Historical narrative - Battle of Bukit Timah

On 8 February 1942, the Japanese troops started heading towards the north-western part of Singapore. They crossed the Johor Straits using rubber boats and rafts. A local Singaporean woman, Azlin, was forced to flee to a small village located at the countryside with her son, Umar for their safety. Their home had been destroyed in a bombing raid and Azlin's husband, Rahman, was pronounced dead during the incident.

By late December, Singapore was no longer impregnable. Japanese troops surprised and overwhelmed the Allies on 11 February, turning Bukit Timah into a killing field. The Japanese managed to take control of a reservoir and supplies left by the British. Two days after the Battle at Bukit Timah, Azlin and her son, Umar, tried to block out the distant sound of gunfire as they sat down to their supper of sweet potatoes and tapioca. They then heard the bombing sound outside their hut, which was horrifying.

Azlin heard the results of battle in Bukit Timah between British and Japanese troops from the radio. She heard that both sides suffered heavy casualties and the British troops were demolished and exhausted throughout the war. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. After hesitating for several minutes, Azlin opened the door. He saw a British soldier standing outside, carrying another soldier on his back. The soldier spoke to Azlin that both of them had starved for several days and asked her for food. Both mother and son were cold and weary as the soldier looked fierce and stern.

Umar was frightened and wondered what his mother would do. Azlin hesitated for a moment and signaled the soldier to carry his comrade into the hut. She then instructed Umar to pour out the remaining porridge from the pot into a bowl and get some sweet potatoes from the shed.

While eating, the soldier told Azlin about the Japanese's cruelty and offensive. The soldier and his comrades had separated from their battalion and had wandered for four days in the dense forest of Bukit Timah, hiding from the Japanese. They were both hungry and exhausted, and were truly grateful to Azlin's kindness. Soon after dinner, the British soldiers slept overnight in the hut.

"Be careful!" Azlin warned sternly, "I hope you'll be able to win over the Japanese and save the people from poor conditions." The British soldiers promised that they would strive hard to fight against the Japanese and once again, they thanked Azlin and Umar gratefully before leaving.

It was the last time Azlin and Umar would ever see any one of them. They were not sure of whether the two soldiers were still surviving or they had sacrificed during the war. But the only thing they were sure of was the loyalty of the soldiers to their country.