For readers wanting to experience the genre of the book
Their first dance
A friend is accused of murder
A Nazi prisoner escapes
An Irish boy experiences Broadway
A soldier loses his soul to anger
He lost his love, forever
A phone call
Their first dance…
I took Bill’s hand and led him to the dance floor. I swear he paid someone to put on a record of Fred Astaire singing “The Way You Look Tonight.” Billy was a good dancer, and despite the mustache and shoe polish on his eyebrows, our faces were glued to each other.
“You don’t pay much attention to me,” he said with a smile.
“Why should I? I still remember that pinch you gave me on first base. My arm was red for the rest of the day.”
“You’re sore about that?”
“No, I’m just not one of those girls who trips over others to catch your eye.”
“Oh, you caught it all right. Let me take you home after the party. Dad gave me the car for the evening. We could go into Wooster for a burger and shake.”
“Can’t date ’til I’m a junior. That’s the rule. My brother Dan will be picking me up. But if you are curious, I would have said yes.”
A friend is accused of murder…
My hands were trembling so bad I dropped the envelope twice, trying to slide my fingernail along the flap. As it opened, my eyes skipped the salutation and went right down to the bottom. It was from Drysten. What?
Mary Louise.
In Summit County Jail. Have no money for bail.
Charged as adult. Do not tell anyone. Please help. Drysten.
Butterflies turned into fear. I had to think fast.
“Come on Lou, who is it from? I know it’s from Billy. Have you kissed him yet?” inquired Lucille.
“Ok sister, get to work and leave her alone,” said mother. Whenever mother or father meant real business, they would address us as sister or brother. Lucille got a lot of these.
I asked to be excused for a few minutes and ran up to my bedroom. The only safe place I could hide the telegram was in my jewel box that secured with a key. I read it three more times and locked it away. My mind started racing so fast I thought I was going to get sick.
How could I help Drysten? What did he do? Mother and father would never let me get involved. If I hide this from them, am I not about to lie and sin to help my friend? If I did this, I would never be allowed to date, and Bill would not be interested in a girl helping a criminal. I kept trying to tell myself to calm down. Get your head back into normal daily chores, I thought. Don’t raise any suspicions. Maybe just act like it was from Bill.
A Nazi prisoner escapes…
Lieutenant picked up his phone. “Damn, it’s dead.” He looked at me as he pulled his 45 out of a desk drawer. “Bill, get my other service revolver out of that locker. You open the door, and I’ll cover you.”
With a gun in hand, I opened the door. I couldn’t see Rolf. Over by the lockers was a pile of his clothes on the floor.
“He’s gone,” I exclaimed.
O’Toole rushed in and saw Rolf’s uniform. “What’s he wearing?”
I noticed my uniform that Rolf brought back after breakfast was no longer hanging outside my locker. “My spare uniform!”
“Take your gun and start looking while I get to a working phone. If you see an MP, alert him that we have a prisoner on the loose.”
I ran into the street thinking that Rolf would head to the docks. On the way, I came across an MP holding a bleeding shoulder. “What happened?”
“Some Sergeant came up to me and started talking and when I wasn’t looking grabbed my 45. When I tried to take it back he shot me and ran.”
“Get over to the hospital and I’ll alert security that we have an armed prisoner, dressed in my uniform, on the run.”
An Irish boy experiences Broadway…
In the first act, Abbie was holding an abandoned baby and sang, Summertime. I imagined being that child. Later when Anne sang it as Bess, I couldn’t hold back tears. The lady beside me had to hold her kerchief to her face most of the production. After the performance I made my way back to the ladies dressing room. Mr. Duncan who played Porgy was pouring champagne.
“Well mister Drysten, did you enjoy, and did you cry?” Mr. Bubbles wanted to know.
“Miss Abbie got me started and Miss Anne embarrassed me.” That brought both of them up on their feet, planting lipstick all over me.
“Sit down son. See how we celebrate. This is the life of the theatre. We get to make believe every time we get on the stage.”
A thought came to me. I pulled out my harp and after hearing Summertime sung throughout the performance, I had the simple melody in my head. As I played, several sang along while others appeared surprised. When we finished, Abbie looked at me. “Now, you made us cry,” she said with tears and a smile.
A soldier loses his soul to anger…
The rage in me took over. “Cutter, give me your Bowie.”
“Huh?”
“Dammit, give me your damn Bowie.” He handed it over and I tucked into my belt. We teamed up and searched the next building. He went in the front, and I hurried around back. A door was open, and I could see a German coming down the back steps to escape. I stood behind the door and as he came through, I grabbed his weapon and threw it down.
“Ich gebe auf, Ich gebe auf.” He put his arms up to surrender.
“Nein, nein.”I shook my head and pulled out Cutter’s Bowie. “Was that your god damn masher that killed my buddy? See the blood on my face you son of a bitch?”
I pointed the knife at him, and his eyes opened wide. He reached for his boot knife as I quickly ran mine through the middle of his neck. He collapsed just as Cutter came rushing through the door. He saw the evil smile on my face as I dipped my fingers in the Germans gushing blood and painted double stripes on either side of my face.
“Let’s go find some more,” I said. Cutter grabbed his Bowie out of my hand, wiped it on his pant leg and stopped me.
“This isn’t about revenge Harp. We have orders to clean out, not to take things into our own hands. This is the way you’ll get both of us killed. Get ahold of yourself.”
It felt good. It was like killing her father, I thought. I was ready to do it again, over, and over. No surrendering, I thought. As we went further down the street I saw a Jerry hustling away from the action. I trained my Thompson on his back and unloaded. Cutter had to stop me from using my entire clip. “Save your ammo for God’s sake.”
He lost his love, forever…
She pulled her car in front of the barber shop. I sat there looking at her. A woman was walking her dog down the street. Some high school kids were piling into the drug store, heading to the soda fountain. Hugh was cutting hair and looking at us over the top of his spectacles.
“This my love, is you’re home. Start over and make this place your life Trysten. Goodbye.”
As she pulled away, I took a long walk down Main Street towards St. Paul’s. I never felt so empty. She was gone, out of my life and alone again.
A phone call…
“Trysten. It’s Niamh. I have some news. We found her. She’s seventeen and living in North Olmsted, a suburb of Cleveland. I had a detective who stopped her on the way home from school and gave her copies of her birth certificate, adoption papers, and a number to call if she wants to talk to me.”
“Your number Niamh? Won’t the parents take you to court?”
“No, I’ll tell them the information was also sent to me anonymously. My attorney has kept things clean, with no trail. The only one who could get in trouble is your German friend.”
“He’s no friend. He’s got a lot to lose so I’m sure he covered his tracks.”
