During the Vietnam War, captured American pilot, US Navy Commander Jeremiah Denton, used morse code to send a secret message home when he was interviewed on camera by his North Vietnamese captors. While his words were saying he was being well taken care of, Commander Denton's eyes were blinking "T-o-r-t-u-r-e" in morse code.
Magdalena and I were learning to crochet. Mama Snow was teaching us. Well, at least Magdalena was learning to crochet. She was working on a lovely baby blanket made from KnitPicks Brava worsted yarn in a delicate soft pastel color they called Seraphim, but what I liked to call purple. I was making a chain stitch that already went around Mama Snow's living room twice. I did not want to connect it to any recognizable shape, I was trying to make the longest crochet chain in the world. That was one way Magdalena and I were different. I was all about competition, she was all about making beauty in the world and doing for others.
I was soon bored with the chain stitch so I left Magdalena alone with Mama Snow to finish her blanket. I went to visit my new friend, Mr. Cropps. I was proud of myself for learning a little morse code and now the conversation would not be so one sided.
I said: Hello, Mr. Cropps. How are you today?
He tapped out something too fast for me to follow. I got out a notepad and a pencil so I could write down what he was saying.
He said: Are you ok?
I said: I am fine. How are you today?
He tapped out: Where is Maggie? (He called Magdalena that for short. He was the only one who called her Maggie that she was ok with calling her Maggie.)
I said: Crocheting with Mama Snow. We ate some delicious stew beef today with little baby potatoes and carrots. I don't even like carrots, but they were yummy. Stewed apples and cream corn and cornbread with butter. I drank two glasses of milk and ate a bowl of cherry yum yum for dessert.
Though he could no longer chew food, Mr. Cropps enjoyed hearing about food, so Magdalena and I always told him what we ate for lunch. Sometimes we would bring our dessert. He liked to smell the desserts, especially cinnamony desserts.
He tapped out: B i k e s?
I said: Yes, we rode our bikes today.
He tapped out: W r e c k?
I said: No, we're always careful. We even wear the helmets Mr. Jenkins got us. We look like babies, but it's ok. There are some crazy drivers in the city limits.
He tapped out: SOS
Maybe he was testing me. He kept tapping out: SOS SOS SOS.
I laughed. I told him that was one phrase I did know. Give me something else.
He said again: SOS SOS SOS
Then more letters followed. Again, so fast I could barely follow.
He was going so fast I could only catch a few letters not words. G m tt yo moth....Wait was that Mother?
I asked Mr. Cropps: Is something wrong?
I picked up my piece of paper. I could not believe what I wrote down: SOS. Your mother in danger.
He tapped: G E T M A T T Y. G E T I Z Z Y. SOS SOS SOS
I dropped the pad of paper. I ran to find Mr. Jenkins.