by Iris Yang
Danny loved her life-sized rock art and praised Jasmine many times. Her pictures captured the essence of the moment. He felt sorry that such a talented young woman couldn’t finish college. Maybe she can go back to school when this damned war is over, he thought.
“Jack and I look very much alike,” he explained. “Some thought we were brothers. Well, we were brothers. When we were young, we swore to be brothers after I read a classic Chinese novel.”
“Romance of the Three Kingdoms?” asked Daisy.
“That’s right! Since then, I wanted to have a couple of sworn brothers. No one who had read the story could ever forget what the three men had said as they took their oath.” He paused, using the two fingers on each of his hands as quotation marks before continuing, “Though not born on the same day of the same month in the same year—”
The two girls joined him, “We merely hope to die on the same day of the same month in the same year!”
Everyone in China knew the unforgettable pledge taken by the three close friends. For centuries, their vow had been quoted as the ultimate fraternal loyalty.
“Jack was the perfect candidate. Well, the only candidate. We were best friends since elementary school.”
“But what did he look like?” asked Jasmine. “You say he looked like you.” She lifted her arm, holding the charcoal close to the wall. “I can’t draw another you and say that it is Jack.”
“Okay, he was about the same height as me, but heavier. He had straight, dark brown hair, not curly like mine. Always a crew cut. He had a stubble over his chin and cheeks. There was a faint scar on his right forehead, about an inch long. He fell when we went rock climbing during our first summer in college. He lost a lot of blood. It scared the hell out of me. But girls loved his rugged good looks, even the scar. Susan was crazy about him. Who could blame her?”
Jasmine continued to draw as she listened to the description. She turned around when she finished and caught Danny’s stunned look. “Let me know what I can change. It’s hard without seeing him in person. I—”
“No, no, no!” said Danny. He slammed his right fist into his left palm. “Damn! That’s Jack!”
On the wall, Jack stood next to Danny. His left arm encircled Danny’s shoulders, his right hand resting his own waist. The stubble on his chin and cheeks couldn’t hide a wide smile on his ruggedly handsome face. Now the two brothers would be together on that rock wall forever, along with the two young women who admired them.
“Where did you learn to draw like this?” asked Danny.
Just like in the picture, Jasmine sat with her knees bent, legs tucked underneath her. “I’ve always liked art, even when I was little. My father taught…” Her voice trailed off and she swallowed hard a few times.
Aware of her family tragedy, Danny put a hand on her arm and patted her lightly.
Jasmine cleared her throat and pressed on: “I’m lucky to inherit my father’s talent. My teacher in college—”
“He’s also American,” said Daisy. The topic brought a gamine smile to her lips. “Poor Mr. Peter Peterson! He loved Jasmine. He really wanted to marry her, I remember.”
Danny’s eyebrows shot up. He leaned forward.
“I…I couldn’t…” Shaking her head, Jasmine hurried to explain. “I didn’t love him.” Just then a breeze stirred the treetops. Her hand flew to secure the garland in her hair. The air smelled of wildflowers, delicate and subtle.
“She loves heroes. Someone like you.” Daisy winked at Danny. She tilted her head and tapped her cheek with two fingers. “It’s been over four years. I wonder how Mr. Peterson is doing now. At least he’s safe in the U.S.”
Chapter 39
With sweet wormwood three times a day, Danny’s malaria appeared to be under control. He still had a low fever, but his symptoms had stabilized.
His injuries, though, especially the ones on his leg, seemed to take a turn for the worse. Forget-me-not was good for stopping the bleeding, but useless for relieving pain.
Danny hid his discomfort during the day. He even insisted on exercising. But the impact of bouncing up and down sent shivers of pain up his wounded leg. He had to use all his strength to keep going. Whenever he put the slightest weight on the left leg, he winced, but only for a second. He knew the young women were watching. He didn’t want them to worry.
It was a different story at night. In his sleep, the excruciating pain was too much to endure. His hands clutched the knee of his injured leg, trying to suppress the throbbing sensation. His face contorted in agony. From time to time he moaned.
Jasmine watched Danny helplessly in the flickering firelight. She wanted to get up, to rush to his side, to ease his pain. But she had nothing to help him. She wanted to lie down next to him and wrap her arms around him like their first night together, to let him know she was there for him. Yet with Daisy sleeping nearby, she didn’t dare. Danny tugged at her heartstrings so hard that she stared at him for hours with teary eyes.
On the fourth evening a storm broke. The wind-driven rain fell horizontally, turning the night chilly. Because of the cold and the humidity, Danny seemed to be in greater pain. He touched his wound instead of his knee in his sleep. Jasmine had no choice but to intervene. She rose. With legs tucked underneath her, she crouched beside him, peeled his hands off his leg, and clasped them in hers.
For hours she sat, holding his large hands in hers, rubbing his knuckles with her soft fingertips. In the fire pit, logs sizzled and flames flickered. Smoke curled up, stinging her eyes. The night was long. Dark clouds loomed, blotting out the stars and the moon. In the distance, lightning crackled and thunder boomed. An air of melancholy hung heavily over her.
When the storm tapered off after midnight, everything became eerily quiet. Only an owl made rhythmic whoo-whoo-whoo noises in a tree somewhere down the cliff.
Then Danny moaned.
Jasmine skimmed her palm over his cheek and down his chin. With a feather-light touch, she caressed his face. “Shhh,” she murmured in a soothing sound. It seemed to work—Danny stopped groaning and fell back asleep.
But Jasmine could stand no more. A pang of sympathy for the man she loved threatened to overcome her. “I’m going back to the village,” she announced over breakfast. Her voice was calm, unwavering. She’d made up her mind.
“Why?” asked Danny. He held a steaming mug of herbs with both hands, trying to ignore the knife-like pain in his leg. “We don’t need anything, at least not for a few days.”
Daisy agreed, “Doctor Wang promised he’d bring more food. He should be here soon.”
“We need the medicine for Danny’s leg now,” said Jasmine. Her eyes had dark circles from lack of sleep. But she sat ramrod straight, her chin tilted high. “Even when he comes, he won’t bring the medicine bag. It’s in Danny’s room. Doctor Wang won’t check there. He probably thinks we have it.”
“Don’t worry. I’m fine.” Danny raised the mug of sweet wormwood soup. “See, we’ve got the herb!”
“No. We need the real medicine, especially the Magic White Powder.” Jasmine held up a hand to quiet Danny’s protest. “You want to save your leg, don’t you?”
Of course she was right. A few days without it might be okay, but in the long run, he needed the medicine.
“And we have to find out where we’re going next,” Jasmine added. “Hopefully, Uncle and Birch received our message. We can’t stay here forever.”
Sullenly, he rolled the earthenware mug between his palms. After a moment, he drained the potion in a few swallows and complied. “Let’s go then.” The storm had dissipated, but the sky was still overcast. A fragile pink dawn crawled over the eastern hills. He looked outside. “It’s a nice day to walk.”
Jasmine knew that Danny hated being useless, yet she had no choice. “I’m going. Alone.”
“It’s too dangerous. The Japs—”
“This is a remote village. The Japs won’t come here.”
“No! It’s not a good idea to go down
the mountain alone. I can—”
“Danny!” Jasmine interrupted, stretching her arm, and then pulling back from his cheek. “You can’t even get down this cliff.” She hated to say it, but she had to be blunt.
“I’ll go with you,” offered Daisy.
“No, you have to stay. Danny needs—”
“We can take the longer route.” Danny pointed his chin toward the ledge that led to the main path.
Jasmine shook her head again. “You know that’s not practical, Danny. Besides, if worse comes to worst, you can’t run as fast as I can. It’ll be dangerous…for me.”
The situation was clear. Helping a wounded man through enemy-occupied territory would be suicidal. Danny knew it too. His shoulders sagged. He plunged his fingers into his hair and gritted his teeth.
After a long silence, he stood up. Balancing on his good leg, he pulled her up from the ground and lifted her palm to his cheek. His gaze swept her face like a physical touch. The power of his stare held her in place. After a few moments, she whispered, breathless, “I’ll be back…soon.”
Instead of letting her go, Danny folded her into his arms and held her tightly. His tall frame swallowed her small figure. Jasmine was astonished. Her instinct was to withdraw, but he was so strong, warm, and comforting. How could she resist such magic? Chewing her lip, she slid her arms around his body and surrendered to his embrace. She stood to the top of his collarbone, so she straightened to her tiptoes and nestled her cheek against his chest.
Danny said nothing, but his silence was louder than words. Jasmine could hear the pounding of his heart and felt his overflowing emotion. They held each other for a long time.
Finally, Jasmine broke away. She knew if she didn’t, they would hold each other for a lifetime. She pulled her shoulders back and gained a measure of composure. She had things to do. She had to be strong.
“When the war is over, if…if I’m still alive, I’ll—” murmured Danny. His Adam’s apple bounced to accommodate a dry swallow. His hands still encircled her slender waist. Jasmine raised her arm, put a finger to his lips, and nodded. Danny tucked a wayward strand of her hair behind her ear and tightened the red scarf on her neck. With a heavy sigh, he said, “Be careful!”
Before she stepped down the rock staircase, she turned and waved goodbye. It was then she realized that for the past few minutes, she’d forgotten her cousin. A grin blossomed on Daisy’s lips. Her eyes flickered, translucent with pure delight. Jasmine flashed a sheepish smile at her cousin before disappearing down the cliff.
Chapter 40
From the moment Jasmine vanished from his sight, Danny missed her. A hawk drifted in the sky above him. With several beats of its mighty wings, it swooped and plunged. A shrill cry broke out as it disappeared into the valley below. Danny sighed, envious. The bird could follow Jasmine. He couldn’t. Where the hell are my wings when I need them?
He’d wanted to tell her how he felt. The words were on the tip of his tongue, but he’d resisted the urge. He was afraid to hurt her. Love was a luxury for a soldier. He might be killed at any moment, especially now that the enemy was close and he had no means to fight back. If they found him, they’d kill him. When Jack was killed, Danny imagined Susan’s pain. He didn’t want to put Jasmine through such grief.
Now, he doubted his decision.
Sooner or later everyone dies. That shouldn’t stop us from expressing our feelings. What was I thinking? A gust of wind tossed the leaves around him that had fallen during the storm. He tightened the white scarf around his neck. The rain had turned the day cold.
What if Jack had never told Susan that he loved her? Danny was sure his sister would have preferred to know, and not knowing would have been far worse. At least she was loved. Isn’t that what we all want?
Sliding his hand into his pants pocket, he felt the soft sachet she’d given him. A slow grin turned his mouth up as he imagined the moment he took her in his arms again and whispered his love to her. Immersed in thought, he didn’t notice the other girl staring at him with her big eyes full of adoration.
Daisy was flying. She was the pilot, and her brother sat beside her. Danny and Jasmine had taken seats in the back. The sun was shining and the sky was crystal blue. She was having so much fun, zooming through the puffy clouds, an iridescent phoenix soaring alongside. Suddenly Birch yelled, “Watch out!”
She looked up. An airplane with the bloody Rising Sun on its wings loomed in front of them. She gunned the engine.
“Turn left. Now!”
She ignored her brother’s order. With death in her eyes, she chased the Japanese before she realized another enemy plane was firing at them from behind. She swerved to the left, but it was too late. With a deafening bang, her plane shook violently.
“I told you to turn!” Birch exploded, his face suffused with anger.
Daisy was shocked that her brother had raised his voice. He was always so nice to her, especially after their mother’s death. She’d never seen him so upset.
His livid expression scared her, but she shot back a venomous look. “I want to kill the Japs. Tell him, Jasmine. Did I do anything wrong, Danny?” She whipped her head around, and her mouth opened in a wordless scream. Part of the fuselage was gone. Danny and Jasmine were nowhere to be found.
No!
Daisy awoke with a start. She sucked in one deep breath after another to supplant the panic attack. The dream was too real. She jammed her palms against her eyes, trying to break from the grip of her nightmare.
The sun was barely above the horizon, and the sky was a gorgeous blend of lavender, pink, and orange. The morning was cool. In the first light of the dawn, Danny sat on a rock near the edge of the cave. He wore a blue shirt with the sleeves rolled back to his elbows. His flight jacket draped the top of her blanket. Daisy pulled his clothes closer and inhaled deeply, savoring his scent. Thank God Danny is safe.
Like Jasmine, Daisy had never felt like this before. The handsome, courageous Flying Tiger had swept her off her feet and caught her up in a whirlwind. The seventeen-year-old was in love.
Danny was kind to her, but Daisy could tell that he loved Jasmine. This didn’t make her feel bad. She’d seen the sparks, and she was happy for them. She loved them both. All she wanted was a chance to be with him, to see his attractive face, to hear his thrilling stories. As long as they included her in their lives, she was content.
Daisy sat up, yawned, and made circles with her head to work out the stiffness. She set a pot of water over the campfire for cooking the herb. Sweet wormwood is helpful, but we need the needles and the real medicine. Oh, Jasmine, where are you? Come back quickly.
She walked toward him. “Good morning,” she said in a sweet voice.
“Good morning, Daisy.” Danny flashed a quick smile before turning his gaze back to the distant hills. He stared at the valley, a pensive look on his face. Beads of perspiration covered his forehead and glinted in the light.
“You’ve already exercised?” Daisy lifted her arm and dabbed his sweat with her sleeve. “Take it easy, Danny. Don’t push too hard. No need to hurt yourself.”
“Thank you,” he said, fixing his eyes on her. His brow knitted. The anxiety on his face was undeniable.
“Relax.” Daisy tried to sound nonchalant. “Doctor Wang probably doesn’t want Jasmine to walk back and forth in one day. It takes several hours one way, you know. They’ll come today. You’ll see.”
Danny dropped his head. Absentmindedly, he rolled the carmine red sachet between his hands.
“Did you…?” Daisy was going to ask if he’d had a good sleep, but she changed her mind. Even if he didn’t, he won’t tell me. She’d noticed that Danny tried to hide his discomfort from her. “Did Jasmine give it to you?”
He nodded.
“May I?”
Danny handed the scented bag to her.
Daisy took it and examined it. “I didn’t know she could…” she murmured. “It’s lovely.” Putting it closer to her nose, she inhaled.
“Isn’t it beautiful?” Danny sounded proud, as if he had made it himself.
“It takes a lot of time—”
“And lots of effort, I know.”
“But if I had made it”—Daisy analyzed the images again—“I’d let the Tiger work out a while before I put him on.” With a playful smile she winked—that was something she’d picked up from the American. She loved the way he winked at her.
Danny responded with a broad grin. “A fit Tiger would be better, I agree.”
“Would you…” she said, her expression turning serious, “accept mine if…if I give you one?” She lowered her head briefly before lifting her eyes. Her cheeks flushed. But she didn’t avert her stare.
Danny was startled. “Of course I would.”
“You will?”
“I wouldn’t refuse a gift like that.”
“You…you don’t know?”
“Know what?” Danny scratched his head.
The redness on her porcelain cheeks deepened. Daisy rolled the sachet in her hands, “It is a special gift.”
“Special?”
“You know,” she caught her lip between her teeth before speaking again. “A woman to a man when she—”
Now he understood. His heart flipped over. While he had doubts about expressing his feelings, Jasmine had already shown hers. Her affection for him wasn’t surprising. Yet her openness caught him off guard.
“It’s more than a symbol of affection,” explained Daisy. “It represents her blessing. She wishes her loved one to be safe and to come home soon.”
Danny’s shoulders fell. “I didn’t tell her.” He put his head in his hands and rubbed his thumb across his furrowed brow.
“It’s okay, Danny.” Daisy touched his arm, reassuring him. “She knows. Even I can tell.” At that moment, she seemed more mature than her age. “When she comes back, tell her. Tell her how much you care about her. She’ll be thrilled.” A soft smile graced her lips. Her eyes twinkled. No jealousy. No possessiveness. Only pure affection for the two people she loved. She wanted the two of them to be happy. All three being happy together would be even better, of course.