In Times of War

Chapter Five

Chapter Five

The next day I told Alice and Mama everything, obviously leaving out all the excitement in the alley.

   Tony met Alice and me the next day at the local diner and we acted as if nothing had ever happened. Tony was extra nice to me, not the usual teasing manner we usually have. I think he was trying to make up for everything that happened last night. Alice even noticed it and was a little suspicious. He stayed in the middle of Alice and me and kept us very close to him, like he was ready to protect us both. His eyes were alert and darting all over the place. I could practically see all the gears working to analyze everything he was seeing.

   He walked Alice to her door, said ‘hello’ to the Little Monkeys and then we started towards my house. After Alice was gone, he was silent and so was I. He seemed ashamed, and I was curious. I wanted to know more, but I also didn’t want to get hurt. That would just hurt my mother, and I couldn’t possibly think of hurting her any more than she’s already been. She was hurt when my father was killed, she was hurt when Jimmy went off to fight, I couldn’t do that to her again.

“Maria, are you okay?” asks Tony quietly.

   “Don’t call me ‘Maria’. Everyone else calls me that.” I snap. I didn’t want him calling me what everyone else called me. When he called me ‘Firecracker’ it felt special, something only he could call me. It wasn’t okay for anyone else to call me that, only Tony. Alice and I had nicknames for each other and that was nice, but for Tony to call me something no one else did, that was special to me.

“What do you want me to call you then?”

“Anything but ‘Maria’.

“Alright, Firecracker, how’s your shoulder doin’?”

“It still hurts, but I don’t think it will get infected.” I tell him.

   “That’s good… I’m really sorry about that. No one was supposed to know I was in town last night.” He apologizes. He apologizes a lot, for every little thing. It’s not just since last night; he’s always been quick to apologize. There was only one thing last night that I didn’t understand. It was that the man last night looked right in the middle of the age range for draft. Why wasn’t he drafted or enlisted if he was obviously very strong and the right age? Why would he get to sit and attack people on the home front while my brother was in the line of fire of Germans? I voice my question to Tony who seems repulsed.

   “He and the rest of Zacharias’s goons avoided draft somehow, the cowards. They disgust me; they’re avoiding helping people. They’re refusing to protect their country and the women and children in it. The only reason I’m not fighting is ‘cause I have to make sure my mama’s taken care of. I’ve almost got enough to make sure she’s taken care of for a while. I plan to leave next month sometime.” Tony rants.

“You’re really gonna leave that soon?”

   “As soon as I can. I want to get out there and fight. I feel useless sittin’ at home while others are out there giving their lives to protect these people.” He gestures around to the few houses around us. “Another reason is that it might get Zacharias off my back and give them enough time to forget about me. It’d hopefully keep them away from you, too.”

“But if you owe them money, you need to pay them back.” I say.

“I don’t owe them anything.” He snaps. I raise my hands in surrender.

“Okay, he was just really sure that you did.”

“They always have a debt for everyone.”He says almost under his breath.