My Journal

An Unexpected Union

Beads of sweat dripped down Stella's face and neck as her white pale skin started to burn under the sun's unbearable heat. Even the sunscreen betrayed her and let the sun lick her skin with its violent rays of heat. She knew that for the next few days that she was going to look like a red lobster out of the pot after being boiled. Stella sat down on the blanket that her boyfriend, Frank had set down on the freshly cut grass. He looked at her with a huge grin on his face, his brown eyes sparkled with excitement.

"I am glad that you decided to come out here to have a picnic with me, love," Frank said cheerfully.

Stella was not amused and wished that they could have just dined in, but Frank insisted that getting some fresh air would be good for them both. "Frank dear, isn't there a place that has a bit more shade then this?" Stella pleaded, hoping he would find something away from the heat.

"Don't be silly. This is the perfect spot for a picnic," Frank declared as he set down the basket of food and started to pull out a sandwich and potato salad. He grabbed two plates and cutlery and started to serve up plates for them. Stella grabbed the bottle of champagne and Frank smiled and reached for it, to open it for her. As Frank popped opened the champagne, the cork flew through the air and hit a well-dressed gentleman's shoulder.

Stella jumped up and turned to face the victim of the Laurent-Perrier. At first, she couldn't believe her eyes when she saw him and had to blink twice. She turned back to Frank, who just grinned. Tears started to fill Stella's eyes as she got up to meet one of her long lost brothers.

Stella's mind went back to the day that her two brothers enlisted in the army. It was only a few months later that both of them were sent off to war. Days turned to weeks, weeks turned to months, and months turned to years. It had been six years since Joe and Ed had left home. They both used to scribble letters to Stella. Even if they had nothing to say they would write something. Sometimes that something was the alphabet scrambled into code making Stella have to work to find out what the hidden message was, but one day about two years ago both ceased to contact her or anyone in the family. A few months after communication stopped a crew of men stopped by the family home and gave them grave news that both Joe and Ed had passed away during a raid in enemy territory. Stella's heart broke and soon after her parents passed away.

"Joe!" Stella shouted with glee. She ran so fast she almost tripped over her hydrangea blue sundress that Frank has just bought her. Joe opened his arms up and grabbed her and swung her around as they hugged each other. "I thought you were dead! How did you survive? Is Ed still alive?" Stella had loads of questions for her older brother.

Frank came up behind Stella and placed his hands on her back. "Calm down, love. Joe will tell you all about it in just a moment,"

"You knew that he was alive?" Stella questioned Frank.

"I bumped into him yesterday," this time it was Joe that spoke. "I wanted to surprise you."

The happiness that filled Stella just a moment ago was now turning to anger. "Joe, if you have been alive all this time, why then hell have you not contacted me. Ma and Papa died of broken hearts missing the two of you."

Joe sighed, "Stella listen to me. It was a common mistake. They thought I had died with Ed when he sacrificed himself to save our crew. There were so many bodies they assumed that I was in the pile of death. I was severely injured but not dead and they left me behind. I thought I was going to die as a laid in the rubble." Joe's eyes glazed over as he relived the nightmare that played in his head.

"How did you survive?" Stella questioned.

"I prayed for a miracle," Joe responded. "I don't know how long that I laid there, it could have been hours or it could have been days. That's when she came. An angel from heaven itself, sent to hell to pull me out."

"Who came?" This time it was Frank that spoke.

"Asami," Joe replied.

"A Jap!" Stella responded with shock as her mouth dropped.

"They are not all bad," Joe responded. " She found me in the rubble and took me into her family's farm and harbored me. She cleaned me up and tended to my wounds. I was in her care for months."

Stella was surprised.

"That's why I didn't message you. I was unable to." Joe said calmly.

"Sounds like you fell in love," Stella said softly.

"We both did," Joe said. "We promised each other when the war ended that we would marry."

"Well the war ended a few months ago, does that mean that you will be sticking to your promise to this Asami?" Stella questioned.

Joe looked at her, his eyes filled with pain. "Asami didn't make it," his voice choked.

All three of them sat in silence. Frank broke the silence first, "What happened, may I ask?"

Joe looked up at both of us, his blue eyes were in a sea of sadness. "Her father found out about me before the war was over. She told him that she loved me and that she was pregnant with our child. He was angry and grabbed his handgun. He meant to shoot me, but she attempted to play tug-of-war with the gun in his hand. That's when he pulled the trigger and hit her by accident. Her body fell gracefully to the ground as my heart stopped and I died inside. Her father looked at me with shock and fear in his eyes. He knelt to the ground trying to wake her up and when he realized she was never going to get up again," Joe paused for a second. "He grabbed the gun and pulled the trigger, shooting himself in the head." Joe's hands covered his face and he started to sob. "After that, I tracked my crew and a week or so later we were sent home."

Stella didn't know how to comfort her brother. She felt terrible for him. Frank looked at her and tilted his head as to hint for her to give him a hug. That was probably the only thing she could do at this moment. She scooted over to him and placed her arms around him and leaned into him. "I am so sorry," Stella apologized.

Time went by and Joe took over the family home by right. Stella married Frank and they moved into their own home as husband and wife. Joe often sat on his porch missing the love of his life, swearing he would never love again. That is until she came.

"Joe?" Asami's voice was clear. She had a female child with his facial features and her dark brown eyes and dark hair.

"Asami?" Joe responded. "How are you here right now?"

Asami and the little girl both giggled. "Well, are you going to just stand there, or are you going to greet us?"

Joe stood up and realized something was wrong. He could no longer feel anything. It was like his whole body was numb and transparent. "What's wrong with me?" Joe called out to Asami. Her face grew dim as she frowned at him. She then pointed to the figure behind him. Joe turned around and saw his own body sitting lifeless in his lawn chair and a bottle of whiskey in one hand and a bunch of pills in the other. That's when he remembered that he had overdosed to get rid of the pain of losing the one he loved and to forget about the war and all the people that he had killed.

Asami walked up to Joe. "This is not the way that it should have ended for you. I wish you could have found happiness without me." It was too late now. Joe grabbed his daughter and love's hand and continued to walk into the light.