Chapter 4

A pullover, and some slip-ons proved enough. I combed my hair with my fingers, before closing the door to the bedroom.

I opened the outside door to Carl and Doris. The latter was a metre back with a very pretty pair of red high heal shoes in her hand. "Hello, Doris, Carl. What brings you here so early in the morning?"

Carl answered, "Well, it is getting on to about noon, and your girl dropped her shoes last night. And just like the king's men, I am looking for the new princess they belong to."

"Funny. Come on in," I said. I picked up the dirty dishes and put them in the sink, and quickly wiped the syrup off the table. "Would you like some tea?" I asked.

Carl came in, looked around, and sat at the table. Doris sat across from him, and placed the shoes on the floor at her feet. "Since when did you drink tea in the morning?" She asked.

Carl sniffed the air, lowered his eyes and said quietly to me, "Sorry."

Doris ignored her husband and asked, "Did Susan get home alright, last night?" Carl hung his head, put his elbows on the table, and covered his cheeks with his large hands.

She continued, "The police came, and Carl had just enough time to tell the people that knew you, to have amnesia. The soldiers said nothing, either. I think they would never admit to be beaten by the two of you. What brought all of that about?"

Doris as usual just loved to talk. I said, "I don't know about the slap, but later the pilot put bruises on Susan's arm, and she took exception to it. The next two called her a gook, and before I could take them on, she had one and I had the other. Both had unarmed combat ribbons. The 22nd came in to help their American buddies, and were either too drunk, or not used to fighting. We got away, just a few seconds ahead of the cops."

"What happened to Susan? You know she loves you. The poor girl. I think you make quite a pair," she droned on.

I thought for a while, and knew that I loved Susan, just as much as she loved me. And as for a pair, I thought Doris was right, even if she didn't know when to shut up.

"She will... ," Doris began.

The door to the back bedroom slid open a bit, and Susan came out, dressed only in one of my old flannelette shirts. It hung half way to her knees. Her long black hair cascaded down her back. I had never seen such a beautiful sight. Her eyes were bright, and still seemed full of mischief.

Doris finished with a simple, "Oh," and finally shut up.

Susan came forward and Carl relinquished his seat, after taking a good look at a most beautiful woman.

"Thank you, Carl." She looked at Doris and said, "Henry protected me. Then he explained, in the only way he could get through to me, that I was wrong about taking those boys on. I will have a few bruises to remember it by, and last of all, you were right about what you said last night."

Doris blushed, because of all the things she did say. Both Carl and I wondered about what Doris had told her.

"Ah... We ahh... brought your shoes. They are under the table." She bent over to pick up the shoes, and inadvertently looked up Susan's legs. She saw that Susan wasn't wearing anything underneath the shirt, and quickly handed the shoes to their owner, with averted eyes.

"Thanks. They are hard to fight in."

Carl said from his standing position, "I think we'd better be going. We've put our feet in our mouths enough, for one day."

As the car left the lot, Susan turned to me. In a serious voice, she asked, "Who is Tuyen?"

I staggered back till I hit the stove. In a moment, I said, "How did you know this? It is a story about long ago."

"Tell me about it, Henry. I know it is important."

She had a right to know, and I just hoped that she would not take offence to what she found out. "Ah... It started in Dong Ban An, a small hamlet that use to be close to where your parents were born. It is gone now, and has been since 71. " My mind went back."Carl, and the rest of our unit, entered the village. I luckily got the village head man to talk to me. We were informed of an ambush planned by the Cong, and NVA regulars. Our team and some reinforcements, killed many of the enemy, instead. The mission was a resounding success.

I was given lots of things to give to the village, for helping us. They were very happy with the gifts. One of the head man's daughters sneaked out, and came to me that night. She was only 12, but I fell in love with her. I did my best for the hamlet and later Tuyen told me that she was carrying my child. I had such great plans for us. We were going to come here, and raise a family, and be happy ever after."

I stopped to collect my thoughts, and felt the familiar burning in my nose that told me I would cry if I were alone. I could see, the long dead girl, her happy face while she sewed my clothes, prepared my meals, and especially when we made love.

"Well, the Cong have long memories. They came to the village and... did things... Then they executed Tuyen," I breathed deeply a few times. "Then they killed her father.

I sort of went crazy. I took risks that should never have been taken, and killed very many Cong. Mostly with my hands or with a knife, but especially with my hands," I said, as I looked down at my open hands, as if in amazement.

I breathed again, and thought of my next pain. "Mom and Dad died soon after, and I was given an early discharge to go home and bury them. I was subtly told not to try to re-enlist a third time.

"I came home a beaten man, and it took a long time to pull myself together. I went back to school, courtesy of the U.S. government. I drowned myself in studies till I graduated. Then Aunt Harriet, my last living relative, died while I was at school. This drove me back into study, and away from people."

I looked up at her, and saw the tears in her eyes. "Well, that was a little more than you asked for," I said. "I'm sorry if it's a sad story, but I have to tell you that I don't know if I will ever get over her."

Susan hugged me tight, and actually pulled me into the bedroom for some solace. Not sex... my story had killed the mood for that. She simply held me, and otherwise left me in peace. The old memories tumbled through my head.

Eventually I managed to pull myself together, and we dressed properly to take her home. At least, I did. Susan refused to put the red dress back on.

"It's evening wear, Henry. If I walk in the door wearing it, all the neighbours will know I've been out all night. My parents deserve better than that."

She rummaged through my closets, and came up with an old T-shirt and shorts. Both looked ridiculous. The shirt fitted her chest pretty well, but draped comically at the shoulders. The waistband of the shorts looked as if it could go round her twice. When she put them on, though; they looked right, somehow. On her feet she wore a pair of trainers she'd put on at the dojo. They looked right, too. To complete the disguise, she put an old jacket of mine over the top. I took her home to face the music.

I wasn't sure I wanted to go in with her. We might be hiding our crime from the neighbours, but Susan's mother and father would know how long she'd been out. They would also know how she had been dressed when she went out. They would know. I wasn't sure I could face them.

"Come on," Susan insisted. "You have medals to prove you're not a coward. Now show me how you earned them!"

I gave up, and went in without further protest, but hung in the doorway of their apartment, looking and feeling shamefaced. To my surprise, Duc and Lam seemed to be in 'party mood'. They pulled me inside, and sat me down in the living room. Susan disappeared in the direction of her room. No doubt, to put on some more suitable clothing. Soon afterward, her mother followed her. Duc looked at me with a twinkle in his eye.

"So, Henry. I think the plan worked, yes?"

"Uh... Plan?"

"Susan has wanted you for a very long time now. She has cried on my shoulder many times, but I could not help. You have always seemed to be a sensible young man, yet you could not see what was right under your nose! So, she and her mother decided to force you to take her out on a date."

Chapter 5 »