James held up a hand to stop Tommy before he could go any deeper into his long-winded apology. His offer to help find Deborah had created the perfect segue into what he really wanted to discuss. “It’s okay. I didn’t expect her to wait so many years without any news. If she’s truly moved on, well then, I’m happy for her. Besides, we only had that one night together, and then hundreds apart.”
He reached into his pocket and pulled out the photo to show Tommy.
“You still have that?” His friend chuckled, seemingly relieved by James’s reaction to the news of Deborah.
“And somehow I know it. I just know that this picture saved my life. It was the only thing that kept me sane all those months, those years, with the enemy. This woman is more real to me than any memory I have of Deborah—or anything else for that matter. I have to find her, Tommy.” He licked his lips and focused his pleading gaze on his friend. “Will you help me?”
“Help you?” Tommy asked with a baffled look on his face. “I wouldn’t even know where to begin searching for the woman in that picture. For all you know, she’s married…or dead…or something. And what do you know? It can’t be much more that that.”
“I understand all that. I do. But I’ve gotta find her. I just have to.”
Tommy’s expression softened and he hit the steering wheel playfully with the palm of his hand. “Well then, dag nab it. Let’s go find us a mystery woman. But, uhh, let’s get you some rest first. Are you okay staying with me and Diana tonight? You can sleep on the couch. I’m sorry we don’t have something more comfortable.”
“The couch will be perfect.” James laid a hand on Tommy’s shoulder. “Thank you for everything. You have no idea how much this means to me.”
Chapter 5
As Gloria headed home from the factory, she began her search for some kind of sign to tell her whether she should go after the new job in California or stay put right there in Texas. She walked at a more leisurely pace than normal to make sure she didn’t miss anything, but God, it seemed, was in no hurry to tell her His decision.
She arrived home every bit as confused as ever.
“What’s wrong, mija?” Mama asked as she brushed out Gloria’s hair and worked it into a long, tight braid.
Gloria sighed. She couldn’t burden her mother with this. Not until she knew for sure what the best course of action was. “Just tired, Mama. How was your day?”
She listened as her mother talked about her brothers’ many antics, about how she was feeling so much better these days—a statement Gloria knew for certain was a lie. “Still, I do look forward to the school year. Summer seems so long this year, no?”
Summer, fall—what difference did it make? All the days felt the same. No end in sight. No rest, no salvation. A part of her wished she could have died in his place. It wasn’t fair that Rico’s life should be cut short when he had so many dreams he still needed to fulfill, while Gloria remained without anything to inspire her.
“Mama?” she asked, her voice cracking. “What did you want to be when you were a little girl?”
“What kind of question is this?” She finished tying Gloria’s braid and urged her to turn around on the bed so they could sit facing each other, both with their legs crossed Indian-style.
Gloria shrugged. “I was just thinking about Rico and how he wanted to be an artist.”
Mama laughed. “Oh, that boy. He was great at so many things.”
“I still miss him, Mama. Every single day.”
“I know.”
They sat without saying anything else for a few moments. Mama tapped the heel of the brush against her knee pounding out a gentle rhythm. When she had finished with her song, she said, “You know…now that I think about it, my dream was always to become a mama. You and your brothers, you are my dream.” She tried to lean forward to hug Gloria, but the effort was too much.
Gloria happily stood and came to wrap her arms around her mother.
“Thank you, Mama,” she whispered and then kissed the part in her mother’s hair.
She let herself out of the room and went to make supper for her family. She still had no idea what to do about California, but talking to her mother had given her a great deal of relief. Her dream, too, was to be a part of a big, loving family—and, luckily, she already was.
The rest would come in time, if she was patient and trusted in both God and in herself to make the right decision.
* * *
James spent a couple days catching up with Tommy and Diana. They even paid him the honor of naming him the godfather for their unborn child—an honor he hadn’t the slightest idea what to do with, but felt glad to have all the same. When the topics for conversation finally dwindled, James felt the time had come to remind his friend of the promise he’d made to aid in his search.
“About that…” Tommy ran his hands through his hair, which was a few too inches long according to military standards. “You see Diana, right? How close she is to popping? I can’t just leave to go on a wild goose chase for some woman you’re stuck on. I want to help you, I do, but I have to put my family first. You understand, right?”
None of this surprised James, but it still stung. He held his breath rather than sigh. “Can you drive me to base? I’ll get myself home afterward.”
Tommy’s eyes searched his, but James refused to back down. Finally, Tommy sighed and stood. “If you’re sure this is what you want. Just, please. Be careful, Jim. I already lost you once, and I can’t—” His voice broke on that last word. “Little baby Morrison is going to need a godfather. And I’m going to need you too.”
James laughed to lighten the mood. “C’mon, Tom. It’s not like I’m flying back into a war zone. I’m just trying to find someone who’s come to mean a great deal to me. Uncle Sam’s taking good care of me, and I’d hate to impose on you any longer than I have to. Like you said, you’ve got a baby coming any day now. Look, I promise to eat right, get some sleep. But if I don’t at least try to find her, I’ll always wonder. I at least need to know I tried. Now stop acting so serious and get in the car.”
Tommy hugged him. “Maybe I should try to find this girl first, warn her there’s a tall drink of crazy headed her way.” He laughed and slapped his buddy on the back. “C’mon, let’s get gone before Diana wakes up and wonders where I’ve gotten to.”
Now that he knew Tommy supported him at least in principle, James spent the drive to base telling him about all the scenarios he had imagined for meeting the mystery woman, all the various scenes he had pictured in his mind while in captivity.
“Do you love her?” Tommy asked as he shifted the car into park.
“That’s the thing. I don’t know what I feel exactly, and I don’t think I will until I see her face to face, until I get to talk to her.”
“I’ve gotta hand it to you, this is turning out to be one helluva romantic adventure. I hope you find her, and I hope it’s love at first sight. Call me later today, okay? Just so I know you’re doing okay.”
“I will.” James said as he got out of the car, eager to officially begin his search. “Wish me luck.”
“You’ve got it, Jimbo. See ya soon.” Tommy stuck his arm out from the open window and waved, then reversed and headed home to his wife.
James watched the car turn out onto the main street, then gathered his wits about him and walked inside.
“How can I help you?” the administrator asked while sifting through a stack of papers on his desk.
James told the man who he was, where he’d stayed during his time in Korea, and how desperately he needed to find a friend he’d lost touch with after the war. And just in case, he slid the balance of his first pension check across the counter before the clerk could offer any protest. “I appreciate you doing this favor for me. Truly.”
Half an hour later, James emerged from the admin offices with a list of names and numbers clutched in his hand. Now he needed a taxi home so he could make a few—hundred—calls. Who knew? Perhaps before t
he day was through, he’d have uncovered the identity of his mystery woman.
Chapter 6
Gloria took the day off from work. While she couldn’t really afford the missed income, she also couldn’t risk getting even more worn out by forcing herself to go in. After all, that could result in a full week of lost income and quite possibly put her job at risk. So she stayed home and took to cleaning the house from top to bottom, taking frequent breaks to rest and rehydrate.
Around noon the phone rang, which was odd because they rarely received calls—especially during the summer months when the boys weren’t in school.
“Hello?” she asked, pressing the receiver close to her ear.
“Good afternoon. May I please speak to Ricardo Flores the Third?”
She gulped and took in a deep breath as she puzzled over how much to reveal to this stranger. What if he was some salesman trying to hock his wares? But then again what if he was one of Rico’s friends from the service? Whatever the case, the man behind the voice seemed desperate for an answer.
“Hello, Miss? Is Ricardo available?”
She shook her head and studied the pattern on the kitchen’s linoleum floor. “No, I’m sorry. Rico… He died overseas.” She found it strange how little emotion her voice held despite the weight of the news she’d been forced to deliver. Would it still be this difficult to talk about Rico in past tense after a few more years had passed?
“Oh.”
Pause.
“I’m very sorry to have bothered you.”
Pause.
“And I’m sorry for your loss.”
Gloria waited for the man to speak again, but instead the receiver clicked over and the call ended. Why had this man sounded so stricken even before hearing of Rico’s death? And why had he called in the first place?
Well, it seemed like she would never know. She hoped whatever the man had wanted, it wasn’t important.
* * *
James spun the rotary to eight, then let it spin back into place. Four. Spin. Nine. Spin. The dial of numbers had become a blur. Each number had seven digits plus an area code, and he’d called maybe a hundred, maybe two hundred that morning. Still he was no closer to finding his mystery woman.
He listened as the phone rang, the receiver clicked over, a man answered. “Hello?”
“Hi, is this Harry Smith?”
“Sure is. What can I do you for?”
Luckily James had had enough time to practice his pitch, so it at least felt a bit less strange as he delivered it. “I’m Airman James Morgan, served in Korea back in 1951, and I believe our paths may have crossed back then. Well, at the bunk, I found a picture of a woman. She has dark hair and brown eyes, appears to be about eighteen, although I’d reckon she’s at least twenty now. I know this sounds crazy, but I’m trying to figure out who she is and how I can get ahold of her. You got anything for me?”
“My apologies, Sir, but can’t say that I do. Good luck though.”
James thanked the man and hung up. At least he could count on his fellow servicemen to be cordial regarding his strange request.
Still, this method was getting him nowhere. For all he knew he could have already spoken to the man who left the picture behind but just hadn’t realized it. Or, the more likely scenario, he could have met his end, taking any hope of James’s uncovering the woman’s identity with him.
No, he couldn’t think like that.
He would find her; he would. Things would be far easier if he could show people the picture. Surely then he could jog a memory, find a lead.
“You’ve given it your best shot,” Tommy said that evening when James stopped over for dinner at Diana’s invitation. “Can’t you call it a day? Find a new woman to obsess over. One who can love you back. One who you know for sure exists.”
Diana shushed Tommy and offered James a steaming bowl of peas. “I, for one, think it’s all terribly romantic. Would you have done all this for me if I’d been missing when you came home?”
“Aww, Jimmy, now you’re making me look bad in front of the wife.” Tommy sniggered. “Give up and move on for me? For the sake of my marriage?”
Diana chuckled good-naturedly as well, but James shook his head vigorously.
“I can’t give up, not until I know for sure. Seems like I’m starting all my sentences this way lately, but I know it’s crazy. I think I survived that camp for a reason and that reason has to do with this woman. She saved me, gave me something to look forward to, gave me a reason to get out alive. What if she needs my help now? Every time I try to give it up, to let her go, something tugs me back in the direction of this photo. And I look at it and feel as if she’s calling out to me, telling me to find her.”
Tommy let out a long puff of air. “That sounds so…”
“Utterly romantic,” Diana finished. “You’ll find her, James. We know you will.”
The conversation turned to the baby and all the preparations Diana was making for the nursery in the spare bedroom of their home.
James pulled the skin off his fried chicken and sank his teeth into the juicy meat beneath, chewing thoughtfully and marveling at Diana’s vast love for the unborn child she hadn’t even met yet. Of course, he understood it perfectly.
When it seemed dinner had come to its end, James had firmly decided upon his next step. “I’m leaving tomorrow,” he announced.
“Oh? And where are you going?” Diana asked.
James pulled out the list of names, numbers, and addresses he now kept with him at all times. He flipped through the pages until he found his next destination. “California.”
“Umm, can we ask why?” Tommy said, taking the papers from James and puzzling over them.
“Simple. To find her.”
“And how do you intend to do that?”
“I’m going to show her picture around to the men at base. Surely, someone will recognize her, or at least the man who’d kept her picture with him.”
“And you chose California because?”
“Because I’ve exhausted all my options around here, and California is next on the list.”
“But, Jimbo, what if—?” He was cut short when his wife placed a hand on his arm and shook her head.
“Well, I think that’s a fine idea,” Diana supplied. “Tommy will give you a ride to the bus station. Just tell us when.”
“Bright and early. First thing tomorrow.” James smiled as he took the list back from Tommy. “I have a good feeling about this.”
Chapter 7
Gloria cradled the telephone in her hands long after the caller had already closed their connection. Funny how such a simple, routine call that probably meant nothing to the man could change everything for her. When he’d asked to speak to Rico, it was as if the words wrapped around her heart and attempted to squelch its beating once and for all.
She was surprised it hadn’t happened before now, actually. Rico had been well loved by the community. He had lots of friends and admirers of the murals he painted around town whenever he had a moment to spare, which wasn’t as often as any of them would have liked.
Staying in Texas meant constant reminders of what she’d lost, what they’d all lost. And even though it was her home, home didn’t have quite the same appeal it once did, not without the company of her closest friend.
California, though, would provide a fresh start. They’d all still have each other, the family—and who knew? Maybe Mama’s health would improve in the new, more stable climate. The fresh sea air would be good for them all.
She’d been waiting for God to send her a sign, and this seemed as good as any. She’d tell her folks soon enough. Papa would grumble and complain, but ultimately she knew he’d be grateful for the momentary break for his work. They’d find Mama a new doctor, the boys a new school. Everything would be okay, but first…
She returned to her bedroom and fished the tiny white card from her top dresser drawer, took a deep breath, and then dialed the number displayed on its surface.
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“Why, yes. Yes, we are still hiring,” a man named Frank answered. “Come on down for a quick interview, bring your references, and we’ll see what we can do.”
California was a long way to travel, and it would take every last penny the family could spare to get her there—but she’d made up her mind, and now there was no turning back.
* * *
James sucked the sweet sea breeze in through his nostrils. The air seemed fresher here, the world more open to possibilities. It invigorated him, helped him press on with his journey to find the woman in the photo.
But no one at the base had any good leads for him. One man thought he recognized the woman as Peggy, even gave James her address so he could meet her face to face. When he arrived at Peggy’s apartment holding up a big bouquet of flowers, he wondered how the man had even seen the likeness between these two totally different looking women. Peggy was pretty, had the same full lips, but she was also a redhead, whereas his girl had dark, silky hair.
Still, a lead was a lead.
He showed Peggy the photo and talked with her about his search over tea.
“So you have no idea who she is, but you’ve been carrying her photo around all this time, hoping to find her?”
James nodded and eagerly accepted the picture when she handed it back to him. It always felt like a loss letting go of it, even if only for a second. “That’s right.” He tucked the photo safely back into his pocket. “I need to thank her for saving me life.”
Cupid's Bow: The First Generation Boxed Set Page 10
