once a week. However, he knew that if he was going to Japan, he would call her and tell her. No more secrets, he vowed to himself. “Where do you think Sergeant Cannon and Jeff were going?” Em asked.
“I don’t know, but I’m ready to get this show on the road. Let’s get our stuff together and head into camp. I don’t think we need a plan.” Jack scanned the area and decided that now was as good a time as any. He picked up his bag and started to walk in the direction of the camp. “Em, do you think she still thinks about me?” Jack was staring up through the trees when he said this.
“All I know is you better stay away from her. You’ve been told once by Sergeant Cannon, and now you seem determined to get told by Colonel Roth himself.” Em did not think that Jack heard one thing he was saying.
Jack just continued to walk and stare up into the trees. “I think that Colonel Roth will let us go to that celebration tonight because of the king’s niece.” Jack talked, but Em didn’t know whether he was talking to him or not.
“What are you talking about now? What king and what niece?” Em still could not figure Jack out. His friend often got lost in his own thoughts sometimes.
“Didn’t I tell you? Colonel Roth said that some island king is having a celebration tonight, and he invited Colonel Roth and his men because they helped him with some kind of irrigation.” Jack finally looked back at Em and winked when he said, “We will get to go. She can’t be this close and me not see her.” Em had no doubt in his mind that Jack would see Meredith tonight.
“First of all, you did not tell me anything about a king, and I still don’t think it’s anywhere the colonel will take me and you.” Em felt quite sure of this. “Now let me get this straight. You heard Colonel Roth say that our team was going to Japan, but you did not say what for. The worst thing is we may not get to go. What do you think we will do while they go wherever they go? You said that Meredith was here, but you don’t know where. Now you are counting on going on some family outing with the colonel and his family.” Em had a hundred more things on his mind, but Jack interrupted him.
“There you go again, Storybook, worrying about everything. Tell me one thing. Why? Haven’t we been just fine since this whole thing began? Seriously, the war is just about over. Since we took over Saipan this summer, it’s just a matter of time before we bomb those Japs to smithereens. We are just the cleanup crew. But think about the places we are going. Stop worrying! Just relax and let it happen.”
Em rolled his eyes and looked at his friend and said, “Shut up, Jack!”
The two of them walked at a slow pace and thought about how they would enter camp. Not once did they think about Sergeant Cannon and Jeff. They just kept walking. Em could tell that Jack was still thinking about Meredith. Usually, Jack would stay focused on whatever task he was committed to, but Em could tell that the girl was consuming all his thoughts.
Suddenly, Em remembered Sergeant Cannon and Jeff. “Hey, Jack, we need to watch out for Sergeant Cannon. He and Jeff have to be in here somewhere.”
“Forget about them; let’s just get to camp and walk right in. We are still early, and maybe that will ensure that we get invited to the party.”
“Great plan, MacArthur. That ought to get us an invitation.” Em just paced behind Jack and stared at his feet. He knew he was worrying too much; however, he also knew that he could not stop. Every now and then, he would get overwhelmed by how his life had changed so much. His thoughts constantly went to Irene at these times. He felt that if he could only talk to her, she could calm him down. All the thoughts that were swimming in his head began to take control of his emotions, and he blurted, “Jack, stop. Wait! We have to have some kind of plan. We can’t just walk into camp like we own the place. We aren’t any better than anyone else who has been here. We have to make ourselves look tough so Colonel Roth knows that we aren’t boys anymore.” No matter how hard he thought, his mind was blank. What could they do to make themselves memorable? He kept walking and trying to think and blindly walked right into Jack’s back.
“What the heck? Are you blind?” Jack turned around and looked at Em and laughed and said, “You really worry too much, Storybook.”
“Shut up and keep walking. We’re almost there.” Em could feel his embarrassment in his face. They had reached the place where he and Jack had split up that morning. It felt to Em like that had been at least a day ago. He suddenly became aware of how tired he was. The two of them had only slept for about four hours in the past two days. They took the path that Jack had taken so they would be able to approach the camp from the rear. When the camp came into view, they instinctively crouched low and looked for cover. It had been at least an hour since they had left the camp. Sergeant Barnes still sat in his chair, and even though they were too far away, they assumed his eyes were closed. They continued to scan and saw no other movement anywhere. The wind blew in their direction. They could smell coffee. It smelled heavenly!
“Hey, let’s get down there and get inside the tent and just wait,” Jack said this and seemed to have no other thought.
Em thought and decided that might be possible. Sergeant Barnes certainly looked like he enjoyed his rest. He was probably snoring, Em thought and laughed out loud a little.
“What’s so funny?” Jack still did not turn around. He was vigilant in his surveillance. “Come on, let’s go now! We might not get another chance.” Without making any noise whatsoever, Jack descended about thirty feet and never looked back. Em grabbed his pack and noisily followed his best friend.
They made it to the ditch behind the tent and stopped to take another look around. They could actually hear Sergeant Barnes’s snoring now. Hopefully, Em thought, the colonel had left the flap on the tent open so it would be easier to get inside.
Jack ascended the slope and stooped low and ran to the back of the tent. He turned and mouthed, “Come on!”
Em looked around again and still saw nothing moving and began to climb the slope. Just as he crested the top of the ditch, he heard Sergeant Barnes snored very loud. He could see the back part of the sergeant’s chair and saw his arms stretch out over his head. He scrambled over to the back of the tent, and both he and Jack stopped breathing for just a minute. Sergeant Barnes just adjusted himself in his chair and soon began to snore again. Jack walked around to the side of the tent opposite of where Sergeant Barnes took his morning nap. Em followed Jack and crouched behind him when they were at the corner of the tent.
Jack whispered, “The flap is open.” He quickly stood and casually walked into the tent.
Em scanned the hillside one last time and then followed his friend into the colonel’s tent. He suddenly realized they were going into a colonel’s tent. He looked around once he was inside, and the first things he noticed were the cots. He wanted nothing more than to immediately lie down and go to sleep. Once again, to his horror, Jack was doing what Em knew in his mind was not a good idea.
“What are you going to do, Einstein? Take a nap on the colonel’s bed?” Em stood in the doorway with his pack still hanging on his shoulder.
Jack had already unloaded. He sat on the colonel’s cot and grinned. “I think I will get a few winks.” He lay back and stretched his arms over his head and put his feet on the rail of the cot. “Have a seat, kiddo. You look a little tired.”
Em tried hard to be reasonable and to do the right thing, but when he saw Jack grinning as he lay there with his eyes closed, he felt a small amount of envy and selfishly decided to join him. He slung his pack off his shoulder and put it down at the foot of the cot. He sat down on the surprisingly soft
