he gently raised her head toward his and met her with a passionate kiss. Maria melted into his arms expressing, without speaking, a willingness to do anything he wished.

Others on the crowded ship were oblivious to Ernie’s actions. They were concerned only with their personal comfort and the needs of the family. The opaque darkness made it difficult to see one another; so families huddled in groups.

Ernie was concerned only for the night’s pleasure and Maria enjoyed the experience knowing, too, that she would probably never have such an opportunity again. As passion between Maria and Ernie increased so did the action of the sea. Ernie enjoyed the jolting action of the ship and took advantage of the thrill of physical contact until the movement of the ship increased to a violent action. The need to hold the rail to avoid being tossed about suddenly drained the urgency of their emotions, and their lovemaking would have to be postponed.

The twenty-hour trip from Manila extended to twenty-three, but a short time before dawn the water smoothed out, indicating that they were approaching a bay. Teofisto stood and strained to catch the first sight of land in the darkness but saw nothing. It was still so dark that he could barely make out Ernie’s form.

Gradually the sky lightened as daybreak approached, and the ship churned to within three miles from Palawan. The chugging sound of the engine changed as if it shifted gears, and the mass of people on board began to stir and stretch. Ernie was among the first to stand. He breathed deeply and flexed his lean muscles.

“I’m sorry I had to come by boat,” he moaned to himself. Charley had instructed him to avoid the airlines because of the records kept. On the ship, he could travel between islands under a fictitious name, and his trip would not be on record. “I hope the precaution was worth it,” he murmured.

Maria rearranged her dress, which now revealed too much of her ample breasts, and brushed her hair before standing. She glanced up at Ernie and wondered if the American would help her family—maybe he was rich. Why would he travel by ship if he was rich? Maybe he likes adventure, like Indiana Jones. She smiled to her self as she looked at him again. “He’s too skinny for Indiana Jones,” she thought as she prepared to stand.

Maria’s movements attracted Ernie’s attention. Turning toward her, he asked, “Are you still alive after that rough night?”

“Yes, I’m okay. It won’t be long now. I can see the island”

Maria turned toward the bow of the ship and quietly breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of land.

“We can go to my hotel room to freshen up when we arrive,” Ernie suggested.

“Okay,” Maria answered faintly with mixed feelings. She wanted to be with Ernie mainly for the chance of getting some money to help her family, but also it was exciting to be with an American.

The masses of people on the ship gathered their personal belongings and sat patiently as the huge craft laboriously plodded toward the dock. A frenzy of excitement occurred on the dock as workers rushed about tying the ship to the dock. Relatives added to the frenzy by crowding on the dock to meet the incoming passengers. The visitors interfered with the workers, but nobody appeared to mind—they all pushed until they were in their selected positions.

With a lunging crunch the mighty ship contacted the dock, and large ropes were tossed to secure the docking. Hurriedly, men positioned the passenger ramps, and people rushed as if to escape. The disembarked passengers stomped on the solid dock, happy to feel a foundation that didn’t move, and the crowd moved as a unit toward land.

Teofisto worked himself into a position immediately behind Ernie and Maria, and followed them through the crowd. Ernie’s attention was on Maria, demonstrating that he lacked concern about being followed.

Teofisto spotted his cousin, Ramos standing on a large bale of seaweed near the road. Raising his arms and moving them wildly, he finally drew Ramos’ attention. Ramos leaped from the bale and pushed through the crowd until he reached Teofisto. Their reunion was simply a smile and pat on the shoulder—they were friends who had been together since early childhood.

“There’s the man we are trailing,” Teofisto said, pointing toward Ernie. “He picked up that girl on the boat. We have to follow them.”

“They seem to be walking to the taxis. I’ll get my car and meet you at the taxi stand,” Ramos said, and then rushed off in the direction of an old, rusty car.

Teofisto maintained his attention on Ernie as he also watched Ramos position his car behind the taxis. As Ernie arrived at a taxi, Teofisto climbed inside Ramos’ car and waited. Ernie and Maria entered a taxi and drove away with Ramos and Teofisto directly behind them. They followed Ernie and Maria to the Coronado Hotel and watched as they walked inside.

“You follow them, I’ll wait here,” Teofisto directed Ramos. “They’ve never seen you—maybe you can get close to learn their room number.”

Ramos leaped from the car and rushed inside the hotel. Ernie was just approaching the check-in desk; so Ramos boldly walked to the desk and stood, unnoticed, next to Ernie. The desk clerk gave Ernie the key to room 318, and Ramos walked away from the desk to sit in the lobby watching Ernie and Maria enter the elevator. Ramos went to the elevator door and watched the floor indicator lights as the elevator stopped on floor number three. He silently congratulated himself for his success and returned to Teofisto.

“They are in room 318,” Ramos proudly announced.

“You did good,” Teofisto said, knowing that Ramos thrived on praise. “We won’t have to worry about them for a while. Let’s get some food.”

Going around the block, Ramos stopped at a small portable food stand, and Teofisto treated him to some chicken and rice. They relaxed and began to enjoy one another’s company.

“Tell me about your family,” Teofisto said.

“We are all okay. Grandfather still suffers from pain caused by the Japanese soldiers when they put his eyes out during the war, but we try to make him comfortable. He’s lucky they didn’t bury him like the others.” Both Teofisto and Ramos shared the same grandfather and respected him a great deal. He used to tell them stories of the battles during the war and how he fought to prevent the Japanese from killing the entire Filipino race.

“How are your parents?”

“They are fine. Father doesn’t do much anymore. He used to search for treasure but not now.”

“Well, I didn’t tell you much before, but I’m here following a man who might lead us to some gold that was recovered in Fort Santiago.”

“Japanese gold?”

“Yes, but it was remelted into small bars and transferred from Manila. Uncle Pedro helped them find it; then they hid it from him.”

“You mean it is on this island, now?” Ramos said with a smile. “They can’t hide it from me on my island.”

Teofisto laughed and agreed, “That’s why you are with me. We have to keep an eye on Ernie. He’s here to check the gold, I’m sure.”

“I’ll stick to him like paste,” Ramos boasted. “Let’s take turns watching the hotel.”

“That’s what I plan to do,” Teofisto said, then added, “You watch for a couple hours while I sleep. I’m very tired, you know how hard it is to sleep on the boat.”

“I sure do, I’ve traveled that way many times. Do you want to go to my house to rest?”

“No, I’ll sleep in the car.”

“Okay,” Ramos said and started to eat more quickly. “Maybe we should get back to Ernie’s hotel.”

“It would be safer there than here,” Teofisto said with a mouth full of food, “We can’t afford to lose him. By the way, the code name for the gold bars is “Orphans”.”

“Orphans, huh? That’s a funny name.”

“Well, let’s use it instead of saying gold. That way nobody will know what we are talking about if they hear us.”

They rushed their meal and drove with haste back to the hotel. Ramos went inside and Teofisto curled up in the back seat and fell asleep. It was nearly two hours later when Maria stepped out of the elevator and walked briskly across the lobby clutching her purse with both hands. It was obvious to Ramos that she had sold her young body for a few American dollars. He watched as she left the building and crossed himself in a Catholic sign of prayer as he settled back into a large easy chair to wait for Ernie.

Ramos was engrossed in the local newspaper when he glanced across the room and saw, to his surprise, Ernie standing at the hotel counter. Ernie left his key at the counter and walked toward the front door. Ramos casually folded his newspaper; and tucking it under his arm. He stood and followed Ernie at a safe distance. As soon as he watched Ernie walking toward a taxi, he rushed to his car and jumped inside behind the steering wheel.

The sudden commotion brought Teofisto from a deep sleep to an instant sitting position. “What’s wrong?” he said with gasping breaths.

“Ernie is leaving the hotel.”

“Where is he?”

“In that taxi,” Ramos answered, pointing in the direction of a taxi pulling from the curb.

Without further comment, Ramos started his engine and followed the taxi. “Where do you think he is going?” he asked the groggy Teofisto.

“Maybe to eat lunch,” Ramos answered.

“No, he’s leaving town.”

“Do you think he suspects we are following him?”

“No, he hasn’t looked behind once. I’ll stay far back.

Fortunately for the two men, the traffic on the road out of town was light; so they could easily keep the yellow taxi in sight. Turn after turn the taxi zigzagged through town and onto a country road. Ramos had no trouble staying with the taxi, for he knew the area well but was confused as to why he would be traveling toward an unpopulated area.

After traveling a short distance on the country road, the taxi turned into a private road that led to a lonely hut at the edge of the jungle. Ramos drove past the turning point and pulled off the road, parking behind some heavy bushes.

Turning to Teofisto, he said, “I saw a hut at the end of that road. He must be meeting someone there.”

“Let’s wait to see if the taxi waits for him,” Teofisto replied.

Just as they had relaxed, planning for a long wait, the taxi appeared out of the jungle and turned back toward town.

“Did you see Ernie in the taxi?” Teofisto shouted.

“I couldn’t see.”

“Hurry let’s catch the taxi.”

By that time the taxi was traveling fast in a cloud of dust. Ramos threw his car into gear and took off in hot pursuit. The unpaved road was rough and dusty, and Ramos’ car was a poor specimen; but fortunately, all the taxis on the island were in terrible condition also. They were unable to catch the taxi until it reached a paved road. As they approached it, they could tell that nobody was in the back seat.

“He’s not there,” Ramos said as he quickly decelerated and prepared to turn around.

“You’d better drive back even faster. If we lose Ernie now, we’re in serious trouble.”

Ramos needed no such instructions, for he had already pushed the accelerator to the floorboard.

Upon reaching the private road, they were relieved to see no sign of traffic farther up the road. “I don’t see a car leaving. What shall we do?” Ramos asked.

Straining to see any sign of a car on the road, Teofisto said, “You’d better pull over by those bushes and let me sneak around the hut.”

With that comment, Ramos left the road and tucked his car out of sight behind the bushes. Teofisto climbed out of the car, quietly shut the car door and disappeared into the jungle. The heavy, untouched foliage was difficult to get through, but Teofisto managed to work his way close enough to hear voices. Eventually, he distinguished an American voice and knew it was Ernie. With a sigh of relief, he turned and scrambled back to the car.

“He’s still here,” Teofisto explained to Ramos, who smiled at the good news.

“We only have to wait now for him to make his next move,” Ramos said as Teofisto sat in the seat next to him.

The afternoon sun bore down on the car, causing the temperature to pass 40°C. With the normally high humidity, both Teofisto and Ramos were sweltering in the heat.

“Is it worth suffering?” the exhausted Ramos asked.

“It’s our responsibility to Uncle Pedro. He’ll make it worth it”.

“I know a man in Mindanao who has many tons of gold for sale,” Ramos commented.

“Maybe the Americans working with Uncle Pedro will buy it. If you ask them, we can make money too.”

“I’ll ask. Have you seen it?”

Ramos replied, “yes”, but Teofisto felt unsure about his answer.

“I’ll ask them,” Teofisto repeated.

The subject of recovered gold in Mindanao would be set aside for the time being, but would arise again in the future and cause a major problem in the Gold Buddha Adventure.

Alternating turns for alertness, each man dozed for short periods. The heat would have been unbearable for anyone except the Locals. Eventually the afternoon sun descended behind the trees, giving much needed relief.

Teofisto broke the long silence, “I hope something happens soon. I have to telephone Mr. Goodwin tonight at nine o’clock.”

“Ernie must be making plans with a Local, and if he is, the Local must know where the Orphans are,” Ramos replied with a smile, remembering the code name for the gold bars.

Small talk continued, mostly to kill time, until the sun had disappeared and darkness of night fell over the land again. Bored, tired and sleepy, the two men sat, staring into space toward the dirt rode leading to the hut.

Suddenly, automobile lights appeared in front of them, and an automobile drove from the hut. It turned in their direction and drove past them. Both men held his breath as the automobile passed and were glad they had hidden behind the bushes.

“Do you think they saw us?” Ramos asked.

“I don’t think so. We’re off the road, but now we have to catch them in the dark. Let’s go but keep the lights off,” Teofisto instructed.

Ramos started the engine and turned his car around, being careful not to touch the brake pedal. He didn’t want to signal their position with a red tail light. Driving in the dark was not easy, but he could see the lights of the speeding car ahead of him and knew the road was straight. He increased his speed to gain on the automobile until he was within a quarter of a mile behind; then he settled into a cruising position. The chase continued for forty-five minutes before the automobile’s brake lights lit and it pulled off the main road.

Ramos eased up on his speed and carefully coasted closer and stopped at the side of the road. Leaving his car idling, he and Teofisto strained to see any activity, hoping they had not been spotted. Within a minute they saw two men with flashlights leave the car and walk into the jungle.

“We have to catch them,” Teofisto exclaimed, with an anxious tone in his voice.

Ramos edged his car closer and pulled behind the trees, concealing them from the road. Ramos grabbed a flashlight from under his seat, and both men climbed out and crept toward Ernie’s automobile. Not sure of a guard being left behind, they decided to enter the jungle area and look for the lights of the two men.

Most Filipinos who live on the smaller islands spend much of their youth running and playing in the jungle; so trailing someone in the dark was like a game to Ramos. Teofisto had been in the city too long and had more trouble at first but soon fell into the rhythm of the hunt. It only took ten minutes for Ramos to spot the reflections of flashlights in the trees and proudly pointed them out to Teofisto. Silently, they continued their pursuit until they were close enough to hear conversation. Fortunately for them, Ernie was having a difficult time traversing the jungle.

They hiked for a long time; probably an hour, before Ernie and the other man stopped and began removing dead brush from a hillside. Ramos and Teofisto crept forward carefully until they saw the flashlights disappear into a small opening in the dirt. 

Whispering close to Ramos’ ear, Teofisto said, “While they are in that cave, let’s go around to the other side. When they leave they will come this direction, and we want to get out of their way.”

Ramos nodded his approval and led the way through the trees until they were well hidden. “The Orphans might be in that cave,” he finally said in hushed tones.

“Exactly,” Teofisto replied. “We don’t have to risk getting closer, we can wait until they leave.”

Sitting in the dark, Teofisto beamed with pride in his accomplishment. He hoped the Orphans were there; so he could report his success to Mr. Goodwin—he’d probably get a good reward. They could hear muffled voices coming from the cave opening and watched as Ernie and a Filipino exited the cave and carefully covered the opening.

Barely daring to breathe, Ramos and Teofisto sat in silence and watched them leave the cave area.

Turning to Ramos, Teofisto instructed, “You follow them until you are sure they are gone and I’ll wait here.”

“Okay, don’t go into the cave until I return.”

“Okay, I’ll wait.

Ramos left with sure-footed silence and was away for nearly one hour. Teofisto patiently waited near the cave until he heard Ramos whistle a bird call. He smiled as he replied to the call. He hadn’t heard that for many years—since they were children.

Ramos moved beside Teofisto with the news that he had followed Ernie to the car and waited for them to drive away. He wanted to be sure that they had left before they checked inside the cave.

The two excited Filipinos slid down the hill and anxiously removed the heavy brush from the opening. Their hearts were beating so fast they could hear their pulse as they slid through the opening. Ramos flashed the light around a small dirt cave and spotted at least six metal drums. With his hunting knife drawn, he handed the flashlight to Teofisto and pried the lid off one of the drums. Their eyes were as wide as a two-peso coin as they stared inside. Glistening in the bright light were stacks of gold bars.

“There are your little Orphans,” Ramos said through a wide grin.

“Wow, I can’t believe we found them so quickly.”

“Very quick, cousin. You had a good guide.”

Both men pushed one another in a friendly jostle and looked again at the treasure.

“I’d like to borrow a couple Orphans for a while,” Ramos said.

“Me too, but they belong to Uncle Pedro. He’ll give us some later,” Teofisto replied, unable to take his eyes off the gleaming treasure. “Let’s get out of here and make plans.”

After covering the drum and pushing on the immovable other drums, they left the cave and carefully replaced the cover. Back in the trees, they sat in breathless amazement.

Finally Ramos broke the silence, “What do we do now?”

“I don’t know,” Teofisto answered, as he stared at the ground. “I have to telephone Mr. Goodwin, maybe he will tell us.”

With that idea, they made their way through the jungle to their car and headed for town.

As they began to drive back toward town, Teofisto glanced at his watch and exclaimed, “It is eleven o’clock already. I promised to telephone Mr. Goodwin at nine!”

“Don’t worry, he’ll be happy with the news no matter how late,” Ramos assured him.

“You’re right, but drive to a telephone as soon as you can.”

Ramos drove to the nearest phone booth and Teofisto prepared to call Doug Goodwin collect. The Goodwin brothers had been in bed for a couple hours after waiting to hear from Teofisto when the telephone rang.

Doug leaped to the telephone and answered, “Yes!”

“I have a collect call from a Mr. Teofisto for Mr. Goodwin, will you accept the charges?”

“Yes I will,” Doug anxiously replied, as Bill rushed to his side.

“Hello, Mr. Goodwin?” Teofisto asked.

“Yes, Teofisto, how is everything going?”

“Yes, I have good news. I have seen the Orphans and can take you to them. What should I do next?”

“That’s great,” Doug said into the receiver, and then turned and told Bill the Orphans had been located. “Can you keep watch over the Orphans until we get there?”

“Yes, I can.”

“How many Orphans are there?”

“Too many,” Teofisto answered in a common Filipino phrase.

“Does that mean all we expected?”

“Yes they are all safe and waiting for you.”

“That is great news. You have done a good job and will receive a big reward for your efforts. I have to make many plans now; so, can you telephone me tomorrow at twelve o’clock noon?”

“Yes, I can do that.”

“Thank you, you did a good job. I’ll let you know what to do tomorrow.”

“Okay, good bye.”

“Good bye,” Doug said and turned with a broad grin on his face to smile at Bill. “He found them!” he shouted.

Bill filled with excitement, started singing, “Hallelujah, Hallelujah Hallelujah!”

“It is plan-making time again,” Doug joined in the celebration.

“Where were the Orphans?”

“Hidden in a cave in the middle of the jungle.”

“We’d better have Teofisto live in the jungle for the next month to keep his eyes on those little devils.”

“I suppose he has someone he can trust who can help him watch over the Orphans. We sure don’t want to lose them now.”

Doug returned to his bed and lay staring into space. “We need to get out of here and coordinate the rest of our efforts with “Big O”.”

“Holy mackerel, we’re on our way!” Bill interrupted, still releasing his enthusiasm. “When Teofisto calls tomorrow, tell him to watch the orphans around the clock while we get back to the States and put the plan into action.”

“You and Lazer had better go to the States, and I will go to Saipan to arrange the intermediate home for the Orphans,” Doug suggested.

“Well this is the moment we dreamed of—let’s do it.”

Doug snapped off the light and rolled over to sleep. It took a long time, but eventually both Goodwin Brothers fell asleep.

The first thing they did the following morning was to knock on Lazer’s door and give him the good news. He welcomed the news and began to express plans to return to the States and pull the team together. “Let’s get out of here as soon as possible,” he said.

“Bill, you make airplane reservations, and Lazer you prepare a fax for “Big O”, and I’ll get some breakfast,” Doug said.

“Oh no you don’t,” Bill said, playfully slugging Doug’s shoulder. “You wait, and we all eat together.”

“All right,” Doug said turning to leave. “We’ll meet in one hour at the coffee shop.”

Lazer walked to the desk and immediately began preparing a fax for “Big O”, and the Goodwin Brothers returned to their room down the hall.

Bill dialed the Philippine Airlines reservation number, and Doug outlined on a sheet of paper the instructions he would leave with Teofisto—each fully occupied with his responsibilities.

Later after eating breakfast, they returned to pack and await Teofisto’s telephone call. Bill had arranged to leave on the 4:30 p.m. direct flight to San Francisco for him and Lazer and the 7:00 p.m. flight to Guam for Doug.

“We’ll have to send Teofisto more money; so he can stay with the Orphans. I’ll tell him to pick it up at the airport, and I can send it on a flight tonight when I go to the airport. That’s the only way to get money into Palawan overnight.”

“That’ll work out okay, but be sure to tell him to camp out in the jungle with the Orphans in sight around the clock,” Bill said.

“Don’t worry, I will. He shouldn’t have much trouble doing that—Pedro said he’d lived in the jungle most of his life. He’ll be completely out of touch until we return.”

“Maybe he’d better call Pedro once in a while.”

“I’ll tell him to check in with Pedro every day,” Doug replied.

The morning passed quickly, and on schedule Teofisto telephoned. Doug received his call, and instructions were given and immediate payment for his services was discussed. “We’ll air freight some money tonight that you can pick up at the airport tomorrow. It will only be expense money for now. We’ll pay you well when the project is completed.”

Teofisto understood and was excited with the possibility of becoming wealthy. He had lived from day to day all his life and could make good use of extra money. Maybe he would buy a Jeepney (a modified World War II vehicle now used as a bus) and haul people in Manila. Maybe he would buy a house. He’d always wanted to live in his own house. Maybe he could get married. His dreams were quite basic but extremely important to him.

With all arrangements made and a fax sent to “Big O”, Bill and Lazer left for the airport ahead of Doug. Doug had two hours to kill; so he assumed the responsibility of paying the bill on the rooms and checking out.

Leaving the Philippines, Bill and Lazer returned to the United States; and Doug traveled to Saipan, the second largest island of the Marianas, to prepare for the relocation of the orphans.

 

SAIPAN, NORTHERN MARIANAS

 

The Mariana chain of islands in the Western Pacific Ocean came into worldwide attention during World War II. They form a sixteen hundred mile triangular link between Japan and the Philippines; so they were a strategic piece of the Japanese puzzle to conquer the world. 

In 1921, Japan had conquered the Marianas from Germany. If they had been successful in retaining control of those beautiful islands, and retained the Philippine Islands, they would have had complete dominance of the Philippine Sea. This would have allowed them to control a ten and half million square mile area, nearly half the size of the United States; thus, monitoring most shipping from Southeast Asia to the Pacific Ocean.

America lost many lives forcing the Japanese from those islands in 1944. Islands such as Guam, Saipan and Tinian were critical to the success of the allied forces against Japan and stand out in the memories of American patriots. They were necessary stepping-stones in defeating the “Sons of the Rising Sun”.

Tinian Island, setting next to Saipan, is more memorable than Saipan. It is a speck of an island that served as an American air force base during the war. History records that a B-29 bomber left every forty-five seconds to bomb Japan. Ultimately, the Nola Gay left Tinian with the horrendous power of destruction called an atomic bomb. On August 6, 1945, an atomic explosion with a force of 13,000 tons of TNT destroyed four square miles in Japan with 160,000 people hurt or killed. There were, however, thousands of atomic blast survivors, who became known as Hibokusas.

The Marianas had served their wartime purpose for the United States of America, and now the island of Saipan must serve a peacetime purpose for the Goodwin brothers. Doug Goodwin had selected Saipan; because he knew that arrangements to relocate the orphans there could be easily made with the help of some of his good friends. He had actually lived in Saipan for a period of time, too:so he was familiar with the layout of the land and the makeup of the commonwealth government.

The day he arrived on Saipan, Doug located a small hut for rent and made the first month’s payment. The hut was hidden from the populous of the island by heavy jungle brush, and had an old Japanese cement bunker close by—perfect for his purposes.

He rented the hut in the morning and spent the rest of the day transporting his belongings from the airport to the hut. As he stood near his stack of boxes at the airport, a security guard walked by and began a conversation. Doug told the guard that he needed to get everything from the airport to his house.

The guard unexpectedly said, “I have a pickup you can borrow.”

Quickly, Doug accepted the offer and said he would be glad to pay.

“No problem, I’ll go get it for you,” the guard said turning toward the parking lot. He returned within a few minutes with a pickup and handed Doug the keys.

Doug moved everything in one trip, filled the pickup with gas and gave the guard $20. Everyone was happy.

That evening, Doug rested in his new home—such a deal for $150 per month. While sitting in a large bamboo chair, he watched darkness silently cover the island. A bright star speckled sky seemed to appear suddenly. 

Doug walked outside to admire the beauty of the night and gazed at the clear sky, dark and packed with the brightest stars possible. The moon was like a spotlight focusing directly on him—so intense that he had to squint while staring at it. A warm tropical breeze blew off the ocean and through the trees making a rhythmic sound that carried Doug’s thoughts into outer space. “Where does it all end?” He asked himself as he gazed at the endless sky. “It’s awesome, a marvelous sight to behold,” Doug said aloud as he stood in the quiet darkness enjoying his solitude.

“It has been a long day,” he thought. “I’d better get to bed so I can get up early and enjoy the beauty of a sunrise.” Returning to the hut, he rolled his sleeping bag on a cot in the corner of the room. He climbed in and promptly fell asleep.

 

Doug’s internal clock caused him to awaken at 4:30 the next morning, his favorite time of the day. Most people were still asleep, and only subtle night noises filled the air. Habitually, he slid from his bed and began dressing. Still shaking the cobwebs from his sleepy mind, he stepped outside his hut and stretched, filling his lungs with fresh ocean air. Doug had always enjoyed being different from the masses. Standing alone on this beautiful tropical island in the middle of nowhere was truly a spiritually fulfilling experience.

Warm air seemed to follow him as he walked through the open space surrounding his hut and down a white, crushed coral road.

“This is good time for a hike,” Doug said aloud picking up his stride. His vigor increased as he walked. Walking past a main highway that crossed the unpaved road, Doug continued toward the highest peak on the island, Mount Topachow. He looked at the tall peak that loomed before him and silently set a goal to reach the top before sunrise.

He trudged along quickly at a steady pace and soon began to feel the results of being out of condition. He had been traveling during the past several weeks and had lost his daily conditioning routine. 

“It is surprising how quickly the muscles lose their tone,” he thought.

The three-mile trek up the mountain through all of the undergrowth, took almost a full hour, but Doug felt it was well worth the effort, as he stood on the peak and enjoyed his new environment. Mount Topachow, located near the center of the island, extends far beneath the majestic Pacific Ocean. It has had an explosive history. Beginning with a volcanic eruption, it thrust itself from thirty thousand feet beneath the ocean to thirty-five hundred feet above the water level. That would make it the highest point on earth when measured from its base. Mount Topachow had served as a lookout point throughout generations of time. It was first used by the Carolinians who navigated thousands of miles to Saipan in open rigged boats, guided by the feel of the ocean waves and the position of stars. It was used last by the conquering Japanese, who were forced to leave in the blaze of a furious attack by the Americans.

“This is my kind of life,” Doug said aloud as he breathed in the fresh humid ocean air. He listened to the surf breaking against the volcanic shoreline several miles away. 

As the first streaks of sunlight began working their way through the low cloud layer resting along the ocean skyline, Doug sat on the lava formed mountain and thought about the adventure that lay ahead. He was anxious to keep the Gold Buddha adventure moving forward, but also had a yearning desire to relax and remain in this tropical paradise forever.

Each color of the rainbow manifested itself as the early morning rays of the sun bounced through the low clouds. The last tiny stars flickered and died, and morning had arrived in fresh, colorful glory to begin a new day.

Two white doves, as if orchestrated to do so, flew across the beautiful panoramic sky, as the golden sun pushed up from the ocean reminding him of the gold Buddha he sought. Doug watched the breathtaking phenomenon and understood how the ancient people could worship the almighty sun. It appeared to rise from the ocean with enough power to control all life on the earth. 

Doug enjoyed his solitary moment; then arose and stretched his arms above his head and took several deep breaths. This action automatically led him into his familiar ritual of Tai Chi Chuan, an oriental martial art form. The smooth movements of the Tai Chi Chuan routine mimicked the breaking of dawn and the renewing of life. 

Standing with his legs parted in a slight sitting position, he moved in a slow, internally, energetic motion. What a unique sight: a lone man performing on the peak of on the peak of this mysterious mountain. Scanning one’s vision from above Doug’s head and reverse telescoping outwardly into space, that single individual, standing on a high peak, would become a tiny speck on a small piece of land overpowered by the ominous Pacific Ocean that occupies most of the bluish colored world as it rotated in the vastness of celestial space. 

Doug felt like the center of the universe at that moment in time. His physical body and inner self were the real entities that Doug knew, and he absorbed within himself as he continued his routine. After forty-five minutes, Doug ended the routine, and while still in a meditative mood, turned and walked slowly toward his hut.

Looking upward toward the sound of a commercial jet sliding through the sky, he thought, “That plane is probably headed for Japan. Bill might be coming to Saipan from the States by way of Japan in a few days. I’d better hurry and get things in order.”

He returned quickly to his hut and took a cool refreshing shower. Rainwater for the shower was collected in a large outside tank and pumped into the hut by a small water pump. The sun warmed the water at times, but mostly it remained cool. 

Doug raked his hair back, brushed his beard and hurriedly dressed to prepare a quick breakfast. Island life agreed with him in many ways, but breakfasts were not nearly as tasty here as they were in the States. His favorite breakfast cereal, he jokingly called gruel, was a granola type homemade concoction with raisins, nuts and oatmeal heated to a boil with the white of an egg dropped in the pot. The milk on the island destroyed the flavor of gruel. Milk was shipped to Saipan from Australia and stored in containers designed to last one year. It tasted similar to condensed milk. 

“I can’t take milk this morning,” Doug said aloud and proceeded to pour apple juice over his gruel. As he began to chew, an anxious feeling swept through him, and he rushed through his breakfast to begin his day’s activities. He wanted to fulfill his mission on Saipan and get on with the project.

He dressed and began walking toward town. A pickup pulled along side of him, and the driver asked if he wanted a ride. 

“I sure do!” Doug replied and climbed in the back to sit with a load of Filipino workers.

“Kumasta ka pó,” Doug greeted the workers in their native language. Instantly, six men smiled and returned the greeting. The Filipino workers are shipped to Saipan on work contracts and treated like slaves. They always appreciate any sign of friendship.

The bumpy ride to town was uncomfortable, but he arrived in the center of town quickly. Climbing from the pickup, he looked up and down the street and said to himself, “If I could find an old vehicle around here, I’d buy it to use while I’m here.” He decided to walk to the closest grocery store for a newspaper. “Maybe there are some old cars listed,” he thought. 

As he approached the grocery store, he read the name Joe Ten on the storefront sign. Doug had passed Joe Ten’s name on several signs along the main street.

“It looks like this guy owns the town,” Doug said under his breath. Joe Ten controlled most of the commerce on the island.

Doug entered the store and picked up a local paper. He saw an ad that listed a ten-foot boat with a trailer and an old jeep as a package deal. “Can you tell me how to find this address?” he asked a Filipina clerk.

“Sure, it’s only down by the Farmer’s Market,” she answered.

“How far?”

“Maybe one mile.”

“Thanks,” Doug said and turned to walk away. Thinking quickly, he asked, “Do you have a telephone I can use?”

“You can use our telephone if you want,” the clerk said.

Doug smiling at the petite Filipina girl answered “Thanks, that would be nice.”

“Follow me,” the girl said as she led him to the storage room. “Right there,” she said pointing to a black telephone setting on an old wooded desk. She immediately lowered her eyes and walked away without eye contact.

“Thanks again,” Doug said as she left without glancing back.

While Doug dialed the number he thought, This is going to be an experience to remember, they want to sell a boat, and I want to buy a jeep.

“Hello,” answered a Chamorro man.

“Yes, you have a jeep for sale?”

“Just a minute,” he said and turned to call the woman of the house. Local native men always turn financial matters over to the women. A few moments later, a woman spoke into the telephone, “Yes?”

“You have a jeep for sale?”

“Yes, I have boat.”

“No, I don’t need a boat, only a jeep.”

“Jeep goes with boat.”

“I only want jeep, you sell it with no boat?” Doug asked using broken English. The natives comprehend English better when he left the small words out of his speech.

“Maybe,” she replied, —natives always say maybe.

“How much?”

“Maybe two hundred dollars.”

“Can I come see it?”

“Yes, come.”

“I’ll be right over,” Doug said and anxiously bid her good-bye.

“I’d better hurry before she changes her mind,” Doug thought as he rushed through the market and toward the parking lot. He wanted to hurry but took time to express a quick good-bye to his helpful grocery clerk—he might need a friend later.

He walked according to directions and finally arrived at a corrugated steel building with the house number spray painted on the outside. 

Seeing an old rusty jeep parked next to a practically new boat, Doug went directly to the jeep and studied its shaky frame. “If this bucket of bolts runs, it’s perfect.”

A huge woman came out of the building and produced her best beetlenut smile. “You want jeep?”

“Does it run?”

“Runs good!”

Quickly, Doug asked, “Where’s the key?”

“Right here,” she said as she pulled a long chain from a pocket in her bulging dress. Dangling from the end of the chain were dozens of keys. “Want to test drive?” she asked rattling the keys in the air.

“Can I start the engine?”

“Needs a battery only,” She answered in the typical local native dialect. “Take one from boat.”

“Okay, let’s do it!” Doug said with enthusiasm. The battery was transferred, and the jeep started with a minimum of difficulty. Doug drove it out of the cluttered yard and around the block. The dilapidated jeep was exactly what he needed; so he immediately struck a deal the Beetlenut lady for $175. It didn’t matter to him that the floorboards were rusted through with pieces of ply board supporting his feet. It had wheels, and he was headed home.

Now, Doug could navigate the island and gather information for the relocation of the orphans.

He returned to his hut and prepared a lunch consisting of tuna fish sandwiches, potato chips and Pepsi.

“The potato chips are soft, but the Pepsi is okay,” Doug told himself. He sat back in his chair and surveyed the rustic interior of the place. Several geckos ran up the wall and into the rafters. Doug watched their activities and remembered when he did not know the name of the creatures. He had decided to call them Minigators because they looked like little alligators, and he still preferred the name he had given them

He spent the rest of the day arranging and organizing his belongings. As evening darkness descended, Doug turned on the only light bulb in the hut and proceeded to study the plans of the operation until he became sleepy; then retired for the night.

The next morning, he arose early as usual and drove his newly acquired jeep to the foot of Mount Topachow and hiked the remaining distance to the top. Again he began another day watching a beautiful sunrise and going through his Tai Chi Chuan routine. 

After his exercise routine, he returned to his hut for breakfast and further study. Around eleven o’clock, Doug decided to check different areas of the island that could be used as a backup hideout for the Orphans. He had noticed a secluded dirt road that led into a dense jungle that could easily be guarded.

He climbed into his jeep and drove to the road. Turning up the bumpy road, he encountered dense shrubbery that had nearly covered the narrow road; so he decided to park the jeep and proceed on foot.

He hiked up the hillside of the nearest mountain to study the lay of the land and photograph the area. As he climbed the hill, he commented to himself that it was a fairly easy climb. The vegetation was not thick enough to impede progress.

He was near the crest of the mountain when he spotted a heavy cement foundation from an old Japanese building. Judging from its 360-degree view of the island, it was probably the location of a Japanese lookout during World War II.

The high point of the crest was about two hundred yards away; so he sat on the foundation to rest for while. It was an exciting experience sitting on that historic site and contemplating history. Japanese soldiers stood on that same spot keeping a constant vigil on the sea surrounding the island. They must have been excited and full of fear when they caught sight of the U.S. naval fleet. Doug lingered several minutes then stood and moved toward the mountain crest.

When he arrived, he climbed a tree and took a panoramic series of photographs of the island and ocean in a 360-degree circle. He climbed down and decided to hike to his jeep by traversing down the opposite side of the hill and through a coconut grove. He estimated that it would be about six hundred yards.

The opposite side of the hill proved to be much more dense making it harder to hike, but Doug eventually reached the coconut trees. He began walking through the grove, but soon, it became nearly impossible because of the tall grass. He did not have far to go; so he pressed onward, in spite of the difficulty. At times, he had to fall forward into the grass, mashing it down first then crawling forward.

The heat and humidity caused sweat to run from every part of his body. His heart pounded heavily, causing him to think, “What if I had a heart attack out here? Nobody would find me.” It was true. No one knew he was in the jungle.

He used his chronometer watch to time his heart rate; it was up to 160. He tried to pace himself, but nothing helped. He would kneel on one knee until his pulse settled to 120 then move on, but within a short distance, his pulse raced back to a dangerous level.

He decided to return to the crest, and get his bearings, because he was beginning to become confused—he had to gain control of the situation. As he turned to go in another direction, he became completely exhausted and began suffering from intense fatigue, as a result of his rapid heart rate. The heat, sweat and anxiety became almost unbearable, and there was to be no place to rest in the overheated jungle. The overhead sun heated the jungle like an oven causing hot moisture to rise from the soil.

Doug felt as if he might be wandering in circles; so he selected a spot about twelve feet away and made his way to it, then selected another one. He was losing strength rapidly and barely could reach the selected spot.

Doug’s inner nature usually didn’t allow him to submit to fatigue. This time, however, he was beginning to feel helpless. He began to feel confused as he searched for the crest. It seemed as though he should go up the hill then turned left; but as he moved in that direction, his mind became bewildered. He thought that he was climbing directly toward the Japanese foundation but could never locate it.

With frustration, he turned quickly planning to go up higher on the mountain. As he turned, a sharp branch of a tree jammed into his right eye. The squishing sound was sickening. He fell to the ground, rolled around moaning saying aloud, “No, no!” Usually full of self-confidence, Doug was demonstrating irrational thinking thinking as a result of  his becoming physically exhausted. His fall to the ground and the extreme trauma of the injury to his eye caused him to pass out for several minutes; and upon awakening, he became totally disoriented. His right eye was excreting a jelly-like substance that glued the eyelid shut—he feared that the eyeball had been punctured. His left eye had also extruded a gluey substance that made it impossible to see at all without forcing and holding that left eyelid open with his fingers. 

Now Now, he was nearly blinded. The extreme exertion, trauma and the humid 120 degree temperature, had taken a terrible toll and his heart was now beating so rapidly it seemed almost out of control. His thinking focused entirely on survival. He placed his shirt over his head, as the Filipino workers do, for protection from the heat of the sun. Being dehydrated, he wrung the sweat from his under shirt, into his mouth. He even urinated into his hand and swallowed it. What was he going to do for life sustaining moisture?

He searched everywhere for moisture. He broke off a large leaf from a small coconut tree and ate the moist white pulp. Immediately an extreme burning sensation exploded in his mouth. Quickly, he cleared the pulp from his mouth, but it left his throat raw with pain. The desperation of his situation forced him to block the pain from his mind and keep moving.

Doug prayed every few minutes, pleading for help—he was in serious trouble. After one of his many prayers, he stumbled onto a surprising object. There in the middle of the jungle, on a faint trail, was a coconut mounted on a short stake. A notch cut on the side of the coconut indicated that someone had placed it there for a purpose. Doug squatted beside it thinking it might be a trail marker. As he studied this unexpected object, he felt like a native beside an idol, full of fear—he was afraid to disturb it.

Suddenly, he thought, “Maybe there is water in it.” Picking it up and shaking it caused an indescribable thrill to go through his body. Water was inside the coconut, about a cup. He wondered if it might have been used as a water container for some unknown adventurer. He carefully sipped it, savoring every drop. The faint trail led farther into the jungle. He followed it anyway, but it led him into dense brush. 

He couldn’t find the crest of the hill. He decided that he must have been traveling in an opposite direction. He had an inner hope that any minute he would come to an open area, but no opening came into sight.

The denseness of the tropics only allowed restricted view of the sky, straight up. He learned quickly that without a horizon, it is not possible to find your bearings. After several hours, he got a slight second wind and tried to plan coherently. He found a small, sweat saturated pocket map in his wallet; so by holding a small stick on the map to cast a shadow, he was able to squint through his left eye so he could orient his position with the map. As best as he could tell, it appeared that he would come out on a main road if he continued traveling Northwest. 

With determination and by continuing to hold his one remaining, but puffy, left eye open with his fingers, he attempted to travel Northwest; but when he walked around the dense brush, he’d notice the sun at his back and realized that he was traveling in the wrong direction. He could not continue in a straight line. He’d select a tree in line with his predetermined direction; but each time he came around the brush, he couldn’t find the selected tree. 

To keep moving through his fatigue, he began walking fifty steps and resting fifty counts, remembering his Boy Scout training.

He moved down a poor trail and crossed a barbed wire fence. As he went a few hundred yards farther, he ran into high grass. He decided to return to the fence but could never locate it again.

It was approaching 4:30 p.m., and the sun was beginning descend. He began to worry that he might have to spend a night in the jungle. His mind said, “I’ve got to hurry,” but his body wouldn’t move. Often he could take only two steps before collapsing. His mind began telling him that it didn’t matter if he lived or died; but when he remembered that no one would find him in the jungle, he regained a small amount of strength.

He tried to think of a gimmick to keep him moving. He started believing that he would get out the jungle before dark; so he repeated aloud, “A shower tonight, a shower tonight,” and mental pictured how good a shower would feel.

He could not find a break in the dense brush no matter how desperately he tried. It soon began getting dark. The sun went down at 6:30, and he knew it would be pitch dark at by seven o’clock in this latitude at this time of year.

As the sun disappeared, he saw another barbed wire fence and started following it, but the poor light of dusk made it difficult to see the thin line of the fence. He lost sight of it whenever he walked around the heavy brush. He didn’t want to lose the fence again; so he looked nearby for a place to sleep. As that thought entered his mind, it started to rain.

“Manna from heaven!” He scurried around arranging large banana leaves to catch rainwater. Removing his upper garment, he spread it over a bush to catch rain. Then, he sat in an open area of the jungle with a large banana leaf wrapped around his head catching