Comfort Woman : a Filipina's Story of Prostitution and Slavery Under ...

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2 Comfort Woman the family had no rice for dinner. Don Pepe saw her. “So you have a bigger daughter,” he told Alberto. “How old is she?” “She is thirteen years old, sir,” said Carmen. Don Pepe then asked the couple whether they would allow their daughter to work as a maid in his house. “Just for me and my wife, because my children have their own maids,” the landlord added. “Sir, Carmen and I will discuss the matter,” Alberto replied. Don Pepe nodded and told them he wanted an answer within a week. Then he left and inspected the roofs of the other houses in the village to see whether they were leaking, too. The landlord advanced the money for repairs, and the tenants paid him during the harvest season when they got their share of the crop. Alberto and Carmen stayed up late that night talking about the landlord’s request. The next day, they told Julia what Don Pepe wanted. She understood that her parents wanted her to work for the landowner. She felt sad because she would have to move to the big house and would no longer see her playmates and her cousins. She would especially miss her cousin Anna, who was a year older and with whom she was really close, and her friends Rita and Alfonso. Three days later, Don Pepe returned to Alberto’s house. He wanted to know the couple’s response. Alberto and Carmen said yes, Julia was willing to be the landlord’s maid. They had no choice. They thought that if they disagreed, Don Pepe might not allow Alberto to work in the farm. And where would they go if that happened? The landlord told Alberto to take Julia to his house the next day. The following morning, Alberto got up early, yoked his carabao and cart to take some fi rewood for the landlord, and delivered Julia to the big house, which still exists today. Don Pepe and his wife invited Alberto and Julia to the huge sala with antique chairs and chandeliers lit with candles. Julia was astonished, because she had never seen a living room as spacious and a house as beautiful. The landlord gave Alberto some money as advance payment for Julia’s work. She was to get fi ve pesos every month as salary and some old clothes. Alberto got an advance of one hundred twenty pesos,
My Mother, Julia pulled by a carabao. That was how Carmen met American soldiers. That was also how she learned to speak English fl uently. Carmen’s parents did not like the soldiers. They agreed with Alberto’s parents that he and Carmen should be married. For one year, as was the custom then, Alberto put himself at the service of Carmen’s parents. He fetched water for the household, helped Carmen’s father in the fi elds, chopped wood in the forest for cooking. After long months of proving the sincerity of his intentions through hard work, Alberto married Carmen in a church ceremony. Within a year, my mother Julia was born, and after her came nine more children. The couple had a hard time raising their children because they were very poor. While Alberto was in the fi elds, Carmen stayed home to do the chores. Sometimes their relatives helped them meet their needs. Everyone in the barrio helped each other. That was the tradition, and even now, this tradition exists. My mother was born on April 15, 1907. It was she who told me the story of her childhood and my birth. My mother said that one day in 1920, when she was thirteen, Don Pepe Henson visited the barrio as he usually did every afternoon. As he was walking around our village, it suddenly rained very hard. Don Pepe sought shelter in my grandfather’s hut. He was surprised to see Alberto, Carmen and their fi ve children huddled in one corner of the house. Their cogon roof was leaking, and the entire family was taking shelter in the only dry spot in the hut. When he saw Don Pepe, Alberto stood up and kissed his hand in respect. He offered the landlord his salakot, so he would not get wet. When the rain stopped, Don Pepe spoke to my grandfather. “Alberto,” he said, “it is better to make do with only two meals daily as long as your house does not get wet when it rains. This is very bad for your small children.” Alberto was so shamed he could not say anything. He only bowed his head. He was so poor, he could not even afford to have his roof repaired. Suddenly Julia came in. She was very cold and wet. She had been sent on an errand to the neighbor’s to borrow a ganta of rice, because 3
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Page 6 and 7: iv Comfort Woman ROWMAN & LITTLEFIE
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Page 10 and 11: viii Comfort Preface Woman
Page 12 and 13: x Introduction Many so-called karay
Page 14 and 15: xii Introduction close tabs on the
Page 16 and 17: xiv Introduction war, that the trul
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Page 20 and 21: xviii Introduction fi nding group m
Page 22 and 23: xx Introduction no American would b
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Page 28 and 29: 4 Comfort Woman her. Don Pepe had t
Page 30 and 31: 6 Comfort Woman Julia was still wor
Page 32 and 33: 8 Comfort Woman Julia ran to her ro
Page 34 and 35: 10 Comfort Woman Don Pepe decided t
Page 36 and 37: 12 Comfort Woman directed her life.
Page 38 and 39: 14 Comfort Woman child is not treat
Page 40 and 41: 16 Comfort Woman not know you,” h
Page 42 and 43: 18 Comfort Woman His wife did not k
Page 44 and 45: 20 Comfort Woman she lived in miser
Page 46 and 47: 22 Comfort Woman with them. I wonde
Page 48 and 49: 24 Comfort Woman I thought the word
Page 50 and 51: 26 Comfort Woman times in our house
Page 52 and 53: 28 Comfort Woman Raped our women an
Page 54 and 55: 30 Comfort Woman early, we could fo
Page 56 and 57: 32 Comfort Woman When it was rice h
Page 58 and 59: 34 Comfort Woman I went around the
Page 60 and 61: 36 ions were allowed to go. I walke
Page 62 and 63: 38 Comfort Woman drink. Once, he to
Page 64 and 65: 40 Comfort Woman that I was in pain
Page 66 and 67: 42 Comfort Woman Sometimes we were
Page 68 and 69: 44 Comfort Woman night, I just crie
Page 70 and 71: 46 Comfort Woman now, I could under
Page 72 and 73: 48 Comfort Woman up. My whole body
Page 74 and 75: 50 Comfort Woman that had happened
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52 Comfort Woman always pray and to
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54 Comfort Woman We prayed very lou
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56 Comfort Woman tears fl owing fro
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58 Comfort Woman communicated with
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60 Comfort Woman
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62 Comfort Woman Domingo was born i
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64 Comfort Woman “My mother is Ju
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66 Comfort Woman that I did not wan
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68 Comfort Woman I started crying.
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70 Comfort Woman My husband heard t
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72 Comfort Woman One day he told me
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74 Comfort Woman mother, and told t
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76 Comfort Woman
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78 Comfort Woman I ironed and washe
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80 Comfort Woman When I began work,
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82 Comfort Woman laundry and some s
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84 Comfort Woman September 3, 1992,
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86 Comfort Woman request. I felt ha
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88 Comfort Woman members. I am happ
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90 Comfort Woman rally in front of
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92 Comfort Woman
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