Pacific Nocturne, 1944 by Don DeNevi

Author:Don DeNevi [DeNevi, Don]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Creative Texts Publishers, LLC
Published: 2019-03-01T22:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

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“Is that him?”

Neither Peter nor Bill said a word. For a full minute, neither of the two friends moved a muscle other than their facial features, which somehow produced the emergence of grins.

Blushing, Ellen cast her eyes down.

“Doesn’t matter who, just so long as it’s one of you,” she continued in a mumble. “Not interested in anyone else in the whole of the Allied armed forces in the South Pacific . . . I so want someone to touch and hold me... “

Her eyes remaining drooped, more embarrassed than guiltily, she insisted, a hint of mirth creeping into the tone, “It’s not romantic or sexual pleasure I seek, only you, Peter or William, to hold me, to hold me dearly, with strength. Nothing more... “

Regaining his composure from a stance of reflective silence, Peter said hesitantly in a barely audible voice,

“Well, if Bill who’s not pledged to anyone won’t, I will, with your understanding, Ellen, that my Joan is the only woman on this earth that I can embrace... “

“But I have my Rena Morgan in New York who still doesn’t know that... “

“Oh, for goodness sake, I wasn’t asking either of you to get a ladder and climb up and grab the moon for me, I simply wanted one of you to allow me to rest my head on your shoulder. I’m over it now. And frankly, your reluctance helped me return to reality.”

“Ellen, I fully understand and am ready to engage in that with one of the few women on this earth I want as a lifelong friend. Freud once said, ‘Women don’t become prostitutes because they yearn for money or sex. They become ‘women of the night’ because they simply want to be held.”

“Yes, that’s it. With Pauline gone in less than a few hours ago, she and I relieving girls too exhausted to work last night, and tonight to give up her own enjoyment so others would have theirs . . .”

“Oh, Ellen, I understand, I understand... “

“I tried to save her, I tried... “, and she burst into tears again.

“Bill, I must go now, and fetch Mr. Hope. Why me, I have no idea, but I must report to the Commander’s car. Stay with her, and when I see you at afternoon’s performance either here or tonight, over there, I’ll tell you all about Hope the gossip and insights of all who are with him.”

As Bill smiled, and nodded at Peter, as he placed his arm around Ellen, Peter nodded approvingly, and without further word, turned and walked through the open patio area toward the hospital entrance where he was to meet Major General Rupertus.

What immediately struck Peter as he exited the open structure of the hospital was the force of all the early noontime wind sweeping across Pavuvu from the Solomon Sea “Slot”. Wind-swirling sand off the high dunes near the channel beaches attempted to penetrate his eyes, throat, lungs, all adding to the pain of his cracked lips. Although not a full-blown sandstorm, it was nonetheless barely bearable.

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