“I shouldn’t have said anything.” Avril winced. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“No, you haven’t upset me,” I said, frustrated. “I know we’re a strange couple. He’s older than me and a million times smarter, and—” I waved my hand, indicating the room “—this is normal to him. I grew up in a much humbler home, and I had fallen upon hard times when we met. But it was always Calvin offering to help me, never me asking for help. Right from when we met, he was always doing kind things for me—even for my brother. Calvin just loves to look after people.”
For a while after that, I kept my socializing with those women to essential engagements with Calvin only. Although Avril seemed to be on my side, I felt unsettled around her too. I learned how to dress like them and to style my hair and makeup like they did so I’d fit in, but I knew that, deep down, I had nothing in common with those women.
Besides, bored and lonely in that great big house was vastly preferable to exposed and humiliated out of it. But friendship dramas aside, why wasn’t I content? In some ways, I’d felt better about myself back when I was struggling in that apartment, hustling for every cent and working my fingers to the bone.
Henry had transferred to Fort Benning in Georgia and was serving with the 6th Armored Division. We’d established a routine phone call on the first Sunday night of each month.
“Howdy, sis,” he always greeted me, and I always exhaled whenever I heard him say those words. The brightness of his tone reassured me that he was okay. My imagination tended to play tricks on me during the weeks between those calls, especially with the situation in Europe deteriorating.
He had a new best friend—a boy from Reno named Bobby—and I got the impression the two of them had become inseparable. Henry was saving money in case he decided to buy a house one day and dating a girl named Flora—at least periodically. She worked in the base’s administration office, and it felt a lot like every time Henry called, they’d either broken up again or were back together.
“Would you two make up your minds? Do you want to be together, or not?” I asked him one day, exasperated. Henry just laughed.
“This is a fiery relationship, Lizzie. That’s part of the appeal.”
I looked at Calvin, who was sitting on the sofa reading, and wondered, not for the first time, what was wrong with me.
“Hey, listen, sis. I have news,” Henry said suddenly. My stomach lurched.
“No. Tell me they aren’t deploying you,” I whispered.
“Where to? To Europe? Of course not. That’s a whole mess over there, but it has nothing to do with America,” Henry laughed. “No, I was just going to say my unit is coming to Fort Bliss for training in a few weeks, so I thought I’d take some leave while I’m in town. Can I come stay in your mansion for a few nights?”
Henry arrived on Thursday night, and we spent Friday and Saturday catching up. On Sunday, I made a roast chicken—one of the recipes I’d mastered. Henry and Calvin had never really had much time together, and I was enjoying watching them bond. They were presently in the sitting room, talking about planes.
Everything in the world seemed right that day. I was just about to pull the chicken from the oven. The rich smell was wafting through the house, and I was so happy, I was dancing to the music on the wireless as I served the food.
The breaking news broadcast cut the music off without warning, and I felt a chill run down my spine. I threw my oven mitts onto the floor as I twisted the volume of the radio up.
“Henry!” I cried. “Cal!”
Calvin ran into the kitchen, scanning as if he expected to find the place on fire, but his footsteps came to a halt as the crackling announcement filled the air.
This morning 8:00 a.m. local time in Honolulu…
…severe bombing of Pearl Harbor and the city of Honolulu by Japanese planes…
…fierce fighting in the air and on the sea…
…America is under attack. I repeat, America is under attack…
I was staring at Calvin in horror when Henry appeared behind him. My brother caught the end of the emergency broadcast, and I was staring right into his eyes as the realization dawned on me that the nation was now at war.
36
Sofie
Huntsville, Alabama
1950
When I heard the knock at the door, I was on my hands and knees scrubbing the oven, my hair in a tangled bun, wearing one of Jürgen’s old shirts to protect my cotton dress.
“Tür, Mama,” Felix called.