The high walls made it impossible to get any
extra food. My weight was now 110 pounds.
In November, I developed dengue, a mosquito-born disease called
"break-bone fever." It was properly named-felt .like every bone in my
body was breaking. For ten days I was in the prison hospital,
overlooking the main gate and Rizal Ave. I didn't care much whether I
lived or died - one chill after another. No appetite! I couldn't eat
the thin lugao they brought me. Lost weight and strength. I was in bad
shape to start a trip through MacArthur's blockade.
About December 1st, I was pronounced well! I dragged myself back to
the big stone building and my area on the concrete floor. My bones
were getting very close to the concrete.
Shortly, a typhoon arrived; the winds blew, the skies darkened and
heavy rains beat down-generally very unpleasant. No planes arrived to
make their daily attacks.
In a few days, we began to hear ships' whistles and bells again. That
meant ships were moving in and out of Manila Bay, unmolested by bad
weather and U.S. planes. This was a bad omen! The Japs would probably
get us aboard a ship and on our way through MacArthur's blockade.
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