Different Days

by Vicki Berger Erwin

  “When? When do you want to go?” he asked. “I hope it isn’t on the other side of the island.”

  “I’ll be ready whenever you are,” said Rosie.

  Chapter 16

  Rosie’s wait for Rainer to drive her to Fort Armstrong stretched into several days. First, he said he had to find out where the Fort was located.

  Rosie took care of that when she finally convinced a reluctant Aunt Yvonne to take her and Freddie to the public library. Rosie was thrilled to have new books to read, but she also searched out an Oahu map with Fort Armstrong clearly marked. She made a sketch of how to drive there in her stolen journal.

  Then, Rainer said he had to figure out an excuse to take Rosie in the car with him, and that turned out to be to help him buy a gift for his mother for Christmas. And finally, Rainer had to wait for a chance to borrow his mother’s car.

  Rosie sat on the edge of the car seat, staring out the windshield. She hadn’t seen anything but Aunt Yvonne’s house since her trip downtown the week before to her father’s radio shop.

  Rosie tried to take in all the changes that had occurred because of the war. There were camouflage nets that looked like a strange kind of plant covering various buildings. These must be the nets Kam said his Auntie and her friends were weaving instead of leis. From the number of nets hanging everywhere, they had been very busy.

  Even more of the buildings had sandbags piled in front of them, to absorb bomb blasts Rainer said. Fortunately, there had been no further bombs since December 7.

  Rosie saw lots of soldiers, and everyone carried a gas mask. But despite the war, the sky was a clear blue, flowers bloomed, and except for the soldiers, people still wore their bright muumuus and flowered shirts.

  Rosie had found out in her research that Fort Armstrong wasn’t really a fort but an immigration—I-M-M-I-G-R-A-T-I-O-N—station. There was no mention anyplace Rosie could find that they were keeping the “enemy aliens” they had arrested there.

  The “fort” was located on the water. It was the first time Rosie had seen the ocean since the bombing. She breathed in the salty, fishy smell that she loved and realized how much she had missed her family’s regular visits to the beach. Papa often said it was his dream to live on the water and now it seemed he had his wish. She hoped they at least had a view.

  Rainer pulled up and parked the car outside the station, but Rosie was suddenly not so sure she wanted to go inside. The building itself wasn’t awfully scary. It didn’t look how she had pictured a fort but rather it was several low buildings. The scary part was the tall fence that surrounded the buildings and the soldiers holding guns who guarded the buildings.

  Rainer had to practically push her out of the car. She smoothed her hair and then her dress. Her shoes felt tight and hot on her feet.

  You can fight this fear for Mama and Papa, Rosie thought as she slowly walked down a pavement path leading to the gate marked by a big NO TRESPASSING sign. A very young soldier came slowly toward her, his gun across his chest. Rosie froze.

  “The sign says NO TRESPASSING,” the soldier said in a voice that broke both high and low.

  “I’ve come to visit my parents, Greta and Henry Schatzer,” Rosie said as evenly as she could manage.

  “Umm,” the soldier managed to say. He looked over his shoulder and walked backward, his eyes still on Rosie. “I need to see …” He turned and walked more quickly to another soldier standing in front of the door. The two of them talked in voices too low for her to hear.

  Rosie tapped her toe, examined her fingernails (they needed to be trimmed), ran her fingers through her hair, and then patted it back down. The soldiers continued to talk.

  Finally, the young one returned. “You can’t come in,” he said.

  “But my mama and papa—” Rosie started.

  He shook his head. “No one can come in. I’m—” he stared at the pavement, “I’m sorry.”

  “I came a long way,” Rosie continued.

  The soldier shook his head and blocked the gate.

  “Please,” she tried.

  He sighed. “I can’t. I just can’t. Please go and don’t start any trouble.”

  Rosie turned toward the car and then whirled back to the gate. If she made enough trouble … She took one step toward the gate, then another.

  “Seriously,” the young man said, looking nervously over his shoulder. “It’s just a bunch of enemy aliens they’re keeping locked up there. I mean, that has nothing to do with you.”

  Not me, Rosie thought, and not my parents either.

  She felt tears sting the back of her eyes. She hated that ugly label, enemy alien.

  “I don’t know where your parents are, but I doubt they are there.” He stuck his thumb over his shoulder, pointing toward the fort.

  Rosie had been so sure today was the day she’d see Mama and Papa. No matter how much the tears burned, they refused to fall, only blurring her vision and giving her a headache. She turned on her heel and climbed into the waiting car. She felt like she had lost this battle.

  “That was a short visit,” Rainer said.

  “You saw they wouldn’t let me inside,” she said in clipped tones. Enemy alien, enemy alien, enemy alien. The phrase stuck in her mind and wouldn’t go away. She leaned against the side window and stared at the fence separating her and the cold, stark building rising before her.

  “Bad information, huh?” said Rainer.

  Rosie shrugged. She’d been so happy when she’d finally known where her parents were but now she was back to the beginning, wondering and worrying about them. Were they truly being held behind that fence?

  Chapter 17

  “Anyplace else you want to go?” Rainer asked. “I hate to waste an afternoon with the car.”

  Rainer almost sounded nice for a change. “Would you drive me back to my house? I want to check on Kitty and maybe pack up more clothes for Freddie and me.” Aunt Yvonne always told her not to worry about the cat, but Rosie wanted to check for herself. She pleated the skirt of her dress as she asked, figuring there was little to no chance her cousin would actually take her where she wanted to go.

  Rainer started the car and soon Rosie recognized the road to home, at least the place that used to be home.

  “It’s that one, isn’t it?” Rainer asked, signaling his turn.

  Rosie leaned forward and drank in first the sight of home, then searched the yard with grass grown ragged for Kitty. Opening the car door as soon as Rainer pulled to a stop, she called for her cat. There was no answer.

  She stared at the house, and the longer Rosie looked at it, the more a feeling of uneasiness crept over her. Besides the uncared-for lawn, she took in the kitchen screen door hanging crookedly off its hinges, a shattered window on the second floor, and one of the kindergarten chairs lying broken on the porch.

  Rosie slowly approached the house and uncovered the key she had hidden on a ledge under the porch. She also quickly checked the darkness underneath for a sign of Kitty, with no luck. And Kitty’s dishes she’d left on the porch—where were they?

  Rosie moved more quickly. She inserted the key into the lock but before she could turn it, the door swung open.

  “What you doing here?” a voice demanded.

  Rosie stepped back, almost tripping over her own feet. Malia! What was a teacher from the kindergarten doing here?

  “Rosie?” Malia asked, scowling.

  “What are you doing here?” the two of them asked in unison.

  “I came to pick up some clothes and some of our other things,” Rosie explained, trying to see around Malia.

  “This is my house now,” Malia declared.

  “No,” Rosie said. “No!” she repeated more forcefully.

  “I will reopen my nursery again,” Malia said. “And run it my way.”

  Rosie shook her head. “But you can’t! This is our house.”

  “Not anymore. And look what I have to do before I can have the keiki. No more kinder, no more Nazi.” Malia moved
aside and pulled Rosie into the kitchen.

  Rosie gasped. The cupboard doors hung open to empty shelves. The room had been emptied of furniture although debris—D-E-B-R-I-S, she spelled nervously—littered the space.

  Ignoring Malia, Rosie raced up the stairs to her room. The bookshelves were overturned and random papers with ragged edges were spread about the floor. All the other furniture was gone and the closet door had been removed. Everything that had been inside the closet was also gone. And her journal. It was all gone.

  Rosie wandered more slowly through Freddie’s room—empty; the guest room—empty; the living room—bare; Mama’s and Papa’s room. All had been vandalized. V-A-N-D-A-L-I-Z-E-D! The quilts were gone, Mama’s jewelry box, toys from Freddie’s room, even the curtains were torn from the windows.

  Rosie turned and almost ran into Malia, unaware the woman had followed her. “Did you do this? Where are our things?”

  “Me? Why I want your things? The man who sold me the house said they had been put in storage. After that, who knows? Leave a house empty these days and it will end up like this one.”

  “Sold? That isn’t right. No one could sell you this house.”

  “I have the papers,” Malia said. “Now, you go.” She pointed down the stairs.

  “Who is this man who said our things were in storage?” Rosie asked.

  “His name Mr. Smith.” Malia put her hand on Rosie’s back and pushed her gently toward the staircase.

  Rosie looked at the bare walls, the empty rooms as she passed by. Outside on the porch, she looked up at the sky. How could she feel so cold when the sun shone so brightly?

  “Got what you need?” Rainer called.

  Rosie shook her head. “It’s gone,” she managed to say as she joined her cousin. “Everything.” She searched the yard again. “Even Kitty.”

  Rainer jumped up on the porch and looked in the open door. “Hello,” he said, “who are you?” Even her cousin looked shocked at the state of the house and the appearance of a strange woman.

  “Out!” Malia said firmly. “This is my house, my school now. I pay good money for it. Go! Go!”

  Rainer backed away. “Looks like,” he said, “well, we’d better go!”

  “One more thing,” Rosie said, summoning the nerve to ask about her cat.

  “No more thing!” Malia said and she slammed the door shut.

  Perhaps, Rosie thought as she returned to the car, if Kitty hadn’t come at the sound of her voice, the cat had already forgotten her.

  Chapter 18

  “Just go …” Rosie started to say “back to Aunt Yvonne’s,” but stopped. “No, turn in at the next driveway.” She looked back at her former home and noticed a sign in the yard:

  COMING SOON!

  ISLAND NURSERY

  NEW TEACHERS

  ALL HAWAIIAN

  Rosie was surprised Malia hadn’t added “No Nazis,” considering her earlier words. And their home sold? She couldn’t believe Mama and Papa had agreed to that.

  There were children playing in Auntie Palu’s yard, and for a moment it seemed like life as it had always been.

  Before she was out of the car, Auntie Palu stepped off her porch, so much like the one at Rosie’s house, and shaded her eyes, staring. Rosie waved.

  “Roselie! My Roselie!” Auntie Palu said, clapping her hands and hurrying toward her. She enveloped Rosie in a warm hug, the warmest she had enjoyed since her Aunt Etta had been taken away.

  “What happened to you? Where you go? Your family, poof! It goes away like that,” said Auntie Palu, still holding Rosie close.

  “The government men, they came and took Mama, and Papa too, from work. Then they took Aunt Etta when she came to stay with us and we had to go to Aunt Yvonne’s and now Malia …” Rosie’s words ran together as they rushed from her mouth. “She says our house is hers! And someone took all of our things from the house. Our clothes, my books, everything!”

  “Shh! Shh!” Auntie Palu rocked her gently. “Why did you not come to stay with Auntie Palu?”

  “We came and knocked on the door. No one was home!” Rosie told her.

  Auntie’s forehead creased. “When was that? The day after the bombing? Ah! I went with my boys to sign up for the service. Leilani and I stayed to serve the other boys—my Rosie, they are only small boys! I spread aloha spirit to them and decided that will be my war work. To make sure our boys leave Hawaii brimming with aloha spirit. I believe that will protect them from evil.

  “We miss our good neighbors, the Schatzers. And we have tried to keep the bad people away from your house. But there are too many and we are sorry, so sorry we could not protect your home.” Auntie Palu hugged Rosie again. “But this Malia, I did not know about this.”

  “She is reopening the kindergarten, only she calls it hers. And she said she bought the house. That can’t be!”

  “Your papa will have something to say about that!” Auntie Palu said.

  “But Papa …” Rosie started.

  “Leilani!” Auntie Palu called. “See who has shown up to visit us!”

  “Hi,” Rosie greeted her friend shyly when she stepped out onto the porch. Rosie wasn’t sure if Leilani was still mad at her.

  “Hi,” Leilani returned, not smiling. But at least she was speaking.

  “You must lend Rosie a few things to wear until she can buy new. And some things for Freddie, too. You two, go along and gather while I put together some dishes of food for Rosie and her Auntie Yvonne.”

  Leilani looked Rosie up and down. “We don’t really wear the same kind of clothes,” she said.

  “Anything will be better than the two dresses I currently have!” Rosie said, trying to be funny.

  “I’m sorry my clothes don’t come up to your high standards.” Leilani turned and climbed the stairs with Rosie following behind her.

  “I didn’t mean it that way!” Rosie said. “I was joking. Seriously, all I have are two dresses that I packed, thinking we would be back in a couple of days. And now it’s been over two weeks! Freddie doesn’t even have shoes.”

  “You won’t be able to wear anything of mine to that fancy school you plan to go to,” Leilani said, rummaging through her drawers.

  “You mean Punahou? I’ve hardly thought about that since I’ve been gone. I mean, I have more important things. My parents are gone! Didn’t you receive my letter?” Rosie had hoped her friend would have some ideas about what they could do to find out about Mama and Papa. But this girl didn’t seem to be the friend she remembered.

  “No letter,” Leilani said with a shrug. “Wait here while I go find some things for Freddie,” she said, not responding with even one word of sympathy or comfort to what Rosie had said about her parents.

  Rosie sat down on Leilani’s bed. Her aunt hadn’t mailed the letter after all. And Leilani was still mad. She picked up a book, open on the pillow. It was a Nancy Drew, one of the same ones Rosie had read and reread at Aunt Yvonne’s. A second book stuck out from underneath the pillow. Rosie pulled it out and stared.

  Rosie recognized the spelling guide that George had brought her from the newspaper office. She opened it to the first page and the words seemed to leap off the page: “Good luck, Champ! Love, George”

  Leilani grabbed the book out of her hand.

  “That’s mine. It was in my room. How did you …” Rosie said.

  “You weren’t using it,” Leilani said, her back turned to Rosie. “I only borrowed it.”

  Rosie wasn’t sure what to say. She felt … betrayed. Leilani had been in her house since they had gone and she had taken at least the spelling guide. Auntie Palu did not know about this, Rosie was sure.

  Leilani disappeared into the hallway with the book.

  Rosie waited a moment, then returned to the kitchen. Would she and Leilani ever be friends again? A lump formed in Rosie’s throat, and she felt it squeezing its way upwards toward her eyes. She swallowed once, twice, and it was gone—leaving only a bitter taste in her mouth.
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br />   “Call that cousin of yours in here,” Auntie Palu said. “You must have a snack before you go back. You are thin, so thin!”

  “Rainer … has more errands to run,” Rosie said, wanting to leave before Leilani came downstairs, even if it meant leaving the borrowed clothes behind. “But one more question. Kitty?”

  “Not here. But I will watch for her. Cats, they take care of themselves, dearie. She will be fine. And you will be fine, too. You will be back with your mama and papa and we will celebrate your homecoming!” Auntie Palu piled Rosie’s arms with containers of food.

  The food smelled delicious. So different from what she ate at Aunt Yvonne’s. Rosie smiled as best she could. “Thank you. I’ll try to come back and visit as soon as I can.”

  “Do you have the things I asked Leilani to gather?”

  Rosie shook her head.

  “Leilani! Where are you? Rosie must leave!”

  Leilani dropped a bag at Rosie’s feet and turned to go without a word.

  “Can’t you see she has full arms? Help her!” Auntie Palu scolded.

  Leilani sighed and picked up the bag.

  Rosie led the way to the car, neither of them speaking.

  “Rainer, open the back door please. Auntie Palu is sending all this food home with us,” said Rosie.

  “What? She thinks we aren’t feeding you?” He scrambled out of the driver’s seat, straightening his shoulders and grinning when Leilani joined him on his side of the car.

  “So, who are you?” Rainer asked.

  “That’s just Leilani. You’ve met her before,” Rosie said as Leilani smiled at Rainer in a way Rosie didn’t like.

  “I hope you are coming to Punahou with my cousin,” Rainer said, leaning close to Leilani.

  Leilani tossed the bag of clothing into the car, glared at Rosie, then said, “I wouldn’t be caught dead in that snooty school.” She stalked off without even a glance behind her.

  Chapter 19

  Rosie felt defeated. She had no home if Malia was to be believed. She had no best friend. Worst of all she hadn’t been able to see her parents. And she still had to go with Rainer while he picked out a gift for his mother.