Chapter 7
Little Alliances
Jeff heard Sal's message but couldn't believe how lucky he was to hear a girl's voice on the other end of the line. He started dialing and was so excited that he dialed incorrectly three times before getting it right.
Sal picked up on the first ring, "This is Sal. Is that you, Jeff?" She was shaking with hope and excitement. It was like an answered prayer without praying.
"Yeah, Sal, it's your man," he replied arrogantly.
She ignored his first comment—just grateful to hear a voice because she knew she wasn't alone. "I'm sorry I called, but I was desperate," she replied as she sniffled with tears running down her cheeks.
"Man, girl, you can't be more desperate than I am. I haven't been with a girl in months!" Jeff was bounding over in his male confidence.
Sal started to understand what Jeff was saying and became alarmed. Here she was breaking up over the phone, and all he could think about was his testosterone surges. "I'm sorry, but my English isn't that good. I think I understand what you're saying. This was a mistake, bye." Sal hung up, leaving Jeff stuttering on an empty line.
Sal wasn't about to put up with talk like that. She considered herself a freewill, liberated young woman. She thought, "I didn't need a boyfriend at home; I sure don't need one now."
Jeff was stunned that he had assumed the wrong things, but his ego wouldn't let him give up. "She'll change her mind after she sees me. After all, we could be some of the few teenagers in town. Who knows," he responded out-loud.
He pulled a canvas duffel bag from a closet and dumped some clothes into it, then went to the garage and rambled through some fishing tackle. He found a fishing knife in a leather sheath to hang from his belt and grabbed a nylon zip pouch to put his money. He got in his Hummer while still carrying the church directory with Nikki's address and number. Shortly after, he was parked outside Sal's place. He honked excessively, and she finally appeared at a window. He was stunned at her good looks and thought that this was better than he ever imagined.
He grabbed the duffel and threw it over his shoulder while moving quickly up the stairs to her door. He rang the doorbell repeatedly, but she didn't answer. After 15 minutes of ringing, he started pounding heavily on it.
Finally, she answered him from the other side, "I know who you are. Go away. I don't need a friend like you. I'm not your girlfriend. In fact, I saw you, and I don't even like you that much."
Jeff felt his ego being deflated. This was the worst rejection he'd ever experienced. But, something about her resistance made him want to at least talk with her. He felt a mellowing in his spirit.
"I'm sorry. I know you're new to our country. You said so on the message. I know I'm kind of a jerk when it comes to girls. Right now, I promise not to be a jerk if we can just talk a little." He was actually telling the truth. He also wanted to talk to someone who didn't mention Jesus every other word.
"I suppose, since you're still here, you're not one of those fanatics, are you?" she asked cautiously, her hand on the lock while deciding whether to unlock it or not. She also had an iron frying pan in her other hand.
She didn't wait for an answer but said, "You're right. I need some help. If you promise to keep your distance, I'll let you in. Otherwise, I'll throw you out on the street myself."
"I promise," answered Jeff reluctantly.
The click was a refreshing reprieve from his ego busting. He pushed gently on the door, and it swung open—no Sal. She was ten feet away with the frying pan still in her hand.
"Leave your stuff out in the hall. Take that knife off and leave it too. You're just a visitor. That's all. Just a visitor!" She stood defiantly poised to either throw the pan at him or hit him with it if he came any closer.
"All this because I figured you out wrong. Man, girl, you're a hard case. I thought those Christians were tough. You'd fit right in with them. How come you're still here?" He had his head and shoulder around the edge of the door watching her. He noticed how cool she was, not even breaking a sweat, but he was.
"I'm not a believer. I never bought into that deal. Nikki was. I saw her and those church people across the street disappear before my eyes."
He edged his way into the room. With hands in plain sight, he moved towards the couch to sit down. "Do you mind?" he asked.
"No, it's not my place anyway. Just don't move. Why did you act that way to me? I'm not your girlfriend. Do you treat all girls that way?"
"When they let me," he answered truthfully.
"American girls must be pretty desperate, huh?"
"Hey, give me a break. I just thought since you and I were left, well, hey what's to stop us from"
"ME! That's who! You get it straight right now! I never had a boyfriend in Japan, and I don't need one now! Keep your hands to yourself and your squirrelly little mouth shut!"
"You don't seem to have any problems with your English, now," then he ducked submissively. "I said I'm sorry. I promise to talk right and behave. I'm sorry about Japan. Did you have folks there?"
Sal dropped the frying pan with that question, and it clattered so loud Jeff jumped up from the couch yelling, "Whoa! Take it easy, girl!"
"Yes, I lost my Christian family. They made me leave Japan because they knew it was going to happen. I think some big white guy told them to get me out. I don't know who he was, but I just figured he must be what you call—an angel? Isn't that what believers call them?"
Jeff avoided the question asking, "Hey, you want to go get a pizza? I got plenty of money," he remarked while still holding the zippered nylon pouch.
"That won't do you much good. Haven't you heard the reports on the news?" she pointed to the TV
"What reports?" he asked.
"The news said that the only money worth anything right now is gold or silver, mostly silver. Credit cards don't even work anymore. How are you going to buy anything? You probably just have paper, don't you?"
"Yeah, I have some silver," he said as he dumped out his change in a big pile on the floor.
"Where?" she asked sarcastically.
"There," he said pointing to the change pile.
"That's worthless," she rebutted.
"It's silver, isn't it?" he replied again.
"It's junk. See the wafer in the middle. There's no silver in any of that."
"You're right, but I pulled these silver dollars from a framed collection at my house. How about them?"
"Okay, then let's go see if there's pizza anywhere. Remember keep your hands to yourself. Pull your sleeves down and pull your pants up. I don’t want to see your boxer shorts. I don't want anyone to think I'm associating with a hood. It looks stupid. And no smoking," she moved out the door and briskly flung his things back into the apartment.
"Man," he remarked, "pizza with the Wicked Witch of the West."
"I heard that!" she answered and actually smiled a little. He saw it and was relieved. He may have a chance, he thought. Still, he walked behind her by several yards. He was enjoying the view, and she noticed when she turned around and caught him staring at her.
"Stop it! Stop it right now! Come up here and walk beside me, not too close," she ordered, and he ducked his head a little, ashamed of himself, mostly ashamed he'd been caught.
"I give. I give. I'll be good. I promise!"
"Didn't you learn anything from those Christians?" she asked, not wanting an answer.
"Are you sure you're not a believer? You're sure acting like one," he fired back at her.
"Just because I have ethics and upbringing doesn't make me a believer. I just grew up right, that's all. And you didn't, I suspect." The words stung Jeff to his quick and reminded him of his parents' accidental deaths.
"They're dead," he replied while letting the words hang in the air. Sal stopped and bowed to him as her apology.
"Okay, we're even on parental insults. Now, where is this pizza place?"
The Pizza Hut was just down the street; and a
s they approached, they noticed that the line was three blocks long. "Hey, what's going on," he asked a couple in front of them.
"Most of us got caught without food at the house. We're hoping they'll take our money. The grocery stores are refusing paper money or credit cards."
Another couple walking past them overheard and injected, "They won't take paper money. We're going home to stir up something. I don't know what we're going to do." The lady looked terribly pregnant.
Jeff felt their pain, and he saw others leaving the line after they heard their comment. By the time the mass exit was done, they were only a half block away. No one had the right stuff. Jeff touched the husband's arm as they were starting to leave and whispered, "Wait here. We got some silver, and I'll bring some pizza back for you, okay?"
Sal looked at Jeff strangely. She was seeing a tender underbelly on this tough kid. She smiled at him and put her arm through his as they walked closer. He jumped; and thought, she was going to hit him.
"Just for being nice, okay? Nothing more," replied Sal while staring at two Vanderbilt football tackles guarding the front door for line breakers or those desperate enough to try to grab a piece and run.
Jeff was surprised at how much pizza a silver dollar got. He got a large with everything on it; and after they ate almost all of it except for two pieces, they wrapped it up and carried it outside with them.
As they walked out of the restaurant, a man with a knife ran towards them and grabbed at their pizza. Sal swung her handbag at him and hit him across the side of his face. He was thrown back so violently that it knocked him out cold. He hit the ground so hard that Jeff thought he might be dead.
"Sal, what do you have in your purse, a lead brick?"
"Almost," she answered laughing. She opened the bag, and he peered in and flushed red for a second, then acted hurt.
"You made me pay for that pizza with my last silver dollar, and you have…"
She stopped him from saying it out-loud and whispered to him. "I have 500 dollars in wrapped silver just in my purse. Think we can get enough pizzas to make it, now?"
The family humbly came up to get their pizza, and Sal reached in to her bag and forced a roll of silver dimes into the pregnant lady's hand. She noticed immediately what it was.
With tears running down her face, she thanked her, "I didn't think there were any Christians around. I wasn't one, but I am now. You are a believer, aren’t you?"
Her words cut Sal to her soul. She almost wished she could say yes. She remembered everything her dad and mom had said about Jesus. It was like a huge anvil on her heart.
"Not yet," she answered apologetically, "not yet."
Jeff heard her words and a block later asked, "Not yet? You actually thinking about becoming one them?"
"I'm just keeping a promise, that's all. One of the last promises that counted. Yes, I'm thinking about it. I just don't know how." They walked back slowly without saying another word.
As they reached the apartment, Jeff said, "I do."
"You do, what?" asked Sal.
"I know how. Hey, I've been going to church for three months at the Lord's Chapel. How could I not?"
"I don't want to talk about it now. Not now. Maybe tomorrow."
"You mean, you're going to see me again?" Jeff asked hopefully.
"I may need some protection, and I don't have a dog. I think it might get rough around here, and I'm just a sitting duck."
"What are you saying, Sal?" asked Jeff.
"I'm saying if you want to stay here you can. But you have to keep your distance. You have to treat me like your little sister. Do you understand?" She pointed her shaking finger at him.
"Sister! Sister! Oh, man, you really know how to hurt a guy. Okay, okay, sister. But I get first dibs on the cable movies," he said as he ran towards the remote and sat down on the couch.
Sal went to a far chair. "I bet it's got controls programmed on it to lock you out of the dirty ones." It didn’t, but her sister only signed up for news channels and the National Geographic's Funniest Animals.
Jeff kept mumbling, "Sister, I can't believe it."
Sal cried herself to sleep, not wanting to believe her Christian family was gone, no matter what way they left. She felt alone and abandoned, and her heart ached for them. She finally drifted off from exhaustion around five the next morning.
Jeff moved slowly into Sal's room; and with a cautious but steady hand, he reached out towards her small exposed shoulder. He admired the outline of her under the sheets and with crossed fingers hoped they'd become an item, sister or no sister.
Just as his hand reached her shoulder, her eyes opened, then with artful but precise moves, she swiftly grabbed his fingers and leapt up from the bed. She bent his fingers backwards painfully, then moved under his arm causing him to flip over and landing flat on the floor. When he jumped up trying to get his balance, she grabbed his arm and threw him with a practiced body throw.
Jeff felt himself flying through the air, and he flayed the air in panic. He saw the window frame beside him and moved his feet in terror as he hung out the third-story window. He screamed in a pathetic, begging voice that was trying to justify this mistake.
"I was just trying to wake you. I fixed breakfast for you!" screamed Jeff as he hung from the windowsill. As Sal watched him, she was trying to reason whether it was true or not. She turned, left him dangling, and ran into the kitchen. She saw dirty dishes but no food, then she saw a nicely set table in the dining room with plates piled high with sausage, eggs, and a platter full of homemade biscuits.
"Oh no!" she shouted loudly and ran back into the room just in time to catch him as he slid from the window. With a braced lunge, she grabbed his only clinging hand and wrist. She pulled him partially into the window and was finally able to grab the back of his jeans and hoist him farther in.
He screamed in pain, "You're giving me a wedgie!"
She hadn't realized that her grip had slipped off his belt loops. "What's a wedgie?" she asked simply, then left him on the floor breathing heavily. She turned and went to the breakfast table and started eating. He staggered after her, still trying to adjust his undies.
"Morning," she replied. "Why don't you sit down and have some breakfast?" She was smiling without apology and motioning him to the chair nearest the biscuits.
"Morning! Morning! Is that all you have to say after just about getting me killed? What was that all about?" He knew she didn't trust him, then he noticed that she still had on her clothes from the night before, having gone to bed with them except for a small string top—the tops of a pajama set.
Sal still never said anything; and noticed he was staring at her top. She blushed, bowed slightly, got up, and walking briskly to her room, closed the door behind her as she changed into a t-shirt and returned.
"Is this better?" she asked while embarrassing him for staring.
"Actually, no," he answered boldly and laughed, then rubbed his window-sill scratched wrists and hands, still amazed at what happened, but understanding why.
"Let's forget this ever happened. Just remind me to knock next time or throw a bucket of water on you from ten feet away." He laughed again, and she joined him, both of them shaking their heads at the ridiculous.
"Where did you learn moves like that?" he asked.
"Well, I had to have something to occupy my time, not having boyfriends. Remember, I am from Japan, Grasshopper," she said and hissed at him with a mocking sound of the Kung Fu series.
"I thought 'Grasshopper' was Chinese, not Japanese."
"They learned all that stuff from us, including how to build automobiles."
Jeff laughed again, then turned seriously to her for a moment, "I am sorry. I should have been more careful. I promise, Sis, I won't mess with you, okay?" Sal blushed and nodded "yes" as they ate their breakfast.
The TV news was opening its morning program about the new worldwide census. The United States had picked eight states to start the detailed
questioning: Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Louisiana, Georgia, and Mississippi. The first census enrollment was to start taking place in four days along with extensive marking. The questions concerning the marking questions were posted on the TV screen with a toll-free number to call if you had questions. Following this, there was a statement from the government about the regulations concerning not getting marked or committing fraud in questioning.
"The government takes seriously any and all avoidance of the marking system. We will not tolerate any unmarked individuals. We also take seriously anyone who isn't truthful concerning the questionnaire that has to be completed. In order to encourage compliance, we will do the following:
1.Any unmarked individual will be faced with imprisonment up to 90 days in our enforced gated communities. There will be a $250 reward for turning in anyone not marked past the deadline.
2.If an individual receives a mark in the hand and lied, meaning they really are a reborn, redeemed believer, then they will be moved to a Psychiatric Educational Community, PEC, for counseling. There will be a $500 reward for anyone reporting someone who is in defiance of this regulation.
3.If anyone changes their minds after receiving a mark on their hand to a mark on their forehead, they also will be sent to a PEC facility for an undetermined amount of time.
Flashing on the TV screen was a message with repeatedly flashing borders noting an important announcement. Within the borders it stated:
"Children, if your parents receive a mark in their hand but read the Bible or pray, be an American and report them. That goes with any family member including parents, sisters, or brothers. Do what's right. We can't let them do it to us again."
Jeff and Sal stood aghast at the implications. "This sounds more like Communist China than America," replied Sal. "I'm not getting marked, Jeff!"
"Are you crazy? They'll take you directly to prison for not having a mark?"
"I don't have a social security number, remember? They can't track me. Anyway, what if I change my mind after I receive the mark and want to become a believer? They mentioned that any person who changes to a mark on their forehead would have to go to PEC for something for an undetermined amount of time. What in the heck is the PEC, anyway?"
"More like a concentration camp, I imagine. You're actually thinking about becoming a Christian?" he hissed as he backed away from her by several feet, then put his fingers in front of him in the sign of the cross and acted like he was fending off a vampire
"I told you before that I'm keeping a promise. You can't escape the fact that so many are missing. What do you think caused that, invisible ink? These people are gone because of what they were. There's something to it. I have to think about it," she said, then put her own fingers in a cross formation and stuck her tongue out at him in a girlish tease.
He tried to laugh but couldn't, "Sal, I may not be able to protect you from those people out there. With those kinds of rewards, sisters will turn against brothers, and children will turn in their own mothers and fathers. There will be gangs of people hunting down the unmarked. It will be open season on them. I know people enough to know that. If I didn't know you, I might be one of them. It's better than digging ditches."
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