In Times of War

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Four

I awake to find that I do have to say goodbye to my family.

   My mom and I leave early to help them load everything into the two trucks. Paw Paw Don had driven down to help carry their things and them. He would drive one truck and Aunt Tess would drive the other. They weren’t taking much of their furniture, just the few decorations and an old rocking chair, but the belongings of six people take up a lot of space. They were taking Uncle Ed’s things with them since they couldn’t give them away quite yet.

    After all the items are loaded up, the dreaded farewells come. The Monkeys are still half asleep so they give me and my mom tired hugs, but Alex nearly crushes me with how tight he holds me. Aunt Tess comes next. Her short blond hair blows in my face as she holds me tightly. Alice comes next as my mom hugs Aunt Tess. I know this is hard on both of them. They’ve been best friends since they were in school and are hardly ever apart, just like Alice and me. Alice and I embrace tightly as we both start to cry. I had known her forever; our mothers had us only a week apart, we used to throw tantrums if we weren’t together. We had been joined at the hip for almost twenty-one years. I couldn’t’ imagine not having her here.

“You take care of yourself alright? And write me as much as you can.” I say in her ear. She nods and I feel my hair start to get wet with her tears.

“Of course I will. The same goes for you, too. Letters about everything, and phone calls, too.” I wipe the tears off my cheeks.

“Alice, sweetie, it’s time to go.” Aunt Tess calls from the truck. Alice squeezes my hand one more time and walks towards the truck her mother’s driving.

   My mother wraps her arm around my shoulders as we watch a piece of our family, a piece of our hearts, drives away. Alice and the other kids turn around and wave out the back window. We wave back and watch until well after they’ve disappeared. Eventually we go back home and my mom leaves for her shift at the factory.

   I go to the American Red Cross office and sign up to become an Army Corps nurse. They tell me that I’m not old enough yet and that I have to come back in August after my twenty-first birthday has passed. I’m disappointed that they won’t take me yet, but I guess I can wait another two months even if I really don’t want to. I want to have something to do now not in two months. After being temporarily rejected I walk around aimlessly.

   I want to go to Alice’s and talk to her, but she’s probably halfway to Atlanta right now. I also want to find David and talk with him, hug him, and kiss him. I really want to kiss him. I want to make sure he’s okay and that he’s not bleeding out on the battlefield or anything even though it’s only been about 48 hours since I last saw him. I settle for going to see Robbie at the diner.

“Hey, Mia, is that you?” He asks from behind the counter. He turns his head so his good right eye can see me.

“Yeah, Robbie, it’s me.” I sit down at the counter in front of him.

“Well, what can I do you for? Ice tea, cold water, anything?”

“No, nothing cold! I’m freezing right now. How about some hot coffee?”

“Alright, if you insist.” He looks at me like I just asked for unsweetened tea. I know it’s a little weird, wanting hot coffee in the middle of June, and feeling freezing in the middle of the summer, but, oh well.

“You want anything to eat?” He asks as he pours me a cup of delicious coffee.

   “No thanks, I’m good.” I drink my coffee and throw the money on the counter before I walk out. I don’t even know where I’m going. I just wander around town for a few hours, not really knowing what else to do. I go back home about the time my mom would be getting off from the factory. When I go inside I find that my mother beat me home. She’s in the kitchen making soup for her supper.

“Maria, you want anything?” She leans back from the stove so I can see her face.

“No thanks, Mama. I ate at the diner.”

“You look a lot thinner, sweetheart. Are you eating enough?” She asks, very suspicious.

   “Yes, of course I am. Geez, stop worrying about me. I’m not six.” I get angry at her questions about my food intake. I stomp upstairs and sit on the bed with the door open. I don’t know why I got so angry. I almost want to go and apologize for blowing up on her, but my pride refuses to let that happen. I stay in my room all night. I read a little and I write a letter to David. My mother doesn’t bother me, thankfully, although I feel her presence in my doorway just before I fall asleep.

*~*~

The next almost two months goes much the same way.

   I walk around town aimlessly. I wish my friends were back. I go to the diner when I get too tired or lonely to walk around much longer. I start coming home later and later to avoid my mother and her questions. The only weird part is that I’m freezing all the time. I’ve always gotten colder before others, but I’ve never been cold in the middle of June before. I just sat around waiting for my birthday. In other words, the time was normal.

Any shred of normalcy left after that time.

   I’ve never liked Mondays. They’ve just always been mean to me. My dad was killed on a Monday. Monday always ended the happiness and bliss of the weekends. Monday was the day my brother enlisted. It was a Monday that Alice and my other family left on. It was a Monday that ended any shred of normalcy and trust with my mother.

   It started out like a normal day. I woke up, tried to read, but got too bored to sit around the house. I walked around town all day wearing a sweater. I got a coffee from Robbie then went to walk around more. I went home as the sun was going down so I could avoid my mom as much as possible. When I walked through the door my mother was waiting for me in the entryway.

“Maria, why have you been avoiding me?” She stands up and crosses her arms across her chest.

“I haven’t been avoiding you, Mama. Look, I’m really tired and I just want to go to bed.” I fiddle with the silver heart around my neck, a habit I’ve acquired. It comforts me.

“Not until you tell me what you’ve eaten this week. “ She stands in front of the stairs, blocking my way to my sanctuary. 

“Why do you need to know that?”

“Because you’re my daughter and I don’t think you’ve been eating enough. You’ve lost too much weight too quickly.”

“No, I haven’t, Mama. I’ve eaten today, so just leave me alone, please.” I try to push past her, but she grabs my arm.

“Coffee doesn’t count. Maria, you’re freezing.” She looks at my pale skin and I pull my sleeve down to cover it.

“I just haven’t been hungry, I’m fine though.” I lie. I was definitely hungry as much as I hate it.

“Your nose twitched.” She says it like it explains everything.

“So?”

“You’re lying.”

“No, I’m not.”

“Maria, how much have you been eating?” She looks tired, really tired.

“Enough.”

“How much is enough?”

“It’s enough, now can I go to my room, yet?” I roll my eyes.

“Maria…”

   “I’m fine, Mama. I’m fine. I’m eating more than I should and I’m not losing much weight. You happy yet?” I push past her and up the stairs. I get to the top of the stairs and my vision gets blurry. I shake my head to clear my vision, but it only makes it worse. I feel like I’m about to pass out and I start to lean and sway. I grab at the wall to steady myself, but my arm feels like it’s made of lead. I’m suddenly even colder than I’ve ever been and I fall on the wall. I slide down the wall. I can’t sit up anymore, I’m just too tired. My side hits the floor and I close my eyes so I can have a little nap, just until I feel better. I feel the floor shake as someone runs up the stairs and someone shakes my shoulder.

“Maria! Maria!” My mother’s voice sounds a thousand miles away. I try to open my eyes and tell her that I’m okay, but it feels like my eyelids weigh a million pounds.

That is one of the many reasons why Mondays are evil.