The Western Front

Chapter Four...

Bonnie and I arrived at a small park that was secluded from the noise of the city just over the Brooklyn Bridge. The snow was covering what looked like green grass and the evergreen trees were something of a marvel since I had only seen them from time to time in Central Park and around Christmas time in Rockefeller Center. We stepped out of the car and I took her cool hand in mine and we started to walk. She looked me in the eye. Her eyes were like never ending pools of blue. Almost like the sea. I was lost, but I had no intention of ever looking for a way out.

She broke our stare to look at her surroundings and sighed.

"So quiet. Isn't it," she said.

"Yeah, it is quiet. I like it," I agreed. The silence was almost eerie as we continued to walk.
     A slight sheen of ice covered the sidewalk making it hard for my Converse sneakers to catch a grip. We continued down the winding lane talking about nothing. The light in the sky was bright shining in our faces; it cascaded golden light onto Bonnie's face making it more beautiful than I've ever seen. A kind of glow came onto her as she smiled up at me. I stopped and leaned down to touch my forehead to hers.
"This is what I'll miss most," I muttered.
"Michael, can we please not talk about that right now. I've exhausted all of
my argumentative girlfriend reserves for the next ten years," she sighed.
"Bonnie-"
"No. Michael just shut up and kiss me," she said and she forced her lips into mine.

     The kiss was something that neither of us has ever felt before. We couldn't get close enough to each other fast enough. The sudden passion was probably the realization that after I leave for the war, we may never see each other again and that scared me. I wasn't really scared for myself. I wasn't afraid to die for my country. I was terrified for my family, and for Bonnie. I felt a wetness fall on my lip. Tears were streaming down her face and I reached my hand up to her face and wiped them away with my thumbs and continued kissing her.

     She suddenly pulled away from me and leaned her head on my shoulder. I curled my arms around her small frame and put my cheek on the top of her head. Her body shook with sobs and with every sob, I hugged her tighter. She started to go to to the iced sidewalk, and I followed her all the way to the ground. As soon as we sat down, tears came pouring down her face faster than they ever did.

"Michael, I-I can't l-lose y-you too," She stammered between sobs.

"Baby you won't lose me. I'm coming home to you, that is a promise," I whispered in her ear and she clutched my jacket in her fist. She let out a broken scream into my shoulder, and my heart broke a little more.

"How can you make that promise? You can't guarantee that a Nazi won't-" She broke off unable to finish the sentence.

"I can make that promise because I have you. I have you waiting for me at home. Your love will protect me. Just remember that. It's done this much," I tried a small smile and she shook her head.

"Michael Harvey that is not a real answer."

"Okay, you want honesty? I'm terrified to go to war to fight them, but I know I can do it because the American army is the best army to get assigned to. I won't go hungry. I won't get tired of watching the base because of our small numbers. I will be as fine as you can be in a war zone," I told her straight between the eyes. She can handle the truth. She sucked in a breath and composed herself.

"Do you really mean that?" She asked.

"You know I mean that," I told her, "Now it's cold as hell down here. Can we stand now?"

She laughed, "Okay."

     I grabbed her hand tight and put it in my jacket as we walked. As we were wandering around the quaint little park, we came across a pond and dock. She gasped at the scene. It was breathtaking. The pond had a thick layer of ice over it with little-jagged icicles sticking up showing evidence of a little wave pattern that moves the water. Surrounding the water was and rocks and what looked like remains of wildflowers. Bonnie rushed to the dock and looked back at me begging me to come with her. I followed her to the end and stood there with her, my arm around her waist.