An Okinawan Affair

by Herb Blanchard

  Tomi kept her work schedule around Brad’s duty hours. When he had the weekend duty, she would spend all weekend at the coffee house only going home to sleep and talk to Brad on the phone which was now a necessary fixture in their lives. When he could get time off in the middle of the week after a weekend duty, she would also take time off so they could be together. In the warmer times of the year they would go to one of Okinawa’s great sandy beaches or take an Okinawan ferry to one of the numerous small islands for a day of exploring or trying to find Tomi’s lost relatives. Tomanaga-san had given them a list of relatives that he knew of from the war years or shortly after, but who he was unable to locate since.

  “If you reenlist, you will go back to the States, then to Vietnam. If I can type in English, we will not have to find somebody to translate our letters to each other. I would not wish for some other person to read what I want to write to my lover. It will be very personal.

  “Are you worrying about Vietnam?”

  “Oh, yes, takusan. I do not want you to leave me and I worry that you will go to Vietnam and get hurt. I do not want to be alone, without you. But, I will have Oji-san and my friends. If I go with you to the States, you will go to Vietnam or some other place, and I will be alone with no friends or Oji-san.

  Brad reached for her. They were still sitting on the same side of their table within an arm’s reach of each other even after two years of being together. He drew her into his arms. Kissed her on the forehead tenderly, then lifted her chin and kissed her lips.

  “I guess we are going to have to finally talk about this and figure out what is the best for us as a couple.

  Tell me what you’re thinking about school. I know that you have been talking to people about it so what do you know so far?”

  “I can go to a sukoshi college run by the Americans in Sukiran two nights a week for three hours each time. First it would make my English better and I would learn to write it. At the same time, if we had a typewriter, I could practice what I was learning in class.

  It is the same school that I went to before I met you. I couldn’t speak English at all. Now we can talk. I understand you almost always. I think that you understand me, too. Don’t laugh at me. I can see your mouth. You want to laugh because I sometimes say things wrong. But your Japanese is bad.” Tomi stuck her tongue out at him.

  Brad laughed out loud. “I’m not laughing at you. I’m laughing at myself. I know that my Japanese is terrible and without you I could not get along at all. Except to order yakamesa I would starve. Even then I can’t order chicken fried rice.”

  “I know that you would not really laugh at me, or say I'm stupid, Brad. But I would like to speak better for you and I am afraid that you are going to have to leave someday and I will have to write love letters to you if I want to keep you.

  I am more than afraid. When we see the television about Vietnam, I get very scared knowing that the Navy will one day say, 'Brad Burgess, pack your bags, you are going to Vietnam'. And we will not be able to do anything about it. You are in the Navy, and I think that you like what you do very much and are very good at it.

  I love you very much and want you to be happy. I do not want to make you angry at me because I don’t like what you do, or where you may have to go.”

  Without either really being aware of it, they had stretched out on the tatamis, in each others arms, holding tightly on to each other.

  “Maybe you could enlist in the Seabees and we could ask to be stationed with each other like brothers do.”

  “Eeee! You are crazy. Me with all those Seabees? I could be very rich in a month and buy my way out and come back to Okinawa. Okay. Let’s do it.” Tomi buried her face in Brad’s shoulder.

  “All right. Knock it off. I hear you. You can stop laughing at me now.”

  She looked up at him. Her face was streaked with laughter tears and her mischievous smile had spread across her face. “I think it is a good idea.”

  “When does school start? And how long do you want to go?”

  “It will be on Tuesday and Thursday nights starting on May 24. It is a keep-on class. So I can go for as long as I want. I would just learn more and more English for two, three years. Maybe more.”

  “Do you mean continuous education?”

  “Honto. That is what they called it. I just want to be able to write you letters when you are gone, Brad.”

  “I understand that, Tomi. I think it's a great idea and I’m very proud of you and touched that you care enough about me to do it. I am concerned that it will put more of a load on you. You're working in the coffee house from before 0800 sometimes six or seven mornings a week and stay until 1800, sometimes 1900.”

  “Mama-san said that if you want to, you could help me. On the nights I am in school, I won’t be home for you, so if you don’t have the duty you could stay at the coffee house and be sure that all goes well. If something really bad happens, you could come find me at school. Or go to Mama-san and ask her what to do.

  Besides, you would get a free meal of Japanese or Okinawan food those nights.”

  “I get all the free meals I want already. Why should I work for them?

  Of course I’ll do what I have to so you can go to school. Even run an Okinawan coffee house. What if your customers find out a GI is running the place?”

  “Many of them know you and like you already. Besides, Mama-san will tell them to do it or lump it.”

  “You mean like it or lump it?”

  “See, that is why I want to learn more English.”

  “Have you ever wished that I knew more Japanese, or Okinawan? We talk in English more, and even Mama-san and Oji-san struggle with English so they can talk to me.”

  Tomi looked at him shyly and hesitated to answer. She seemed to be weighing her answer. A small smile crossed her lips before she raised up enough to kiss Brad lightly on his lips. “I don’t want to hurt your feelings and I am sure Oji-san and Mama-san feel the same.”

  “I won’t cry or get angry if you hurt my feelings. I'll never make you sleep by yourself, no matter what you say to me.”

  Tomi hugged him tighter before speaking softly. “You are very shy and you try to speak Japanese, but you are very bad at it. It is like you cannot hear how we speak. I watch you and sometimes you get very red faced because you do not understand what I have said, or you do not speak it right. It is not as hard for us to speak as we do to you. We love you and do not want to embarrass you or make you feel bad about yourself.”

  Brad hugged her and held her knowing how much courage it had taken her to tell him the truth.

  “Thank you, Tomako. It's alright and I do appreciate how you all care for me. I’ll tell you something about my education. When I was in high school, I had to take two years of a language so I could go to college. After a month in Spanish class, I knew that I could never pass it, much less do it for two years. So I chose to take the college entrance exams rather than take a foreign language. I would get so embarrassed that I could not speak or even practice the language in front of the class.

  I understand more Japanese than I will ever be able to speak. To me it is not a problem. This way I do not have to speak and show how dumb I am.

  “Eeee. You are not dumb, just stubborn, but I love you anyway.”

  THIRTY-SIX

  Friday morning Brad was leaving the Public Works area after the usual Friday morning personnel inspection.

  “Hey, Brad. Have you got a minute? I think that we can find a cup of coffee in my office.” Mr. Winters came across the driveway to meet Brad halfway. “I have a deal you might be interest in.”

  “Now you have stirred up my curiosity, Sir. Especially if you throw in a cup of fresh coffee.”

  “It’s not Navy or commissary coffee either. Our daughter sent us coffee beans from the States and I’m going to share them with you.”

  “I smell something here besides a deal that is i
n my best interest. Obviously Arlene is in on it, or else you stole the beans from her kitchen.”

  “I think it will be in your best interest.” Mr. Winters said again while pouring Brad a cup of coffee. “First things first. We, meaning this Command and us here in Public Works, have to ship out most of our Seabees to Port Hueneme for duty and eventually Vietnam.

  What I propose you do is to extend your present enlistment for say, one year. Base the extension on transfer to an MCB at Port Hueneme. An MCB getting ready for deployment back to RVN. Go on their deployment to Vietnam and by then your extension will be running out and you can reenlist In-Country. Make a condition of shipping over another tour here at Naha, or Camp Kinser, which by the way is being transferred back to the Seabees.

  You interested? Or will we just have a cup of coffee and then go on with our day?”

  “Of course I’m interested, but I want to know about all the catches, which I know from experience after 4 years in the Navy, exist. The Navy never gives anything out of the goodness of their collective hearts. The catch is always there.”

  “Smart-ass-boot.” Mr. Winters chuckled and looked with affection at Brad. “I knew that this wouldn’t be an easy sell.”

  “Well Don, I have Tomako to think about.”

  “So how are you guys doing? Great, I hope.”

  “Actually we are great. She's going to English class and wants a typewriter so that we can communicate directly with each other when I leave. She’s very practical and also realistic. She knows we can’t put off the inevitable much longer.

  So, the catches?”

  “I won’t kid you Brad, we can only guarantee that we will approve the transfer. We can’t guarantee the transfer itself. That is going to be based on the Navy’s, and in this case, the Seabee’s needs. You are in a critical career field and you made E-5, second class, in 4 years. A very nice evaluation for promotion. ” Winters hesitated again and met Brad’s eyes. Smiled and slowly shook his head. “You have to ship for 6 more. Years, not months. I read your smart ass-mind. If we have a chance of it happening.”

  Brad started to laugh with his friend. He hesitated before asking what had very suddenly, become his top thought. “What’s the ship over bonus for six years?”

  “Six thousand cash up front if you do it here. Over fourteen thousand if you go to Vietnam and ship over there.”

  “You’re kidding me?”

  “No.”

  “You know that I’ll have to talk all this over with Tomi? We’ll need to digest it and it is quite a gut full and I’ll want to take a few days before I answer.”

  “I understand that and you have until you hit the 90 day mark. Which is how long?”

  “Today is 6 May. My hitch is up on 18 August, which gives us plenty of time.”

  “Is there any chance that you and Tomi want to get married? I know that you’ve been together for quite a while.”

  “I don’t think getting married is the question. We will do that someday after I convince her that she doesn’t have to go to CONUS. That she can stay here on the island. Though we won’t be together all the time, we will have a decent relationship. Neither of us is interested in anybody else and would rather have each other part time.”

  “Have you considered staying here as a civilian?”

  “We have, but the opportunities aren’t that great or that plentiful. The Navy seems to be the answer. It isn’t anything that we've settled on. Vietnam worries Tomi. After being alone for most of her life, she finally finds what she wants in life and the chance that it could be jerked out from under her is scary. Truthfully Don, it scares the hell out of me also.

  I have a feeling that this discussion was only part of what you wanted to talk about.”

  “Perceptive aren’t you? Actually it’s Arlene who wants a favor and I volunteered to ask you for her. It was that or cook my own dinner for a month.

  She is on a committee in the Officer’s Wives Club that is going to build a gift shop at White Beach. They have a spot picked out and have everybody’s permission to build it there. The problem is that the spot is three feet lower than the existing road and is right on the drainage ditch that goes into a culvert just south of the EM Club. They need somebody to haul and compact coral fill on the area so the foundation can be poured. If you’re willing to go out there for a day or so to do it, we’d really appreciate it.”

  “It doesn’t sound like any big deal, but I do know that we can’t use Navy equipment for a project like that during regular working hours. Kinda like the work we did around the Navy Housing area here at NAF.”

  “You are so clever. What is it going to cost me?”

  “How about a 72 hour pass?”

  “When?”

  “Whenever Tomi can make a deal with Mama-san to take three days off from the coffee house.

  I’ll check with Ashamini to see when the equipment we need will be in White Beach. I’ll need the loader, dozer and dump truck and will figure I can do it in one weekend if I stay over and work dawn to dusk.”

  “They’re taking the equipment out there Monday to work on the White Beach roads. It will be there all week and maybe into the following week.”

  “Now who is the clever one? How come you know about this and I don’t?”

  “Charlie Lawton and I went out there the other day and decided the road needed its annual maintenance done soon. We also anticipated that it would cost us something considering who we were dealing with.”

  “My God. What kind of reputation am I getting around here?”

  “Unanswerable. Would you stop in and tell Charlie that it’s a go and keep me posted about the other thing as well?”

  ”Yes Sir. And thank Arlene for the great coffee.”

  Mr. Winters opened a desk drawer and pulled out a small paper bag. “ She said to give you this to take home to Tomi. If you agreed to do it.”

  Brad took the bag of beans from his friend with a smile. “Thanks again.”

  Brad had gone home, showered and changed into civilian clothes before going to the Kokusai Coffee House to pick up Tomi. It was only 1830 when he went down the stairs and entered the coffee house.

  He waved at Michako who stood at the hostess station, and then walked back into the kitchen to where Tomi had enclosed a back corner to make herself a small office.

  She stood when he opened the door and took the two short steps to get around her desk and into his arms. Brad hugged her and tasted the salty flavor from cooking on her lips. “How I love the taste of soy sauce after a hard day in the sun.”

  “Why are you smiling so much? What did you do?”

  “I didn’t do anything. Yet, but I will if I get a chance.”

  Tomi rolled her eyes in mock despair, then kissed him again. “I’m ready to go home. It has been a busy day, but I am all done with the papers for last month. Do you mind if we fix something to eat at home, Brad? I don’t want to see the inside of a restaurant or even the dining room of the Kokusai Coffee House.”

  “I do understand and I’m all for it. Tomorrow I can come in with you and do some things that need doing. Okay?”

  “Oh yes. Domo arigato, Brad. I do love who you are.

  We can stop to get some fresh sushi and sashimi on the way home if you would like. And maybe a biru for us to share.”

  “Hai. That is an excellent idea. A biru? What are we celebrating? You getting stinko?”

  “I’m not going to get stinko, Brad.”

  “I know my Love. You just fall to sleep every time we share a beer with supper. Than I have to undress you to put you to bed.”

  “You never complain. I know that you like to undress me. I can see it in your eyes right now. I can feel my panties slipping down over my hips.”

  “My God woman, you are terrible. Hurry up so I can get you home and get you to drink half of my beer.”

  “I had an interesting talk with Mr. Winters this morning
, about my shipping over and a nice bonus.”

  While they ate, Brad repeated what he had been told as well as adding his own feelings about the deal and what he and Tomi wanted from life.

  “We have at least two weeks before I can do anything about it, and until August before we have to do it. So we can talk and think about it until we are sure it's what we want. Right now, off the top of my head, I’m not sure that I want to commit to 6 more years. It's a long time to be committed to. I’m not sure I trust the Navy enough to do it.”

  “You trust Mr. Winters? But not the Navy?”

  “That’s about right. Their interpretation of a deal, or contract, isn’t always how a normal person interprets it. The Navy sometimes puts their own meaning on it.”

  Tomi was lost in thought holding his beer after taking a small sip. She lifted the bottle and took a good healthy drink. Choking and red faced, she exclaimed, “Eeee! How can you drink this stuff? I thought that I was drinking tea until it came out my nose. It burns, Brad.”

  “No kidding.” He responded and went to the kitchen and brought her back a glass of water. “Drink some of this. It will help.”

  “Domo. It is making it better.”

  “I would advise against exhaling beer through your nose. You are supposed to drink it through your mouth.”

  Tomi gave him a look that for her could be described as ‘a dirty look’. He had to look really close to see any hostility in her look.

  “Are you going to eat those two pieces of sushi?” Brad asked her.

  “Yes, I am thanks.”

  “You’re just eating them because they’re my favorites and you know that I want them.”

  “Yes.”

  “Payback is hell you know that, Tomako?”

  “Since you used my full name, I will guess that you are seriously–--I think what you are doing is threatening me.

  Is that the word I want, Brad?” Tomi asked with her mischievous smile spreading across her face. She tried hard to remain serious but lost the battle.

  “How much money if you go to Vietnam and ship over there?”

  “About 14,000 dollars. Quite a bit of money, Hon.”

  “That is for 6 more years in the Navy, neh?”