From his own youthful church training, John wanted to say “Amen to that,” but held himself back.
“If you and I have not learned enough to call ourselves men at this point in life, after what each of us has been through, we might as well just sit on the beach here for the rest of our lives and see what the next tidal wave brings.”
“Are you saying I should gladly go back to the Navy and put up with the bullshit they’ve been dumping on me, “John said.
“That’s your decision. If you want to stand up for yourself, you can do that, too. Either way it won’t be easy.”
“So, are you going back home to tell your old man off?” John asked.
“I am going to see if the Navy will take me along, when they take you. But I’m not going home to tell anyone off. I’m going home to be myself.
They both smiled, and John offered his hand. “Shake on it?” he said. They shook hands.
Yani listened to his two friends talking and realized that his world would be changing drastically without these two men. “You go back to America, Yani have no bis to protect him and tribe.”
“Yani, you are as strong as Ooma. You know all he did,” McDuff said, “...and more.”
“Yani know how to call ships full of tinkens,” he beamed. “Big Man Duff teach him how.”
“After the war is over, I’ll make it a point to come back for a visit to your island, Yani,” John told him. “Who knows what I’ll bring the next time.”
***
Yani saw the plane first, as it came in slowly and circled the island for a place to set down. McDuff had told Port Moresby that the only possible spot was the lagoon, but the pilot needed to make sure for himself.
“Egg from Heaven come to get Dr. McDuff and John Frum,“ Yani told the natives who were pouring on to the beach. John was wearing his blue dungaree uniform again. McDuff wore his usual khaki shorts and shirt. He no longer had a “well-fed” look and his once-smooth chin was now covered with a full beard. He held a small bundle of things he wished to keep.
“I’ve never flown in a plane before,” John said.
“No problem,” Yani offered. “I fly to Heaven in this egg once. I saw Sheepy-sheep there. Heaven strange place.”
John looked to McDuff for clarification. “They flew him to Australia for Coast Watcher training,” he said without further elaboration.
Fortunately, the landing craft was at the end of the lagoon, leaving enough space for the Navy PBY to put down safely. It was low tide and the retractable wheels were only in about six inches of water when it taxied to where its passengers were waiting. A door popped open and two sailors and a Marine Second Lieutenant climbed out.
“Oh, shit,” John said to McDuff. “Enter the famous Lieutenant Frankie Bartlett, stage left.”
He approached the Americans, now surrounded by Chase Islanders, and John stood at attention. “Apprentice Seaman John Bartlett reporting for heroic rescue, sir!”
Frankie returned the salute. “When are you going to stop being a wise-ass, Johnny? We were worried about you.” He addressed the only white face in the crowd and said, “Second Lieutenant Francis X. Bartlett the Fourth, sir. I assume you are Dr. Moses McDuff?”
“Yes. For a minute I thought you were going to say, Dr. Livingstone, I presume.”
Frankie smiled. “I thought about it,” he said. “I see you have a little baggage. Are you planning to come with us? This is a Navy aircraft, you know.”
“Well, I’m an American citizen waiting to be evacuated from a war zone. I plan to go wherever you are going.”
The Lieutenant turned to look at the LCM. “Is it still seaworthy?” he asked.
“Haven’t the foggiest,” McDuff said.
“It’s resting on the sand, so we don’t know if it will float, sir,” John said.
Lieutenant Bartlett walked down the beach to get a better look inside. Through the open drop-door he could see into the boat. “Where’s the cargo? It’s less than half full.”
“The natives stripped the vessel, sir. We were helpless to restrain them.” John whispered to Frankie, “Get a load of those spears. They know how to use them. It’s best to get the hell out of here while we can.”
The Marine rested his hand on his .45 and said. “O.K., gentlemen, let’s get aboard the plane and return to base.”
Yani hugged McDuff heartily and then did the same with John Frum. “You go to Heaven, now. You tell Jesus I come sometime. Big Man Duff in-tro-doots me to God.”
___
The Chase Islanders held their ears as the PBY revved up its engines for a take off, leaving them with an image that would last a lifetime and be subject to many variations in the retelling.
They were airborne only a short time, staying fairly close to the ocean. Yani watched their profile growing smaller as it finally approached the horizon.
Lieutenant Saburo Sakai, the Japanese ace who shot down Yani’s decoy plane, was returning to the site of his great kill. He had heard the Imperial Army had screwed up badly on the same island. The report was that there were only natives on the island. He wanted to do a fly-by to check for himself. His Mitsubishi was cruising at 10,000 feet, when he saw a U.S. Navy PBY taking off from the island’s lagoon. He was right; it was an American military base.
He climbed almost to the Zero’s maximum altitude and circled the big lumbering plane. When he approached with the sun at his back, the pilot of the PBY was unaware of his presence until the 20mm shells ripped through the starboard engine. The flying boat did a cartwheel into the beautiful azure crystal waters of the South Pacific.
___
Yani stood on the beach, but was unable to see what had taken place beyond the horizon. He spoke to himself in a quiet voice as he looked at the sky, “John Frum, he come back.”
When John Frum Came Page 34