‘But didn’t you hear?’ Chin asked. ‘The Americans got around behind us.’ He looked down the trail in the direction they were headed. He hoped that his irreverent men could keep from sniggering. ‘They swung around us and cut off the roads to our rear.’ The heads of the men in the rocks began to swivel. ‘Don’t you have a radio?’ Chin asked. The now sheepish officer replied that he did not. Chin knew then that he had won.
‘And they have microphones in the woods,’ one of his men blurted out. Chin cringed in anticipation of laughter. But none came.
The man with the pistol suddenly seemed to grow anxious. He no longer was certain of his position. He looked around warily. And when he spoke, he did so in lowered tones. ‘How did they get behind us?’
Now, Chin thought, for the capper. ‘Tanks,’ he whispered — just loudly enough for all to hear.
The talking was now among his would-be captor’s men. ‘Quiet!’ the lieutenant shouted. He quickly checked all around for the enemy.
‘Can we go now?’ Chin asked.
The distracted man peered in both directions down the road. He craned his neck to look up the hill above his head. His stern warning to Chin was whispered. ‘Don’t come back down this road again without signed orders! Do you understand?’
There were chuckles from Chin’s men. Chin himself had to smile. He hadn’t seen a written order since the war began.
They marched on. The talking and whispering resumed. When a single shot rolled over the hills from the distance, the grumbling grew more open. ‘Fuck them,’ someone said in a tone he obviously didn’t mind being overheard.
At first Chin was incensed. But he reconsidered when he realized what it meant. They trusted him. They felt that he was one of them. People didn’t openly criticize the government unless they were certain about everyone within earshot. And they certainly didn’t say ‘Fuck them’ about the army after hearing the execution of a deserter.
Chin stopped and turned to his men. They’d grown quiet after the comment. They all watched Chin intently and waited. ‘Be careful,’ he said in a reasonable tone. Chin turned to lead his platoon on. A grin lit his face that they couldn’t see. For the first time, he walked with his back to his men without fear. Without that keen sense of alertness to the danger they posed.
Andre straightened his tie before knocking. He could hear the girls’ voices through the door. He could hardly keep the grin off his face. The dot of light through the peephole grew dark. There was a squeal and a metallic jangling of locks and chains. The door flew open.
‘Ba-by!’ Evelyn shouted. She leapt on Andre. Threw her arms around his neck. Her joy was so unrestrained that Andre started to cry even as he laughed. ‘My baby! My baby! My baby!’ She twisted his neck and shook him from side to side.
Andre’s sisters came running. They all screamed and screeched and threw their arms around Andre. The family hug was all noise and celebration. When his mom pulled back, her face was soaked. But her smiling eyes shone through the tears. ‘Look at you! All dressed up in that uniform!’ After restraining herself as long as she could, she grabbed and hugged his neck so hard it knocked his hat off his head. She pulled Andre into the apartment. ‘Why didn’t you call? What are you doin’ home? I thought you were in Ko-rea.’
‘I was. I came home for some more trainin’.’
‘In New York?’
‘Na-a-aw!’ Andre said. He put his hat on his sister’s head. It covered her face all the way to her eyes. ‘In Kentucky. I had a two-day leave after I was done so I caught a flight home to surprise you.’
‘Listen to you! “Caught a flight!” Aren’t you a world traveler! My little boy.’ She pinched Andre’s cheek. He pulled free. ‘But you said only two days? That’s all you got?’
‘Yep.’
‘Where you gotta be in two days?’
Andre hesitated. He turned away. ‘I gotta go back.’
Andre could tell that his mother was on guard. ‘Go back where?’
‘To join up with my new unit.’ He glanced up at her. She was squinting.
‘What kinda trainin’ you been up to in Kentucky?’
Andre shrugged. ‘It’s Army stuff, momma,’ he mumbled. She grabbed his chin and forced his face up. ‘What kind of “Army stuff”, Andre? You answer me.’
He pulled his chin free. His sisters were silent, listening. ‘Air Assault School. I’m now an air cavalryman. Instead of horses, we use helicopters.’
She didn’t shout, as he had expected. She didn’t ask him for more details or where he was headed or what his unit was. She pushed through the girls, headed into the kitchen and started cooking.
Andre followed. ‘Momma.’ She wouldn’t turn around. ‘I got into the 101st. That’s the division.’ His sisters trailed behind. ‘I wasn’t in a good spot before. For me. I mean, I was deliverin’ the mail, momma!’
‘Ain’t nothin’ wrong with deliverin’ the mail!’ she said. She turned to him in anger. ‘Mr High and Mighty! Who are you that deliverin’ the mail ain’t good enough for you?’
Andre shrugged. ‘I’m a soldier, momma.’
Her hands went to her hips. ‘A soldier? A soldier? You’re eighteen years old! You ain’t a soldier! You’re a little boy! You’re playin’ Army,’ she threw her dishrag onto the counter. It slid all the way to the corner.
‘But I’m good at it, momma.’
‘At what?’
‘At bein’ a soldier.’
She was nodding. Her mouth hung open. ‘You kilt somebody yet?’ Andre shrugged. ‘You been shot at?’ Andre rolled his eyes. ‘Answer me, boy! Have you shot your gun at another human bein’ even once? Answer me!’
‘No.’
‘So what makes you think you’re a soldier?’
Her last words hurt Andre more than anything she’d ever said. Her face softened. Her hand rose to his cheek. Her head tilted. Her eyes remained fixed on his. ‘It’s the only thing I ever been, momma.’ She froze. Andre felt the tears welling up. He grabbed his hat and headed for the door. She grabbed his arm and pulled him back. The family hugged again… but not in celebration.
‘We’ve gotta drop off this load, Miss Dunn,’ the driver said. He turned the wheel of the large truck and pulled to a stop. ‘We’ll meet you back here in one hour.’
Kate and Woody climbed down to the deserted street of the ramshackle village. The U.S. Army truck rumbled off. When it was gone, all was quiet. There was no sign of life anywhere. The entire town appeared to have been abandoned.
‘Well,’ Kate said. She raised her arms and slapped them down against her thighs. ‘This is exciting.’
‘Hey, you wanted to go somewhere off the beaten path. It doesn’t get much farther off than this.’
‘Yeah, but… The point was to dig up a story! She looked up and down the empty road. Nothing moved, not even a stray dog.
‘So let’s go dig,’ Woody said. He took off past buildings whose windows were blackened. By the time Kate caught up with him, he was lighting a joint.
‘Wo-o-ody,’ she chastised.