Island of Sweet Pies and Soldiers by Sara Ackerman

Author:Sara Ackerman [Ackerman, Sara]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: MIRA Books
Published: 2017-11-29T19:20:38+00:00

Chapter Twenty-Two

Violet

People always say there are no seasons in Hawaii. That isn’t true. In the blurred lines between fall and winter, Violet had come to recognize the subtle shift in the light and a less ambitious sun, ohia blossoms that wouldn’t stop, and the need for an extra blanket at night. Plovers and sanderlings returned and the waves marched toward the island in towering lines, crashing against the cliffs in explosions of white.

She could almost say the same for herself, a changing of seasons. But hers was more a winter to spring thawing, when ice cracks and begins to melt and shoots poke through the earth. Not Jean, though. Jean was in the midst of a bitter-cold winter ever since the Bud news. Moping, brooding, staring off into space.

On Saturday morning, a new layer of dew covered the car windshield. Violet hadn’t seen dew since spring. When they pulled up to Waimea town, a pack of men and a lion milled around in the grassy field where they were to set up their pie stand.

“What’s going on?” Violet asked.

“We are going on,” Jean said. “Those boys are waiting for us.”

“We ought to have matching aprons,” Setsuko said.

“Agreed,” Violet said, thrilled that Setsuko was sticking it out amid the tension and getting more involved.

“If I’m Honey Jean, you two need new names,” Jean said, pausing to contemplate the idea. “Guava Bee and...”

“I’ll be Coco Mama,” Violet offered.

“Guava Bee? We’re not even making guava pies,” Setsuko said.

“We could be,” Jean said.

Setsuko shrugged. Right now, any of them would walk to Hilo and back barefoot to turn Jean’s mood around.

Parker guided Violet as she backed the massive truck into place. In the mirror, she could see the sunlight catch his dimple. Ella had already jumped out and had her arms around Roscoe.

“Sweetie, what did I say about hugging him?”

“He likes to be hugged. Especially by Ella,” he said.

For some reason, she was irritated by the sight of Parker, decked out in his utilities. While she had gone home to an empty bed and a bowl of vinegar last Sunday, in her mind he and the light-handed Hawaiian had danced under the stars and swum bare-skinned in the lagoon. “Is that what you came here to tell me?”

He looked as if she’d slapped him. “Actually, it’s not. I came because I wanted to be the first person in line this morning for your honeycomb pie. And I dragged these fellas along with me. Told them it was part of morning training.”

What had gotten into her? “I’m sorry. That was rude of me. My fuse is a little short right now with Zach’s news the other night.” She nodded toward Jean, who was also bent over Roscoe and vigorously rubbing the loose skin around his neck.

“Tough situation,” he said.

As a rule, marines kept their mouths shut about other marines. No one kissed and told. It was a brotherhood. She knew that. They were just lucky Zach had a higher obligation to his sister; otherwise Jean might have never known the truth.

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