Angel of Okinawa; Chapter 15

 

Angel of Okinawa; Chapter 15

© 2024 by Amber Wright

I heard the even breathing of my sisters around me and knew that’s what I should be doing, too. Sleeping. But sleep was far from my eyes. Everything was happening too fast.

First, the U. S. invasion.

Meeting Derek.

Little Phanny’s death.

The destruction of the Japanese’s greatest battleship, Yamato, I found out today.

The taking over of most of the northern half of our island.

Now the U. S. frontline was at Onna, a place very near my home and family.

Gideon’s friend kept me informed (when telling Gideon, that is) about the U. S. soldier’s victories and losses.

I cringed every time I heard the losses, knowing my local Okinawans were dying even more. We of the Pacific have a tough time giving up what really matters to us—our land, our homes, our positions. And we were (for the most of us) steeling ourselves until total defeat.

We fought to the last drop of blood, no less.

I looked up into the darkness.

True, my blood was American but my growing up had been in this island of Okinawa.

I was brought up here in this timeless place where strength really mattered, and where old traditions had been carried on throughout the generations.

Somehow, living on this island I have come to learn how strong I really am. And as for the fight all around me…I reflected, staring into nowhere, I can’t change the way of war. War brings fight to whoever you are, no matter what type of fight.

My mind suddenly snapped into the fight mode as I realized all these wasted days had seemed so empty now.

Now, I knew what to do.

Now, I saw clearly what I had in me.

And I knew it could be done.

Now.

I closed my eyes then, satisfied.

^{· · ·}

The pain inside me of little Phanny’s death still hung onto me, but I was determined.

I must break myself out of this spacey stupor and put up a fight that could really last until I was dead myself. I could do no less as a Christian, and as a civilian of this human race.

I smiled over at Gideon. “I guess your doctor says your blood count is back up. Good.”

“Yeah,” Gideon tied his last boot. “I’m all ready for the action now again! 10 days in bed, no thanks! Makes a guy mentally sick just laying around all day. Stupid bullet.”

“Well, I’m glad for that ‘stupid bullet’.” I saw him look up in surprise so I quickly added, “Otherwise I would never have met my cousin, would I?”

“Nope, I guess not.” Gideon smiled and stood up. “Say, Cousin, seems to me I’ve got a certain friend checking up on me for the hundredth time.”

I looked up to see Gideon’s friend, who I learned was Alex York, walking through the porch door. How fun, I thought realistically human, now I’ve got two American friends, plus a cousin.

“Hello, Alex.” I waved lightly, like any other normal teen would.

Alex smiled back and pointed to Gideon. “I hope he’s not put you through too much trouble. I know how he can get sometimes.”

“No trouble at all.” I suddenly brightened my voice and Alex looked confused. I had been only “listening, no talk” when he came around but now I was all jibber jabber. “Guess what?”

“What?” Alex asked brightly, forgetting it was war and that there was an explosion noise outside that very minute. “Gideon’s asked you to marry him?”

“No way!” I found myself laughing a bit crazy. “I just found out that we,” I pointed to Gideon and myself, “are cousins.”

“You don’t say, Miss Canary!” Alex tilted his head back with a wide smile. “I always knew Gideon wasn’t that bad of a guy. Now I know why.”

“So, are you related to Sergeant York, the hero of WWI?” I asked him brightly, despite the fact that I was “Okinawan”, a more or less imprisoned somebody on the U. S. occupied island. “You are from Tennessee?”

“Yeah,” Alex drawled out and looked over at Gideon. “Have you been telling this girl stuff?”

“No, but now that you mentioned…” Gideon grinned and turned to me. “Hey, Alex is related to Sergeant York, and not too long before he joined the Marines he dyed his hair red ‘cause that’s what his hero cousin had. Boy, did that look weird.”

I looked up at Alex’s straight brownish black hair, the exact color of Derek’s, and wondered why he would ever want to dye it.

Alex sensed my observation and tussled his hair with a slight shrug.

Gideon added. “He thought it would make a hero out of him, that’s why!”

“That’s enough, Wrigley!” Alex gave Gideon one hard punch in his shoulder, and Gideon let out a howl of protest.