In Times of War

Chapter One

Chapter One

“Maria, get the blackout curtains and the flashlights, quickly!”

   The air raid sirens blare outside as I jump up from my spot on the couch, by the radio. I obey my mother and close the heavy black curtains on the windows, then grab two flashlights on my way downstairs. We go into the basement and sit down near our kit of supplies. It had the typical things we would need to survive if this was a real air raid: food, water, blankets. We sit silently like we’re supposed to and wait for the blare of the all-clear signal. We get back up and go upstairs again to resume our dinner before it gets too cold.

“How much longer do we have to do those things?” I ask my mother. She gives me a stern, disappointed look.

   “Maria, you know why we do them. Think of the people in London; these aren’t drills to them. They’re the real thing. They watch as their houses and friends get blown to bits. We have to be prepared for the same thing.” She lectures me. I really need to learn how to not ask questions like that.

“Yes, Mama, I know.” Way to make someone feel bad for a simple question, Mama. We sit down and resume our supper.

“Do you have much homework?” She asks.

   “No, ma’am. There isn’t much, except studyin’ for exams.”  We had our first semester exams next week, before we went on Christmas break. I never studied, it never helped me. If anything, it made me less likely to remember something. When I finished my dinner and was excused from the table, I put my plate in the sink because it was my mother’s night to do dishes. I go upstairs and take my school bag so she’ll think I’m studying. She’s very strict on grades, even though mine are all “A’s”. I was becoming a registered nurse and as soon as I finished the course in the spring I would be able to enlist as an Army Nurse.

   I sit on my warm bed and curl up to take a quick nap before I go out with my best friend, Alice Howell. When I wake up I look at the clock and throw the covers off. I had meant to only sleep for half an hour at the most, but instead I slept for an hour and a half. I put my shoes on and grab a little bit of money from my bag and put it in my skirt pocket. Mama stands at the sink washing the dishes. Her dark brown hair is still pinned in the back from her shift at the factory in Savannah making ships. Savannah was about ten miles outside our town and they had better jobs that pay a little better than our little town of Clarion, Georgia.

“Where are you goin’, Maria?” She asks without looking up.

“To the library with Alice.”

“Okay, don’t stay out too late.” She back at me with her brown eyes and watches me leave.

   I step out into the cold air and wrap my coat closer around me. I walk down the street and turn a few corners until I get to the library. I walk in and go to the table at the very back of the building. Alice is already sitting there, buried nose-deep in a book. I sit down and she doesn’t even look up. I’m not even sure that she knows I’m there until she speaks, still not looking up from her book.

   “You’re late, again. And you haven’t said anything yet which means that you probably took a nap and overslept. And you’re hopin’ to sleep here, rather than study or read.” She looks up now and her dark brown eyes seem to bore into my soul. She completely knew exactly what I’d been planning to do.

“How did you know that?” I ask her and she stares at me like I just asked her what color the sky is.

   “I’ve known you since before we were in diapers.” The girl speaks the truth. Our parents have been friends since they were in school, so we’ve known each other since we were in the womb. I know her family better than I know some of my own family.

“That’s true. So, how did the Monkeys deal with the air raid?” I ask.

   “Nancy was really scared, and she cried the whole time. She thought that there were real bombs and that we were all going to die. Dennis is too young to understand what’s going on, but the siren upset him so he cried, too. Alexander thought that it was amazing and is still eager to join the army.” Her younger brother, Alexander, was twelve and ready to go and kill some Japs and Germans, just like every other person in the country. Nancy is an adorable, little spitfire at three-years-old. She doesn’t quite understand everything, but to her the siren means death. Dennis is a little over a year old and can barely say anything or walk very far.

   “I figured, but who isn’t eager to join up, nowadays? All the boys at school are itchin’ to join up.” I say. I don’t know a boy at school that isn’t ready to be able to sign up. Some of them already have, sometimes lying about their age. I take my nursing classes at Clarion Academy where I went to school. All the boys that I see or hear at the school are all talking about enlisting.

   After that, Alice goes back to her book and I lay my head on the table and listen to Alice read to me, quietly. I fall asleep on the table, and yes I do know that I sleep a lot, but I don’t sleep very well at night. When I wake up Alice is shaking me awake saying something about having to go, and mothers scalping and boiling us. It’s a possibility and their favorite threat. I mutter something incoherent back and get up with a little assistance from Alice.

   We walk out and I see that the sun is down and the stars are out. I ask Alice what time it is and find that we are both definitely going to be scalped and boiled. We walk about a block and I walk Alice to her door and then leave when a very upset Mrs. Howell appears with little Dennis on her hip and Nancy peeking around from her legs, smirking because we all know Alice is about to get in big trouble. It scares me for when I get home. I walk about another block when someone runs around the corner and bowls me over. I hit the ground hard and lay on the ground to collect my thoughts for a moment, but my thought collecting was interrupted by a frantic, male voice.

   “I’m so sorry; I wasn’t watching where I was going. Are you alright?” I nod slowly and continue staring at the stars, listening to the boy’s voice. It was definitely Southern and definitely Georgian, but I didn’t know his voice and I knew practically everyone in town. I groan and accept the hand he’s outstretched to me. His warm hand contrasts so much to the cold air that it feels like sparks are shooting up my arm and spread to the rest of my body. The boy looks very familiar, but I know I’ve never seen him before in my life. It was kind of weird seeing a man my age because most of them had signed up to fight already.

“I’ll be okay. What was so important you were running full speed?” I ask and brush the dirt off my dress and coat.

“Late to get home, Mama’s gonna kill me. Problem is, I’m new in town and I can’t keep the streets straight in my head.” He says, his deep green eyes sparkle under the stars.

“I’ll help you. What street do you live on?” I ask immediately. I can almost never resist helping someone in need even if they have just knocked me down.

“I live on Eighth Street, but I don’t exactly remember where that’s at.”

“You just went one street too far; this is Ninth Street.” I point in the direction of the street he’s looking for.

   “Thank you so much. I’m sorry, again, for running you over. Are you sure you’re okay?” I nod my head. “Okay, thank you, again.” And with that the boy with golden-brown waves disappears into the night. I watch him and make sure that he goes down the right street. After I see that he has, I turn and walk the last couple of blocks to my house. I walk up the front path and look at the blue star hanging in the window. I let myself in the door and lock it behind me.

   “Maria, I thought I said to not stay out too late.” Mama is in her nightclothes and robe. She looks like she’s been waiting for me for a while. It makes me feel guilty for making her wait on me even though I’m twenty she still worries about me nonstop.

   “Yes, ma’am. I’m sorry, Alice and I got really caught up reading, and then this guy ran into me and I had to give him directions, and by that time it was much later than I thought. You didn’t have to wait for me, I’m sorry if I made you worry.”

   “I always worry about you, Maria.” She opens her arms and I give her a hug. She kisses the top of my head. “Now, off to bed, you’re freezin’!” She shoos me off and I change into my nightclothes. I crawl into bed and almost instantly fall asleep.