Under Lock and Key

6: Life and Letters Part Two

Life and Letters Part Two

Kelly Rossi, May 1st, 1943, San Francisco

"Okay, turn a little towards me, chin down....smile!"

I shook my head minutely and Frank frowned. "What? No smile??"

I relaxed for a second. "No, no smile. He'd think it was weird."

"Okay, you're the boss, honey. He's going to love it, smile or no smile. I'll make you look like a movie star."

He was just teasing. I was no movie star.

Frank was a really good guy. He worked at Mona's with my mom. He wasn't like anyone I'd ever met. Not like Uncle Yuji, or Ray, or my mom's brothers or teachers. He dressed in pristine gray trousers and immaculate white shirts. His shoes were shinier than anyones. For some reason, they'd denied him when he tried to enlist. I have no idea why.

Honestly, I'm glad. He was a good listener. I told him all about Ray. I felt like somehow he'd understand how important Ray was to me, and he did.

All of this was his idea.

Frank was taking my picture sitting on our bench at the ballpark. I thought about the tree, but it was too private. Instead I decided on the bench where Ray and I ate our snacks after school and played ball.

I was wearing one of Ray's shirts. It fit pretty loose. Some of my shoulder and collar bones showed, but it was blue and looked good with my hair and green eyes. Plus, it smelled like Ray, because this was the first time I'd worn it. I was afraid if I slept with it or wore it all the time, it would smell like me and not him.

So, sitting on the bench, wearing Ray's shirt, his baseball in my hand, my black curls crazy because it was kind of windy. A portrait of me, age 12, to send to my most special person in the world.

I know a lot of girls who sent their pictures to their sweethearts. This wasn't the same thing, but ... sort of... it was.

Because Ray had lied about his age and enlisted. He was training in Mississippi.

At least it wasn't cold.

=

Dear Baby,

Be quiet. I can hear you screaming at me already. Well, not screaming. That's what my mom did, if you can imagine. And the evil twins. They did actually scream. But you probably wouldn't. You probably just would look at me with your huge green eyes, like a tiny sad kitten, and my heart would break, and I might change my mind.

If we were home together, I might not have done it.

Yeah, maybe I still would have.

Because I enlisted, Baby, not just to get out of Topaz. I wouldn't do that to my family, desert them in the desert (see what I did there Baby?). Not because Topaz is horrible, even though it is. Not because I'm eager to see the world, because really I'm not. I would happily live my life in San Francisco with you, Baby, and never care if we never went anywhere else for the rest of our lives. That's my dream, Baby. I dream about it every night.

But...if that's going to happen. We need to end this War. And that's not going to happen if this country doesn't have enough men to fight. Can you believe that I signed up to protect this country that ripped people from their homes and put them behind bars just because we look a little different? I love California, but I do not love America these days (see if that gets through the censors).