Angel of Okinawa; Chapter 21

 

Angel of Okinawa; Chapter 21

© 2024 by Amber Wright

“What day is it?” I pushed my head out the opened window to ask, and chuckled inside when two shocked faces stared up at me. I must’ve had the puffiest eyes from my three week sleep!

The one cleared his throat and answered after a pause. “The 27^th, May 27^th.”

“Thanks.” I pulled my head back inside and quickly calculated with knitted eyebrows and a bewildered stare. Three weeks have literally went down the drain! Bugs.

“Welcome back to earth, Angel Wrigley!”

I spun around and found my cousin Gideon standing there with a grin.

I gave him a hug and a frown. “I could’ve been deceased, you know, and here you act like it’s some big sleeping party! You bad boy, you.”

“Sorry, ma'am.” Gideon looked around the room. “Any of that famous punch around here? I’m thirsting mad.”

“Should be.” I got us two glasses and found the orange punch in a pitcher in the cooler. “And I’d say you were going crazy if I wasn’t your cousin. They say insanity runs in bloodlines so I let you off.”

“Thanks,” Gideon laughed and took the glass full of Meema’s orange punch. “But they also say brains and madness come in the same package.”

“I’ll pass.” I rolled my eyes and drank my orange punch.

^{· · ·}

June 4^th came around and Derek walked up to me with the most serious face I’d ever seen on him. Usually, no matter how tough or how sad it was, he had at least a twinkle to his dark eyes.

Derek stopped in front of me with two blank eyes and a gulp followed.

Breakfast had just passed and I was putting away the last bowl. I waited for a full minute, watching him, waiting for him to speak, the dish towel still in my hand.

Finally, after what seemed like a decade to me, he reached out and gripped my arm. “I’m going now. Goodbye.”

I felt a sudden terror strike me when he spoke those words as he stood there saying goodbye.

A terror of never seeing him again.

I screamed inside, No! You can’t leave me, no! But I remained silent, stunned, felt so blank…once again. I went into a daze as I heard a truck pull up.

Derek let out a little sigh and began walking off, out the door and down the sidewalk.

I suddenly comprehended what was happening—Derek was leaving right now.

My feet flew into action. I barely felt the floor and ground below me as I chased after him, not caring what the whole truck full of U. S. soldiers thought.

“Derek!” I started to trip as I reached him so I grabbed onto his arm with both of my hands, dish towel and all.

Derek turned around and grabbed my hands with his free arm to help me stand. He had a large grin on his face as he watched me with twinkly eyes, “I didn’t mean literally fall for me, but if that’s what comes with it—hey, honey, I’m here!”

I felt my face burn with embarrassment.

Derek lowered his voice into a loud whisper. “I might just take you home with me right now.”

“Derek!” I clutched my dish towel and stared up at him with two shocked blue eyes.

My heart was beating, nonetheless. Go to America…free! And see Derek, plus everyone else. “That’s horrible of you.”

“Oh,” Derek shrugged with a wide grin. “I meant we’ve got a chaplain on board. Pretty handy, huh?”

“I’m only 15.” I took a deep breath. “Too young right now. Besides, I want to finish High School before I get married.”

“That means three more years, single!” Derek made a dramatic face. “You can always go back to High School.”

“I just can't right now, Derek…” I stumbled over my words, biting my bottom lip.

“I'll be waiting in Hawaii,” Derek had an even bigger twinkle to his chocolaty brown eyes. “I live there now, on base but gonna stay there after this crazy war ends.”

“I can’t promise anything…” I halted and felt my jaws quivering. Here Derek was leaving and I was refusing him! How could I? To the cutest guy I've ever met?

“You don't have to,” Derek whispered even lower. “Just know you've got me when you're ready.”

“See you then—some day,” I felt like I was floating through the air, like a butterfly.

“Bye for now, Angel.” Derek grabbed my hand and gave it a flourishing kiss. “M'lady!”

I felt my face burn. Tennessee guys!

“Goodbye, Derek.” I had the biggest grin on my face as I waved goodbye to Derek who was hanging out of the truck shouting all sorts of silliness even as it was driving away.