“She said, ‘good morning,’ said Eddie, amused at his friend’s awkward reply.
“Oh, OK. Well, good morning to you.”
“Sakura, this is my friend, Charles.”
“Charlie-san,” replied Sakura with a bow. “Hajimemashite.”
“Pleased to meet you,” said Buddy attempting to bow in response but feeling very foolish.
Sakura replied in Japanese, but again Buddy was at a loss as to the meaning. But she was smiling, so he figured it must be OK.
As Eddie and Sakura chatted, Buddy quickly discovered that it was undeniably true that she spoke very little English. Emphasis on the word ‘little,’ he thought.
Just inside Kikkou Park, Eddie parked the car and then led the entourage toward the ancient landmark. It bothered Buddy that Sakura always walked behind him and she did a lot of bowing.
“Kintai Bridge was built in the 1600s,” said Eddie pointing to the long arched structure. “I think it’s somewhere around 600 feet long.”
The landmark bridge was made up of four arches that spanned between five pillars.
“About five years ago, typhoon Kijia destroyed the bridge so it’s only recently been rebuilt. As I understand it, still looks the same. They say it’s stronger than ever.”
“I assume the river has a name,” said Buddy, who was captivated by his surroundings.
“Yep. The Nishiki River. After dark, you’re going to see something astounding happen on the water.”
As they walked over the bridge, Buddy wondered how a girl following behind constituted a date. No hand holding, no touching, and hardly any conversation. Surely there was more to their relationship than this. Reminded Buddy of a puppy following its master. But, if Eddie believed Sakura to be his girlfriend, then so be it. At least, she giggled a lot and seemed genuinely happy.
“To be honest, I was surprised that you were in the Corps,” said Eddie. “Figured you would still be working for the state. Who did they give the full-time job to?”
“Will Hottle got it,” said Buddy.
“Thought you were a lock on that gig.”
“No. They gave it to Will,” said Buddy, even though the job was initially offered to him, information that he kept to himself.
Buddy was impressed with the scenery but, in his opinion, it paled in comparison to the beauty of the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. There was one thing, though, that really caught his attention, the white snakes of Kikko Park. He couldn’t imagine that they had established a sanctuary for snakes or that those slinky critters were the objects of prayer. The only fitting prayer involving a snake he reasoned was, Please, Lord. Don’t let there be any.
At nightfall, lighted torches could be seen over the river. Eddie picked up the tab for the three of them to take a boat ride on the Nishiki River.
“Do much fishing back home?” asked Eddie, who was finally showing affection to Sakura by putting his arm around her.
“Used to. Never had much luck, but it was fun.”
“Maybe you were doing it wrong. Tonight you’re going to learn a new way to fish, well, actually an old way. Ever heard of Cormorant fishing?”
“Can’t say that I have.”
The oarsman propelled the boat through the darkness, aided only by the light of a torch, and maneuvered in the direction of a group of other small fishing vessels. Sakura clapped her hands excitedly, said something unintelligible, and pointed to some fishermen who were throwing what looked like ropes into the water.
“Did you see that?” said Eddie, entertained by Sakura’s enthusiasm.
A crowd had gathered on the bridge and they were applauding just as zealously as Sakura.
“What am I looking for?”
Eddie laughed. “Watch the fishermen.”
Were they lassoing fish with their ropes? Maybe all the fuss was over their colorful clothing. They were decked out, for sure. Headgear, aprons, straw skirts. And then Buddy saw it. “Oh, my goodness. Will you look at that?”
They were now close enough for Buddy to see the ancient fishing technique utilizing Cormorant birds. The ropes that he saw earlier were tied to the necks of the aquatic birds which were then thrown into the water and whenever fish were caught, the birds were hauled back into the boat. Buddy actually thought that it was unfair to steal the bird’s dinner from its mouth, but he kept his observation to himself. Judging from the approving crowd, his opinion was uniquely his own.
“Who’s hungry?” asked Eddie while the show continued.
Sakura shrieked with delight, but Buddy wasn’t so sure. It’s not that he wasn’t hungry. He just wasn’t thrilled about the choices. Eating at the chow hall was safer and closer to what he used to get back home. “I’m good. Ate a big lunch before we left.”
“Nihon-soba,” beamed Sakura. “Hai.”
“That’ll work,” said Eddie.
Buddy had no idea what they were talking about and he was ready to return to the base. He hoped to get another letter written to Sally before the end of the day. As their boat neared shore, Buddy considered a tactful way to persuade Eddie that it was time to wrap up the tour.
“You like noodles, don’t you?” asked Eddie sensing Buddy’s reluctance to sample the local cuisine.
“Yeah.”
“Then you’ll like Nihon-soba…Japanese noodles. There’s a noodle hut not far from here. That’s all they serve…but I promise you’ll like it.”
Buddy was physically removed from Strasburg by 7,000 miles, but his heart remained there. The old expression, ‘Home is where the heart is,’ fit him like a glove. He was willing to try new things but, thus far, he had yet to find anything better than that from which he had come. So, when Eddie asked Buddy how he liked the noodles, he responded with the most diplomatic response possible. “They were OK.”
Eddie was ready for some one on one time with his girlfriend so he dropped Buddy off at the base. It was after lights-out, negating Buddy’s desire to write another letter to Sally. But first thing, Sunday morning, before attending Chapel, he composed a lengthy letter that began with, “Wish you were here. Boy, do I ever.”
He also included information that he had neglected to share with Sally in their phone conversation. “You’re never going to believe who is serving in the Corps with me over here in Japan. Eddie Johnson. Yes, that Eddie Johnson. The one that was always begging you to go out with him.”
Sally Sounds the Alarm – April 29, 1955
Buddy’s first letter to Sally arrived a week after it was written. Since his phone call, she had been so excited that her mother suggested that she spend a few days with her grandmother. But Sally insisted that she needed to be there when the U.S. Postal Service made her delivery.
The thickness of the envelope led her to believe that Buddy had done a lot of writing. And when she ripped it open, there was no disappointment. Inside she found a 6-page letter and a photo of her Marine in his dress uniform. The picture alone was enough to take her breath away.
“Hope you like to write,” he said. “Plan on writing every day and I expect the same from you. Ha!”
She soaked in every word, loved everything he had to say until she came to the part about Eddie. Worst of all, Buddy referred to Eddie as his ‘friend.’ She was fully persuaded that the change Buddy saw in Eddie Johnson was a ruse. That evil monster is up to something and it can’t be good.
Sally flashed back to her problems with Eddie that started soon after the summer of ’53. She was settling back into dorm life at William and Mary, had only been there for a few days when a letter arrived from a ‘mystery admirer.’ At first, she thought it was a prank by a friend. The writer talked about how he was ‘captivated by her beauty’ and ‘longed for the day when he could hold her in his arms.’ Creepy thoughts from an anonymous author.
It really didn’t bother her until she received a second letter, and then a third. Each one, progressively more intimate. How did this weirdo get her college mailing address? Whoever it was, knew that she had worked as
a waitress at the West Point Hotel Restaurant. ‘Fell in love with you the first time I saw you in that white uniform.’
She did find out how Mystery Admirer accessed her mailing address. Her mother was to thank for that. ‘When he showed up at the door, he said he was an old friend of yours. Seemed like a nice enough fellow. Charming as all get out. Told me he had a crush on you for the longest but he kept it quiet out of respect for you and his good friend, Charles. So, I invited him in, made us a sandwich and showed him some of your old school pictures. When I told him that you and Charles broke up, he sounded real interested in you and him getting together, so I told him to look you up. We had a real nice visit.’
“What was his name?
“I think it was Leroy. Yeah, that’s it. Leroy. Didn’t catch his last name.”
“Mother, have you lost your mind? I don’t know anybody named Leroy.”
“Oh, my. Who do you suppose that was?”
Sally was livid. Never so angry with her mother. “What did he look like?”
“Well, he was about your height. Slender. Wavy black hair. Nice tan.”
“Doesn’t ring a bell. If that fellow ever shows back up at the house again, call the police, and for God’s sake, don’t let him in.”
Sally was so upset with her mother that she considered going to a friend’s house for Thanksgiving. If not there, then definitely Grandma Duffy’s home.”
Just before the holiday, Sally received a phone call.
“Who is it?” she asked the girl who had knocked on her door.
“Didn’t say.”
Sally rushed downstairs to the dorm lobby and picked up the receiver. “Hello.”
“Hello. How are you?”
“Who is this?”
The caller laughed. “You don’t know?”
Oh, my Lord, she thought. This is Mystery Admirer. “What’s your name?”
“You haven’t figured it out by now? My, my. Gave you so many clues.”
“If this is some kind of joke, it isn’t funny.”
“Tell you what. Let’s meet. Then you’ll kick yourself for not solving the mystery.”
“That’s not going to happen…and you need to leave me alone or I’m going to report you to the police.”
“Whoa. Wait a minute here. I was just having a little fun. How about you bring some friends along. We can meet at the place of your choosing. And when you see me you’ll know right away that there’s nothing to worry about. We’ll all have a big laugh. You won’t be sorry.”
Everything in Sally told her to refuse his offer to meet but, then again, this may be the only way to put a stop to his harassment. “OK. How soon can we get this over with?”
“Five minutes.”
“What?” Maybe this was a fellow student, after all. “The Burger Barn in 15 minutes.”
“You got it.”
Hopefully, Sally’s ordeal was about to come to an end. It took some persuading and the promise of free burgers, but she successfully rounded up three willing participants.
During their walk to the campus hangout, the girls debated Sally’s mystery.
“If he’s cute, he’s mine,” said Mona.
“Maybe it’s a professor. Dr. Houseman has been making eyes at you,” said Shirley.
“Don’t be silly,” objected Sally.
Once inside the Burger Barn, Sally looked for a familiar face. Suddenly, she spotted him in a corner booth, grinning from ear to ear. “That’s him.”
“So, you know him.”
“Unfortunately, yes,” said Sally, now wondering how she missed it. Who else could be so creepy?
“Is it safe to go over there?” asked one of the girls.
“As long as we don’t go anywhere with him.”
Eddie was the son of a master car salesman and he had inherited his father’s talent for persuasion, sufficient to sell ice to an Eskimo. When the girls sat down, he turned on the charm and everybody was buying it, except the object of his affection. To Sally, he was repulsive, with a capital R. However, ‘no’ had a different meaning in Eddie’s dictionary. It merely meant, ‘keep at it until you get what you want,’ which is exactly what he did.
Sally couldn’t believe it when she walked away from there. Eddie was set to pick her up to go to a movie the following evening. She was a fool and she knew it. It didn’t help that her girlfriends encouraged the meeting. They thought Eddie was so romantic and fun.
She agonized over her decision right up until the time he showed up to pick her up. Even thought about calling it off but she knew the Mr. Slick and Smooth, as her friends called him, would just talk her out of it.
Eddie played all the right cards. Showed up with red roses and a box of chocolates for Sally’s friends. And his car wasn’t just any car, brand new, right off the lot. The guys she went out with all drove automobiles that were barely more than junk. Eddie’s Ford Fairlane Crown Victoria was something special.
The movie showing at the Williamsburg Movie House was Mr. Roberts starring Henry Fonda and Jack Lemmon. In those days, there was no such thing as multiple screens in one location. What was playing was the only choice. Not long after the jumbo popcorn and Cokes were consumed, Eddie made his first unwelcome move. She knew what he was up to. First the arm stretching…and then one of those arms would land conveniently over her shoulders. Her prediction was right on the mark.
Sally whispered, “No,” and attempted to push his arm away.
“Oh, that?” said Eddie. “That don’t mean nothing. Just need more room.” In other words, he had no intentions of honoring her request, at least, for a while. When he did finally comply, she wished he had not. That’s when his hand rested on her leg.
Sally had enough. She gritted her teeth and left nothing to interpretation. “Move your hand, now.” She pushed…but he resisted. That’s when she jumped up from her seat and rushed out of the theater.
Eddie followed in hot pursuit. Once on the sidewalk, he stopped her. “Wait. You got it all wrong. I wasn’t trying to do nothing but show you a little affection. Come on, baby. Let’s just go get something to eat.”
“Don’t call me, baby,” said Sally, who was watching for a cab or, if need be, a cop.
Eddie begged her to give him a second chance. “I’ll sit on one side of the table and you can sit on the other. And you can order whatever you want…no matter how much it costs. You pick the restaurant.”
Reluctantly, since there was no cab in sight, Sally acquiesced. “I pick the place.”
“Right.”
She picked it alright. The best she knew about, anyway. “OK. Take me to the Café Williamsburg. But if you lay a hand on me, I’m calling a cop.”
“You’re funny,” said Eddie, who then laughed at what he thought was a joke.
“That was no joke,” said Sally.
Luckily for Sally, the Café Williamsburg was less than a mile away. She wanted as little time alone with him in his flashy automobile as possible. Thankfully, the meal went on without incident. She ordered the most expensive item on the menu, he stayed on his side of the table, and he kept his hands and feet to himself.
On the way back to the dorm, Eddie took a detour.
“Why are we going this way?” said Sally, fearing that he was up to something unseemly.
“Just going to make a little stop in the park.”
“No way. Take me home, how.”
Eddie parked the car in a grove of trees. “Look at all the beautiful stars.”
“Are you going to take me back to the dorm or not?”
“In a little while. Just wanted to get to know you a little better,” said Eddie, who then grabbed her arm and attempted to pull her closer.
Sally was done talking. Like before, she pushed his hand away, threw open the car door, and took off running. Eddie gave chase, called her name, all the while assuring her that he meant her no harm. In the distance, she could see the lights from a baseball field. If she could just make it to that crowd of people.
She stood there for a while, trying to calm her nerves, and catch her breath. Dare she go back the way she came? Once back on the road, she could find her way out of the park.
Then she heard that all too familiar arrogant voice. “Don’t know why you ran off? Looks like you wanted to go to the ballgame. We’ll just go over there.” From behind a tree, Eddie appeared, and slowly walked toward her.
Sally didn’t move.
“That’s a good girl. I wouldn’t hurt you for the world.”
Pretending to have surrendered to his advances, Sally reached out for his hands and pulled him gently toward her while smiling, looking longingly into his eyes. When he moved in for a kiss, Sally yanked his arms with all her might, quickly stepped aside, and watched as he tumbled out of sight.
In the days that followed, she stayed on top of the news, thinking that she might hear about what happened to him. But there was nothing…until Buddy mentioned Eddie in his letter.
Now Sally had a decision to make. At this point in her relationship with Buddy, she sure didn’t want to announce that she once dated Eddie. But Buddy deserved to know what he was up against. Like her friends said, Eddie is ‘slick and smooth’ and will tell you what you want to hear to get what he wants. Knowing now that Eddie survived when she pushed him down the embankment, Eddie may be using Buddy to get back at her.
In her letter, Sally wrote, “Beware of Eddie Johnson. He’s a snake in the grass. You can’t believe anything he says.”
Enforcing the Law – May 1, 1955
In 1955, the Iwakuni Air Base was shared by three branches of the U.S. military. The Air Force had only recently relinquished control and the Navy was in the process of taking over. Regardless of who was in charge, there was a strong emphasis on a good relationship with their Japanese neighbors. As part of the campaign to strengthen ties to the community, the air base hosted an annual air show on the 1st Sunday in May, called Friendship Day. It was also an especially important day for the military police assigned to the base, who were charged with ensuring security for the facility and safety for the visitors.
Farewell PFC Polk: The End of a Nightmare (In the Valley of Hope Book 2) Page 18
