He had visited most of the countries on a merchant marine ship with his retired navy father. He spoke Japanese fluently and had visited Japan several times before the war. Em could not wait to hear what stories he would tell next.
Jack, being Jack, looked like he wanted to challenge Jeff to a duel. Jack liked being the sharpest pencil in the box. Christian Jefferson looked to be just a little sharper. Em knew his friend Jack pretty well, and he also knew that Jack would eventually get his emotions in check and stow them wherever he kept them when they weren’t on his sleeve. As if on cue, Jack interrupted Jeff, “But how can you be so young and still have done all this stuff?”
“How old do you think I am?” Jeff looked at Jack and said, “Well?”
“You can’t be much older than me and Em.” Jack looked at Em. “Right, Em?”
“Leave me out of it; I say if he has four stripes, he must be old enough!” Em said this and looked down at his notebook.
“I’m twenty-six years old, Jack. Thanks for thinking I’m so young. I imagine looking so young could come in handy someday,” Jeff said. Em felt a calmness surrounding Christian Jefferson. He wondered how a black man could emote such a feeling in circumstances that seemed so unsettling.
Em and Jack and Sergeant Ramsey listened to Jeff tell stories about his encounters with the Japanese people. He talked about them like they were family. Em knew from that minute that there was something about this guy that deserved respect. Although he was young, Em predicted that he was mature beyond his years. He spoke about world affairs and the war as though he were present at every battle and closed-door meeting.
In over an hour, Em did not disagree with anything Jeff said. He noticed Jack’s expression several times. Jack had already about-faced his attitude. Em could tell that his friend planned to use this new opportunity just as he had every one that had arisen in the three months since he had met him. Jack was listening and learning. He sat, mesmerized by Sergeant Jefferson. As soon as Jeff said he also had a pilot’s license, Jack was on board.
It turned out that Em and Jack would spend quite a lot of the next four weeks with Jeff. He became their pseudo-mentor. They trained with him for five hours a day. Jeff had become a master in martial arts. He had trained in southern Japan before the war. Em wanted to know everything about Christian Jefferson. He wanted to know where they would go together when Colonel Roth finally came to Hawaii to pick them up. For the time being, Em just decided to learn as much as he could from this man and figure the rest out as it went along. Jeff talked until lunchtime and then asked Em and Jack to join him in the chow hall.
After Em had finished eating and he and Jack were waiting for the loadmaster to show up to continue their training, he remembered the letters stuffed in his bag and immediately reached for them.
He looked at Irene’s first. One was mailed the day he left Texas. That was over a month ago. He read this one first. When he carefully opened the folded paper, he noticed the top of the page. Instead of the usual “Dearest Emory,” he saw:
Emory,
What’s going on? Did you forget who you were writing to? When I read your letters, it’s as if I’m hearing you. I do not like you telling me lies. Where are you going? And do not lie to me again. I want you to find a telephone and call me at once.
I read Corby’s letter to his sister. He says the two of you are going to separate places and that you are going somewhere secret! Emory, I am going mad! Please find a way to use a telephone and call my daddy’s office.
She ended the letter with a contrite profession of her love. Em knew he needed to call her. As soon as he saw Sergeant Cannon, he would ask him.
He opened another:
Dearest Emory,
I haven’t received a letter in thirty days now. I know there must be a good reason. I read a letter that Corby wrote to his sister Edith. He says you and your new friend, Jackson Turner, were picked for some special dangerous mission. I know how Corby can go on about things, but I have to wonder as to the truth of his words when I do not hear from you. I want to hear that you are safe. I believe the army would at least tell me that much. Your poor mother is beside herself. I have allowed her to read your letters to me, and she most certainly assures me that your words are meant to confuse me. We are both aware of your capabilities with a pen. Please find a way to call my daddy’s office and tell Ms. Parker that you are fine. She will forward any message you give her.
We all love you and miss you very much! Please write soon.
All my love,
Irene
Em looked up and saw Jack looking at him.
“Kind of figured you’d start bawlin’!” Jack grinned and folded one of his letters and stuffed it in his pocket.
“I’m not crying,” Em started. “It’s just that I’m done lying to her. I’m gonna write her today and tell her everything. I don’t care anymore. This ain’t right! I mean, we’re only eighteen, and it ain’t right! If I don’t tell her and my mom and dad, they’ll go crazy.” Em stopped talking and felt a tear running down his cheek. “Oh, shut up!” Em looked at Jack and laughed as he wiped his cheek with the back of his hand. He realized that he had never said that many words to Jack at one time; however, he felt comfortable letting Jack know how upset he was. He meant every word of what he had just said. He was going to insist they be allowed to call home and that he and Jack be permitted to let their families know where they were. Surely, Colonel Roth could not disagree.
The two airmen finished talking just as Sergeant Johnson entered the room. Em would have to finish the letters later. Right now, he and Jack would listen to Sergeant Johnson lecture on how important it was to make sure the load was balanced and secure.
Two hours later, they were walking back to their barracks talking. Jack said, “Won’t be long now, huh?”
“For what?” Em replied.
“Sounds like we’re gonna be hoppin’ all over this planet. Jeff has been everywhere. We are going with him next time!” Jack, with all his confidence, was almost strutting.
“Calm down, Amelia. You don’t know where we’re going any more than I do, and besides, I am calling home today and telling my parents where I am. I’m tired of all this secret stuff. What’s the big secret about me and you anyway? I’m tired of lying to Irene, and I’m tired of paradise!” Em said this last word with disgust in his voice.
“Me calm down? Listen to you!” Jack talked to Em until they were almost to their barracks and calmed him down enough to listen to reason. He told him that losing his temper with Sergeant Cannon would definitely not be the best way to handle the situation, but if he explained that his parents needed to know where their boy was, Sergeant Cannon just might be sympathetic.
Em slowly calmed down and realized his friend was right. First, he would read all the letters, and then he would ask once again if he could phone his mom and dad and Irene. He knew there were only a few telephones in his small town back home, so he would have to call the operator and tell Mrs. Parker that he needed to talk to his parents.
They had forty-five minutes until they had to be at their next appointment, so they turned toward the barracks that had been their home for the past month. Em sat his bag down beside his bed and retrieved his small stack of envelopes. He continued with Irene’s next letter:
Dearest
