by Riker, Becky
A few minutes later, Sara was surprised to find her mother laughing at the story,” She really said that? Good for her.”
“Mother,” Sara snapped, “how can you laugh about such a thing? She's cheating on all her tests.”
Sig sobered, “I suppose you are right. It is no laughing matter that you accused Karlijna of cheating.”
“If you saw her arms you would –”
“I have seen her arm. If you would get to know her instead of spending all your time with Melba, you might understand.”
“Melba is in the same situation I am. We're both waiting for the men to come home so we can get married. She understands why I am so angry with the Germans – none of you do.”
Sig cleared her throat, “Who is Melba waiting for?”
Sara's jaw dropped, “I can't believe you don't know.”
Sig shook her head, “I think Melba is mistaken if she thinks your brother has any feelings for her.”
Sara huffed, “Why would he write to her so often then?”
“He writes to her?” Sig hated to think her son would lead Melba on like that.
“He writes to her a lot. She just got one yesterday, in fact.”
Sig's eyebrows went up.
“See?” Sara asked, “Even we haven't gotten one for the past week.”
Sig tucked this information away for future reference.
Melba waved at the Gunderson family as they came into church. Only Sara waved back.
Ellie whispered into Karlijna's ear, “Melba is trying to get friendly with our family so she can have Michael when he gets back.”
Karlijna was not going to enter into gossip about anyone, but she did wonder if it was true – and if it would work.
Following the service, Karlijna went back to the house and sat down to write a letter to Michael. She couldn't do it, though. She was unable to set aside what Ellie said about Melba.
Maybe Michael was going to marry Melba. The thought did not sit well with Karlijna. He was a good man and Melba seemed. . . Karlijna couldn't put her finger on it, but she didn't seem like she was the kind of woman he would choose. Of course, he and Melba had known each other for years, and maybe they had formed an attachment that way.
Karlijna couldn't figure out why the thought left her feeling so sick, but she knew trying to write a letter now was useless. She put down her pen and tucked the paper back into the drawer.
Two days later, she picked up her pen again. She had promised to write to Michael even though she hadn't heard from him for a while. She had been faithful so far and she wasn't going to let a little gossip stop her. Hopefully, he was going to be able to send and receive mail again soon.
Dear Michael, May 5, 1944
Today was a tiring day. I had three final examinations: French, geography, and algebra. I believe I passed all three. I am certain I did quite well on the French test, and the geography was not too difficult, but I am still not comfortable with algebra.
Ellie and I went to a party tonight at Sally Howard's house. Her brother, Arnold, is leaving to join the Army. Ellie told me their older brother Robert joined the Air Force at the same time as you. I don't suppose you are anywhere near enough to speak to him as his family says he never writes.
I am grateful you do write to us and am looking forward to the time when you will be able to start writing again. I've missed your letters, and I admit that I have been tempted to worry. It is easier to believe you are safe when I hear from you every week. Even if you just write to say things are not going well, I know you are well enough to write.
I'm afraid Sara is still unhappy with me. It is as you have said, I think. She sees me as a reminder that Harry is fighting. A couple days ago she saw the prison markings on my arm and became upset. She did not know what they were. I should have explained it to her, but I'm afraid I became irritated and left.
Sara does not understand that we are not fighting against Germans, but against evil. She thinks we fight the people.
I pray for her nearly as much as I do for you, my dear friend.
Karlijna
She had just sealed her letter when Ellie came bursting into the room and threw herself on the bed, “Can you believe we graduate in a week?”
Karlijna turned in her seat to look at her friend, “If I had been having trouble, I wouldn't be by now. You've been reminding me of it nearly every day for a month.”
Ellie sat up, “I'm so excited – and nervous.”
“Nervous? About what? You aren't speaking or singing at the ceremony. All we have to do is walk up on stage and shake your father's hand.”
Ellie stood up and sighed, “I know, but I'm still nervous.”
“I think you're more nervous about what comes after graduation.”
Ellie leaned against the door, “I just don't know if I want to go to school.”
“That's what you said last week, but I don't understand. You've already been accepted to Bethel. You said it is what you've wanted to do for a long time.”
Ellie shrugged, “I wouldn't be so scared if you went with me.”
Karlijna shook her head, “I can't. It is too expensive. And I wouldn't know what to study anyway.”
Ellie stood back up, “'Night, Karli. I'm too tired to think.”
The week leading up to the day of the graduation was filled with warm and sunny days. However, the morning of the ceremony brought pouring rain. The girls stood in the living room frowning at the puddles forming on the sidewalks and street.
“Staring at it won't make it go away,” Will joined them.
Ellie and Karlijna sighed in unison.
“We were going to have the graduation outside if it was nice,” Ellie reminded him.
“I suppose we could see if the rest of the young ladies are still willing to do that.”
Ellie laughed, “Thanks, Dad. I think we'll pass,” she brightened, “but it might stop before church is over.”
The rain did stop by noon, but the gray clouds promised more to come.
All the girls stood in their fresh white dresses, each with a neatly dressed young man at her side.
Karlijna's escort was Ronald Kendrick. He was kind and attentive before the ceremony and during the reception afterwards. However, Karlijna couldn't pay attention. She was too busy thinking about what she was going to tell Michael. She was relieved when Will told her it was time to go home.
Dear Michael, May 14, 1944
A year ago I would not have believed that today would be possible. I graduated from high school.
Ellie and I made our own dresses. Actually, Ellie did most of the work on both of them. They were nearly matching, but mine had long sleeves. At first Ellie was going to put long sleeves on hers as well, but I convinced her to put the short frilly ones on instead.
We tried to do our hair alike as well, but Ellie's straight hair looks severe pulled back at her neck and mine does not stay nicely rolled into the twist she put hers in. My curls pop out all over the place.
Your mother cried throughout the service, and I think your father may have had a tear in his eye by the end as well.
The biggest surprise was when I got my diploma and your father called out Karlijna Bergstrom Gunderson. I wasn't certain I had heard him, but when I got up to shake his hand I looked down and he had written it on my diploma as well. Later he told me it was because he wanted me to know that I was part of the family.
I'm going to bed now. I continue to pray for your safety in body, mind, and soul.
Karlijna
The next day, the family received letters from Michael.
Dear Karlijna, April 22, 1944
Thank you for all your letters. I returned to the base to find stacks of letters for me. Nobody gets as many letters as I do. It is not good for my ego, perhaps, because I am in danger of thinking too highly of myself. However, it is good for my morale.
I also must thank you for your hand in getting mail to Sam. Ellie writes with enthusiasm and was good for him. You wou
ld have liked to have seen his face when I told him he had some mail. He thought someone must have died. When I told him it was just from my little sister who had heard me speak of him, he was sheepish. I had to repeatedly assure him I had not asked her to do it. He sat down instantly to reply to her.
I hope you did not worry too much when you did not hear from me sooner. I had thought we would be back here in a couple weeks, but it took much longer. There were times when I wondered if we would see victory, but we did succeed.
Mom wrote that you and Ellie were very near the top of your class. Your algebra test must have turned out better than you thought. Do you know what you want to do yet?
Ellie told me in one letter that she was going to go study at Bethel. In the next one she said she didn't think she wanted to do that after all. I hope she is able to make up her mind before the fall comes. Sam said he was going to encourage her to follow her dream of becoming a nurse. He began medical school himself and then quit because he felt his country needed him. He hopes to return when the war is over.
Sara wrote me once, and it was to tell me I should be careful about writing so often to you. She was afraid it would cause people to talk. Do you feel I am compromising you by corresponding with you? I don't imagine you are sharing my letters much outside of the family because nobody would be interested in them, so I can't see why anyone would think it was odd. It seems natural to write to you. I look forward to it more than just about anything else at this time.
I get a ten day leave starting tomorrow. I am going to visit my uncle. I wish I had time to come home and see all of you.
Michael
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Sig was glad her husband had summers off. She enjoyed the time with him. They usually took a family vacation in July. What she did not like was the two weeks following graduation. Will was so busy trying to tie up loose ends that he didn't have time for anything at home. Unfortunately, Sig needed to talk to him.
She was concerned about the response she had gotten from Michael to a question she had asked. There were some things that should be discussed the boy's father.
Mom, April 22, 1944
I wish you hadn't found out that I wrote even one letter to Melba. I didn't mean it to turn out this way. I spoke to her before I left to be sure she knew I had no romantic feelings. However, somewhere along line she thought my feelings had changed. I wrote to her to tell her I couldn't write anymore. She has continued to write, but I never did write again, and I have not read her letters. My friend, Sam, bundled the first few and returned them to her, but I have thrown the rest.
By the way, I should tell you that Karlijna's birthday is June twenty-fifth. If you haven't gotten that out of her by this point, you probably won't now. In case I forget, her sister's birthday is in October and her brother's the middle of December. Those are certain to be difficult times for her.
Please accept my apology if you are put in an awkward position by my actions toward Melba. I sincerely believed it would be harmless.
I am going to breakfast now.
Michael
As it was, Sig had to think up a response on her own. She prayed for a day, tried to find some time to speak with her husband, and, when that hope never materialized to time for discussion, she sat down to write.
Dear Michael, May 17, 1944
I too am sorry you began writing to Melba. I wish you had not done it, but we cannot take back our actions. I do hope you were clear about not writing again and she isn't still expecting something from you – thinking perhaps the mail has been lost. There is nothing to do now because you can't write again even to reiterate your desire for her to stop sending letters to you.
I am concerned on another point. You are writing very frequently to Karlijna. I was glad of it before, but after reading your last letter, I am concerned. I am not worried about the situation repeating itself with her. I can assure you Karlijna is innocent of your feelings toward her.
My concern is for you and for your heart. I am not saying she will not fall in love with you, but I sincerely doubt it will happen without you telling her what your feelings are. Maybe you do not like to do this by mail, but I'm afraid she will form too definite an idea of you as her brother or cousin in her mind for her to alter should this war continue.
I am not suggesting you leap into a declaration the next time you write, but you might want to begin giving her some hints.
I love you, my son, and I want what is best for you.
Mom
Michael read his mother's letter, amazed to see how strongly it echoed Leif’s thoughts. His uncle had also encouraged him – again – to open his heart to Karlijna. Michael thought the advice was probably sound, but he had no idea how to go about it. He felt jumping in and announcing his love was probably a little too direct, but he had not noticed that she had picked up on any of his subtle hints yet.
Sam had an opinion on that, “Maybe she has,” he laughed at his own joke.
Michael couldn't help by smile, “You don't know Karlijna. She's direct. If she noticed and she was opposed to the idea, she would have told me in no uncertain terms.”
“Probably comes from what she went through,” Sam was talking around a bite of food while perusing his latest letter from Ellie.
“You're now an expert on women, Dixon?”
The man nodded seriously, “Yup.”
“What has my sister been saying to you? I haven't gotten more than a few lines at the bottom of Mom's letters since she started writing to you.”
“She's been telling me about all the stuff you did to her as a kid.”
Michael narrowed his eyes.
“What is she really saying?”
Sam looked serious as he pretended to study his letter.
Michael stood up and grabbed at the paper, but Sam had been anticipating it and moved it out of his friend's grasp.
“Seriously, man,” Sam acted offended, “I'm trying to read. Besides, Ellie says your mom reads everything I write when she gets it and everything she writes before she sends it. It's like our own censor.”
Michael laughed and sat back down, “Now that sound like my mom.”
Dear Karlijna, June 8, 1944
The war is beginning to turn I believe. We have made a significant victory in Italy which you will have read about by the time you receive this letter. I pray, that in the time it takes for this to arrive, there are more victories for the Allies. I do not think that God condones our wars, but He certainly is on the side of the Allies. There is too much wickedness going on because of the depravity of man's heart.
How is your heart? Do you feel like it is healing from that which you suffered? Do you feel you can move on with life and plan for the future? I ask these questions with a purpose, but I am not sure I can give you the purpose behind them until I know your answer to the questions. I am sorry to be vague, but I do believe it is best.
Do you have plans for this fall? I know Ellie is hoping you will take at least one year with her at Bethel. Louisa told me she is hoping you will come to stay with her for a while. I know you well enough to realize you are spending time in prayer about it.
Did I ever tell you that John and Louisa plan on me coming to live with them after the war? It was my grandparents' farm and I loved to go there as a kid. When I was younger, I always said I wanted to be a farmer or a pilot when I grew up. I think I will have had enough of the piloting by the time this war is over.
I enjoyed your last letter – especially the part about going to the movie and losing your shoe in the mud. I'm sure you and Ellie had a good laugh about it. I'm glad you are such good friends.
Sam got promoted to Captain this month. His father even wrote him a letter on the occasion. He is enjoying Ellie's letters. She tells him many of the same stories you do as he has told me one or two things I have already heard from you.
I assume this will get there about in time for your birthday. I wish I could be there with you, but I am sure our family will make
your day as special as possible.
I appreciate your prayers. I know my parents are praying for me, but your time is a precious gift to me.
Michael
Karlijna didn't know how to answer all of Michael's questions. She decided to put the letter aside for a day to think about it.
“Karlijna,” Will called up the stairs, “you have company.”
Karlijna came down expecting to see Genevieve or Sally in the parlor. She tried not to show her disappointment when she realized it was Ronald Kendrick.
“Hi, Ronald,” she greeted him, “what a surprise.”
Actually, it wasn't too much so. He had been to see her several times since graduation. She never knew how to deal with it.
“Would you like to go down to the soda shop with me?”
Karlijna would have said no, but the last time she had done that, he had stayed and visited in the parlor for two hours. At least this would give her an ending point.
“Let me ask Will and Sig,” she said as she stepped out of the room.
They were in the kitchen, cutting up a bowl of strawberries.
“Ronald wants to know if I may go to the soda shop with him,” she tried not to sound grieved by it.
Will grinned broadly, “That would be fine, wouldn't it, Sig?”
Sig was more hesitant, “Is that something you would like to do, Karlijna?”
Karlijna had noticed that Sig had been acting a little strange lately. She had been watching her more closely and asking her how she was feeling, and questions about Michael.
“I guess so,” Karlijna knew she didn't sound too excited, “Ellie won't be back from the hospital for another hour.”
“Did you write back to Michael?”
Karlijna shook her head, “Do you think I should do that first?”
“Of course not,” Will answered, “your brother's letter will keep,” he practically shoved her out the door. “Go have a good time.”
As she was leaving, she heard Sig say, “Michael is not her brother, Will.”
Ronald was talking as they walked downtown, but Karlijna had trouble attending. She tried to give him appropriate answers but wasn't sure she always succeeded by the look on his face once or twice.
