My Friend the Enemy by J.B. Cheaney

Author:J.B. Cheaney [Cheaney, J. B.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-0-307-53874-1
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Published: 2005-12-25T05:00:00+00:00

A WHITE DOVE

I thought he'd get over it. Soon enough he'd forget the argument and one of us would figure out how to make an observation platform, and we'd finish the tower and start some serious air-patrol work. The following Saturday, I ran up to Hawk's Nest with the field glasses, in spite of a steady rain, and stayed long enough that he must have seen me if he was watching. But he never came, and the tower looked so sad and abandoned I didn't even want to climb it.

On Monday after school I went up again, but my area surveillance felt gloomy and pointless. When I got back home, Mom was sitting in the swivel chair at her desk, talking on the phone. “What do you mean? They won't let you off for Thanksgiving? Not even for one day? … I know about the production quota, but if they can't do without one machinist for one day, we're in a sorry state.… I'm trying to, Howard, but this is ridiculous. When Frank called Saturday, he said he probably wouldn't even be home for Christmas, just New Year's.… Yes, they want to finish that armory project in Gresham.…”

I hurried to get my rain boots off, but next minute she said, “All right. I'll tell your mother. Yes, of course you can call on Thursday. Goodbye.” She hung up and put her head in her hands.

“I wanted to talk to Daddy!” I yelled from the kitchen.

Mom quickly straightened up, then swiveled around to face me. “Well, I'm sorry. I didn't know you were there. He was just calling to say he can't meet us at Grandma's for Thanksgiving. He'll try to get an extra day at Christmas.”

“Huh.” I started toward the bedroom, still mad.

“Just a minute, Hazel. I wrote your presentation speech— listen to this.” She picked up a stenographer's pad and began to read: “ ‘In this season of peace and goodwill our thoughts turn to those who must think of war.…’ ” The speech went on about sacrifices and hope for the future and wishing to recognize those who valued their country more than life: “ ‘… and so we are honored to present you, Corporal Arthur Mayhew, with this small token of our esteem in recognition of your faithful service,’ et cetera. What do you think?”

“I think it's just what Mr. Mayhew said he didn't want.”

“I know that's what he said, but I doubt it's what he really means. What do you think of the speech itself?”

“It's way too long to memorize! Even without the et cetera.”

“That will only be a few more words. And it's not too long to memorize. When I was your age, I memorized ‘Hiawatha,’ ‘The Concord Hymn,’ and ‘Paul Revere's Ride’ in one semester.”

“Well, maybe if you wrote it in rhyme—”

She slapped down the stenographer's pad and took a deep breath. “I'm not arguing with you, Hazel. You will say the speech, and that's that. But—” I could see her doing her part to be more cheerful.

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