A Promise Kept - Segment #5
“You are one dinky little chicken!” Freddy Pearl laughed. “Didn’t they feed you over there?” he asked as he held the front door open for his little sister.
“Yeah, but it wasn’t very good and I was often too tired to eat. I’m sure it was the same where you were stationed. Lotta long hours. All I want to do when I get home is take a long, hot bath, have one of Mama’s home cooked meals and sleep. I haven’t had a full night’s sleep since I shipped out. How is everybody?”
“Everyone’s doing great. We’ve just been waiting on you. Even Dorothy. She moos for you every morning,” Freddy joked.
“I’ve missed all of you so much. When did you get back?”
“Me? I got here about a week after VE Day. I tell ya, sis, it’s been grand to be home and let Mama spoil me. Man, she’s been cooking like I’m the president! Hey, speaking of home cooked meals, Mama said to bring you right home. She’s making roast beef for your welcome home dinner.”
“Roast beef?! That’s expensive! She shouldn’t have done that,” Annabelle squawked.
“Dad insisted. They put money away in a ceramic jar and waited until they knew you were coming home for sure. They did the same thing for my homecoming. I got Baja lobster! Yesterday they went out and bought the best roast beef they could afford. She’s making a bunch of your other favorites too, I don’t remember exactly what. I think a vegetable, yeah, Brussel sprouts, maybe stuffed potatoes, and cake, I think.”
Annabelle faked a swoon. “I can almost taste it. I hope it’s her spice cake,” she giggled. “Come on, I’m hungry just thinking about it.” She looped her arm through Freddy’s and almost skipped out of the building toward the family car.
After the best dinner Annabelle could ever remember eating, and spending some much needed time with Dorothy, she climbed the stairs and took a hot bath. She stayed in the water until it went cold. She didn’t mind; it beat what she was used to in the camp. As soon as she towel-dried her hair and put on fresh clothes that her mother had washed, ironed and laid ready for her on her bed she went back downstairs. She plopped into her favorite overstuffed chair, surrounded by everyone. They wanted to hear her stories of the war which were quite different than Freddy’s. When she finished her tales, the family sat silent, staring at the floor.
“What is it? Why are you quiet all of a sudden?” Annabelle asked.
“Darling, it’s about that boy you were so sweet on before you shipped out,” her Mama said.
“Oh no, was Hank killed?” Annabelle asked, a tell tale quiver in her voice.
“Worse,” Freddy responded.
“Worse?” Annabelle turned to her brother. “What could be worse than dying?” Annabelle quipped.
The family glanced at one another. “You tell her,” her father said looking at his wife and scratching his head, not quite covered in thinning hair. “It’s best coming from you.”
Annabelle looked at all of them, swallowing her impatience with great restraint. “What is it then?”
Mrs. Pearl sat up straight in her chair and tucked a stray curl into her bun. “He married that Lambert girl,” Mrs. Pearl said.
“Jenny? He married Jenny Lambert?” Annabelle burst out, her blue eyes wide with disbelief.
“When?”
“As soon as he got home from the war,” Freddy answered. “He wasn’t home even a week before they got married.”
“There’s more,” Mrs. Pearl added. “They started seeing one another not too long after you left. While he was away she had a baby. His baby.”
Annabelle sat back in her chair, stunned into silence.
“Aren’t you going to say anything?” Freddy asked.
She looked at her brother. “What’s there to say? It just makes sense, that’s all. A few months after I deployed to Europe he stopped writing to me. I wrote him several times. He never answered my letters. Now I know why. Jenny always had eyes for Hank.”
“Sweetie, we’re real sorry,” her father said.
“Thanks, Pops. I’m a little shocked, but I’m okay. I’ve had a few years to think about all this. He stopped writing a long time ago and I figured something was up. It’s just a surprise, that’s all.” She put on her best big girl smile.
“Annabelle, with all the boys coming home from the war, you’ll find someone else, someone special who will treat you right.” her Mama said.
The sides of her mouth formed a little grin. “In fact I did meet someone kind of special. He was the most injured of the men I helped transport home. A real nice boy. He’s lives here in San Diego. But I didn’t think of him that way because I thought, I thought, well, I thought that Hank and I would get married. Oh! Oh! That reminds me, I need to call the hospital.” She jumped out of her chair. “I told Mae that I’d phone her and check on him.” She got up, and made the call. After Mae reassured her that Jack was doing fine she turned back to her family, her eyes bloodshot and weary.
“You know, I’m real tired. I didn’t sleep much on the air transport. If it’s okay with all of you I’d like to turn in early.”
“Of course, sweetheart, you go on up to bed. Your clean nightgown is in the dresser drawer,” her mama said.
Annabelle smiled and nodded. “If I don’t wake up until tomorrow afternoon, don’t worry. I haven’t had more than four to five hours sleep a night in three years. I have some catching up to do.” She walked around and kissed each of them goodnight, then headed up the stairs.
