Rosie turned. It sounded like—but surely it couldn’t be … ?
Chapter 23
Aunt Etta! Aunt Etta had shown up to rescue them again!
Freddie ran to her. “I don’t want to go to the orphanist,” he said, still clutching his arm.
“The orphanist? What is he talking about?” she asked Rosie.
“Are my mother and father with you?” Rosie asked, almost afraid to hear the answer.
Aunt Etta shook her head sadly. “Just me, I’m afraid. But we are going to be able—”
“Are you going to take these children?” Aunt Yvonne interrupted. Her face had paled except for two spots of red coloring her cheeks.
“What? Yvonne, what’s the matter?” Aunt Etta continued to pat Freddie’s back, staggering occasionally as he pressed into her. “Freddie, what’s the matter with your arm?” She sank to her knees and tried to examine his injury. Freddie pulled away, clutching the blood-stained towel. “Where did all that blood come from?”
“They are out of control,” Aunt Yvonne said. “I don’t like to admit it but I cannot handle them.”
“He’s hurt! How did it happen?” Aunt Etta glared at her sister as she gently unwrapped the towel.
“I don’t have any idea. I was doing my part for the war effort and left the two of them here where they obviously were up to no good. At least the little one. She,” Aunt Yvonne pointed to Rosie, “probably had her nose in a book while he wreaked havoc.”
Freddie sobbed harder. Rosie moved closer to Aunt Etta.
“The important thing now is to take Freddie to a doctor,” said Aunt Etta. “He is going to need stitches in this cut.”
Rosie handed her a clean towel and Aunt Etta rewrapped Freddie’s arm.
“I have no idea who their doctor is!” Aunt Yvonne turned toward the house.
“That’s all you have to say? That’s it?” Aunt Etta practically spat the words at her sister.
“I will say this.” Aunt Yvonne leaned her face close to Aunt Etta’s. “Your turn. And after a few days, come back and tell me how you like being saddled with someone else’s problems.”
“I’m ashamed to call you my sister,” Aunt Etta said. “Rosie, pack your and Freddie’s things. We need to take care of his arm right away, then we will worry about a place to stay since we will not be staying here.” She kissed the top of Freddie’s head.
Rosie had never loved her Aunt Etta more. She wished she had the nerve to tell Aunt Yvonne what she thought. She ran into the house and pulled out her few clothes and stuffed them into her schoolbag, then packed Freddie’s. She looked around the room for anything she may have forgotten and grabbed the small notebook she had pilfered from one of her aunt’s drawers along with the loose pages she had written on. Rosie didn’t want to lose another journal!
There was one more thing she wanted to do before she left. Rosie slung a bag over each shoulder and made her way back to the driveway. She dropped them between her aunts, who continued to glare silently at one another.
Rosie slipped into the garage and gathered the presents she was sure belonged to her and Freddie, thanks to her eavesdropping. E-A-V-E-S-D-R-O-P-P-I-N-G. She checked the tags and, sure enough, the biggest one had Freddie’s name on it, from Santa. The two smaller rectangular packages were for her “With love from Mama and Papa.”
“What do you think you are doing?” Aunt Yvonne asked when Rosie exited the garage carrying the stack of gifts.
“I don’t understand why you didn’t give us these gifts on Christmas morning,” said Rosie, trying to keep the anger out of her voice. “You must have forgotten where you’d hidden them.”
“Those are for … those gifts came from … there are children who have much less than the two of you!” Aunt Yvonne finally spit out.
“If they have parents or someone to love them and care for them, someone they can trust to be honest with them, they have all they need,” Rosie said.
“Yvonne!” Aunt Etta said and this time her voice was full of disappointment.
“Etta, it is not your place to speak to me in that tone of voice. You know that being the youngest, you never have to take on any of the nasty tasks—”
Aunt Etta interrupted, “In case you’ve already forgotten, I was released, today, from an internment camp where I was being detained just because my last name is Rauschling, which is also your last name.”
“My name is Bell,” Aunt Yvonne corrected her. She walked quickly into the house, shutting the door firmly behind her.
Aunt Etta shook her head. “Don’t take her words to heart,” she said. “Something must have happened today. It’s never taken much to put Yvonne into a spin. I’m sure she and Uncle Charles love you just as I do.”
“No, they don’t,” Rosie said. Freddie nodded in agreement. “They may feel responsible for us, but Aunt Yvonne doesn’t love us like you do, uh-uh, not at all. She makes us be quiet all the time, and she doesn’t want anybody to know we are her family. She tells people we are refugees.”
Aunt Etta’s eyes filled with tears. “Oh, my darlings! I am so sorry.” She tried to pull both of them into a hug, but Freddie pulled away. “I love you. And your mother and father love you and they miss you very, very much. And we are going straight to a doctor to have you sewn up before more of your stuffing falls out!”
“Where are they? Mama and Papa?” Rosie asked. She basked in the feel of Aunt Etta’s arms around her. It was like the sun finally came out after a long, cold rain. “Are they—were you—at Fort Armstrong? I went to visit. The soldiers wouldn’t let me in.”
“When was that?” Aunt Etta asked, her forehead wrinkled in puzzlement. “I have been there every minute from the time I was arrested until today when they let me out on parole.”
“Parole?” Rosie said. P-A-R-O-L-E.
“I have to report in every month, but that doesn’t matter. I am here now, with you.”
“Where are we going to live now?” Freddie asked.
“Your parents have a house they usually rent out, here in Honolulu, on the Diamond Head side of the island,” Aunt Etta said.
“I know that house!” said Rosie. “I sort of remember living there, before Mama opened the kindergarten and we moved to the valley.”
“That’s right. And we are going there. We will have to find Mr. Smith, the man handling your parents’ properties first—or second, after we visit the doctor.”
And there was that name again. “And Mama and Papa? You haven’t told us where they are yet,” said Rosie.
“They are moving your mother from Fort Armstrong and your papa, he is I’m not sure where. The men were sent to the mainland …”
“We’ll never see Papa again if he is on the mainland!”
Freddie started to sob again, louder.
“Your mama and I were in the women’s section, apart from your papa, but at least the two of us were together. Now they are moving all the people they call ‘enemy aliens,’ Germans, Japanese, Italians alike, to Sand Island. I think you will be able to visit your mama there. And your papa, when he returns.”
Aunt Etta sounded so certain of everything when Rosie wasn’t certain about anything.
“Why do they call you enemies? And aliens? You were born here!” Rosie said.
“I wish I knew.” Aunt Etta sighed.
The three of them stood in silence on Aunt Yvonne’s driveway. Rosie did not want to let Aunt Etta out of her sight, ever again. Having her young aunt beside her made everything better.
“Fortunately, I have George’s car for the afternoon. He is lucky to have a gas ration and a car still because of his job with the news service. Now, don’t forget your gas masks and your ID cards,” Aunt Etta reminded.
Rosie made a face but gathered the masks from their place beside the back door. She knew she should be glad she’d never had to use the mask, but they were a pain to carry everywhere just in case.
When they returned, Aunt Etta looked at the two bags at her feet. “That’s
it? That’s all you brought?” she asked.
Rosie nodded as she flung both her and Freddie’s gas mask over her shoulder. “And no one knows where the rest of our things are. Even Kitty is gone.” Rosie halted on the walk to the car for a moment, missing her pet.
“Oh, darling! Is there nothing sacred in these different days?” Aunt Etta murmured, more to herself than to Rosie.
Chapter 24
Freddie needed six stitches in the cut on his arm. The nurse told him he had been as brave as any soldier she had worked on as she taped a bandage over the cut. Freddie beamed at the praise.
Once they had finished at the doctor’s, Aunt Etta leaned against the car seat and closed her eyes for a moment. “I think it’s still early enough to go find this Mr. Smith,” she said.
“Me, too!” Rosie agreed. She wanted very much to meet this mysterious Mr. Smith she’d only heard about and seen from a hiding place on the stairs.
“When can we open the presents?” Freddie asked, holding the one marked to him across his lap.
“You must feel better,” said Aunt Etta.
“You can tell everyone you have a war wound,” Rosie said.
Freddie grinned. “And the nurse said I was brave as a soldier.”
“You do and you were,” Aunt Etta said, “but let’s save the present for when we land someplace for the night.”
It meant another Christmas celebration, this time with Aunt Etta. Rosie could wait. She patted the presents on the car seat beside her and wished she had something for Aunt Etta even though no present could ever show how glad they were to have her back.
Aunt Etta drove slowly and carefully through heavy traffic, asking Rosie to keep an eye out for the address Mama had given her for Mr. Smith’s office. “How can there be so many cars when gas is rationed and cars are supposed to be only for certain purposes?” Aunt Etta said.
Rosie didn’t realize gas was rationed. Aunt Yvonne had said there were food shortages because things were slow to arrive from the mainland and that was why they ate what she called “light meals.”
“They’re from the Army,” said Freddie. Rosie watched him try to take it all in, turning his head from side to side and leaning out the open car window. “So many soldiers!” he said.
“So many sandbags,” Rosie said.
Finally, Aunt Etta found a parking spot near where Mr. Smith’s office was supposed to be and they piled out of the car. “We could have taken a minute to freshen up,” she said, smoothing Rosie’s hair and straightening her dress. “I hope we can get the bloodstains out.” She touched where Freddie had bled on Rosie. “What will Mr. Smith think I have been doing with the two of you!”
Freddie pulled away as Aunt Etta tried to comb his hair with her fingers. It ended up standing on end making him look like some kind of rooster. “You need a haircut in the worst way!” she said to him.
“I want all my hair cut off, like a soldier’s,” he said.
“We’ll see,” said Aunt Etta. “For now, please wipe your mouth and your nose.” She handed him a handkerchief from her purse. She also pulled out a compact and checked her hair, then freshened her lipstick.
Rosie hung on one of Aunt Etta’s arms and Freddie hung on the other as if they were afraid she would disappear if they let go.
The sign on the office at the address said simply ISLAND REALTY. Aunt Etta held the door open for Rosie and Freddie to go in before her.
Inside, Aunt Etta walked up to the desk where Mr. Smith sat. He smiled broadly when he looked at her, but the smile dimmed when he noticed Rosie and Freddie standing behind her. Freddie held on to his aunt’s skirt, but Rosie stood as tall as she could and faced the man directly. He was definitely the man who had brought the presents to Aunt Yvonne’s house.
“What can I do for you today, miss?” Mr. Smith asked, pleasantly enough.
“I’m Marietta Rauschling, sister of Greta Schatzer,” Aunt Etta introduced herself. “Greta informed me you are taking care of their properties?”
“So many properties! All of these people who are being detained …”
“I’m sure you are very busy, but we need to know only about the Schatzer properties,” Aunt Etta said.
“Schatzer, Schatzer.” Mr. Smith looked puzzled as he shuffled papers on his desk.
Rosie stepped forward, gathering courage from Aunt Etta beside her. “Maybe I can help you remember. One of the properties, the one in the valley, you sold to Malia Kamaka.”
“What?” Aunt Etta said. “You didn’t say anything about this. How do you know?” she asked Rosie before she turned to Mr. Smith for his answer.
Mr. Smith’s face reddened. “I have had to sell so many properties.” He rummaged through more papers.
“Rosie?” Aunt Etta said.
“Rainer took me to the house and Malia was there. She said she’d bought it from a Mr. Smith and was going to live there and open a nursery school,” Rosie said, looking at Aunt Etta, then Mr. Smith, then back to her aunt.
“Ah, yes, the property with the nursery school on the ground floor.” Mr. Smith shook his head. “I’m afraid I had to sell that one to meet expenses that seem to mount up faster than you can keep track.” He pulled out a folder and opened it.
“You sold it! Do my sister and brother-in-law know about this?” Aunt Etta leaned on the desk, almost touching Mr. Smith’s nose with her own.
“I have complete authority to do what is necessary. Your sister and her husband signed papers giving me that right.” Mr. Smith scooted his chair back and waved papers at Aunt Etta.
“That is simply unbelievable,” Aunt Etta said.
“What about our furniture? Our clothes? Where are they?” Rosie asked, taking heart from her aunt.
“In storage. Quite impossible to access at this point,” said Mr. Smith, “and one of the reasons for the mounting expenses.”
Rosie swallowed hard. “The cat?” she asked in little more than a whisper.
“Cat? I wouldn’t know about that. Never saw a cat,” he said sharply. “Cats can take care of themselves, little girl. I wouldn’t worry about it.”
Rosie stared at the floor. Kitty had never learned to take care of herself because she’d always been cared for. Kitty had been her princess like she had been her papa’s. Both of them had to care for themselves in these different days. Aunt Etta stroked Rosie’s hair, but it only reminded her of how she did the same with Kitty. She pulled away.
“I am sure this isn’t the last you will hear about the selling of the valley property,” Aunt Etta said, “but for now Greta and Henry would like you to make the Honolulu house available for us to live in. I will be taking care of their children until …” she shrugged, “for the foreseeable future.”
Now Mr. Smith’s expression changed again, becoming very sad. He should be an actor, Rosie thought.
Freddie had wandered away and stood before a pile of furniture and assorted knick-knacks piled at the back of Mr. Smith’s office. “Hey!” he said, pulling a lamp out of the pile. “We have one like this.” He turned it round and round.
Rosie looked over Mr. Smith’s shoulder and recognized the lamp as exactly like the one that used to sit on Mama’s desk. It had the same green shade and yellow pineapple-shaped base. Rosie walked toward the pile, wanting to see more. There was, she noticed from a distance, a stack of quilts on the bottom shelf that looked interesting. Some of the color patterns were familiar, matching ones that were missing from their house.
“Hey!” Mr. Smith’s face had turned a deep red and he was no longer trying to sound nice. “Get away from there. Those belong to the families I’m watching out for.” He started to rise from his chair.
“Rosie! Freddie! Come back here and leave Mr. Smith’s things alone.”
Reluctantly, Rosie backed away, pulling Freddie with her.
“The house you were speaking of,” Mr. Smith said, shaking his head. “I am so sorry but the government has taken a lease on that house. So many men coming to the island beca
use of the war and so little housing available for them. I had to remove the family living there because who says no to the government? I have mixed feelings when I tell you all your sister’s property is occupied at present.”
“So, we have no place to live?” Aunt Etta said as if she didn’t believe it.
“Hmm.” Mr. Smith pulled some papers toward him. “I do have one property, small, very small, one bedroom, a living room/kitchen, but it is close to the beach and it is open. I could lease that one to you.” He pushed a paper across the desk to Aunt Etta.
She read it over, then gasped. “That can’t be the rental price!”
“I am afraid it is. Like I said, there’s great demand for property right now.”
“Then may I ask you what kind of allowance we will be receiving from the properties you are managing for Henry and Greta?”
“Allowance?” Mr. Smith laughed. “It is taking every penny and more to take care of these places. I’ve had to make repairs, pay taxes, insurance. I am so very sorry, my dear, but there will be no allowance. Now, do you want the house or not? I will not require a deposit, how about that? I can tell from the look on your face that you are disappointed in our meeting. You should have called and I could have saved you a trip.”
Rosie’s stomach started aching. What did it mean that there was no house and no allowance? Would they have to go back to live with Aunt Yvonne?
“I would like to look at the house,” Aunt Etta said.
“Normally, I would go along, but I have an appointment soon.” Mr. Smith looked at his watch, then leaned across his desk and pulled a set of keys off a board hanging to the side. “Here you go.”
Aunt Etta grabbed the keys. “Th—” came out of her mouth, then she shook her head as she cut off the word midway, grabbed Freddie by the wrist, motioned for Rosie to follow her, and walked out of the office.
Chapter 25
No one said a word on the way to the car. Rosie climbed into the front passenger seat, Freddie into the back. Aunt Etta opened the car door but paused before climbing inside. When she finally did, she slammed the door and hit the steering wheel once, then again and again.
Different Days Page 11