

An Okinawan Affair

by

Herb Blanchard

An Okinawan Affair

by Herb Blanchard

Copyright 2011 Herb Blanchard

Smashword Edition

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

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BOOK DESCRIPTION

AN OKINAWAN AFFAIR was written partly as a memoir and partly to tell about the people of Okinawa and what had happened on the island before repatriation back to Japan. And about the Americans who were stationed there in the military or chose to live on the island as civilians.

Most of the characters are profiles of real people or composites of several people the author knew on the island. Many of the incidents portrayed are based on actual occurrences that the author was involved in, or had direct knowledge of or recollection of them.

DEDICATION

AN OKINAWAN AFFAIR is dedicated to all the people, Americans and Okinawan, living and dead, that I knew and loved,. They contributed to the writing of the book whether they know it or not. Remember me or not.

I thank each and every one of them.

ONE

He had just stuffed several barely readable, blue mimeograph copies of his orders into his new brown leather AWOL bag. The orders read: "EON3 BRADFORD NMN BURGESS IS TO REPORT TO THE TREASURE ISLAND RECEIVING STATION NO LATER THAN 2400 HOURS ON 03 JANUARY 1964 FOR AIR TRANSPORTATION TO NAF NAHA, OKINAWA FOR SHORE DUTY." It was already the second day of the new year in 1964 and Equipment Operator, (N for heavy) Bradford (No Middle Name) Burgess was on his way to the Treasure Island Naval transit station sitting in the middle of San Francisco Bay to await a plane ride to the Japanese island of Okinawa. There he could stay for up to three years enjoying the soft tropical breezes and company of the island's easy going people.

Maybe I'm making a big mistake. He thought as he dropped his AWOL bag on the floor next to the front door and started back through the living room.

Brad didn't hear her come up behind him, but the acrid smell of wool hot from an iron and a whisper of her scent floating gently past his nose sent a shiver up the middle of his back.

"I'm going to miss you, Brad." She spoke softly.

He knew she didn't want one of her three children or her husband, Brad's half brother, to hear. They had been communicating in soft undertones meant only for each other during most of his 30 day leave.

"I feel very close to you." Sally went on in her soft voice. "Closer than I've felt to anyone for a long time. It made it very easy for me to talk to you during the last few days."

"Maybe I shouldn't go, Sally. I could give these orders away and stay with the Battalion at Port Hueneme (Waa-nee-me)."

He turned to face his sister-in-law. Sally was a tall brunette who at that moment was looking extremely vulnerable, yet very seductive in her shapeless chenille robe.

She carefully laid Brad's freshly pressed Navy dress jumper across the back of an overstuffed living room chair before stepping closer to him.

"You have been trying to get those orders for over a year, Brad. You should go. I'll be fine."

She was 32, (6 years older than Brad's 26), and stood three inches taller. During the past few months they exchanged letters, each more intimate than the last. And with each letter, Brad felt the years separating them diminishing. Sally became younger and more vulnerable.

Her heavy winter robe was pulled tight emphasizing Sally's full breasts and hips. Brad drew a deep, shaky breath as he looked down the length of her fully covered body and remembered what she had looked like the day before when she had stepped out of her bath and stood watching him for several seconds before taking the heavy, warm bath towel Brad held out to her. His hands had shook slightly as he allowed his gaze to travel down the length of her statuesque form before coming back up to her full, pendulous, breasts.

"You had better get dressed." She spoke softly, a little bit breathlessly as if she was also remembering those intimate moments while moving a step closer to him.

Without actually touching each other, Brad's mind let him feel the physical sensation of her bare body pressing against him. He wanted to take her in his arms for one last time. A dark thought was passing through his mind. She's about to end whatever might have/could have, been between us.

Sally raised her right arm and laid the back of her hand on his right cheek, slowly stroking it.

"Bob will be ready to go in a minute."

With half a smile she added, "You know how your brother hates to be kept waiting."

She tried to laugh, but it faded into the soft smile she had bestowed on him so many times during the last few days before she hurriedly turned away as tears slipped from the corners of her pretty brown eyes.

As she walked away she spoke in her scolding voice, and Brad knew she had been reading his eyes. She used that tone whenever she had made up her mind to get her way. "Go, Brad. Get on the airplane and go."

She turned away pulling her robe tighter under her crossed arms. Brad also felt the same sudden chill that Sally felt.

When she started up the stairs, towards the bedroom she shared with his half brother, the soft movement of her hips under the robe brought a renewed stirring of Brad's unfulfilled desire for her.

At that moment he didn't realize it but a chapter of his life had just closed. A chapter he would never be able to reopen or go back to. Nor did he know a fresh new chapter was about to start. A chapter which would bring him a love like none he ever imagined could exist. But there would also be sorrow, and that too is part of life.

TWO

The journey into Brad Burgess' new life started on January 5, 1964 when with over 200 other GIs and dependents he was jammed into the cabin of a government chartered Pan Am DC8. From the ramp of Travis Air Force Base they were bound for the island of Okinawa with intermediate stops across the Pacific.

At Honolulu International, their first stop, the passengers were given a short break which Brad took advantage of to limber up his cramped leg muscles. He walked around the terminal before climbing the stairs to the observation deck on the terminal's roof. He watched the DC8 being refueled and the members of a fresh flight crew establishing themselves on the flight deck. Several new passengers were standing around at the gate waiting to board the aircraft. Amongst them was a young, possibly military dependent wife with a two year old boy and a very young baby.

Brad felt his good luck had run out when the young mother holding her almost new baby, dropped into the seat next to him. Quietly and gently she spoke to and guide her fair haired son onto the aisle seat next to her. Brad had staked a claim on these seats coming out of CONUS when they were empty so he wasn't particularly happy about having to share them with a couple of screaming dependent brats.

Within minutes the flight crew had the DC8 roaring down the runway and another leg of Brad's journey started as they chased the late afternoon sun across the Pacific Ocean.

The DC8 was still climbing out and had started a turn away from Diamond Head as Brad watched the tropical green of Oahu slip from the restricted view of the aircraft window to be replaced by the ever changing color flow of the Pacific's greens and blues. He heard the soft chime of a stewardess call button and felt the young mother stirring in her seat next to him. Ignoring her, he was deliberately trying to avoid any connection to her and the inherent problems of traveling with small children. His gut told him that they were about to encroach further into his tiny sphere of space.

The murmur of feminine voices slid across the void between our seats. Good, the stewardess is helping her and can deal with it.

Brad forced himself not to turn and look in their direction as a strange mixture of baby smell and an unknown, but what he was sure was an exotic and expensive perfume, wafted across the void and intrigued his nose.

The touch on his left forearm was gentle. Her hand was so tiny his first thought was that the two year old boy had touched him.

She spoke hesitantly in a very soft voice. "Excuse me? Could you help me, please?"

Her eyes were the deep warm blue of a cloudless mid-summer sky and they enveloped his whole being. She needed neither the honey blond hair that hung down in mild disarray across her small pert nose, nor the soft smile which was flitting across her dusty rose lips to make Brad fall in love with her. Just her eyes did that. He was completely lost, and totally in love even after he caught a glimpse of the engagement ring that had to be at least a carat and a half of diamonds backed by a yellow gold wedding band that was at least a sixteenth of an inch thick and twice as wide and studded with more, but smaller diamonds.

"Could you hold the baby for a minute while I tend to her brother? I'd like to get him fed and settled. Maybe he'll give me a break and take a nap if his belly is full."

Brad guessed that the baby in her arms was barely two months old. With previous niece and nephew experience he knew what this simple request would involve.

"Can you hang on for a second while I take off my jumper?"

"Good thinking." She laughed and while she looked towards the stewardess for reassurance the pretty lady shifted the baby on her arm.

"We'll make it. Won't we Gus?" She said to the baby.

"Gus?" Brad asked noticing at the same time the stewardess making her break towards the far aft end of the aircraft.

"Her middle name is Augusta after my grammy." With a smile she added, "and I'm afraid she's going to be stuck with it. Though she will probably hate us for it. Her brother can say Gus, but he has problems with Carole. That's her first name. He keeps coming out with some weird variation of Carl which doesn't fit at all. The poor baby is a Gus, not a Carl. And definitely not a Carlos or Carlito." Her laugh was open and fun.

This lady doesn't have many secrets. Everything is out front and spoken aloud.

"I'm Sandra Rockwell. Sandy, that's what my friends call me. My husband is stationed at Camp Kue."

Sandy instantly noticed Brad's look of ignorance about Camp Kue.

"That's the Army hospital on Okinawa. He's not a doctor, he's an engineer. Officer-in-Charge of the plant. You know, the stuff like boilers and air conditioning."

It feels good knowing she cares enough to let me off the hook without making me out a fool. And I knew she was a dependent.

With her head tilted a just little to the left, Sandy continued to look at Brad with a slightly questioning expression on her beautiful face.

"Oh." Brad felt the heat of his embarrassment creep up his neck. "My name is Burgess. Brad Burgess." I'm going to NAF Naha. That's Naval Facility at Naha, Okinawa.

"Here, I'll take her." She has a great sense of humor even if she is an officer's wife.

"Glad to meet you Brad Burgess. And thank you. I know that you and Gus will get along just fine."

Her voice had the softness of a gentle summer breeze across a meadow of soft green grass. Brad started to think that he had a good chance to enjoy the remainder of the trip after all, with Gus and her mother for company.

A quick refueling stop and two poor souls were deplaned on the very tiny dot in the Pacific Ocean called Wake Island.

A few more quiet and extremely boring hours brought their final stop within reach. Both Gus and her brother had fallen asleep shortly after they took off from Wake Island. Several times Brad offered to take the boy to the rest room, or held Gus because he wanted to, not because Sandy asked him to do it. She was quite self sufficient and only asked for help when she really needed it. He knew that he couldn't complain and surely didn't feel imposed upon.

Gus was sound asleep in the crook of his right elbow. Her mom had taken her brother somewhere towards the aft end of the aircraft.

Brad had joined MCB 10 in November of 1962 just as 10 was returning from an 8 month tour at Camp Kinser, the Seabee base on the island of Okinawa. For over a year he had been listening to the salty Seabees of Port Hueneme tell their sea stories about the attributes of the bars and women of Okinawa. Finally, fourteen months later, and 25,000 feet over the East China Sea, he was about to get his first look of this tropical paradise.

The melodic chime made Brad glance up as the FASTEN SEAT BELT sign came on. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Sandy slip into her seat next to him, and he turned to watch her fasten her son's seat belt. Gus stirred in his arms. Brad looked down into her deep blue eyes and took a minute to enjoy her tiny face forming a trusting smile.

She looks like her mom.

Brad felt a tinge of regret as he realized that in a few minutes he was going to have to give Gus back to her mother.

The high pitched whine of hydraulic motors deep within the big jet's bowels startled him out of his reverie. The mechanical sounds brought Brad back to the confined world of the DC8's cramped passenger cabin. He was lethargic from the long flight and for the last couple of hours with his friend Gus in his arms, he had been drowsing in a temporary suspension of time. The DC8's huge flaps were still forcing their way down into the slipstream under the wings when another hydraulic pump start up. The aircraft shuddered in protest as the main landing gears slammed into place with a series of loud clunks.

The aircraft banked into a shallow left turn and started to descend with a sudden loss of engine noise. It was several seconds before Brad realized that they weren't about to crash into the East China Sea, the pilot had just reduced the power on all four engines. He looked out the tiny cabin window and down across the sloping upper surface of the silvery wing. Off the left wing tip he could see twinkling city lights and a scattering of yellowish headlights threading their way along a north-south highway. He looked forward, ahead of the leading edge of the wing picking out the highway and the line of northbound headlights which merged with and disappeared amongst the distinctive lineup of airport runway lights.

The aircraft rolled level and over the leading edge of the wing he made out a the jagged line of green and white breakers with their glowing phosphorescent marking the collision of the East China Sea with Okinawa's ancient coral reef.

Gus stirred slightly in the security of Brad's right elbow. He watched her tiny face and its innocent expression of peace never changed as the Kadena Air Force Base runway approach lights flashed under the DC8's belly and they landed with a thump and the quick, but repeated screeching of tires on dry concrete as first the right landing gear touched down followed in a fraction of a second by the left set of tires. The sudden surge of power from the aircraft's engines slowed the aircraft and pulled Brad forward against his lap belt.

"Thank you, Brad. I want you to meet my husband before you go to Naha. You have to come to dinner so I can repay you for your help. Besides, Gus will want to see you again."

Brad just smiled and softly placed Gus in Sandy's arms. He silently said his good-byes. He didn't really think that Sandy's officer husband would appreciate his good looking wife inviting some stray Seabee enlisted man to dinner. Especially an E-4 she had picked up on an airplane over the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

He let himself get caught in the slow moving gaggle of wives and noisy kids knowing they would help make his departure easier and less complicated.

Gus will understand. He thought as he felt a familiar small hand take his left wrist.

"Are you sneaking away without claiming your reward, Sailor?"

She knew he didn't like to be called a sailor. And Brad knew he was being had. Sandy was alone. The happy expression of anticipation gone from her young face.

"I'm sorry, but my husband couldn't make it. He sent a driver to pick us up. I really wanted him to meet you so we could thank you properly, Brad. But this will just have to do."

Sandy's arms around his neck were surprisingly strong as she stood on tiptoes and placed her soft, dusty rose lips fully against his cheek.

Sandy's arms were still around his neck when he looked over the top of her head and saw the Army buck sergeant who had been sent to pickup Sandy and her children. He was watching with obvious distaste. Brad thought he disliked the idea of the wife of one of his fine, outstanding officers smooching a strange sailor in the middle of the air terminal. His distaste quickly changed to embarrassment when he saw that Brad was also watching him. Realizing how pathetic the dogface was as he gingerly held a sleepy Gus like she was a crate of eggs about to spill their yolks all over him. And her brother hanging from his right pant leg like a bewildered puppy.

"Thank you, Brad. Gus will miss you."

At least I care about you guys. Brad thought to himself with a bit of arrogance as he contemplated what could make a man miss his wife's arrival to a far off land after being separated for over six months, Especially a lady as sexy as Sandy was.

He kept walking towards the counter where the Navy ATCO was waiting to check him aboard Okinawa.

THREE

January 7, 1964, Tuesday. It was about zero six thirty hours and the eastern horizon was starting to take on an intense orange glow when Brad walked by the snack bar and started out of the terminal at Kadena AFB. The smell of frying bacon and hash browns should have reminded him that he hadn't had a solid meal for over twenty hours but he wasn't hungry.

With just a touch of disappointment he realized that since he had departed Travis on January 5 January 6, his birthday, was missing. Except for a few fleeting minutes somewhere between 2300 hours on January 5, and 2400 hours on January 6, it was gone.

Vaporized? Maybe not vaporized, just gone. I'd settle for gone.

Am I still 26, or did I age to 27?

Do I have to count those missing hours? Maybe I was asleep. If I was, do they count?

He argued with himself for a couple more minutes before deciding since Okinawa was a day ahead of the United States it didn't matter if he consciously observed the time or not because he was in fact 27.

I lost an argument with myself. That's pretty bad.

The predawn air was still and sultry on his face when he walked out the front door of the air terminal in his hot, wool dress blues. He dumped his sea bag on the edge of the concrete sidewalk and sank down on it to wait for his ride to the Naha Naval Air Facility 15 miles down island. The Navy ATCO had assured Brad that it would be arriving momentarily.

He sat on his sea bag and watched the sky continue to get brighter with a multitude of reds and oranges resembling a Pacific Northwest forest fire in the dark of the moon. Brad was getting hotter and wetter with sweat as every new inch of sun crested the horizon. A cool bead of sweat running down between his shoulder blades tickled and he shrugged to let his damp skivvie shirt suck it up.

A light breeze finally sprang up to announce the full arrival of the sub-tropical sun. Although it made breathing easier the breeze did little to cool him off.

Brad checked his watch again and realized that he had been sitting there for only about 20 minutes. The heat, lack of sleep and an overall grungy and unwashed feeling dominated his mind and made him more irritable as the minutes dragged on. He was trying to think about how good a cool shower and clean sheets would feel, and couldn't really push the thoughts of his physical discomfort away. If anything, the thoughts made him more aware of how really nasty he was.

He heard a bus before it came into view, but immediately lost interest when he realized that according to the ATCO it was coming from the wrong direction and once in view it was a blue Air Force bus.

The squealing protest of a combination of dry, unlubricated steel and rust brought his attention back to the bus as its passenger door swung open. Brad turned in time to see a set of bare legs flash beneath a mid-calf length white skirt when she stepped off the bus. The skirt had a narrow dark blue ribbon sewed around the hem and was so heavily starched he was sure it would break when it bumped against the door of the bus.

By American standards they were short legs, but they were beautiful. Each well developed muscle was firm and clearly defined to create two shapely masterpieces. On her small feet the girl wore flat-heeled slippers made of a soft black leather.

As if he had x-ray vision a bit of silken thigh flashed through Brad's imagination when the petite doll-girl stepped down onto the sidewalk. She hesitated for a sliver of time before starting along the sidewalk toward him.

Brad Burgess wasn't very tall, about 5' 7" in stocking feet weighing in at a hard 126 pounds, but as the girl approached he began to realize just how big he was on the island of Okinawa. He studied her as she drew nearer. The girl wasn't quite five feet tall and weighed less than ninety pounds. Those ninety pounds were beautifully arranged. Her breasts weren't large, but under the tight fitting bodice of her starched dress they were perfectly symmetrical and in absolute proportion to the rest of her compact body. Involuntarily he found himself looking up into the most beautiful almond shaped, dark brown eyes he had ever seen. Outlined with shiny black, thick lashes and eyebrows, her eyes grabbed and captured Brad in their depths.

She looks about 15. But there is a maturity about her face and body. He thought continuing to watch the small girl. For him, time stopped momentarily. White, even teeth sparkled in a friendly smile when her eyes released their hold on him an iota of a second before she stepped around his sea bag. He watched her hurry toward the heavy glass doors of the terminal's waiting room.

She isn't a girl. That is ALL woman!

He watched in admiration when she walked through the glass doors and across the terminal floor. The white skirt stretched tightly across her beautifully formed backside and emphasized her gracefully feminine walk.

"Oh, my God, I'm in love." Brad heard himself say.

"Hey! You the Seabee going to Naha?"

He felt the heat of embarrassment flash across his cheeks and knew his ears were glowing red when he heard the sound of a deep male voice speaking American. He was so engrossed in the girl that Brad hadn't heard the ugly gray, Navy six pac pull up to the curb in front of the Air Force bus. The driver was hollering through his open window, and Brad was certain he had heard his vocal declaration of love for the beautiful girl.

"Yeah, I am. Where in hell have you been?"

"Sleeping, man. I've had the duty for the last two nights." The driver spoke slowly and matter-of-factly. Brad couldn't hear even a hint of aggression in the driver's voice when he stepped up to the side of the six pac. Through the open window he could see that the driver was dressed in tailor made, but very wrinkled, dungarees. Not only had the dungarees and short sleeved chambray shirt been worked in, they looked as if they had been slept in. His light brown hair hung down over his forehead partially obscuring his flattened fighter's nose and flashing green eyes. And he needed a haircut.

"Larry-san! Hey you, Luber-boy!"

The driver and Brad both turned towards the high pitched voice.

She was walking very fast, almost trotting towards them from the Air Force bus. Dressed in the same uniform as the first petite girl, but she was most decidedly not petite. She was tall and square. At least two inches taller than Brad and twenty pounds heavier, but the graceful motion of hands and hips were there. Her round face had small pock marks which ruined the image of her soft flawless Asian complexion, but they in no way distracted from her beauty. Her eyes, which Brad would learn, were pure Okinawan not Japanese. They had no hint of an eyelid fold, and were large, round and a beautiful, soft brown.

"Kaiko-chan? Where have you been, you big beautiful woman?" The driver hollered back while he was hurriedly exiting the 6 pac.

"I quit the Clover and leave Noumanoui for good. That place got to be number ten for me. You won't shack-up with me, Larry, then merchant man give me the clap for five dollar. Cheap bastard not want to pay for all night. He say he stay with me all week, until his ship leave. Then after he get me one time he go back to the bar. He never come back."

"I'm sorry, Kaiko, but I told you not to go with merchant sailors. They're nothing but trouble.

"I go to work in snack bar now Larry. You come see me? Come home with me, okay? You number one for me Larry, come my home, pease."

"Where are you living, Kaiko? Kadena?"

"No way, I have big house in Old Koza. No GIs come anymore so Mama-san let me have big house real cheap.

"Okay. What time you get off work Friday night? I won't have the duty this weekend so I'll stay all weekend with you."

"Sixteen hundred, Larry-san. You meet me on BC Street?"

"Yeah, but not before nineteen hundred. I'll meet you in the Goya Restaurant and buy you some gohon."

Brad watched and listened to the exchange between these two very ethnically different people in amazement. Neither were fluent in the other's language, but nonetheless they communicated and got their wants known to the other.

"Here, throw your sea bag in the back seat. Put your AWOL bag in there too.

Nice, huh?"

"What?" Brad was still lost in his own thoughts and it took him a second or two to realize that the Seabee was talking to him.

"The nesan, 'girl' to you. I love every one of them. Larry Perkins, I'm a builder." The Seabee driver proclaimed as he stuck out a work calloused hand.

"You're a driver, huh? What mob you out of?"

Perkins rambled on not allowing Brad to answer as they shook hands.

"I came from MCB 11. There's three or four of us at Naha from 11.

"Come on, get in. The chow hall closes at eight-thirty but we can make it in time for breakfast if I hurry. The speed limit on Highway One is only 40 MPH but I came up at over 50 all the way. The traffic is just starting to pick up so we'll have to go back a little slower."

Brad kept waiting for Perkins to run down and stop his monologue. When he didn't, Brad began to suspect he really didn't care which battalion he came from.

Brad quit trying to interject an answer between Perkins' sentences a long time before he finally turned towards Brad with a questioning look. Now he was ready for an answer.

"I was just waiting for you to run down so I could talk. Do you always go on like this?"

"Shit! I'm sorry, man. Like I said, I'm a builder, but I'm assigned to the motor pool. I've been busting my ass on a building project at the motor pool. Adding on a new bunk-room. And I've had the duty in the motor pool for the last two nights in a row."

"MCB 10. I was on Adak with 10. The main body of the battalion went to the Philippines. About four hundred drivers and mechanics got to go on the scenic Aleutian tour. We were Det. India. "Name is Burgess. Brad Burgess. My friends call me Brad.

"You ticked because I ruined your beauty sleep this morning, Perkins?"

"Oh, hell no, Brad. It sure isn't your fault. The motor pool duty section is short handed so we've been working port and starboard for the last two weeks."

"Besides, I got to see Kaiko-san and I can get laid this weekend for nothing." He added with a faraway look in his eyes.

Brad didn't say anything but he was thinking that there is more going on than Perkins picking up a girl for the weekend.

"Shit! The duty every other night, Perkins? That's worse than a battalion. How long will it go on?"

"This should be the last week of it. With you and another driver who checked in a month or so ago, and a mechanic transferring from MCB 11 this week, we'll be short but can go back to one in four."

"Who is the other driver?"

"Mike Branch. Do you know Mike?"

"Branch, Marion. The reserve is here already, huh?"

"Sure enough, Brad. And he's already pissed off the Division Chief."

Brad expected and was not disappointed to find Marion Branch, AKA 'Mike' and 'Twig' Branch had already arrived and was in the know of what was happening in the NAF Naha Transportation Division, but also the off-base bar scene.

Brad and Mike had been together in MCB 10's "Alpha" Company on Adak, AK last year as well as receiving their orders to NAF Naha at the same time. Mike lived with his dad in Port Hueneme so he hadn't bothered to take leave before coming to Naha.

"Mike was on Adak with us. He and I got our orders to Naha at the same time. He's always pissing someone off. How did he get to the Chief?"

"He got caught by the RASP in a Giagonji whorehouse the second night he was here. Or rather, coming out of the whorehouse."

"What's the RASP?"

"It's the Ryukyu Armed Services Police. They're glorified military police. Besides the Army MPs, there are Navy, Marine shore patrol and Air Force APs on it. A multi-service unit."

"How come they picked him up for coming out of a whorehouse? Are they off limits, Larry?"

"These are. Kind of, anyway. Giagonji is a part of Naha City that's off limits to GIs. It really isn't any big deal. The Okinawans just want to keep it for themselves. The teahouses don't have 'A' signs, and the whores aren't stamped 'U.S. Government Grade A Certified'. In other words, the girls aren't checked at the military V.D. Clinic.

"Some of us go to Giagonji with the Okinawans. We get away from the Naha AFB zoomies and the fleet sailors whenever a ship is in. Besides, its fun. These girls don't see too many GIs like the girls in Noumanoui do, so the Giagonji nesans treat us real nice. We have more money to spend than the average Okinawan and we can get them stuff out of the Exchange."

"Did they write Mike up?"

"Yeah, they had to. But the Public Works Officer, our real boss Lieutenant Commander Tole, told the Division Chief to handle it with non-judicial punishment since Branch had only been on the island for less than a week and didn't know where he was. Commander Tole said that he was probably lost in all those narrow windy streets down there, and he was smiling all the time, but it went right over the Chief's head so Mike lost his liberty card for a week."

"Who's the Division Chief, Larry"?

"Chief Lambert. Builder Chief." Perkins caught the expression of distaste which flashed across Brad face.

"You know Lambert? Yeah, you did in 10 last year." Perkins answered his own question. "Have trouble with him?"

"Not really. Seems like I always caught the duty with him and to him 'sweep down, fore and aft' was something from the Beverly Hills Hilton. He's the most anal SOB I've ever seen. I always thought that my mother was a nut case until I met Lambert. Shit! He makes her look like a scrounge."

"I know, I volunteered to go to the motor pool to get away from him."

Staring through the windshield of the over-sized pickup, Brad felt disoriented as Perkins swung the big pickup south from Kadena AFB's main road and into the thick, fast moving traffic of Okinawa Highway #1. In that instant it all hit him. The strange smells of open benjo ditches, mud clogged tidal flats, sandy coral flats at low tide and fish frying on open charcoal braziers all made Brad realize that when he stepped out of the DC8 this morning he had entered a different world. A world with a language and rules like none he had ever known. And a world that sent thousands of questions, all of which needed an answer, gushing chaotically through his head.

He knew his life would never be the same again. And while he took in the heady aromas, listened to the new sounds and let his eyes feast on this cornucopia of magnificent visions, Brad knew he didn't want his life to be the same. He had come to Okinawa because he wanted his life to change, and he intended to enjoy these changes as he experienced them.

FOUR

It was after they had left the main gate of Kadena AFB and turned south on Highway #1 that Brad began to realize how awed by Okinawa he had already become.

"Car Pawn? You can pawn your car?"

He turned to look back at the fragile appearing wooden structure with the huge, fancifully painted CAR PAWN sign and saw the whole front of the little building was small paned windows with steel accordion style grates pulled fully open on each side. The shelves behind the windows were stacked full of radios, stereo speakers, cameras and musical instruments of all sorts. Just like their stateside counterparts, the Okinawan money lenders would loan you money on almost anything. This particular pawn shop had an additional sideline. Besides loaning you money on your car, or taking your new stereo speakers in hock, a hand painted sign, leaning against the building proclaimed : "SOOVINEARS". Brad presumed it meant they sold souvenirs. Hanging under the building's long Japanese eaves were the dried, stuffed and varnished corpses of numerous sea turtles and spiny lobsters. The white rice paper tags tied to each body swaying gently in the light breeze told the price.

"Sure. And you can still drive it. Akabu does it all the time. Every payday he has to get his Olds out of pawn."

Brad wasn't ready for what was coming, and he knew it. But he had to ask and was more than half curious to hear the answer. "What or who, is Ak-Akabpu?"

"Akabu is Ronnie Jessup. Akabu is Okinawan for red. Ron has red hair and all the nesans call him Akabu. It's also slang for a girl's period."

"So how do they pawn their cars and still keep them?"

"Just like a stateside car loan, only the interest rate is higher and it's short term. Pay up or they repossess your car."

"Just like that? Come and take it?"

"Remember, they have the title. The car really belongs to them. Pawn it and you give up the title."

They came to a busy intersection with stateside type traffic lights, and had to stop for the red. There was a lot of military traffic turning east, up the hill.

"That's Sukiran on the left. The High Commissioner has his palace on top of the hill. The Army runs this island. It's a military dictatorship."

Brad looked across the cab of the pickup and caught Perkins' eye. He just nodded and shrugged before turning his eyes back to the road as the light changed.

"The Army's airborne units and green beanies are part way the hill."

Highway #1 was a four lane highway. Two lanes ran north and two ran south. There was a spastic left turn lane down the center. Spastic in that now it's there and then it's not there.

The traffic seemed really heavy but Larry was relaxed and working his way through the mishmash of vehicles. There were four lanes of full-sized American cars mixed with small Japanese taxis, huge dump trucks, tractor and trailer rigs, fuel tankers, small three wheel trucks and two wheel motorcycles. There was an occasional bicycle playing suicide tag with the traffic on the wide red dirt shoulder. There were military rigs and civilian vehicles all mixed together, fender to tailgate, creating a turbulent iron river. There were constant surges in the already tempestuous flow when a driver would shoot into the maelstrom from either shoulder of the highway like a huge boulder crashing into a rushing river. This would create a wild cloud of reddish brown dust which obstructed every driver's forward vision at the vehicle's point of entry into the wild current of the multi-colored steel stream. Any driver, on either shoulder, who wanted access to any lane, declared his intention by aiming his vehicle at any minute gap between vehicles, real or imagined, and jamming his throttle to the floorboards. Another surge was created and maybe this time luck would prevail; there would be no screech of protesting tires on the oily pavement followed by the resounding scream of tearing metal body parts merging into the disorder of a wreck.

Every vehicle was traveling well in excess of the 40 MPH speed limit. Obviously doing the speed limit would be suicidal. No one appeared to be going less than 45. Perkins was staying in the left lane, and never let the speedometer drop much below 50 MPH. Even then he was barely staying up with the flow of traffic.

"God! I thought the Hollywood Freeway was bad. Is it always like this?"

"This traffic isn't bad. Wait for another hour. Or until five o'clock tonight. Trying to cross without a light, even at the crosswalks, is impossible. People get sukoshi cabs just to cross Highway #1."

"A what?"

"Sukoshi cab. Like that one in front of us. The little yellow and orange Datsun.

"Sukoshi means small. Small girl, small dick. All are sukoshi

"That pink one just hayakuing . . . "

"Hiakcooing? What in hell is that?"

Brad figured out very quickly that the GIs were adding their own twist to the pronunciation and usage of Okinawan and Japanese words.

"Hurry up, go fast! Hayaku! . . . hayakuing into the right lane, is an independent. They own their own cab and all of them are painted pink, so take a pink one whenever you can. They're proud and independent, so they won't overcharge you or take the long way around. And if you get a house on the beach, don't let any cab driver, except an independent, know where it is. The drivers are either stealie boys themselves, or they'll sell your address to a stealie boy. American houses are fair game on the beach."

"Do a lot of guys live on the beach? Will they let us?"

"A few do. Some have a steady shack job. A couple guys do it part time. They might have a nesan to stay with three or four nights a week for the price of a couple nights of drinking. Some guys just keep changing nesans every month or so. As long as you don't get caught off limits or come in late for work no one cares.

"But don't try to get in the Naha Air Base gate after midnight. The zoomies have a 2400 hour curfew and bed check. They keep trying to nail us for it. But we don't have one. It drives the Air Force Base Commander crazy. Our Old Man lets us come and go as we please."

"So what happens if the APs catch you?"

"Don't get caught! Call the motor pool from the Naha Army Barracks gate and our dispatcher will send the duty mechanic and wrecker out to pick you up. The Air Force can't bother you in a Navy vehicle. Like I said, don't try to come in the Air Base gate after 2400. Don't go near the gate. The Air Police and the Okinawan guards won't pay any attention to you at the Army gate, they could care less about what goes on over there.

"I'll show you the gates when we get to Naha."

"How about the Army guards?"

"They're Okinawan, work for the Army. They won't bother you. In fact, they let us use their phone."

"You still didn't answer my first question. What happens if the Air Police catch you? Will they write us up, or hold us until the Navy picks us up?"

"They'll write you up and send you to the barracks. On the next working day the Division Chief will get the chit. After he chews out Charlie Lawton, the motor pool chief, for not controlling his troops, he'll give the chit to Lawton. Then the Chief will chew you out and take your liberty card away. But he'll give it back to you at 1600 when we get off work."

"That's all? Just an ass chewing and lose your liberty card for 8 hours when your suppose to be working anyway?"

"You got it. Lawton's ass chewing goes something like this. 'Now you guys know you aren't supposed to be coming in the gate after midnight: so stay in bed with your girl friend if you can't get in the gate before the coach turns into a pumpkin. Damn, I'm tired of listening to Chief Lambert tell me what an idiot I am.'

A real bunch of hard asses about breaking Air Force rules around here, Brad.

Welcome to Naha Air Facility. That's the main gate in front of us. The gate on the right is the Army gate."

FIVE

Although Brad had been anxious to check out the Okinawan night life, he was sure it had been a smart move to stay on base for a couple of nights. A guided tour of the Noumanoui bar area was in the offering by Mike Branch, but a long night of bar hopping and heavy drinking, after a long day of travel, followed by the grueling task of checking aboard NAF Naha, he had no doubt in his jet lagged mind that his body would not have survived the tour.

Now his first weekend on Okinawa and free time was in sight though his mind was still thrashing about the last of a full day of Okinawa orientation and history classes. An Okinawan born translator was the most interesting as he shared his knowledge and life experiences telling about the arrival of the Japanese military in the 1930s and later the American's invasion of the island.

As Japan's war in Asia progressed, Okinawa became more of a garrison island for Japanese troops. By 1943 as the tide of the war was slowly turning against the Japanese military and it became obvious that the Japanese main islands were in jeopardy of being invaded, islands like Okinawa witnessed a major build-up of forces ready to make a last ditch stand to protect the home islands. The Japanese 32nd Army began a massive build-up on the island and in February 1944 martial law was declared.

The massive increase in troop numbers put a sever strain on the island's resources. Water, always in short supply, became a major problem especially in the south and central parts of the island. Though an agricultural society, where more than one half of the population were farmers, the island grown crops could not meet the increasing demands. A further demand was made on agricultural productivity when the military took control of the sugar cane crop to be shipped to the home islands and turned into alcohol for military fuel. At least one quarter of the island's arable land was soon used to grow sugar cane. In an effort to relieve the shortages, 80,000 Okinawa civilians were sent to the Japanese island of Kyushu were they were put to work manufacturing materials for the 'war effort'. During the same period time, 60,000 Okinawans, mostly the elderly and children were moved to the north end of Okinawa where many hid and lived in caves. A few were lucky enough to have relatives living in the north who could take them into their homes. The mass conscription of Okinawan civilians also started in the early summer of 1944 with 20,000 males being conscripted into the Home Guard primarily as laborers to construct military fortifications. The Japanese Army, dissatisfied with the progress of their construction projects, shortly thereafter started to conscript females for construction work and completed their disruption of Okinawa's tightly knit family society of stay home mothers and farmer fathers. A society where the majority of families worked together at home. Almost all of the Okinawan males between the ages of 18 and 45 were "mobilized for combat" in some type of related jobs.

Two things happened during the next few months that would have profound effects, one extremely good and one which is hard to figure exactly what would have been the result if it had not happened. The Japanese 32nd Army started to confiscate the Okinawans food stuffs and crops. Though very mellow and non-militant, the Okinawans can never be thought of as stupid or lazy. As the confiscation hit high gear the Okinawans started to hide food and harvested crops in caves that were known only to the local residents. In September of 1944 US submarine attacks on the shipping into Okinawa hit a new high and the beginning of massive US air strikes prompted many Mainland Japanese who had been brought to the island as government administrators for numerous towns and villages, to return to their home islands. With them went many Okinawans who were loyal to Japan and the Japanese military. Since these Okinawans had connections with the Japanese 32nd Army it was not difficult for them to gain permission to leave also.

Liberty call was at 1630 on NAF Naha. The weekend started on Friday afternoon when about a dozen Seabees piled aboard the base bus in front of the motor pool and headed for the barracks. After a fast shower, shave and supper in the chow hall, 1830 found three of them sharing a cab and heading for Noumanoui.

Stateside, Noumanoui would be called the red-light district. On Okinawa it was the Naha bar district where the military attempted to isolate the GIs from the rest of Okinawa. The food, booze and women were all there and comparatively cheap. A meal of chicken fried rice and an Orion beer would take less than two American dollars. A night of heavy drinking and girl chasing would take less than twenty dollars and sometimes a smart GI could make do with ten dollars if he had a steady girl friend.

Mike Branch was riding shotgun as the nightly guide. The second Seabee in the back seat with Brad was Third Class Construction Mechanic Tom O'Brien. O'Brien was a fair complexioned, redheaded beanpole, with a face full of freckles. True to his name, O'Brien was pure Irish and from the East Coast. He said he would ride to town with them, but then he was going to the Clover Bar. The Clover was the Seabee bar in Noumanoui where several of the Bees, including Tom O'Brien, had steady or fairly regular girl friends.

Side by side Mike and Brad strolled casually along one of the few paved roads in the Noumanoui bar district. Brad's head swiveled from side to side like a tourist as he took in all the sights and goings-on, which were new to him. The smells from the foot wide benjo ditches running along both sides of the street were annoying, but not revolting. It was a sweetish mix of soapy water and kitchen waste. It was called gray water in the States. The precast concrete lids, although broken in places, missing in others, and with gaps where side branches of the ditches joined the main flow of gray waters, helped keep the odor down. Brad stepped across the ditch on the left side of the street and barely missed stepping between two of the cover pieces where somebody had pulled them apart almost directly in front of the front step to the Harbor Lights Bar.

The Harbor Lights was a typical Okinawan bar. It took up the whole bottom floor of a two story poured concrete building about the size of a very small American house. Junko, the middle aged bar owner and her three children lived in the small two bedroom apartment on the second floor.

Brad followed Mike into the bar. Stopped just inside the door to let his eyes adjust to the very dim interior lighting.

The bar, running down the right side of the room with its top polished by uncountable swipes of bar rags, glistened in the dim indirect light. Strung along the ceiling over and behind the bar were strings of multi-colored miniature Christmas lights. Hanging here and there on the wires, emitting sporadic flashes of color as they drifted in unseen air currents, were bits of left over Christmas tinsel. On the opposite wall were four booths. All there was room for on that wall. Two more booths were jammed against the wall to the left of the entrance. Straight ahead was a shiny new jukebox with colored lights flashing and from its speakers Bobby Vinton was moaning over the verses of Roses are Red. The empty center of the room was the largest part of the room and was obviously a dance floor of minuscule portions, about the size of two chow hall tables pushed together.

As Brad's vision improved he started to distinguish the differences in the various human forms scattered about the bar. Standing just by the bar and what appeared to be the back door was an older woman who when she spoke, the younger women sitting on the bars stools answered immediately and with the tone of deference the Japanese use when addressing a person of authority. Four or five GIs, one in Navy dress whites, were sitting in the booths with at least one girl hanging on to each of them. There were two scruffy middle aged men sitting on the end of the bar closest to the entrance.

Merchant seamen. Brad decided when he passed behind them on his way to the far end of the bar where Mike was already talking to one of the bar girls.

The young girl who had been standing at the far end of the bar approached Mike and Brad but before she could ask what would be their pleasure, Mike spoke up.

"Brad this is Kimiko. Junko's eldest daughter and a terrific bartender."

Kimiko looked like she was barely eighteen and a beauty in anybody's eye anywhere in the world. Her smile was naïve and had the open innocence of a child. Her dark almond shaped eyes showed her intelligence and quiet determination.

Brad listened as she spoke English with very little accent and each syllable seemed to flow easily from her lips. In contrast to the bar girls who wore butt tight 'dressy' clothes and heels, Kim wore a simple, light blue, school girlish, cotton blouse and snug, not tight, Wrangler jeans and soft leather oxfords.

For the biggest share of the early evening Brad sat quietly at the bar with Mike and his girl. He slowly drank a couple of C/Cs with kori mizu while Mike was busily trying to fix himself up with the nesan. Obviously he had no intentions of sleeping by himself tonight.

"Slow music. So we can dance." Kim said as she came out from behind the bar and turned him towards her with a gentle touch to his waist. "We can dance to this".

Her shiny black hair was down to the middle of her back and was silky under his hand. Soon he slipped his fingers up under the silky waves. She smelled clean with a hint of perfume from her shampoo teasing his sense of smell. The warmth of her body and the firm feel of her small breasts against Brad's chest made him realize how hungry he was for a woman's company. He let his right hand slowly caress her back and drew her a bit closer. Her back was smooth, there were no straps to hinder his caresses.

Cool it you idiot. She's just a kid who wants more out of life than what she has. Brad's mind was lazily drifting through his options as they held each other and slowly moved in time to the romantic sounds of Perry Como crooning Wanted.

Get to know her. Find out what she wants besides a ticket to the States.

"Kimiko-chan!" It wasn't exactly a shout, but it was firm and full of meaning. Even someone who didn't know would have no problem figuring out what Junko wanted.

Kim lifted her head from his shoulder. "I must help my mother. Don't go away, Brad."

Hand in hand they walked back to the end of the bar. Kim's right hip pressed against him with each step they took sending a resurgence of feelings coursing through him.

I want her.

Before she stepped around behind the bar she looked up into his eyes. Her smile was gentle and her eyes held a promise he could only have wished for an hour ago.

"You, my friend, are a threat to Junko's plans for her lovely daughter. She wants Kim to be a doctor, not the wife, or worse, the whore of a drunken GI."

"She hates us, huh?"

"I don't think it's exactly hate, Brad." Mike answered. "More like she's using us and it's by her rules. Which means no Kim. She'll try to set you up with one of the other girls after she sends Kimiko upstairs. If you go for it, she'll have won and you will no longer be a threat. The lady is no fool. She started out as a suck-a-hache mama-san in a short time house and now owns a very nice little bar with about twelve girls in debt to her."

"Whoa, whoa! Short time house?" Brad asked. "I've heard the term, but never really thought about it."

"Some bars, massage parlors and whorehouses are called 'short time'. For two dollars a girl will have sex, give you a hand job, or suck you off. Then she tells you how good in bed you were as she's pushing you out the back door while another GI is coming in the front door. All in the space of about ten minutes. This was where the not so good looking, not so personable girls, or over-the-hill women end up."

"How come you know so much about her and Kim, Mike?"

"I was drinking with some of the marines from the NAF security forces the first week I was here. Their Gunny has been stationed all over Okinawa. His first duty station on the island was Camp Butler and he used to hang out in Kin village. Back then, in the early 1950s, most of the bars weren't there. There were just thrown together shacks for bars and skivvie houses to service the Marines and Seabees. Junko worked in one of the short-time houses. The Gunny said that she worked her way up from on her knees and stashed enough dinero to get this place"

Just a short acquaintance with Junko would tell anybody that she did in fact keep a tight rein on her intelligent and free thinking daughter and was not going to let any GI get close to Kimiko without one hell of a fight.

"I'm hungry. Do you want to go get a steak before we shack up for the weekend?" Branch asked Brad.

"That sounds like a good plan, Mike." Brad answered. A short while ago he had watched Kim give him a small smile and wave before she went upstairs after a short but heated discussion with her mother. He was sure that he wouldn't see her again tonight.

"Yeh. Maybe you can get laid in the Clover, you sure aren't going to get any here tonight."

"Thanks, Mike. I really appreciate your confidence in me. As I remember it was your idea for me to put the rush on Kim." Brad turned back towards Mike with a smile and a bit of hot blood rushed through him as he recalled the feeling of Kim's young firm body against him.

"So now you feel obliged to take me out and get me laid, huh? You're a great guy, but no. Hell no, thank you. From now on I'll find my own women to fall in love with.

Mike's nesan didn't want to leave the bar until closing which meant she owes the mama-san big bucks and couldn't afford to leave, Mike informed Brad as they strolled along the narrow streets that were still teeming with life at 0030 hours on Saturday morning. The little family shops were mostly closed but here and there a papa-san or mama-san was unrolling bamboo curtains or dropping wooden shutters across the front of their tiny shops. Hardly anything was locked, just closed to keep out stray dogs and the merchandise clean.

"Isn't this where O'Brien hangs out, Mike?" Brad asked as the two Seabees climbed the stairs to the second story Clover bar. "Let's see if he's still here."

"Sure, we can eat later. And maybe Tom and his nesan will want to go eat with us."

The booths in the Clover had tall backs with big soft cushions and all provided a bit of privacy. They were comfortably wide enough for two people to sit on each side of the small table with ample leg room for even the biggest GI. Like the Harbor Lights, the Clover was dim and dark with jukebox music covering all but the loudest drunken conversations. The tiny dance floor, about the size of four GI blankets, was crowded with GIs and their girls. The long bar was crowded almost two deep. Most of the males were sitting and the nesans were hanging onto them or wedged in between two bar stools trying to get close enough to stir up enough interest in a GI to get him to sit in a booth. "I thought this was a Seabee bar, Mike?"

"It is. These are Marines from the NAF Marine security detachment and some fleet sailors from the NAF ordinance shop. They hang around here too. Most of NAF has credit in here between pay days."

"Can I sit with you? You don't have to buy me a drink unless you want too. If you do, it won't be tea. I drink lemon Cokes."

Damn, I'm in love again.

"My name is Susie. What do they call you?"

She was not quite Okinawan. She had some Caucasian showing in her physical appearance. But after centuries of being used and abused by many nations including China and the United States, the heritage of an Okinawan was not as easy to trace as a Japanese's from the main islands.

Susie's shoulder length hair was fine and silky with highlights of brown and red appearing in the bar's uneven, weak lighting. Her complexion was the peaches and cream any American girl would kill for. She had on a green silk dress matching the changing colors of the South China sea as it washed across the coral reefs of Okinawa. The silk clung to her full breasts and tiny waist flowing down over hips which were in perfect proportion to her breasts.

"Brad." I answered.

"Brad? Is that your first name or part of your last?"

"My first. Actually it's Bradford. Last name is Burgess" Is she being a smart ass, or is she smart enough and care enough to really want to know? Brad was thinking as he slid on the booth seat a bit to give her room to sit down.

Susie didn't answer right away. She just watched his eyes as she slid in next to him. A hint of perfume crossed the small space that separated their bodies. Though she hadn't come up against him and touched, Brad could feel her next to him.

"You like Brad?" She hesitated briefly. Her English wasn't exactly perfect after all. "Or Bradford the best? I don't like Burgess." She pronounced it with a very long U which was almost nasal in sound and she was trying hard to pronounce it correctly though she missed the 'r' entirely.

"If I have a choice, I really like Brad best."

"Okay, Brad. Me too." Susie spoke with a quiet, but self assured voice.

"Do you want to stay with me tonight? I don't have a date and I like you."

Brad looked across the table towards Mike and O'Brien for some kind of sign that he was not being had. They both met his eyes and he knew they were listening to what was going on.

His eyes were drawn to the movement of O'Brien's hand which was on his nesan's shoulder. His thumb come up in the world wide sign of approval. Considering that he knew most, if not all of the girls in the Clover, Brad took his sign of approval as gospel.

Holding up his empty glass he spoke again to Susie. "Why don't you get me that drink. A C/C and kori-mizu. And yourself a big lemon Coke. Or small one if you're full up.

"We can't leave until two o'clock, right?" Brad asked as an after thought.

"I'll have just a small one. I think maybe you want just a small one, too." Susie leaned into him. Her right breast pressing against his left arm and spoke softly. "I don't like drunken GIs. You don't have to drink a lot with me."

That is lovely. He thought to himself and watched her walking towards the bar gracefully twisting her hips to avoid brushing against people and keeping out of the reach of wayward GI hands that were trying to cop a feel. He couldn't say as he could really blame them. It was a very nice behind.

"I don't know what you said or did to her, but I've never seen Susie stay with anybody the first time they bought her a drink." O'Brien spoke as soon as Susie was out of ear shot.

"You must be a number one GI if she stay with you." Tom's nesan threw out. "She sometime talk long time over how much you give her to stay. Then she want to stay in hotel. Not take you to her home."

"The house over there is my sister's. This one is mine." Susie handed Brad her keys as she spoke and motioned towards the small wooden house with a red tile roof on their right when they walked through the gate into a tiny yard.

SIX

The morning air was balmy and reminiscent of Florida's Gulf Coast. Small puffy fair weather clouds drifted across the pale blue sky. This Tuesday morning, January 14,1964 on Okinawa was special for Brad as it marked the start of his second week on the island. He was standing on the front steps of the chow hall enjoying the sharp scent of the sea. A gentle southwest breeze carried the pungent odor of the East China Sea's tidal flats across the Air Force taxi-ways and runways, then up the slope into the area of the Navy barracks.

The fresh sea air held none of the land smells he was now associating with his new home. The odor of Okinawa was unique, but Brad didn't find it disagreeable as some of the GIs did and he could now identify a lot of the individual smells by source. Separately, many of the smells were not objectionable to him, but the resulting potpourri he knew was not a readily marketable fragrance in anyone's store.

He was imagining that he could hear the ebbing tide breaking against the coral reef before hissing its way across flats of golden sand and he felt so great that not even the sudden screaming of a jet engine on the Air Force flight line blotting out the tide's tranquil whispers bothered him. The noise was another piece of the mosaic that was Okinawa.

During his first ride from Kadena with Perkins, Larry had told Brad that it was the custom of the motor pool for last night's duty section to pick up the motor pool Seabees at the chow hall and give them a ride to work. So he was standing around with several other Bees waiting for the duty section to finish their breakfast.

The chow hall door thumped open and Akabu, AKA Ronnie Jessup, and Dan Buckner started down the stairs to where the other Bees were waiting. Buckner was the third class driver in charge of the heavy equipment shop were Brad worked. Physically he was a typical equipment operator. Broad shouldered, burly and a bit taller than Brad. His hands were heavily callused, the hands of a working equipment operator. He was about the same age as Brad and like him, had worked around equipment before dodging the draft by enlisting in the Navy. The two operators had become friends rapidly and had grown inseparable on the job with Akabu tagging along whenever the chief would let him.

After a fast muster in the motor pool's new bunk-room all the military drivers, mechanics and operators would go down the hill to the coffee mess. Anybody, GI or Okinawan, could utilize the mess, but only motor pool personnel could charge coffee, soft drinks, cinnamon rolls, doughnuts and sandwiches. The bill had to be paid each and every payday without fail. It didn't matter how much was charged; but if a GI wanted any liberty he paid his coffee mess bill first every pay day.

The coffee shop had been built into the end of one of the two vehicle maintenance shops in the motor pool service area and was run by Susie, a cute Okinawan girl in her mid twenties. Susie's face was somewhat long and her features were a bit on the coarse side, but pure Okinawan. Her nose was broad and larger than most Japanese women's seemed to be. Her dark brown eyes were set widely apart with dense black eyebrows which she had plucked into attractive curves. Her eye lashes were dense, long and curved. Susie had full, feminine lips on which she used a deep red lipstick. She was neither unattractive, nor beautiful. She was Susie. Cute Susie. But she was the most bowlegged person Brad had ever seen. His first glimpse of a nesan's leg and he had immediately started admiring how shapely the majority of Okinawan women's legs were. Now he felt an immediate twinge of sympathy for Susie. He knew that her legs were the result of an acute case of rickets as a child. A common malady of Okinawan children of the war years and right after the invasion of Okinawa by the United States.

"Hey Cherry-boy, you want kohi?" Were the first words that Brad heard on his initial visit into the coffee mess.

Susie's saucy greeting shocked and embarrassed him. Brad had felt the sudden flash of heat in his ears, back of his neck and cheeks. There was no doubt in his mind that he had turned the same deep red as Susie's lipstick. He certainly wasn't used to having a woman speak so frankly. Especially considering his weird Yankee, upbringing. He was quickly mellowed though by the size and warmth of Susie's smile.

The two Susies that Brad knew were the extremes of Okinawan womanhood, decorum, beauty, and profession. Susie, from the Clover, was a bar girl, a prostitute if you want to put it frankly. A beautiful woman who was partially Caucasian of unknown nationality and family. She was about 25 or 26 years old. And she would never be as outspoken or vulgar as the 20 something Susie from the coffee mess. Coffee mess Susie was as pure an Okinawan as anybody could be. Not beautiful, but attractive and sexy. With as foul a mouth as you would expect from any bar girl.

"Don't let her bother you, she flirts with everybody. But she's not a butterfly."

Brad hadn't noticed the short muscular Okinawan leaning against the wall next to the high counter in front of Susie.

"Hi, I'm Toji." He took a step away from the wall and offered Brad a callused, grease stain hand. His fingers were short and stubby and had greasy dirt under the nails.

"He mechanic honcho." Susie hollered from the other side of the counter while pouring Brad's coffee.

Toji stood about 4'11" or maybe 5' in his steel toed work boots, and weighed about 140 pounds. All muscle. He was friendly with round, dark eyes which smiled all the time as he spoke.

"If you break anything, come to me. I'll fix it right for you. So it won't break again."

The friendly smile never left his face, but Brad knew Toji was serious and heard his unspoken message loud and clear. 'I'm the mechanic, not you. When you break it, and I know you will, then I'll fix it. And I'll fix it right.'

"Thanks Toji, I'll be sure to remember that." Brad spoke as he shook Toji's hand and met his eyes. He knew that he had just made a friend of this intelligent, and articulate man. He would be there when Brad needed him.

SEVEN

Brad was staying with Susie two and sometimes, four times a week, but he found that he was also attracted to Kimiko even though he realized that an attempt at any kind of relationship with Kim was a losing battle for she was very young, just turned eighteen, still a school girl by American standards and not ready to take on the responsibilities of a husband and a home, much less children. Kim's own desire to exercise her independence from her mother, made her extremely vulnerable to any GI who really decided that he was going to seduce her. Even knowing all that was wrong, Brad would still stop at the Harbor Lights to spend some time with Kim about once a week. If he wasn't going to spend the night with Susie he would stay at the Harbor Lights with Kim until eleven-thirty or twelve o'clock then go back to the base.

For a little over a month all was fine and from Brad's viewpoint he was getting the best of all worlds until one night when he went to the Clover to pickup Susie and a bartender told him that she had already left with another GI.

As he sat at the bar nursing a C/C and kori mizu Sashiko, O'Brien's girl friend, came and sat beside him.

"Susie mad at you. Said you a number ten GI."

"What did I do Sash? I'm not a butterfly. I don't sleep with anybody but Susie."

"Lots of nesans say that you stay in the Harbor Lights and are trying to 'make it' with Kimiko-san. They say that you want to take her cherry. Everybody in Noumanoui know she still junketsu, neh? Cherry girl.

"If you do, Junko will..... what you say??? Nugu .... cut you..... kogans. You know? She cut you nuts off."

Brad looked over at the small girl dressed in a light green kimono and wondered how she had hooked up with O' Brien. Sashiko was less than 5 foot tall. O'Brien stood about 6' and 1 or 2".

She really is cute. Nice body and a face like an Oriental doll.

"No, Sashiko-san. What are you talking about ?"

Sashiko liked Brad and wanted to make sure that he understood what was going on. Not only was he losing Susie, he was taking a chance of really upsetting Junko which all the nesans figured was not a good thing. Even for a GI.

She sat quietly for several minutes. Looking at herself in the behind the bar mirror, then making eye contact with Brad in the same mirror.

He kept sitting and sipping. Upset that maybe he had screwed up with Susie and realizing that he did like her. Liked her a lot. Maybe more than he had realized, and he enjoyed being around her.

Sash slid off the bar stool and stood between it and Brad. She turned his bar stool towards her and to Brad's surprise her right hand reached into his crotch. She cupped his balls in her little gentle hand.

"Junko take them." Sashiko said loudly as she pulled on them and made a chopping motion towards them with her left hand,

"Okay, okay. Let go, Sash." Brad hollered as her hand increased its pressure and really started to squash his testicles together and the hurt became more intense.

"Damn! I understand. Let go!" A bit frantic, Brad was relieved to see a tiny smile play across Sashiko's lips before her even white teeth showed for just a moment in a real smile.

She stepped closer to him between his legs. Careful not to bump his crotch, Sashiko reached up and with a hand on each side of his face cheek pulled Brad down to her level and kissed him firmly on the lips. Her tongue flicked across the tip of his tongue and was gone, as was her lips.

"If I not O'Brien's girl, I stay with you tonight. But if I do, Susie would be mad at me and you. She's not with another GI. She go home. You go to her house and crawl in the door. Okay Brad?" Without anymore talk she took his hand and pulled Brad off his bar stool and lead him to the front door. You not tell O'Brien I kiss you? Neh?"

Iie! I won't. Really."

"Honto? Dozo."

"Honto. I never would, Sash." You're my number 2 nesan. OK?"

As he walked through the streets of Noumanoui looking into the bars and watching the GIs with and without girls, Brad wondered how many of these Americans knew or cared where most of the girls came from and how they ended up in the GI's favorite bar. Or appreciated the fact that their favorite bar was their favorite bar because of one or two of the girls who worked there.

EIGHT

During the second week of March the weather broke and the winter rains had slacked off. The Okinawans were saying that this was unusual, but for Brad Burgess and Dan Buckner it was a chance to do some real equipment operating instead of running trucks up, down and across the island hauling stores to the ships anchored off White Beach or transporting officers to Kadena Air Force base to catch a plane back to CONUS.

During the previous summer Dan had met the American civilians who worked for the U.S. Army and ran the Army's Naha Port. Most of these civilians were retired military and had been, or were married to Okinawan or Japanese women. For several months Dan had been TAD to the Army running heavy equipment in the Army's People-to-People program. This was part of their civic action program and had a project of some type going almost all of the time. Last year, and now starting again as the mud was drying up, the project was to construct a huge parking lot for the new sports complex that was being built south of the city of Naha and almost across Highway #1 from the Army port. The biggest share of this project involved bulldozing down hills all around the city and hauling the dirt to fill in the swamp that was to become the complex's parking lot.

"Brad, meet Johnny Stump." Dan's introduction was very informal.

It took Brad just a second to figure out that the 40year something Johnny Stump was a pretty laid back type who had a friendly smile and the red complexion of a guy who drank too much beer, smoked too many cigarettes and spent a lot of time in the hot Okinawan sun. Dan had already told Brad that Johnny was an ex-Marine who hadn't left the island since he arrived on April 1, 1945. The day of the American invasion of Okinawa. Johnny had been a landing craft coxswain during the invasion. He was one of the many who ran the ramp fronted 'mike' boats, full of soldiers or Marines, from the APAs to the beaches. He had had three or four mike boats sunk under him the first week of the invasion. When the word came out that the Army was looking for Americans to work on the island as civilians, Johnny volunteered to take his discharge then and there. He was already involved with an Okinawan girl who he later married and had two children with before they divorced in the '50s.

"Well, what do you think Johnny, want some help?"

"Will your Chief let you and Brad both help us out this year, Dan?"

"He will if you call him and make it an official request to cover his ass. There isn't anything for us to do anyway except take work away from the Okinawans. Any nukes that need handling we hear about beforehand anyway, so that's no sweat."

"Consider him called. Now it must be time for a beer isn't it, guys?" Johnny suggested and headed for his green and white, 1959 Oldsmobile hardtop. "We can take a ride out to Oroku to the new hill that we're taking down. But we've got to stop at the Naha Exchange for a couple of six packs of San Miguel on the way."

"We're going to be in your backyard, Dan. Yumiko will like that." Brad commented as Johnny drove out the back gate of Naha Air Force Base.

"Yeah. Except she's going to work in the Naha Exchange next week."

"You're living on the beach here, Dan?" Stump asked. "Where?"

"Just around the corner. Behind the little store there. Want to stop in and meet Yumi?"

"Sure, why not." Johnny answered and pulled the Olds up next to the stout wooden fence that surrounded the cluster of three tiny, red tile roofed Okinawan houses.

"Bring the San Magoo with you, Johnny. That Filipino beer is some good stuff." Dan spoke over his shoulder when he went through a gate in the fence and headed for a house in the left front corner of the compound. "I'll make sure Yumi is dressed.

One warm evening a couple of weeks before as the days were getting a bit longer and warmer in the evenings, some of the Seabees from the motor pool had started heading for the Noumanoui seawall right after work. They went there to drink some beer and watch the store clerks and office girls who were leaving work and heading for home.

"Now that one's not good, she's great." Dan commented as a particularly attractive nesan walked down the middle of the road that ran behind the sea wall they were all sitting on. Brad, Ronny Jessup, aka Akabu, and Mike Branch. All of them drinking Okinawan made Orion beer.

"Nesan." Ron Jessup spoke to the girl over his shoulder. "Would you like to have a biru? Coke? I'll buy you a Coca Cola if you want."

Without turning or acknowledging them she kept walking, but a tiny smile on her lips brightened her face.

"You know who that is don't you, Akabu?" Brad asked Ronny.

"Just a pretty nesan." Ron answered. "And I'm in love."

"You're always in love, Jessup. If you'd like to know, she's Susie's neighbor."

"Introduce me then, Brad. Does she speak English. Even Yankee talk would be okay." The Mississippian Ron laughed.

"I don't think so, Ron. Not a good idea. At least for you."

"Are you putting the make on Hanoko?" Mike asked Brad with a semi-smirk on his face. "You're in enough trouble with Susie after all the talk amongst the nesans about Kimie. She'll really be pissed if she thinks you're hitting on a 17 year old."

"She's 17?" Dan asked. "Looks even younger than that. But then these dolls all look ten years younger than they really are. You know, we can't win. Just when us round eyes think we have the Okinawan women figured out, we find out that we don't know as much as we thought."

"Tell the rest, Brad. Come on. Her age is a small matter." Mike verbally prodded Brad.

"Want a hint guys? She lives in the big house with the big, huge coral wall all the way around it." Mike added. He was enjoying himself as he tried to dig Brad into a deep hole.

"And the thick wooden gate. Don't forget the stealie boy gate, Mike." Brad added his own description of the nesan's home. "With the concertina wire on top of it."

"First. No, I'm not hitting on her. Yes, she's only 17. She lives in the big house next to Susie's."

"Will you shut up and tell us what is going on." Ron hollered as he gulped down the last of his beer and his deep south accent growing heavier with each beer he drank.. He burped loudly. "Damn that stuff is terrible."

"You want me to shut up or tell you about Hanoko? I can't do both." Brad spoke through his grin as he realized that the only one of the Seabees getting drunk was Akabu.

"Throw him off the sea wall, Brad." Dan suggested as he looked at Brad with his characteristic grin. "Maybe it will sober him up some."

"How'd he get such a head start on us, Dan?"

"When did you come to Noumanoui, Akabu? You didn't work this afternoon did you? You were AWOL from the motor pool all afternoon."

"Well-ll......... I've only drank 6 or 7 Orions all afternoon. Counting the two I just killed here. After I got a short time from Mariko-san in the Kokusai Club."

"In the club? I don't believe you Ron. Couldn't you at least taken her to a hotel?"

"Come on, Brad, it's five more days to payday and she wouldn't take me to her place. So we did it in the back booth. Hell man, it's dark in that back corner, and she didn't care."

"She probably had a merchant seaman shacked up at her place, Ron. Surer'n hell you're going to come down with a dose of the clap now." Dan offered amongst all of the laughter from the other Seabees.

"Come on, Brad, finish telling us about Hanoko." Akabu demanded. "I'm still horny and she's cute as a bug."

"All right!" Brad started again. "Hanoko's father is the Naha City Chief of Police. Okay, are we all satisfied now."

"That's all? No more? That kawaii nesan is a cop's daughter? So what?" Ron exclaimed.

"I don't think that you appreciate the gravity of the situation, Akabu." Dan spoke in his characteristic quiet voice. "If you so much as look at her cross eyed, or with that lustful expression you get every time you get horny, you can plan on spending the rest of your days in the Okinawan jail."

"Who looks lustful? I don't look lustful? Do I look lustful, Brad?"

"Only when you're horny, Ron. And by your own admission you are right now."

"Which is all the time." Ron added and started to laugh at himself.

"Wow!"

All the Seabees turned towards Ronny trying to figure what his problem was now.

It was obvious. A very pretty, and mature nesan was crossing the street behind them and heading for the sea wall and them.

"Who is she" Brad asked no one in particular.

No more words were spoken, but the woman smiled softly and a bit shyly before going to Dan Buckner and kissing him on the lips.

"Hi. You found us." Dan was the first to speak.

"Hard to miss this bunch of drunken sailors." The nesan spoke great English with just the soft accent typical of an Okinawan woman. "Dan, Are you going to introduce me?"

"Absolutely. This charming lady is Yumiko, and we're going to move in together."

Yumiko was a couple of years older than Dan and Brad, but it didn't matter. She was a very pretty woman who carried herself with feminine pride which was true to her and her personality. She wore no makeup and was wearing a cotton wrap like a Mother Hubbard. It was not even stylish enough to be called a muu-muu.

Brad liked Yumiko immediately. Even before she sat beside him on the sea wall and had accepted an ice cold bottle of Orion from Akabu.

Orion the local, made-on-Okinawa beer, was a standing joke that the Seabees didn't drink Orion because it was cheap, but since they could get it in any small store on the island so they had an endless supply no matter where on the island their jobs took them. Also, they claimed that they were helping to support the local economy. In actuality the reason was that it was cheap and an adventure to drink. No two bottles were alike and it was so green, (unaged), that cynical GIs swore some bottles had grass growing in them. It didn't seem to be such a stupid idea at the time. In reality, Orion was not so bad. It was palatable.

"That's the end of that 6 pac." Dan declared to Brad and Stump. "Another dead soldier going to his grave.

"Want to take a walk up to the job, Johnny?"

"Yeah. Let's do that since we're here. If Yumi wants to get ready while we're gone, why don't we go to the Seaman's Club for dinner?"

"Sounds like a good idea to me, Johnny. Okay with you and Yumi, Dan?" Brad asked as he handed Yumiko his empty beer bottle.

"Hai. We'd love to go. Domo, Johnny-san." Yumi answered without any hesitation.

"Now we know who makes the decisions in this family, don't we, Brad?" Johnny said in place of a direct answer as he walked across the small yard and out the gate.

"Around here is the sugar cane farmer's family tomb. Everything has been moved out of it, but we'll have to let the family know when we are going to bulldoze it so the prayers and such can be said. Whatever they are.

"Over here, hidden in those weeds is a plugged up Japanese military cave. Papa-san said that it was blown shut during the invasion. So we don't know if there are any explosives in it or not. I think we can open it from the top as we bring the hill down, but we'll have to be careful that we don't drop a Cat into it.

"Hell, you've both been around enough to know how to do it." John went on. "We haven't been finding too much unexploded ordnance in this area, but that doesn't mean it isn't here."

The hill they were going to finish taking down was made up of pure Okinawan gray clay. When it was dry, it turned to iron and every inch of the hill would have to be ripped with dozer blades so that the front end loader could put it on the military dumps. One side of the hill all ready had a slot bulldozed out of it leading into an empty lot where the front end loader and dump trucks had been working. Around on the left side, houses had been built tight against the hill. None of the dirt could be allowed to fall down onto the fragile wooden homes, nor into the head-high sugar cane that surrounded the rest of the hill.

NINE

"I think that we should take the afternoon off and have some R & R. After all, it is Friday. What do you guys think?"

It was about two in the afternoon when Johnny Stump had showed up on the hill removing project. Off and on throughout spring and early summer, Brad and Dan had been working on the project for the Army whenever their Chief would let them off. They had cut down the hill of hard gray clay until it was now less than one quarter of its original height and the two Seabees had built up a massive stockpile between two of the tiny Okinawan houses at the base of the hill. The pile held so many yards of ripped up clay that it would take the loader operator and two military dump trucks several days to haul it all down the hill and onto the sports complex's future parking lot.

"You're about out of room on the stockpile. Unless of course you had in mind to bury a house or two. I really don't think that's a good idea though." Johnny was in a good mood, and it was obvious that though it was early in the afternoon he had already consumed a beer or two.

"Great idea. Brad and I can shower and be ready in about 30 minutes, Johnny. Yumi doesn't go to work until 3, so I can stop and tell her where we're going." Dan spoke as he headed around the huge stockpile of gray clay to where he and Brad had parked the two D8 bulldozers. As he walked the fine powdered clay rose in a light gray dust cloud about his feet and legs. It had not rained any appreciable amount since they had started tearing the hill down and the hot baking semi-tropical sun had sucked all of the moisture from the clay as the Seabees torn it from the hill.

"I found the top of the cave, John. A small hole in the roof that looks like the very top of the cave. We can dig it out and go into it on Monday." Brad told Stump while Dan shut down both dozers.

"Do you want the EOD out here when you do it, Brad? Maybe we'd better let them go in it instead of any of us."

"Yeah. You're probably right, Johnny. It could be booby trapped. Or it might be empty. I don't have a clue. I pushed a big blade full of dirt back over it so no kids would find it. I think it will be okay until we open it all the way."

"Sounds good to me, Brad. Do you want to get the Navy EOD to come out?"

"I'll call them before we come out the first of the week. We can work around it for a couple of days if we have to.

"But if Dan or I don't get out next week you may want to wait rather than have your Okinawan operators out here since they don't know where the hole is."

"If I have to do that, why don't I have Shorty, my best Okinawan operator, come by your shop and talk to you before he starts?"

"That will work for Dan and me. One of us or both of us, maybe able to break loose and help Shorty to find it if we have too.

"We're also very near to the level of the tomb on the north side of the hill. I talked to Papa-San and he said that he would take care of getting the Priest here whenever I tell him that we're going to start caving it in."

"Good. He's a nice old guy. Especially since the Americans tried to blow him up during the invasion."

"What happened to him?" Dan asked having come back from the dozers into the middle of the conversation.

"He had been impressed into the Japanese Army to help defeat the terrible, raping, invading Americans. He and his two neighbors were told to dig a trench near the front of the cave Brad found, and defend it with their lives. A GI dropped a fragmentation grenade in on top of them from up on the hill. Killed his two neighbors outright and Papa-San had the tendons cut around his right knee which is why he limps."

"Damn. You'd think he would hate us. He doesn't seem resentful at all."

It's really typical of many of the Okinawans who were lied to and forced to fight for the Japanese. It didn't take long for the Americans to show that they weren't the hordes of Genghis Khan the Japanese made us out to be, Brad. The Okinawans are intelligent people, and they're very intuitive about people and people's motives. The first couple of years after the invasion was really rough on them until the Army replaced the military governor and Congress came across with some bucks to help them.

"Dan, why don't you and Brad take my car to the barracks and pick me up after you get ready to go. I'll shower and change while you guys are gone."

Stump had driven them north almost 15 miles up island from Naha, past the front gate of Kadena Air Force Base and around the Kadena traffic circle, before taking a narrow, but paved side road amongst a scattering of bars and restaurants. All of which were obviously there to serve and take the money of the American GIs.

Johnny had decided it was time for a guided tour of the city of Kadena in which he seemed to hold a sizable financial interest. Everywhere they went, all of the Okinawans the three men met, knew Johnny Stump.

"I used to own that bar on the corner." Johnny told Brad and Dan while they devoured huge plates of chicken fried rice, which just happened to be-on-the house, in the neat clean Okinawan restaurant he had taken them to.

"I gave it to my wife when we got divorced." Johnny added.

Brad already knew that Americans could not own property on Okinawa, so the bar must have been in John's wife's name to begin with, but before he could ask further Johnny added. "It makes enough money to support her and my two kids. Besides, it was in her name and without her I wouldn't have had anything." There was a great sadness in Johnny's voice as he went on. "I drank too much, still do. She couldn't handle it anymore and I couldn't quit."

Johnny looked away into some private place of his own choosing.

"Johnny? How do they get so many girls to work the bars? Is the money that good?"

"Not really, Brad. Most of the girls are in hock up to their cute little boobs to the bar."

"The stories the girls tell us and what we hear from other GIs is right, Brad." Dan interjected. "Yumi and I had to pay off takusan to get her out of the bar."

Brad watched his friend as he spoke. It was the first time that Dan had mentioned the fact that Yumi had worked in a bar, or that he had paid off her bar debt. The strain on him was obvious in his clenched fists and tight jaw muscles.

"It's a long story, Brad. And complicated to understand." Johnny Stump went on after a brief pause when Dan had stopped talking.

Brad had listened to what most of the GIs that cared enough accepted as the truth. The bar owners and bar mama-sans were involved in a virtual slavery ring. That female Oriental children, even now, in the 1960's, were not worth much and were still considered to be a burden on the family. Now he was with two men who were his friends and whom he respected, and they each had first hand knowledge of what was a reality.

"A lot of Okinawan families, especially farm families, are walking a tightrope between barely subsisting and not making it." Johnny started. "A way for the families to raise some cash in hard times is to borrow money from the bar owners or the bar mama-sans. The collateral for these loans is the services of their daughters. The fathers of the girls make the best deal they can. Which means they borrow as much money as they can."

Brad leaned closer to hear. John was speaking softly, though no one was close to the three friend's table.

"The prettier and more personable the daughter is, the more she's worth as collateral."

"So who is responsible for paying the loan, Johnny?" Brad impatiently interrupted. "Who has to pay it back?"

"The daughter, that's who, Brad."

The more Brad heard, and the more he thought about the Okinawan people, the men, the women and the girls in the bars he had became friends with, the sadder the tale became.

"It isn't a simple loan like buying a car." Johnny went on. "Or even a personal debt on which a set amount is paid each month so that in a given period of time the debt is resolved. The girls are paid a cut on the drinks their customers drink or buy the girls. And of course a cut of whatever the girls get from selling their bodies is given to the bar. If a GI takes a girl out of the bar for the night, to take her to a movie or to dinner the GI or his girl has to pay the bar for her time. All of these things were income for the girls and a percentage of these earnings were kept by mama-san as payment against the loan. Unfortunately it doesn't stop there. Many of the girls have never had any extras or niceties such as their own bed, a pretty dress, or even a simple pair of earrings. Consequently, they borrow more money from the bar mama-san so they can buy the niceties or even the bare essentials that a working girl needs. A good double bed is a necessity. How can they entertain a man overnight without a comfortable place to make love and sleep? Of course mama-san is quite happy to increase the girl's depth of indebtedness."

"The working girls in the bars also make extra money by taking their boy friends to one of the local hotels where they get a cut of the room rent." Dan added.

"You guys ready to go? I want to show you a very nice bar which also belongs to my wife. She bought it after she left me. It's the Brown Derby."

I know Johnny is divorced, but he always refers to his ex as "his wife", in the present. Brad thought as he watched Johnny who had again retreated into that place of his where he never seemed to invite anybody else to go.

TEN

After the bright, mid-afternoon sun, Brad's eyes were having trouble adjusting to the dim interior of the Brown Derby Bar. He could barely make out the features of her face when he turned to face her, but it was obvious even in the dimness of the bar that she was more than very pretty.

"May I sit down, please?" She asked. Her voice sounded as if she was coaxing a tiny kitten to her hand. Soft and very gentle. Her eyes were a direct match to her voice, soft and gentle and the color of antique mahogany. They held a barely perceptible hint of sadness which disappeared as a small warm smile tugged at the corners of her mouth and jerked at Brad's heart.

"My name is Yoko." He could scarcely hear her above Dean Martin belting out You're Nobody 'Til Somebody Loves You on the juke box. She had perched on the edge of the booth's seat at least two feet from where Brad sat alone on the inside of the upholstered, high back booth. She was making no move to slide closer or even sit herself fully down. Just one shapely side of her butt was on the cushion.

This is nice for a change. Brad thought as a slow smile crossed his lips. She's considerably different from the usual bar girl who would already be in my lap and maybe even reaching for my southern parts.

As his eyes became more accustom to the bar's dim interior, it turned out that the distance between them was just right for Brad to feast his eyes upon the most beautiful Okinawan woman he had ever had the privilege of meeting. Brad let his eyes slide up from her knees, which she was holding primly together, linger a second or two on her flat stomach and full hips before hesitating on her full breasts which she had modestly concealed with a very pretty floral print dress. They still caught his attention. His eyes stopped roving when their eyes met and locked together with no conscious effort from either of them.

"Would you like a drink?" Brad asked her realizing that she was very young. I'll bet she's barely 20.

"Please. Can I get you a drink?" That soft gentle voice again and their eyes continued to hold each other.

"Yes, please. Dozo.

"Johnny, Dan, what are you guys drinking?"

"I'll stick to beer. Asahi." Dan answered. And a questioning look came across his face as he saw how Brad was looking at the girl.

"Asahi's okay, dozo." Stump spoke up.

"I'll be right back." She spoke so quietly it was almost a whisper.

Brad watched and appreciated her very feminine walk as she made her way through the heavy after-work-crowd of Air Force Zoomies from Kadena AFB. Not even 5' tall and maybe 90 pounds, she made her way through the crowd of men effortlessly with just a soft touch on a GI's shoulder or a quiet word and they moved out of her way with what seemed to be a deference reserved for only the most respected woman of their own race. He watched the several lingering looks of appreciation she received and he felt a strange queasy feeling in his gut and a constant flutter in his chest.

"Do you know her, Johnny?" Brad asked.

"You mean the nesan who's getting our drinks?"

"Yeh."

"No, but if you want I can fix it up for you with the mama-san."

"Oh, no!" Brad almost panicked at the thought of dealing with a mama-san for this delightful girl's body. "No thanks, Johnny. I was just wondering if you knew anything about her."

"Pretty lady isn't she?" Dan threw in and Brad watched his eyes following her as she came back to their table. "You got the hots for her, Brad?" Dan added with a typical mischievous Buckner smile.

"Dan, I do believe Brad has fallen in love." Johnny added with a warm grin.

"Go to hell you guys. It's just that she's a good looking nesan with a great body." He tried to defend himself against their friendly joshing though he knew it was useless. He had already said too much and knew that he was in for at least a week of kidding.

Their eyes met again when she came back to the table and both smiled. He lost what little control he had left as he was again drawn into her soft doe eyes. He wanted to say something but couldn't manage to get his tongue around even the English words much less any of the few Japanese words he knew. He could hardly get out a quiet, "domo."

What do they call . . . . Is it correct, for your name? It is what do they call you?"

Yes, that's right. They call me Brad. My name is Brad Burgess. Really Bradford, but everybody calls me Brad."

"Brad? Yes, I can say that." The beautiful girl said with just a hint of hesitating. "I'm trying to make my English better. I had it in school, but that was a while of time ago."

"I think that you meant to say a while ago."

She laughed softly. A little embarrassed when she nodded a thanks to him.

"You are Marines, neh?" Yoko asked looking at Brad and Dan's heads. "You're not from Kadena Air Base."

"Why do you think that?" Brad asked her.

"You and your tomodachi have short hair. Like Marines. But I don't know about Papa-san. He's too old."

"Johnny, Yoko thinks that you're too old to be a Marine. Actually she called you Papa-san." Dan exclaimed after overhearing Yoko's comments to Brad.

"Not Kadena. Naha. The Navy at Naha. Not Marines, we're Seabees." Brad told her.

"Yes, I know Naha. I'm from Itoman and I went to school in Naha."

Brad didn't have a clue of what he and Yoko talked about for the next few hours. He only knew that they had both nursed their drinks slowly. Then they were standing face to face at the back door a long time after bar closing time while Brad tried to work up the courage to ask her to stay with him. She finally pushed him out the door and he turned down the alley to meet Dan and John who were waiting patiently at the alley's mouth. He was still walking on his own when Johnny led them to an Okinawan hotel belonging to another friend where they stayed the night.

At about 0800 on Saturday morning the three friends spread out in the Kadena streets to find Johnny's car which they knew was parked somewhere in the bar district.

"Good thing it's Saturday, Johnny. My head hurts too bad to run a Cat. Besides, Yumiko's going to be pissed at me for staying out all night." Dan spoke quietly. Much like a man whose head did hurt badly.

Brad's head hurt, also. His vision was blurry and he was not feeling particularly graceful as he stumbled on the cobble stones every time he lifted his eyes from their ground viewing mode. He glanced up an alley with false hope that the car was there, but instead, through his hangover induced fog, saw a pattern of colors from a familiar dress. She was bent over a small sink washing her face under the cold water which was gushing from a single faucet mounted on a piece of galvanized iron pipe above the sink. Even in his foggy condition Brad was able to enjoy the view of Yoko's nicely round buttocks under the tightly stretched fabric and the back of her knees. He stood and watched with his heart thumping against his ribs and could hardly catch his breath. She turned towards him but luckily still had the towel against her face giving Brad time to hurriedly stepped back away from the alley.

Brad heard Dan's deep voice holler from around the nearest corner.

"Here it is, Johnny, Brad! The car is right in front of the Brown Derby."

Brad didn't say a word when he climbed into the back seat. He had walked right by the car and had never realized it was there. He knew why. He had been thinking about Yoko and hoping she would still be there.

Johnny drove slowly along the narrow street giving Brad another chance to look down the alley leading to the backdoor of the Brown Derby. He smiled and almost laughed out loud when he looked into those now familiar brown eyes and even at the distance of the alley could see their life and feel the pull of them. Yoko smiled back and sent him on his way with a tiny wave of her small hand.

After eating some breakfast in the chow hall, Brad crashed in the barracks for a while before showering and shaving. Dan had asked him if he was coming over to drink some beer with he and Yumi since it was Saturday and was also Yumiko's day off. Brad had known even then that he would be heading back to Kadena Circle and the Brown Derby that night.

It was about 1900 when Brad hopped onto the Navy shuttle bus at the barracks. He kidded Uehara, the Okinawan bus driver, about working Saturday night instead of going out to chase nesans knowing full well that Uehara was married and had three or four akachans at home. Brad jumped off the still rolling bus at the main gate feeling great and grabbed the first pink sukoshi cab in line. He heard one of the other sukoshi cab drivers curse him in Japanese for bypassing him to take an independent, but Brad ignored him. Usually when one of the drivers got too vocal towards the GIs, the Americans would throw him the bird or verbally curse him in Japanese much to the entertainment of the independents.

Not all of the sukoshi cab drivers are thieves, communists, or GI haters. Brad thought. Only some are, but they're all paying the price for the crimes of a few.

He was feeling good in anticipation of another evening with his new found girl friend.

"Kadena Circle, Papa-san."

ELEVEN

"You're going back to Naha now, neh? Yoko asked him. There was disappointment in her voice, but Brad never heard it. They were sitting quietly in a far back corner booth watching mama-san locking the front door and the bartenders getting things behind the bar ready to close. Brad's right hand was on her shoulder and he gently pulled her closer against him. The warmth of her body stirred him and he kissed her cheek and nuzzled her soft warm cheek. Yoko turned slightly towards him allowing him to nuzzle her ear before she shifted further so his left hand gently touched the bottoms of her full breasts. She looked into his round hazel eyes with undisguised disappointment.

"Yes. I've got the duty tomorrow and have to be at work by 0800."

"Your tomodachi Dan, he work with you?"

"Yeah. We always have the duty together."

"He has a girl friend in Naha? He lives with her, neh?"

"Yeah. In Oroku. Behind Gate Three."

"I'm not going to work tomorrow night if you aren't coming. You come see me Monday night?"

"Why don't you work tomorrow night and I'll take you to Naha, to the Seaman's Club for dinner on Monday night. You know the Seaman's Club?"

"By Naha Port, neh? I've never been there, but I know it."

"Do you want to go?" Brad felt the dampness in his hands and a nervous tightening in his gut.

She's going to turn me down. I still can't believe that she isn't living with a GI already.

"Do you want to stay with me tonight?" She asked it so quietly that Brad wasn't sure what she had said.

"We can stay in my house." She added a bit clearer so it removed any doubts from his mind about what she had asked.

He was afraid that Yoko would notice how sweaty his hands were as she held his right hand tightly in both of hers.

I don't want to stay with her like a prostitute. She's better than that, but she's driving me crazy. I'm in love with her and want her so bad.

"Not tonight. I have to get back to Naha."

How do I tell her and make her understand that I'm in love with her and want her as woman who loves me, not as a prostitute for money.

Disappointed, not understanding Brad, but still wanting to be with him, Yoko ran the tip of her tongue across her dry lips before speaking. "I'll meet you at the Kadena Restaurant on the corner. Maybe at 7 Monday night. I would like to go to dinner with you."

Holding hands they went to the back door, stepped outside. Yoko stepped into his arms as soon as the door swung shut behind them.

She watched him walk away in the dim, yellow light of the alley's single light bulb. A hint of her doubt and confused feelings showed on her face as tears started to well up in her sad eyes, and even white teeth nibbled at her bottom lip in an effort to hold the tears back.

Toshiko Tamaki had been barely 18 years old when she was sold into virtual slavery by her father. She loved her father dearly and understood how it was to be the only daughter of a farmer who was now a low ranking worker in a small Okinawan manufacturing plant. He could barely feed his family on his wages.

Less than a year later now known as Yoko by the other nesans in the Brown Derby Bar and the numerous young American GIs who frequented the bar seeking her company and services, Yoko knew that the money the bar mama-san had 'loaned' her family, had paid for the used and beat-up Toyota sedan her father drove each day from Itoman to his job on the outskirts of Naha city. It also paid for her older brother's school clothes and books so that he could attend the new University of the Ryukyu Islands in Naha. He was the pride of the Tamaki family and would soon be helping rebuild an island still struggling to recover from the devastating and almost total destruction of WWII.

What happened to Yoko was similar to the conflict and confused feelings of the majority of the girls working in the bars and teahouses of Okinawa. The contradiction of their upbringing, what they saw while rubbing shoulders with the Americans every day and their deep personal feelings for the GIs continued to mess with the women's psyche. Their families send the girls to the bars and teahouses far from their home villages to maintain a distance between where they worked and where they had grown up and her family still lived. It wouldn't do for their friends or relatives to know that they worked in a bar and slept with Americans for money.

Brad let his mind drift on the taxi ride back to Naha. We spent so many nights together talking about the future, what it meant to each and what we want to do with the future. I have to admit that I've done most of the talking and possibly most of the dreaming. Yoko said little except to ask a question now and then about what I had said, I'm not very sure what she was actually thinking and dreaming.

The big dream that I shared with her was the possibility of a life together on Okinawa. The dream of a nice house on small acreage with room for a horse or two and a small garden of flowers and vegetables for her to plant and take care off. I know she wanted to do this. Wasn't it when I talked about staying on Okinawa and having this dream life that Yoko asked the most questions and made the most input such as having a horse or two? I'm not even sure that she would want to go to the states. So shy and quiet.

I'm sure I can find a job either with the Army or an American contractor such as the DeMarios. Stump will help me get a civilian job with the Army.

We have to talk. Communicate. I'm sure she trusts me, how can I get her to talk more, to really open up to me about her family and dreams.

Brad's thoughts had taken him away from the moment and he was not paying attention to where he was until the taxi came to a stop in front of the Naha Army gate. He hurriedly paid the Papa-san before getting out of the small pink Datsun taxi.

"Domo, Papa-san."

TWELVE

"You've been quiet all day, Brad. She really has got to you hasn't she?"

"I don't know what I'm doing or how to deal with it, Dan."

"You've been seeing her every night for almost two weeks, Have you slept with her even once?

Don't answer that. That was an unfair question and none of my business."

"I haven't, but I think she wants to. The idea of paying her to make love is beyond me. I don't want her to sleep with me because I pay her to. I want her to make love to me because she at least likes me."

"Brad, they don't have any choice. If you don't sleep with her, and help her pay her rent, then she's going to have to find somebody who will. That's a given. Unless you can come up with the bucks to buy her out of the bar. Do you know how much she owes mama-san?"

"She won't talk about it, Dan. Absolutely refuses. I don't know how hard I can press. It's only my business because I think it is. To Yoko I may just be another GI with a hard on and too much money."

"You haven't slept with her. Why should she think that way?"

"You know what I mean."

"I do. But I also think that you're wrong about her.

"Talk to her about it. Make a financial arrangement that you can both live with. Then move in with her."

"We're going to the Seaman's Club for dinner tomorrow night. I'll try to talk to her some more. Maybe I'll ask her to live with me and that will get her to open up so we can decide what to do."

Brad and Dan Buckner were sitting in the doorway of Dan and Yumiko's house drinking bottles of San Miguel that Brad had picked up at the BX on his way across base. A quiet Sunday afternoon. Yumiko was at the Exchange working and the Seabees who weren't on duty had gone up north to the beach.

"Have you got Yumi's visa straightened out yet?" Brad asked.

"Not really. But now we know what we have to do and how to go about it. I'll be getting discharged in about three months and will be able to sponsor her as my fiance. Then it will be about a 6 month wait which will give me time to get to work making decent money. We'll need that to get a house."

"There isn't a quicker way to go? How about getting married here?"

"Forget that route. The military dictatorship has the way so full of roadblocks against a GI marrying indigenous persons it takes from 6 months to a year to get all the paperwork completed. Then you have to wait for their approval. It's definitely faster for me to go stateside and do it as a civilian. Besides I maybe getting an 'Early Out'. They're giving up to 60 days, which means I'll be gone by the end of the month."

"I'm glad one of us has his life in order. Sometimes I feel that I'm caught up in utter chaos."

"You'll work it out, Brad. Just communicate with Yoko and it will work out for the best. Maybe not exactly as you want it to, but it will work out."

"Gee," Brad hesitated, "thanks, Dad."

"You smart ass. Want another beer? I'm dry and definitely in need of one. Of course you do too. Stupid question"

THIRTEEN

Brad had spent a nervous day in anticipation of taking Yoko to dinner. It would be their first real date. A chance to get away from the influence of the bar and onto neutral ground. Actually it was Brad's first boy/girl date on the island. He didn't think any of the time spent in bars with Susie or Yoko amounted to a real date.

It was a short ride down the hill in the pink sukoshi cab to the turnoff from Highway #1 to Noumanoui. He suddenly thought of Susie for the first time since he had met Yoko.

There's no comparison between them, he thought, I like Susie and she turns me on, but Yoko gets me all out of kilter. I want to be with her. To touch her, feel her body warmth and her breath on me. To listen to her soft, gentle voice even though I don't always understand exactly what she is saying. I even hear her voice in my sleep. Oh shit! What have I got myself into?

Brad ran his sweaty palms down the front of his jeans. Yoko had pushed all thoughts of Susie from his mind and he felt no loss or feelings of guilt for just walking away from her. In fact he had not been to Noumanoui since the eventful Friday night over two weeks ago before when he had gone to Kadena Circle with Dan Buckner and Johnny Stump.

"Kadena Restaurant Papa-san, dozo." Brad responded to the gray haired taxi driver's questioning look when they entered the Kadena traffic circle from the south.

"Hai. You have nesan here?" The driver asked quietly.

"Hai, we're going back to the Seaman's Club as soon as she meets me at the restaurant. If you want to wait you can take us back there."

OK. I wait here for you. Papa-san pointed to a small Okinawan tea shop just off of the Circle. I can visit with my tomodachi.

"Domo, Papa-san. I'll try not to be long."

"It's OK, nesans are sometimes late."

Sitting so he could watch the restaurant's front door, Brad had barely taken a sip from a bottle of Orion beer when she stepped shyly through the door.

Whistling mentally Brad met Yoko's eyes and his smile spread across his face as he stood up. Oh-oh. She is a beautiful woman. He thought in admiration

Yoko's shy smile grew when she realized with delight that Brad was openly admiring her and was pleased with the way she had dressed. The new red silk dress ended just below her knees, was modest at the neck so as to not completely conceal her full breasts, yet not show any excess cleavage.

"Hi, you look good. No great." Brad said when he took her hand and asked, "Are you ready to go? I have a Papa-san and his cab waiting."

"Aren't you going to finish your beer?"

"No. It's alright, I would rather go to Naha and have dinner."

Papa-san had seen them walk down the street together and hurried out to his cab. "We go back to Naha and the Seaman's Club?" He asked.

All the way to Naha Yoko held onto Brad's hand tightly and leaned into him with her left shoulder pressed tightly against his chest and Brad's right arm encircle her shoulders. There was very little conversation between them. Just what seemed to be a comfortable quiet while Papa-san sped them through the Highway #1 traffic.

She feels so nice. I would like to kiss her, but I'm not sure that she would want me to.

"Have you been to the Seaman's Club before Brad?"

"Yes, with Johnny and Dan. They were with me the first night I met you. We all work together and sometime go out together."

"I remember them. They are very nice. The bar Mama-san said that Johnny-san's wife owns the Brown Derby. True?"

"Honto. For sure. I think the Kadena Restaurant too."

"You have nice friends."

"Hai. Domo."

The waitress had brought them their menus and quietly took their drink orders before Yoko asked Brad what she could have.

"Anything on the menu that you would like. It all looks good to me. I'm probably going to eat Japanese food. Do you want American or Japanese?"

"I think American. Alright?"

"Of course. Anything."

"But it is expensive, neh?"

"No. Not really. Would you like a filet mignon? You like steak?"

"Oh, yes I do. What is filet mignon?" Yoko asked with a small smile and quizzical look in her expressive eyes.

"The best steak I can think of. Very tender, small, but also tastes very good. Try it if you would like."

Without a word the waitress set their drinks in front of them and then stood quietly next to Brad's chair waiting for them to order.

Yoko sipped her scotch and milk while looking over her glass into Brad's eyes.

"Do you want me to order for you?"

"Dozo. Please, I'm afraid I will order something that is takusan dollars." She said shyly looking down into her almost gone milky white drink which she was still holding.

Turning to the waitress with a smile, Brad started to order their dinner. "We'll both have the Kobe filet mignon, baked potatoes and I'll have French dressing and my steak rare." He looked towards Yoko. "How do you want your steak cooked?"

Obviously embarrassed, Yoko started to speak. Hesitated, then spoke in Japanese to the waitress. A short two sided conversation erupted and ended with both women laughing quietly before the waitress turned and went towards the kitchen.

"I'm sorry, Brad." Still embarrassed, Yoko apologized. "I couldn't think of the way to say in English what I wanted to tell the nesan. Is not Kobe meat, huh, cow, very expensive?"

Before Brad could answer Yoko asked so quietly that he could hardly hear her.

"Could I have another of these please." Holding her empty glass up slightly off of the white linen table cloth.

Brad signaled the waitress when she returned from the kitchen and pointed at their empty glasses.

With a nod she turned to the right and went into the bar to get their drinks.

Brad smiled and spoke quietly. "It's beef" He pronounced the word carefully as they each did when they taught each other new words in their native language.

"Hai, domo. I have never had Kobe beef before." She spoke the new word carefully and laughed at herself softly.

Midway through their dinner Yoko smiled and spoke her appreciation. "It is very good. Thank you, Brad."

"I have never had Kobe beef before either, Yoko It's the tenderest steak I have ever eaten. Tonight we are celebrating our first real date, neh? So we don't care about how much it costs."

Brad hailed a pink cab to take them back to Kadena Circle. Once settled into the back seat Yoko slipped under Brad's right arm and snuggled against him. She was very quiet for a long time and as they passed the Camp Kue Army hospital marking the halfway point of the trip, Brad was beginning to think she had fallen asleep. He moved a bit and Yoko raised her head from his chest bringing her soft lips just inches from his mouth. She placed her right hand on the back of his head moving him down towards her. She raised up a sukoshi bit more to bring his lips up almost touching her waiting mouth. She had a hint of peppermint schnapps on her lips that slowly disappeared as their lips grew warmer with a prolonged kiss. When Brad opened his eyes he looked directly into Yoko's doe soft brown eyes which were shining in the flashing lights of the passing traffic. A soft gently smile came to her lips as she again drew up to him. With feelings he had never felt before Brad returned her kiss and drew her upper body to him until he felt her warm full breasts pressing against him. Yoko pressed back in response. She brought her right knee up and rested it gently against his thigh. Yoko moved against him enough to snuggle her face against his neck. Brad could feel her warm breathe blowing softly and slowly on his neck and down under his shirt collar onto his shoulder. Impulsively, without any thought he pulled her closer. She snuggled a little closer and with a sigh of contentment he felt her relax against him.

She really fits where she is. It is so very nice to have her against me and her so content to be there. I can feel her heart beating. Should I kiss her again? I want to, but I want her to stay in my arms.

He slowly caressed her hair then leaned closer and gently kissed the very top of her forehead which showed above his shirt collar. Another sigh of contentment as she rolled her face to accept his light kiss on her closed eye.

"Dozo." The cab driver asked.

"Right. Oh shit. Migi, here, then left. Haiji, now."

Brad felt and heard her soft laugh as Yoko pulled from his arms and sat up to look around and see where Brad was leading a slightly confused cab driver.

"Koko desu. Arigato gozaimasu." Yoko spoke softly to the driver who quickly stopped in the middle of the narrow street they were on.

Brad pulled a dollar from his shirt pocket and handed it to Papa-san. "Domo, Papa-san. Keep the change".

Over 15 miles and only a buck including a nice tip. Brad thought as he slowly shook his head in a mild bit of amazement.

Yoko took his hand as she stepped back from the cab answering the driver whom had spoken Japanese to her at some length with a smile and friendly voice. "Domo arigato gozaimasu, Papa-san.

"What did he say to you." Brad asked turning to gaze at Yoko's smiling face. "You look like the cat that ate the canary."

"He said that you are very nice for a GI and he hopes that you treat me good. I told him that you were very nice and you gave me Kobe steak for supper. What you say, I ate a canary? That is a bird. Honto?" She asked while leading Brad back down the street they had just ridden along. "My house is this way." Turning left at the next street which was considerable wider than the one they were walking on.

She's taking me to her house. Don't screw this up Brad Burgess. Talk to her and settle what is bothering you. Brad thought as his mind started doing its own thing much to his chagrin.

The street seemed quiet even for a Monday night he realized that it was almost 0300 and the bars had been closed for almost an hour. They had sat in the Seaman's Club for about 6 hours talking and drinking slowly which would account for why Yoko was a little wobbly and more talkative than usual.

She pulled Brad to a stop in the middle of the street. A street he had never been on before. On the left was a public bathhouse surrounded on both sides of the street by small wooden Okinawan houses. Some were behind head high slat board fences, others behind thick coral walls making small court yards.

"What bird, Brad. I ate a canary?" Yoko stumbled over the unfamiliar word.

Brad had never seen her with such a look of indignation on her face.

"It's a saying, Yoko. It means you looked very satisfied with what you said or heard. I didn't mean that you really ate the poor bird. Wakarimasu ka? Understand what I mean?" He asked.

"Hai. It is very strange to say that though. I think it is not funny." She answered as she tugged on Brad's hand, nodded to her right, speaking softly. "This is my house."

Brad felt her hand warm and moist to the touch as she handed him her keys. He fumbled with the lock in the dim light coming from a distant street light. Finally the simple wooden door swung open and Brad stepped back to let Yoko go first. She turned on a small overhead light. A single bulb, about 60 watts, he thought.

"Would you like some kohi, Brad?" She asked setting her small purse on the low table which took up much of the space in the small room which had tatami mats on the floor.

Brad took a step toward her and as he reached for her, Yoko stepped into his waiting arms. For a long minute they stood together kissing passionately and feeling each other's warmth.

"I love you." Brad declared again and again as he had many times in the last weeks while he nuzzled and kissed her lips, neck and shoulders over and over.

Yoko responded, also becoming aroused in response to his love making. She pressed herself tightly against him her hands moving up and down his back pulling him tighter to her.

Yoko touched his lips with her fingertips. Searched his face with all the depth of her soft brown eyes. "Wait here, dozo?" Without another word she stepped through the sliding door into her bedroom and out of sight without closing the door.

It seemed quite a while to Brad, but in reality was barely a minute when she appeared at the side of her bed. She had taken off her dress and stood in her red silk slip. Her red bra and panties showed underneath from the light of the small bedside lamp she had turned on and was standing in front of. She turned to Brad shyly. Her slip and bra snug on her full breasts. He stood looking up and down her skimpily clothed body admiring her physical being. Yoko leaned over to pull the light blue bedspread down from the clean white pillows emphasizing her full hips and softly rounded butt. Brad flipped off the light hanging over his head and went to her.

They lay together naked except for the slip which Brad had slipped off of her shoulders and was now twisted around her flat stomach. The rest of their clothes were in several places on the floor of the tiny bedroom, victims of the lovers' hunger for each other. Brad ran his hand gently cross her bare breasts lightly touching her nipples which made her shiver slightly. Then his hand travelled down across the bunched up slip onto the thick black hair of her mound-of-Venus. He smiled, looked into her eyes and saw that she too was smiling contentedly.

Yoko rolled onto her side which drew his hand tighter. She then tightened her thighs squeezing his fingers more against her. "I think we forgot to take something off." she said sliding her hand down onto her stomach and onto her slip.

I want to live with her. How do I ask her. Brad felt unsure of himself and what their relationship really was. If I ask her to live with me I'm still afraid she will think it's because I want a steady lay, not because I really love her. What if she says no?

"You have to work soon?"

"I have to be there at 0800. I have to go to the barracks to change into my uniform before that." Brad answered with his mind still in a turmoil and his stomach doing flips.

I drank too much. I can feel my stomach starting to hurt. He thought. I have to know before I leave today.

"I want to live together, Yoko. I love you very much and want to be with you." He blurted out suddenly. "I can travel back and forth from Naha. It isn't so very far."

Yoko continued to look away from Brad, avoiding eye contact as she had for the last several minutes. Her insecurity made itself known when a faint pink blush slide up from her neck to her ears and across her cheeks. Shyly and embarrassed she spoke very quietly, in fact so low that he had difficulty hearing her words. "I would like that, Brad. I need some money from you though."

Relief rushed through Brad's whole being. What he wanted the most from life right at this moment was going to happen. "That's alright. I understand. Can we pay off the bar mama-san so you won't have to work?"

Still unable to make eye contact with her lover, Yoko shook her head negatively. "That is not possible. I now need $400 dollars"

Brad wasn't sure exactly how much money was in his credit union account but he was sure that he could manage $400 easily. If not, he knew Johnny Stump would loan the difference to him.

"Alright. I can do that. I don't have to work on Wednesday. You know, two more days? I'll come here then and give you the money and I will stay over every night from then on."

FOURTEEN

Brad and Dan pulled the Navy's mobile crane back into the heavy equipment yard from the Air Force end of the flight line after removing the rudder from a C130 aircraft for an Air Force contractor. Brad checked the time, 1120 hours and decided that he could not wait any longer. The sooner he had the $400 in his hand the better he would feel.

"Hey Dan, give me a ride to the credit union will you. I need to draw some money out."

"Wonder why?" Followed by the classic Buckner grin.

"Yeah. I'm doing the best that I can for the moment."

"Are you going to move in with her?"

"Looks like it. She named a price and said that she wanted me to."

"Obviously things happened for the good on your date last night"

"You could say that." Brad said as he climbed into the right front seat of the shop's open topped jeep. "I'm not completely comfortable with the way things happened, but they happened and I'm going to have to live with them."

"You wanted more of a commitment from Yoko before you slept with her. Is that it, Brad? You can't have it all the time you know. Especially here."

I know you're right, Dan. But I still feel guilty and devious about it."

"Well you shouldn't feel guilty and you certainly weren't devious about it. It's not like she was a 16 year old girl that you seduced with lollipops and a bottle of beer."

"Domo, Dan." He said while jumping out of the jeep. "You going to eat in the chow hall?"

"I think I'll go by the Okinawan snack bar and get some yakamesa. Want something?"

"Hai, dozo. Here's 50 cents, get me some yakasoba if you would."

"No sweat GI. I'll meet you back here after I pick up our lunches. That give you enough time to raid your savings account?"

"It should. It isn't very big and going to shrink considerable after this trip."

Laughing quietly, Dan drove off while Brad took his next step towards what he hoped would be a future with Yoko.

FIFTEEN

The $400 in 20s and 50s made an uncomfortable bulge in Brad's wallet. He shifted around on the sukoshi cab's back seat trying to find a spot where he wasn't sitting on the bulging leather.

The cab passed Kue hospital on the right. Halfway there. Brad thought as he took a deep breath and felt the nervousness in his quivering intake of air. His hands felt damp and his light cotton shirt was getting wet in the arm pits and on his back even though the morning was still cool and a gentle offshore breeze came in the left door window.

I hope I'm not too early. He thought when he checked his watch again, the second time in the last mile. Ten after eleven. I'm sure Yoko is up and around by now. Be lunch time shortly. We can go to the Kadena restaurant for lunch.

"Migi, Papa-san". Brad asked the driver about three quarters of the way around Kadena Circle. "Koko, dozo." He stopped the cab on the end of the street leading to Yoko's house and got out on the driver's side before handing Papa-san a dollar bill and walking away not waiting for his change. With tunnel vision focused on the far end of the street he hurried to where she was waiting for him. He strained his vision to see her little house tucked off the street and offset back from the owners bigger and newer house. When he reached the opening in the fence Brad could see that Yoko was obviously up and about. Her windows were open to let in the fresh morning breezes. When he stepped into the tiny courtyard movement on his left caught his eye. Yoko's landlady was coming out of the community benjo, (toilet). She stopped and looked towards Brad with a look he could not interpret even though he was only a few steps from her. What is it with her? He thought and tried not to stare her down. The mama-san was typical Okinawan. Round faced, heavy eyebrows and lashes and fairly large boned is how she would be described by an American woman. About 5' or 5'1", no make-up, her hair pulled up neatly in a bun. After a moment she turned and went towards the open sliding door leading into her kitchen. Alright, is she another Junko?

Just as he turned towards Yoko's kitchen door, she stepped out through it. She had on a light blue flowered summer dress which didn't emphasize her feminine curves, nor did it hide them. She wore no makeup. Her hair, which she wore fairly short, was combed out softly framing her face. How serious was the expression on her face that it brought Brad up short.

"Konnichi wa, Yoko-chan" You look nice this morning." He started smiling, but her expression was still strange.

"Hi Brad, dozo, come in. Would you like a cup of coffee". Yoko answered stepping aside to let him enter the kitchen but at the same time sidling away to avoid his touch and the possibility that he might try to kiss her or take her in his arms.

Confused by her demeanor, Brad stepped into her clean little house and went up the tall step from the kitchen to the room with the tatami mats and sat by the small table. "No thanks. I thought we could go eat lunch in a little while if you would like.

I brought you some money so you can catch up paying bills." So he would not embarrass her, he avoided saying how much or why he was giving it to her.

What in hell is going on. He thought. His nervous breaths returned mimicking the feelings he had in the taxi ride up island.

Yoko sat across the table from him and also appeared to be as nervous maybe more nervous than Brad was. She spoke softly, but directly and looked him in the eye as she asked, "In the Brown Derby, we talked and you told me stories, neh? They were stories, neh?"

Sitting in the quiet strange atmosphere that had developed between them trying to understand what she was asking of him Brad answered to what he thought she was asking. She must be talking about me telling her about growing up in the country and on a farm. Those were the only stories that I told her. "Yes, they were stories." He sat nervously wondering where this whole conversation was going. Looking at her, Brad realized that she was sadder than when she asked her question, and watched her get up from the tatami mats without speaking.

She went into the kitchen before finally speaking. "My friend and I have to go to the store". She left without an explanation or turning to look at him.

What the hell-----, what is that all about? I guess I'll just stay here and see what happens.

When he heard her talking to another nesan Brad stood to look out the kitchen window in time to see Yoko and Yoshiko, her best friend step out into the street and turn towards Kadena Circle where the local stores were. They were deep in conversation and Yoshiko had her arm around Yoko.

The women were gone less than an hour and didn't have anything with them when they entered through the sliding kitchen door. Brad remembered Yoshi from the Brown Derby and had always liked her. She was petite and striking looking. He thought of her as a classic Japanese beauty. She had left the Brown Derby to work in a teahouse that was off-limits to the GIs.

Yoko had put on a bit of makeup but still had the sad look about her eyes unlike he had ever seen before.

"You had better go eat lunch, Brad. You are hungry, neh? Yoshiko-san and I ate". She waved her right hand slowly towards the open door before turning away and leaving again with Yoshiko following close behind.

Brad walked towards the circle and caught the first pink cab that came by. "Kokusai Dori, dozo." The trip was a blank in his mind. What did I do? I never lied to her or cheated on her. We made great love together and she wanted to do it. I know we haven't known each other very long, but isn't that what living together is all about? Get to know each other? Learn about each other? Have a good time and letting me help her. Why did she all of a sudden not trust me? I never thought that Yoshi didn't like me, but she seemed to be in on Yoko's decision. Brad's thoughts continued to be chaotic all the way to Kokusai Street in downtown Naha City. He felt he had no control of all his thoughts that had become undecipherable. Chaotic words and events he could not understand. He was sure that the fault was his and his alone. He had said something or Yoko saw something about him that was in reality, not his true self.

When the taxi reached the top of the Kokusai Dori hill Brad knew he had let the driver go too far up Kokusai and they had passed the coffee house which he had been to several times with Susie and also with Dan and Yumiko.

"Koko dozo." He spoke up in a louder voice than need be and which brought a look of disgust from the driver that Brad received from the rearview mirror.

He opened the curb side door of the cab and as he step out handed the driver $2 muttering more to himself than the taxi driver, "Gomen niisan, I'm really fucked up right now. Sorry about that." From the sidewalk Brad watched the driver shake his head muttering under his breath then smiling when it occurred to him how large a tip he had got.

Alright, I know what you're thinking Papa-san. Crazy fucking American GIs. That's what and that's okay because right at the moment I am a bit crazy.

Brad tried to orient himself to where on Kokusai Street he was before turning and starting back down the hill. He crossed a couple of alleys and stepped up on the curb after crossing the first side street he had come to when he found the sign he was looking for. Only a couple of feet long and written mostly in Kanji with a line of tiny English 'KOKUSAI COFFEE HOUSE'. The sign also had a small arrow pointed down the set of narrow stairs leading to the coffee house's front door. The coffee house had no 'A' sign which was required of all places patronized by the GIs. There was just a small framed document printed in kanji with a lot of red rubber stamp signatures on it from the Okinawan Health Department. Brad had no idea what it said and really didn't care. The coffee shop was fairly busy whenever he had been there. Many times the Okinawan owners didn't want to go through the hassle of overzealous American military health inspections and sometimes it was a way to keep most of the GIs out and basically have an Okinawan only facility.

Like all coffee houses, this one was dim and being in the basement with no windows made it very easy to control the amount of light. He stopped and took his sunglasses off just inside the door to let his eyes adjust after the bright Okinawan sun. When she spoke Brad could make out the nesan's outline and recognized her voice.

"Konnichi wa, Brad-san" You are alone? No Susie with you?"

"No, Tomako. I'm alone. Can I have the back corner table."

"Hai. You like kohi? Biru?"

"Sapporo beer, dozo, Tomako."

Still not able to see very well, Brad wandered back through the scattering of tables to the far back corner where he and Susie had always hidden out away from the other people. He passed several Okinawan and Japanese people whom he thought he recognized, but they didn't pay any particular attention to him not caring that a low key American was there.

"Arigato." He acknowledged Tomako when she set the tall, frost covered bottle in front of him.

"You want to eat, Brad-san. Maybe some donburi?"

"Yeah, a small bowl of beef donburi with takusan gohon."

Tomako nodded as she turned away with a small smile.

"Tomako."

"Hai, Brad-san"

"Thank you. Don't mind my manners right now. I don't mean to be bad to you."

"I know who you are, and it is alright to have a bad day.

You and Susie have not been here for a long time?"

She made it an open ended question and at first he was going to ignore it. Then on second thought decided it was alright to unload a bit on this friendly, sukoshi nesan.

"I haven't seen Susie for awhile. I turned into a butterfly and have been going with a girl from Kadena Circle. And she dumped me this morning."

"Dumped---you? What is that?" Tomako frowned as she tried to deal with Brad's strange word. The frown seemed to add some years to her. It made her more mature looking.

"Oh-- dumped means she doesn't want me. Doesn't want to see me any more".

"I'm sad for you. I'll get your donburi. OK?"

"Please"

Brad watched her small figure walk away between the tables. Cute butt and nice legs. Must be all of 5 foot, maybe. I never noticed her body very much before. Funny, she's the only person in the coffee house that I've ever talk with. She always works afternoons. At least on the few afternoons I came here she waited on me. I wonder if Dan and Yumi remember her?

SIXTEEN

"Brad-san, I go home now. Maybe you want to go back to the base." Tomako shook his shoulder to get his attention.

Not passed out or even asleep. Brad was just in a world of his own listening to the soft background music and sifting through the events since he had met Yoko. He was still trying to figure out why she had suddenly turned so negative.

He looked at his watch and had trouble reading it in the dim light of the coffee house and the 3 or 4 liters of Sapporo beer he had didn't help. 1856 hrs. Shit, what a losing day. Brad stood, feeling a bit shaky like the intoxicated man that he was.

"You alright Brad-san?" She asked with true concern in her voice looking up into his eyes.

"I think so, Tomi. I've just been sitting too long and drank too much biru. I think I should hit the head on the way out."

"Whose head?" She asked cocking her head slightly as she leaned towards him.

"Benjo". Brad said quietly.

"Hai. Wakari-masu." Answering as she turned and followed him. He passed carefully between the tables that were full of after-work Okinawans.

When he finished and came out of the toilet Tomako was waiting by the bottom of the stairs.

"You not feel well, neh? You look---terable."

He looked at her intense expression and fought to understand what she was saying.

"I'm speaking correctly, neh? You look \---bad. Is that it?"

"Yes, my sukoshi tomodachi you're correct. As a matter of fact I do feel terrible. I need a hot shower, something to eat and some sleep." And added quietly. "understanding company."

Tomako hailed a pink cab. Opened the back door and kind of pushed Brad towards the seat. With a small hip she pushed him towards the other side of the seat making room for herself beside him. She then told the driver something that Brad couldn't comprehend at all.

"Did you tell him to take me to the Naha gate."

" No. I told him to take us to where I live. I will fix you something to eat and you can take a shower while I fix our food. I have a new hot water," Tomako hesitated searching for the word, "heater, neh? New hot water heater."

"I'm not sure that I'm going to be very nice company, Tomi."

"Do you get drunk, angry and hit women? Don't say. I know that you would not do that. So you can shower, eat. Maybe we can talk about Kadena Circle nesan. Only if you want to. Then you can sleep a long time so you can go to base tomorrow without a hurting head. Honto?"

"Thank you, Tomako. You are a very smart and nice lady."

The driver seemed to know exactly where to go. Right after they passed Tomari Port he turned left defying the left turn 'death sentence' of Highway #1 in the evening rush hour. Brad watched it happen in amazement. Across two lanes of bumper to bumper south bound traffic with nary a scratch on the new pink paint job. Pulling up in front of a new, poured concrete apartment building the driver started to talk in a subdued way to Tomako. For what seemed like several minutes Brad stood next to the small car leaning on the the open rear door trying to comprehend what was going on. Finally Tomako spoke rapidly, but softly and what sounded like affection to the driver who was now smiling and nodding his head turning to inspect Brad at the same time. She stepped back to close the door then smiled before bowing slightly to the taxi driver. "Arigato goziemashita." She waved as he unhurriedly pulled away and drove down the narrow side street.

Tomako took his hand. "This way tomodachi." And she lead him around the corner of the building to a set of outside wooden stairs going up to the fourth floor.

Climbing the stairs slowly and looking out across Tomari Bay Brad pondered how many questions to ask. Finally he kind of blurted it out. "What was Papa-san talking to you about. He seemed to be giving you hell about something."

"Giving me --hell? Oh-- like talking to a child, neh?"

"Hai, like he was talking to his daughter."

"Nearly. He knows that I do not and have never brought a man here. Most certainly not a GI. He was worried of what I was thinking or doing."

"What business is it of his? I don't want to cause you any trouble, Tomako."

"Oh, it is his business. He is my oji-san, my father's brother. Almost every day he takes me to Kokusai Dori and brings me home at night."

After climbing three sets of heavy duty wooden stairs she unlocked the door and stepped inside motioning Brad in. "Dozo."

He slipped off his loafers at the door before stepping into the room. It was a small studio apartment. Part Okinawan, part Western. What caught Brad's appreciative eye was the view through the wooden framed single glass slider leading to a very tiny balcony. Tomari Bay stretched out fully towards the East China Sea and as he walked up to the slider on the left he saw Tomari Port's boat building facilities and fishing pier with several fishing boats tied up on it.

"This is great Tomi."

The apartment had a tiny kitchen on the far wall with a two foot square window over a sink of almost the same size. A short counter ran from the outside wall to about the middle of the room. To the left of the front door was a closed door which Brad assumed was an Okinawan style bathroom taking up that whole corner of the apartment. The main room from the small tiled area in front of the entry door to the slider and back to the kitchen was covered with tatami mats. A large double door cabinet stood against the far wall under a wide window with what appeared to be family photographs sitting on it. On the front wall of the room was a taller but single door wooden cabinet and in the center of the tatamis was a low table like an American coffee table but finished with a deep brown Okinawan style lacquer finish. Three large, colorful silk covered pillows were scattered on the floor near it.

"Sit down please, Brad-san." she said as she moved one of the pillows and placed it where he would be able to look out through the slider after he sat down. "Would you like ocha? I have no beer, but I can go to the store to get some."

"Ocha will be fine, thanks. I don't think that I need any more beer."

"Yes, you are very correct. I'll make us some tea and then fix some food while you take a shower."

"Is it alright that I'm here? I don't think your uncle liked the idea of you having a GI in your house."

"No. It's okay Brad. He understands that you are a friend who I am helping because you don't feel well. I also told him that you were going with a nesan from Kadena Circle. You might be going to her later tonight if you felt better."

Brad shook his head even though it hurt and he was sure that even the roots of his hair hurt. "I better go. Your family will really be upset with you."

"He is my only family and he knows that I would never sleep with a man unless I'm in love with him. I hardly know you. I do like you and trust you, but I'm not in love with you and he understands that."

"Aaahhh!" Brad bent over and with his head in his hands thumped the table top.

"What? What is wrong with you?"

"You are breaking my heart. I thought that you brought me here because you love me."

"You are bad. You do not have a broken heart. Drink your ocha, dozo." Her face had reddened and she tried to hide her embarrassment by turning away from Brad when she set the teapot and two small cups on the table. Some tea splashed from the teapot's spout. "See you made me spill tea." And as she turned towards the tiny kitchen to get a rag Tomako hit Brad lightly on his shoulder.

It was a pleasant silence. Brad alternated between looking out across Tomari Bay and watching the small subtle changes on Tomako's face. I wonder how old she is? I always thought when I saw her in the coffee house that she was about 20, maybe 25. But now in the daylight she seems older. The apartment has the look of a mature woman who has lived alone for a while. He continued to cast friendly looks towards her which she acknowledged with soft smiles which were starting to get wider each time they made eye contact.

Her eyes were more Japanese than Okinawan and she was petite all over. She wore her hair straight to just above her shoulders with her bangs ending exactly on the highest part of her black eyebrows. She must trim her bangs every day or so. He thought as he turned his look back to the water.

"What is going on in your head." She asked after several exchanges of eye contact. She poured them each more tea. "Do you need the tea hotter?"

"The tea is fine, domo. What is going on in my head? What am I thinking you want to know? The bottles of aspirin you gave me helped my poor beer riddled head stop hurting so bad. I'm starting to get hungry so I am going to take the shower that you so nicely offered."

He started to rise from the table. Made eye contact with her again looking deep into her dark brown almond shaped eyes. She has beautiful eyes. "How old are you Tomako?" Brad blurted out. Not really meaning to, but unable to hold his curiosity in check.

She met his eyes and with a soft laugh said, "Older than you, I think. 35 two weeks before. No, I have never been married or lived with a man. Not that I do not know a man. I have never known one that I have wanted to marry or live with.

Go take a shower. I will get you a towel and nemaki." She said as she rose from the table, went to the double door cabinet and took out a heavy thick towel and light brown cotton nemaki, (sleeping robe.). Her voice became softer and quieter. "It was my Papa-san's robe. You are about the same size as he was. He will not mind that you wear it."

"I will show you the place to turn on the hot water. Here. Turn this," She reached up to a black plastic knob on a white enamel and chrome gadget hanging in the bathroom between the sink and shower. "It makes the heat and only does it when the shower is on. Don't move it too far or the mizu will get hot-hot. Okay?"

He hadn't been in very many Okinawan homes nor inspected their bathrooms, but Brad was impressed by this one. The fixtures, a vanity with a small porcelain sink and the toilet bowl were Western type. The room was really tiny and the fixtures in proportional size to fit neatly. I know where I've seen bathrooms like this. Travel trailers. The little 20 footers Americans use for vacation and hunting trips. Neat. Cute, kind of. She keeps it really clean. The only thing different is the shower stall. It is definitely custom made with hand placed light green and white tiles. I'm not sure that I will be able to turn around in there. Kind of like taking a shower in a Coke bottle. He thought smiling and reaching through the nylon curtain to turn on the water.

"The floor will get wet, Brad-san. It's all right." Tomako spoke only loud enough to be heard through the closed bathroom door.

It was then that Brad noticed that the tile floor had a drain in the middle. The sound of gas igniting in the hot water heater startled Brad in the confines of the small room. Why doesn't she have a bathtub? The Japanese love to soak in a hot tub. Only one faucet? Wow! The water is a little too hot. She must take a shower this hot, she knew right where to set the thermostat.

Feeling fresh and as if he might live after all. And with the clean soft kimono on Brad went back out into the living room. On the table was an unopened bottle of Coke. It was covered with frost that was just starting to melt dripping onto the small plate Tomi had left it sitting on. He popped the cap off with the church key she had left next to the Coke.

"Tomako?" He looked around for her before picking up the Coke and going out onto the small balcony. The sun was slowly sinking down into the sea. Orange streaks and a reddish tinge were developing in the sky over the East China Sea. An Okinawan fishing boat was heading out of port its ensign flowing straight back from the mast. The wind was none existent.

He turned to the sound of the door opening and hurried to help Tomako with her packages.

"I went to get some food. You are feeling good?"

"I feel great. The shower was a life saver. It looks as if you bought enough to feed many people. You must eat a lot for such a sukoshi nesan. And thank you for the Coke. I was really thirsty."

"You are welcome. I had no food. My refrigerator was empty. Oji-san asks me why I have it because I only keep my money in it."

"But to buy so much. I'm hungry, but can only eat so much."

"You maybe hungrier than you feel. I will fix us some Japanese food that I know you like. That is all I bought, enough for us to eat tonight."

"That's a good idea. Can I help you cook?"

"You can wash the gohon. Here," she said reaching under the small kitchen sink for the inevitable gohon pot with its wooden lid. Then she handed him a small metal cup and pointed to the bag of rice on a shelf over the stove. "Two, this sukoshi cup, in pot and wash it full of water three times. It will be no good and will be bad luck if you don't do it three times. It will be clean after the last time."

Brad smiled to himself and snickered a bit too loudly at her shortcut English which he was becoming more aware of.

"What is funny. Are you laughing at my English?" She laughingly asked. OK, can you tell me how to wash the gohon in Okinawan?." She picked a big knife out a small draw under the counter and brandished it towards the refrigerator.

Brad stepped back which put a smile on her face. "I am getting the supper from here." Setting a paper wrapped package of chicken on the counter and still smiling she started to cut it into strips.

"If you are too hungry to wait, I bought you these." And she handed Brad a small plastic bag of tiny dried squid.

"How come you don't have a tub to soak in? I thought that all Okinawans wanted to have a tub?" He asked leaning against the top of the refrigerator which was six or eight inches taller than the counter. "Hey. These are good." He exclaimed as if a little surprised that something so strange looking to him, could taste so good.

"When Oji-san was building the house, he asked if I wanted to have an apartment for very small rent. I told him of course, but I wanted it on the top floor so I could see the ocean and the ships coming in and going out. I thought I was being, huh, funny?" Tomi reached for the word she wanted.

"Here, don't eat them all, I will share them with you." She reached for the bag of squid.

"He said I could and I looked here before all the walls were here. But it was too oki. Too big, neh? Two bedrooms and this room which is an oki room. Neh? And there was the only stairs." She pointed to the back wall of the kitchen. "Inside. When I told him it was too big and I didn't want to share the stairs with other people, he told me to come back in a week and look again. I thought that he was," She hesitated then twirled her right index finger against her temple.

"Crazy."

"Honto. Crazy. I thought he was. But he not. When he brought me home from work two, three days later, we came here and he brought me up the new stairs. The ones outside. Neh? Then he said that the only thing wrong was there wasn't much room for the benjo. I could have a sukoshi benjo or a smaller room here. No bath.

Did you fit in the shower, Brad? You are the first and only man to use it. "

"I am very honored, Tomako-san. Domo arigato gozaimasu." With a grave look Brad bowed deeply to her."

"You are very bad." She giggled softly, hurriedly straightened out her face and became very serious and bowed more deeply than Brad had. "You are very welcome, Mister Brad.

"Now finish washing the gohon so we can eat when the chicken is cooked.

What is your other name. I never heard it since you never told me."

"It's Burgess. Happy now?"

"Hai. For a short while longer." Tomako added with a shy smile.

They moved the low table to just inside the sliding doors and ate quietly. Each lost in their own thoughts and watching a visual display of changing colors that rivaled the northern lights. Brad got up and got himself another Coke out of the fridge. "Want anything Tomi? Since I'm the youngest, I should wait on you. Neh?"

The western sky had turned a deep inky blue and with no moon there was just a hint of a horizon from the stars and the navigation lights of an inbound fishing boat. They had not turned on any lights and were sitting quietly relaxed next to each other in front of the slider. Brad didn't remember when Tomako had moved around from the end of the table where she had been sitting while they ate, nor when she made the tea she was drinking.

"Do you want to sleep? You are yawning very much." She asked.

"I should go back to the base. Neh?"

"Iie. You can stay here if you would like. I have plenty of futons for a guest and there is plenty of room for us to sleep on the tatamis."

"I don't want Oji-san to think bad of you."

"He not do that. He understands me and knows I am a good girl. Come on, help me make our beds. I also want to sleep. I must get up early to go to work and you must go early so you won't get in trouble."

Tomako turned on a small lamp that Brad had not noticed sitting among the family photos on top of the largest cabinet. When she opened the double doors he saw their beds. One side of the cabinet was full of white sheet covered futons. The other side had the rolls of Tomako's kimonos and on one shelf folded obis and robes like the one he had on. Without a word she handed him two bulky futons and a small hard pillow which made a strange rustling sound.

"These are for you. Its full of rice. The outside of the rice."

"Rice hulls?"

"Hai. You can sleep anywhere that you want. I know, you like the open, by the door."

With a smile Brad dropped the futons and pillow in front of the slider.

Tomako stood for a second holding two more futons then decided to set them on the tatamis next to the open cabinet. Taking a folded pink flowered kimono from the cabinet she closed the cabinet doors before turning towards the bathroom. "I'm taking a shower. Fix your futons the way you want.

"He spread out the first futon placing the brightly colored side down leaving the white sheet side up. Then threw the other futon sheet side down. It seemed to make sense since the white sheet was wrapped around the four sides and one whole side of the brightly colored futons. The ties which held the sheet in place was across the width of the futons. I don't want to get tangled up in the ties that's for sure.

Brad stretched out lengthwise across the slider laying on his back listening to the shower running then it stopped. He was dozing when Tomako opened the door quietly before crossing the room to fix her bed next to, but two feet away from Brad's.

"Are you awake?" she asked very quietly. When Brad turned his head towards her she asked, " Shall I close the light?"

"Do what you always do, Tomi. I don't need it and it doesn't keep me awake." As he spoke he could smell her soap and warmth which made him open his eyes. She was on her knees between their futons leaning slightly towards him with the pink flowered nemaki on.

"You are comfortable? I will wake you up about 30 minutes after 5. Alright?"

Even with the small light turned off, he could see her slide between her futons. She isn't very big is she? Why so early in the morning? He asked himself before answering in a sleepy voice. "I'm comfy, Tomi. Thank you, and 0530 will be fine. Tomi?"

"Yes Brad?"

"Thank you again. Takusan domo." He laughed a little sleepily. That is not correct is it?"

"Good night, Brad. I will teach you tomorrow." Her voice was muffled by the soft folds of her futon.

An on-shore breeze had come up and cool fresh sea air was coming off the East China Sea and in the slider. Brad drew the futon higher on his shoulders and relaxed with a contented sigh.

SEVENTEEN

He heard her close the slider and felt the air change but didn't want to get out of the futon's warm cocoon. The soft whisper of Tomi folding her futons and her quiet padding across the tatami mats started to make him feel guilty for pretending to be still asleep. It became quiet again and he drifted back off to sleep.

"Brad? Brad-san? Are you awake? It is half after 5. You must get up."

He threw back the futon to the sight of Tomako kneeling at his side fully dressed in pair of brown jeans and cream colored cotton sweater, her hair combed neatly and she wore just a hint of a subtle pink lipstick.

"Can I get you something to eat before you go to the base?"

"No thanks. I'll get coffee and a roll at the coffee mess when I get to work. Why are you up and dressed so early, don't you go to the coffee house about 11, just before lunch?"

How can she look so good, so early in the morning?

"I am going to my morning work at the Air Force NCO Club dining room. I work 4, sometimes 5 mornings as cashier and do the account books. I get off at 10 then go to Kokusai Dori."

"So you start very early? When, at 6 in the morning?"

"Half after 6. Oji-san picks me up at 6. Today we can ride to the gate together and catch the Navy bus. You have to go to the Navy barracks, neh?"

"I should. The Navy would like it if I go to work in my uniform. It is Thursday, neh?"

"Yes. Why?" She asked while she poured herself a cup of tea.

"We have inspection on Friday morning at 8. Tomorrow.

I'll have ocha with you now. It won't take me long to get ready."

"You slept well?"

"Very good, domo. I feel really good thanks to you.

I'll be 28 in January, Tomi."

When Brad came out the back door of the barracks after changing into his uniform Dan was waiting for him in their jeep.

"You don't look like you have a hangover. But Ashamini said that you got out of a sukoshi cab just after 6 with a nesan from the NCO club and rode the bus with her to the Club. So, what's up. It obviously wasn't Yoko."

Brad started to dump yesterday's happenings onto his friend. He kind of edited Tomako's part in the day and night, knowing full well that the next time they went to the coffee house Dan would figure it out.

"I met her trying to catch a cab so we shared."

"Yeah. Ha-ha. I'm believing that."

Dan drove up to the motor pool office just as Chief Lawton came out headed for the dispatch office. "Hey Chief, Brad and I have to go over to the Air Force end about putting that rudder that we took off, back on. OK if we skip muster?"

"Sure. Go ahead. Are you working for the Army when you're not doing that?

"Yeah, probably. Unless you have something else on the agenda."

"Not this week. But there is talk of a missile exchange sometime next week. We'll have to set up an Army crane at White Beach as soon as we get at least what day."

"I'm not going to sweat it. I'll be checking out so Brad can take care of it."

"That's right, you are officially a 'Short Timer' now. Don't show up for inspection tomorrow morning. In fact, you should sleep-in then take your girl friend out for breakfast."

"How do you rate that treatment from Lawton? I thought that you didn't like him." Brad asked Dan.

"I don't. I also don't think he likes me too much and just wants me out of his hair. But he did ask my advice of who should take over the heavy shop and do the crane work. I told him that you were the only one who could do the job right. The job is yours whether you want it or not. I didn't particularly do you a favor, but there are advantages to it. First and most important is that you will work directly for the Chief and he likes you. Secondly you won't be working for that idiot retrained radioman who just went through "A" school in Port Hueneme and thinks he is the greatest equipment operator alive. Thirdly and finally, you will have more free time and be your own boss. A very unique position for a third class petty officer to be in."

"Gee, Dan, I don't know whether to kiss your feet in gratitude or kill you in the most inhuman manner that I can think of."

"No need for thanks. Just buy me an ice cold Asahi Saturday afternoon."

Brad looked at his friend with a question on his face.

"I promised Yumi that we, and I emphasize the we, would take her to Kokusai Dori and the Ryubo Department Store shopping. I think she also has ideas of going to lunch in the Kokusai Coffee House.

So why don't you come over to the house about 10 or 1030 and we'll go from there."

"Ok. Where are we going by the way." Brad asked when Dan wheeled the jeep out through the front gate and started down the hill towards Naha."

"White Beach. I feel like taking a drive."

"That's fine. A nice 60 mile round trip on Okinawa just because we feel like it."

"Brad, if you can think of anything better to do, just speak up."

"Well, let's at least stop at Naha Port so I can set up the crane tentatively for next week. Crocker can be an ass sometime if you will remember, he likes two or three days to think about anything. Though he always comes through.

"You're right. He always needs two or three days for Stump to remind him how much we do for the Army."

The Navy jeep brought a quick wave of recognition from the female Okinawan guard on the Naha port gate. Hardly slowing down they sped down the main road of the port and pulled up in front of the huge Army Transportation complex. A new brick building over two blocks long with overhead doors large enough to let the largest cranes and trucks pass through easily. To the left of the overhead doors was a regular heavy wooden door painted Army dark green with it's brass hinges, lock and door handle polished to shine brightly in the Okinawan sun.

"The Colonel must have got on the civilians ass again. They've polished the brass again this year. I don't see his staff car, hopefully he's gone so we won't have to explain to him why we need to use one of his brand new mobile cranes at White Beach. Petty Officer Buckner, you do realize that the parking spot you just pulled into is marked STAFF VEHICLES ONLY?"

"Of course Petty Officer Burgess. If you will observe the next spot has JOHN STUMP marked on it."

"Your point being?"

"Sorry sir, I got confused by all the Army protocol. I actually thought that I was in Mister Stumps spot."

"But his shiny new American made boat is already taking up that spot, sailor."

"Excuse me Sir, I'm a Seabee, not a fucking sailor. And I don't read too well."

"He won't buy it, Dan. But maybe if you use some simpler words you might get away with it."

Brad pulled the jeep up in front of the motor pool gas pumps and jumped out making for the coffee mess. "Since you made me drive back from White Beach in the go home traffic, you can gas it up while I drink a Coke. That's the least you can do."

Brad walked back from the coffee mess carrying two ice cold Cokes. He handing one to Dan.

Ashamini, the Okinawan heavy equipment foreman came across from his small office on the other side of the maintenance compound. About average size for an Okinawan who spoke almost accent free English. He had been a merchant sailor on American ships since the late 1930's. He came back to Okinawa after the war ended to reestablish a relationship with his family whom he had been unable to see for 6 years before and during the war. Shortly after returning he found a job with the US Navy at the same time that he met a woman he had known when they were in high school. They were happily raising two sons and a daughter together and quite thankful that the Americans had won the war.

"You two owe me." Was the first thing that Ashamini said. He was careful to get close to them so no one who happened to be within hearing would know what he was saying.

Neither Seabee said anything. Brad having an inkling of what was going to be said handed the Okinawan honcho the unopened Coke he still held. He snatched back the Coke he has just handed to Dan.

"Hey, you already gave me that Coke, Brad" Dan exclaimed when he stopped pumping gas into the jeep.

I have a feeling that Ashamini earned it more than you did at the moment."

"Can I speak now? Are you two through bickering?"

"Go ahead Ashamini. Dan will shut up if I promise to buy him a Coke."

"The Air Force contractor came looking for the crane. Said that he had the rudder ready to go back on and wanted to do it today so he could give his crew tomorrow off. I told him that you guys were gone for the day. He wasn't happy and was headed for Lawton's office to find someone to do it. So being a nice guy and your tomodachi I volunteered to do it. It's all done. Said he would call me next week since we couldn't be sure either of you would be around, to set up a day to remove another rudder."

"Thanks, Ashamini. He," Brad pointed at Dan. "got his early out so today is his last working day. You and I can figure it out later. I do owe you and won't forget it. I'll be going to White Beach sometime next week for a missile transfer. Using a brand new, virgin, Army crane that is already there."

"If you're ready to go home I'll take you to the back gate, Dan.

Do you need a ride, Ashamini?"

"No, thanks. It's only 1600. I have to stick around for another 30 minutes.

"I'll be back in 30 minutes then." Brad said and drove off with Dan riding shotgun.

EIGHTEEN

This is going to be a nice day. Brad thought when he walked through the Oroku gate. It was the back gate to Naha Air Force Base that emptied out into the small village of Oroku where a lot of Okinawans working on the base lived and GIs lived with their girlfriends. The atmosphere was very laid back with some very different ethnic peoples living in close proximity to each other in harmony.

It may get a bit weird when Dan and Yumi meet Tomako. Of course I have no idea what she is thinking about me, if at all. Could be as it seemed. She was just being nice to a guy who had lost his girlfriend and then drank too much. I do like her though. She is about as straight as they come. Well, I've had a crush on an older woman before. And she did help me put Yoko in perspective whether she knows it or not.

"Hey. Are you guys up yet." Brad hollered as he approached Dan and Yumi's little house."

"Come in, Brad." Yumi answered from the back of the house. "Dan went to the store for some sugar. The poor baby needs it for his coffee."

"I know he's a wimp."

"Here you are. Strong and black. If it takes him too long you have my permission to drink the whole pot. He always ends up talking to mama-san at the store and forgets to come home. Are you okay? Dan told me about Yoko. I'm sorry. I know that you really liked her."

"She does like to talk. Doesn't she, Brad? No, I did not stop to talk to mama-san this morning. She wasn't there. It was only her twenty-something daughter. You know she's really cute. You should go by there Brad. She's very friendly too."

"That's fine Dan Buckner. I don't care where you get hungry. Just come home to eat. I'm sorry Brad. I don't know why I said that."

Instead of taking a sukoshi cab, the trio decided to ride the Okinawan bus which took a more pastoral route through the countryside before ending up on Kokusai Dori. They were only about a block from the Ryubo Department Store and six or seven blocks from the Kokusai Coffee House.

"Let's go to the coffee house first. After we shop we can come back to it again before we go home." Yumi suggested.

"Alright by me. Ok Brad?" Dan asked.

Kokusai Street was always fun to window shop on. There were more unusual shops than any place Brad had ever been to. The easygoing bustle of the other shoppers was different also. Many of the people obviously had a destination in mind, and though hurrying towards it, they did not lose their natural politeness. Most of the women, young and old, might avoid making eye contact with a white male, especially one with a short military haircut, but they still murmured a soft 'gomen' when they stepped out of your way or stopped walking to let you past.

"Next time we go to 'Black Market Alley'" Brad spoke up. "Today is Yumi's trip, but maybe next week we can do it."

"You two can do it." Dan answered in a hushed voice. "I picked up my port call at personnel yesterday. I leave for CONUS Friday night."

Yumi showed no sign of surprise. Well, she knew already. Now I can see why they wanted to come here today. Yumi works tomorrow, Sunday, then Dan won't have much time with her unless she takes some time off.

"Here." Yumi turned towards the stairs leading down into their favorite coffee house.

This should be interesting. I can't read these women very well. Who in hell can. I hope Tomako is still as friendly as she was when I left her at the NCO Club Thursday morning.

Tomako was standing near the small reception desk next to the front door. With her was one of the waitresses, a very young nesan who was nodding dutifully and Tomako was doing all of the talking.

Tomi looked up at the sound of the door and greeted Yumi and Dan with a polite smile not seeing Brad who had hung back a second to let his friends enter through the narrow doorway.

She sure doesn't look 35 to me, maybe 25 at the most. Definitely younger looking than Yumiko is.

"Somewhat recognizing Dan and Yumi, Tomako motioned towards the back of the shop. "Dozo, two of you?" she asked.

"No", Dan started to answer.

Brad stepped around Yumi and unconsciously ended up within touching distance of Tomako and felt a thrill which ran through him and made his stomach flip.

"Brad-san! Konnichi wa." She exclaimed. Her smile broadened and took over her face, and her eyes took on a sparkle of their own. The look of delight flashed away as quick as it had come. "There are three of you, neh?"

"Konnichi wa, Tomako-san" Brad addressed her bowing slightly making eye contact that lasted more than what was usual for casual acquaintances. "I think that there are three of us. Dan has trouble counting without using his fingers,"

Tomako gave him a questioning look before smiling warmly as she motioned for him to walk with her to the back tables. "You're alright, neh?" She asked quietly leading him to his favorite table in the back corner. She laid her hand across the small of his back as if to guide him to his seat. Her hand lingered and traveled up towards his shoulder with a warm steady pressure. "I will come back in a minute." She said when she laid the menus on the table.

Something is going right today. I must have done and said all the right things with her. I was afraid that not calling her or seeing her yesterday would be wrong.

"Brad?" Yumi asked again trying to bring him back to their world. "Brad?"

"Oh. What Yumi?"

"Never mind. The smiles and look on your face answers my question." She spoke softly. "She's the NCO Club nesan, neh?"

Brad nodded affirmatively watching Tomako walking back towards the kitchen. She was wearing a snug, light blue skirt with a starched white blouse tucked in which showed off her tiny waist. And she was wearing a small amount of make-up which Brad was sure he had never known her to wear. A bit of light pink lipstick and a hint of eye shadow and mascara was there if you looked close. 35, huh? She doesn't need any make-up . Many women would kill to have her complexion. She is a very classy lady.

"So what happened?" Yumi asked. "Yoko decided that she didn't want to live with you for whatever reason? Where does Tomako fit into your life? I remember her from when we came in here, but I didn't know that you knew her more than that."

"I didn't. Until Wednesday afternoon. After Yoko blew me off, I needed a quiet place to be so I came here and Tomako let me sit quietly at this table and drink myself into a stupor. Then when she got off work she wouldn't leave me here by myself half shot on Sapporo beer. So she took me home with her. Fed me. Gave me aspirin. And let me take a shower and get a good nights sleep. That's all there is to it."

"You slept with her after getting dumped?"

"No! Hell no! We didn't sleep together. We had separate futons. Don't even think that Yumiko."

"Alright, Brad. I believe you. You are just her tomodachi. Sure."

"Yumi, you sound like you have doubts about them," Dan said.

"Did you see how they look at each other, Dan? That was not just how friend's look at each other."

"Excuse me. I need to make a pit stop." Brad said and headed towards the rest rooms next to the kitchen.

When he entered the short hallway leading to the restrooms which also had access to the kitchen, Tomako came out of the kitchen and they stood out of sight of the people in the coffee house.

"You are alright? Not too sad?"

"Thanks to you I'm not very sad. Actually I think I will miss Dan more that Yoko. He is going to the states on Friday.

How are you? Did Oji-san say anymore about me staying overnight? I really don't want to make a problem for you."

"No, it is okay. He does understand, and I think that he likes you. Will you come to see me sometime? I want to know how you are. Wakarimasu ka?"

"You mean come here to see you."

"You know when I work and where my house is, neh?"

"Hai, Tomi.

NINETEEN

The week didn't exactly start with a bang, but right after lunch on Tuesday things started to change. Brad had just pulled back into the heavy equipment shop when Tom O'Brien hollered at him from the maintenance shop office door. "Hey Brad, the chief wants us up in the office. Something about the EOD truck getting stuck on a rice paddy dike."

"Brad, do you know where Ozato village is? That's where the EOD team is. They tried to drive along the top of a rice paddy dike and now as I understand, the truck is trying to slip off the dike sideways and go into a very wet rice paddy."

"Yeah I've been there, Chief. It's off of the road to Yonaburu, going towards the Chinen Peninsula.

"Okay, if you say so. You and O'Brien take the wrecker out there and give them whatever help they need. There are 4 EOD troops out there, so you should have plenty of manpower if you need it.

How long will it take you to get out there? Lieutenant Commander Tole would like to know what's happening since it is an EOD situation and now involving Public Works."

"I think about 45 minutes this time of day. The roads aren't bad. Not like traveling on Highway #1.

"There they are." Tom O'Brien spotted the EOD truck sitting lopsided on top of about a 10 foot high dike. They had driven it along the narrow water buffalo trail about 50 feet before the truck's front tires had started to slide downhill to the left.

"Hey, Brad. The experts have arrived." A first class ordnance man named Erickson hollered. Brad knew Erickson from when he had found a 500 pound bomb while bulldozing the heavy brush from an area in the Navy housing area to eliminate habu habitat.

The day was warm and muggy. Everybody was peeled down to their tee shirts minus their hats and insignias of rank. Brad was sure that Tom didn't know all of the EOD team including the youngest member of the team, Lieutenant Anderson. So to avoid any potential problems about rank, Brad told Tom before they walked out on the dike that "the youngest with the dirtiest face is Lieutenant Anderson. Officer-in-Charge of EOD NAF Naha. He's cool."

O'Brien nodded in acknowledgment, smiled as he walked out on the dike ahead of Brad and addressed the Lieutenant in a respectful tone. "Who was driving, Sir?" Was it an enlisted man?"

Brad wanted to hide under the truck until the Lieutenant's answer brought a smile to his face also.

"Petty Officer O'Brien you know damn well that I never drive when I have a chauffeur. Besides, I'm not about to take any crap off an Irish in-law."

Tom kept walking and smiling as he and Brad looked over what the team had already done. "I still don't see what my sister sees in an officer." Said more than loud enough for all around to hear.

The EOD had dug a track behind both left side tires from front to the back of the vehicle and were now starting to work back toward the road were Tom had parked the wrecker.

"What do you think, Brad", Erickson asked "I'm not sure that they're deep enough, but the ground is really hard. All coral and dry as hell."

"I'd go a bit deeper behind the front tire and just come about 10 more feet or so behind the truck. It's the front end that wants to slid and you have a real good start in preventing that.

"Hey Tom." He hollered to get O'Brien's attention as he stood in front of the truck talking to his brother-in-law. "Would you turn the wrecker around and we'll run a single tow line to the low side of the truck to help it stay in the ditches that they've dug.

One of the team had got down on his knees so he could deepen the ditch behind the front tire as Brad suggested when the entrenching tool pick he was swinging bounced up with a metallic ping.

"GRENADE"!! And everybody dove for the rice paddy.

Brad lay flat on the opposite side of the road from where he thought the grenade had gone waiting for the flat BOOM. It never came.

"Everybody stay put while I check that thing. Sammy did that thing smoke when you bounced it out of the ground?"

"I don't think so Lieutenant. It just flew up in my face with the spoon going one way and the main body another way."

"Okay, I'm going to secure it in the box. I'm sure its inert. Shit, it's been here since 1945.

Let's finish up digging otherwise we'll be late for supper when we get back to Naha."

It was easy and only took about 3 minutes once the towline was hooked up and Brad slowly backed the EOD truck onto the road.

The two Seabees hung around helping the EOD gather up their tools and gear.

"Lieutenant where's the grenade. I thought you put it in the box."

"I did. It's not there?"

"No, Sir. The box is right here where we put it on the ground in front of the truck, but it's empty."

"Lieutenant. Where are all those Okinawan kids who were around a while ago."

"Damn one of them or all of them took it. They use them to stun fish.

When we come out tomorrow to dig up the rocket, we can bring a translator and hopefully someone will tell us where it went."

At lunch time on Wednesday Brad was getting ready to go to the Air Force end of the base with the mobile crane to replace the rudder he and Ashamini had taken off on Monday when Aranaka, the motor pool dispatcher hollered at him.

The Chief wants you in his office. He said to send Ashamini to put the rudder back on. Lieutenant Commander Tole is on his way down from his office to meet with you.

"You hear that Ashamini? Is it alright?"

"I'm on my way as soon as I finish my lunch." He answered.

Since when does a Lieutenant Commander come to a Chief's office? I can't think of anything I did wrong to get him involved. Brad was thinking as he walked up the grassy knoll towards the motor pool admin building instead of following the paved drive which wasn't as steep but longer. He stopped on the edge of the pavement when the sounds of an approaching vehicle caught his attention. He caught a glimpse of gold on a hat and automatically flipped a salute at them.

Tall, lean, approaching middle age, and always with a smile on his face Lieutenant Commander Tole stepped out of the carpenter shop's pickup. He threw a kind of salute Brad's way and waited for him to come up to the pickup.

"It isn't a problem for you particularly, Brad. I just want to hear your version of what happened after you got to the EOD team yesterday." The Commander saw the questioning look Brad had on his face. "You haven't heard what happened this morning in Ozato Village then?"

"No Sir, I haven't heard anything"

"Okay, I'll let Charlie fill you in. Let's find him and see if he has any coffee made. I don't mean coffee mess stuff. I mean real American coffee. I know they have a coffee pot hidden in there."

Chief Lawton met them at the door and motioned officer and petty officer into his office.

"Where's your good coffee, Charlie?" The Commander asked.

"Right here, Sir." He answered and opened a small metal cabinet across the room from his desk allowing the smell of fresh brewed coffee to permeate the air in the office. "Black, Commander? Brad?"

The commander nodded affirmatively as he took one of the seats in front of the Chief's desk."

"Yeah, black, please Chief." Brad answered.

"You didn't get a chance to fill Brad in, Charlie?"

"No, I didn't, Sir. He's been gone all morning laying out the new road to the Chief's Club."

"So you decided who was going to finish that project?"

"Yes Sir. No doubt that he can do it."

"Good luck, Brad. You will definitely need it before you are through with that job." The Commander raised his cup of coffee in a toast to Brad.

What have I got into? Okay Charlie, what are you doing to me?" Brad was thinking when the Chief sat behind his desk.

"Brad, in the village of Ozato this morning a 12 year old boy lost an eye and most of his right hand when he tried to take an American made WWII hand grenade apart. Everybody so far involved, are sure it was the same grenade that the EOD had yesterday and it disappeared before they could bring it in with them." The Chief paused to sip his coffee and the Commander spoke to fill-in some more of the details.

"We just want to hear your version of finding the grenade and what happened afterwards. And then write it up for our files. You have no responsibility at all in the incident. I want you to know that. Most of this will be between us unless something unforeseen comes to light."

"I don't know how much I can tell you, Sir. When O'Brien and I got there the EOD had all ready dug some ditches to hold the low side tires from slipping further downhill. I suggested that they dig them a bit deeper and to enlarge particularly the one behind the left front tire." Brad went on to describe the grenade, coming out of the ground and then Lt. Anderson placing it in the safety box which was in front of the EOD truck. It was well away from where any of the kids were.

"There was an Okinawan man with the kids who I think was a school teacher. He seemed to be watching the kids and keeping them away. They seemed respectful of him and not trying to get any closer. But we were also busy most of the time in the back of the truck and they were out my sight."

When the truck was back on the road, what happened then and who was doing what?" The Chief asked.

"O'Brien and I secured the gear and cable back onto the wrecker while the EOD team was loading the entrenching tools and stuff that they had out, back into their truck. I heard someone, I have no idea who it was, just one of the new guys, ask Mr. Anderson what he did with the grenade because he couldn't find it. The Lieutenant said that it was in the safe box and the same newby, said that it wasn't there.

We all looked around for the grenade and couldn't find it. I remember looking for the kids and they were all gone. Not one kid was insight. The Lieutenant said that they would have to come back tomorrow, meaning today, and bring a translator with them in hopes of finding the grenade.

We all felt that one or more of the kids had somehow got into the box and took the grenade. But none of us saw any kids that close to the truck."

"Your version backs up the EOD's story all the way." Commander Tole commented.

"What time did the grenade blowup, Sir?"

"About 0715 give or take a few minutes this morning. The EOD and translator were already on their way to the village before 0700 hours."

"Anything that we can do for the kid or family, Sir?"

"I'll let you know if there is Brad. For the time being keep the facts to yourself for a while. At least until the investigation is over with."

"Yes, Sir."

TWENTY

The mess hall was about full to capacity. It was Thursday before payday and most of the NAF sailors and Seabees were too broke to go to Noumanoui or to eat in the NCO club. Brad had just finished going through the chow line and was looking for a seat when he heard his named being called quietly from somewhere near the back of the mess hall. He looked in vain trying to spot who had called him when a Corpsman walked by on his way out.

"It's O'Brien, Brad. He's in the back corner next to the office. I think he's trying to put the make on the mess chief's new secretary."

"Thanks, Doc. I see him now. Is he serious or just being O'Brien?"
"Just being O'Brien. He's just finished his regimen of tetracycline and wants to find somebody to go drink beer with him."

"Did Sashiko give him a dose of the clap?"

"Yep. Tom O'Brien went two weeks without even one beer. Know what? He isn't even mad at her. See you later, Brad."

O'Brien started talking before Brad could get his dinner plates set on the table and a cute nesan in a sparkling white, starched dress waited patiently ready to relieve him of the now empty tray.

"I'm buying, Brad. Come to the ville with me and drink some beer. I need a night out and want to stay all night with Sashi."

"Tom, why didn't you tell me about the clap? I know that I haven't been out drinking with you lately, but I'm still your friend. Maybe I could have talked to Sashiko and smoothed the way for you."

It's alright, Brad. Mike brought her to the NCO Club a week ago and we talked it out. A damn merchant sailor gave it to her on the last weekend that we had the duty.

So you coming with me?"

"Sure. As soon as I shower and shave. A couple C/Cs would taste good."

"Sashi said that Susie was wondering where you had been. She told her that you had gone TDY and would be back pretty soon. Okay?"

"Whatever. I'm not sure what I'll tell her. I won't get Sashiko in trouble with her anyway. Susie is alright, but I'm not sure about a long term deal. She's too expensive for third class pay. Anyway, I'll be ready to go by 1900 or so."

Alright smart-ass, what are you going to tell her? I think first you had better decide if you want to live with her or not. That's what she wants. What about Yoko? So she hurt your feelings. Does that mean you won't see her again? You thought that you were in love with both of them.

Christ, Grow-up! Twenty seven, almost twenty eight years old and women are still driving you crazy and leading you around by the nose.

But they sure are fun to be with. Brad thought smiling to himself.

He was so busy with his thoughts that he just stood under the hot water enjoying the hot massaging effect.

"Brad, are you going to stay under the water all night? Let's go. I need a beer, it's been two weeks and I'm thirsty."

"I'm coming, Tom. Give me 5 minutes to shave and dress."

Sashiko was sitting on the end bar stool closest to the front door when Tom and Brad walked into the Clover Bar. With a bound she was off the stool and in Tom's arms.

"I miss you soo much Tom-san!" She exclaimed and kissed him passionately on the lips before leading the two Seabees towards a back booth.

Before Brad could slide into the seat opposite O'Brien, Sashi turned her attention to him wrapping her small arms around his neck then kissing him on his forehead and then as an after thought kissed him lightly on the lips.

"Susie not here yet. She said that she would be here about ku."

"Nine, 2100, Brad." Tom helped her out.

"Hai, 2100 Brad-san. I am glad that you came with Tom-san and Susie will be happy to see you. I get us drinks, okay, Tom-san?"

"Yes, damn, yes. Bring me two bottles of Asahi and Brad wants a C/C and kori mizu, dozo, Sashiko-san. And get whatever you want. Tea or a real drink, okay?"

"What are you going to say to Susie, Brad?"

"Damn, Tom. Are you psychic? That is the question that I have been asking myself since you talked me into coming tonight."

"Well you'll have a clear field. The Air Force doesn't get paid until a week from tomorrow and the Navy not until tomorrow as you can tell since there is hardly anybody in here tonight."

"I wish I had the magic answer. I've been going with a nesan from Kadena Circle and I have no idea where that is going to go."

Sashiko set their drinks on the table. A very tall C/C with kori mizu for Brad, a small glass of something for herself and Tom's two beers. "Taste mine Tom-san, it is rum and Coke. For sure, honto. Kinjo, the bartender, said these are on the bar, but the rest we drink tonight you buy, Tom.

Susie be here most scratch, Brad."

Where did she pick up that, Tom?"

"I don't know. The girls have been using it lately. It's a corruption of something they heard. Probably from some Air Force dude."

"Hello, Brad, can I sit down?"

He looked around in surprise. While he was talking to Tom about Sashi's strange use of scratch, he had not seen Susie come into the bar and then come directly to their booth. "Hi, Susie, sure, dozo. Can I buy you a drink?"

"Domo, I'll get one in a minute. How have you been? I missed seeing you, Sashiko said that you were TDY. Where did you go?"

"Actually I wasn't TDY, Sashiko was told wrong."

When Susie looked into his eyes Brad could tell that she was weighing her options. I wonder which way she'll go. Call me on it? Ask me were I've been or drop it. I don't want her to be pissed at me, but I won't lie to her or try to sleep with her just to get laid.

"I'll go get a drink. Can I bring somebody else a drink?" She started to stand then sat back down when Brad reached for his wallet. He handed her $2 without saying anything.

"Domo, Brad-San. I'll be right back."

He watched her while she walked through the nearly empty bar, then stepped up to the vacant bar where Kinjo was at the far end talking to one of the girls he had been trying to put the make on since Brad had known him.

"Kinjo is still trying to get freebies with Fumiko? Doesn't give up easily does he."

"They're getting married soon." Sashiko answered. "Fumiko doesn't work in the Clover anymore. The Kokusai Club mama-san made a deal with Kinjo for her to work there. It is a nice bar and she will be safe there. Kokusai mama-san is very religious. She is Shinto, and Fumiko is also Shinto so she will not have to sleep with any GIs if she doesn't want to."

"That's great for them both. Can I buy them a drink to say congratulations?" Brad asked no one in particular.

"That would not be right. They have not told any GI's, only some people here." Susie said as she sat next to Brad with her fresh drink.

He looked in her eyes. "Thanks, I wouldn't want to embarrass them." Then he looked down into her drink and realized that she had a western type coffee cup in her hand.

"I like coffee after I eat dinner. You know that." She stated as a matter of fact. "Would you like some? Here try this. And she offered her cup to Brad.

"That's good." He said after trying it.

"I'll get another cup. Kinjo just made it. Here take this one."

A small smear of Susie's lipstick was on the rim of the cup and Brad tasted it when he took another sip of the very hot coffee. "That was dirty pool." He spoke out loud unintentionally to nobody in particular. Reminds me of some interesting times.

There was some small talk amongst the two couples until just after 10 o'clock when Brad stretched. "I'm heading for bed. I've got a busy day tomorrow. Some people have the day off I know, Tom. So enjoy yourselves, kids."

Susie had been friendly, but a bit more standoffish than she usually was with Brad. She had switched from coffee to her usual soda water and had watched to see how much Brad was drinking.

"I'll go out with you." Susie said as she slid out of the booth to let Brad out. "Is that alright, Brad?"

"Sure Susie. I'm just going to catch a sukoshi cab back to the base though."

"Yes, I know." She answered. Took his hand and started to the door. "You have found a new girl friend? You don't want to sleep with me anymore?" Susie asked while the went down the stairs to the street from the Clover Bar.

"I did find a new girl friend, Susie. I'm not sure what I want if that is what you are asking me. I liked sleeping with you."

"I'm not mad, Brad-san. I like you and would have kept sleeping with you and maybe even lived with you if you had asked me. But you didn't and I won't wait for you to unless you can say now that you want to come home with me and will come to my house every night without coming to the Clover Bar."

"Sorry, Susie. I can't do that."

I hope she is worth it, Brad-san, because you are a very nice GI and I hope she knows what she is getting. Sayonara.

"Thanks, can I come to the Clover and buy you a drink sometimes?"

"Hai, dozo. But I will not sleep with you.

"Fair enough Susie. I'll see you later"

If she only knew how close she was to the truth. Well I decided anyway. Maybe I'm losing out with my dreams.

I wonder what Tomako is doing? I should go see her to thank her again. Well, she as much as said that I could go to her house. Funny, I was thinking about her a while ago when Susie asked me about having another girl friend. Twice in fact, I did it. It wasn't Yoko I thought of, but Tomako.

TWENTY-ONE

Brad had woke up earlier than usual so he went across the street from the Navy barracks to the mess hall for a couple of cups of coffee. It would be a while before the motor pool duty section would come to breakfast so he decided to relax and enjoy his coffee. He had to admit that it was better than the coffee Susie made in the motor pool coffee mess.

Pretty good coffee actually. Oh shit, what does he want? Brad watched as Mike Branch in dress whites came into the mess hall and waved off the mess cook at the door who wanted to see his chow pass. With a premonition that Mike was looking for him, Brad stood and started across the chow hall carrying his second cup of coffee.

"You have to be in White Beach by 0730 and ready to load the crane onto the YFU about 0830."

"Gee thanks, Mike. And whose the great communicator who decided all of this?"

"Lawton got called at home by that dictating Warrant Officer who thinks he owns White Beach."

"Yeah, I know who you mean. I just wonder how long he has known that the cruiser would be ready for the missile transfer this morning."

"Lawton wasn't happy either. Come on, I'll take you to the motor pool."

"Thanks Mike."

Chief Lawton was standing outside his office talking to Lieutenant MacDonald the ordnance officer. The Lieutenant's pickup was parked in front of the dispatch office.

Brad saluted the officer as he walked up to where the men were standing. "Morning Mr. Mac, Chief. What's up?

"Sorry about this, Brad. White Beach left us hanging out in the breeze again. But I outrank a certain Warrant Officer out there so it won't be any problem for you. We'll be there when we get there. You can ride with me." Mr. Mac spoke before turning towards his truck.

"Okay, I'm ready anytime that you are, Sir. How about the Army crane, Chief? Crocker and Johnny Stump only know it would be sometime this week?"

"I'll call them and let them contact their White Beach equipment NCO. It will be ready for you when you get there."

"Thanks, see ya later."

Mr. Mac was a fast driver, but Brad knew it would still take them about an hour to get to White Beach. "How about the missile, Sir?"

"My crew left with it about twenty minutes ago. They had it loaded on the trailer all week. So when the word came I sent the duty section across island with it. You can have them to rig it for you on the YFU and they'll bring the broken one in later today. Of course it's going to cost me. I had to promise the two of them two days off to go."

Mr. Mac laughed at the thoughts of a couple of petty officers getting it over on a Mustang Officer. "I would have done the same thing." He said almost to himself.

Smiling to himself Brad thought, That's why he's one of the best liked officers on this base. I'd work all night for him.

Rounding a turn shortly after they had turned onto Awase Road, the shortcut to White Beach, Mr. Mac pointed to the Navy vehicle they were coming up behind pulling a trailer with a long tarp covered object. "I thought it was against the rules to haul anything on this road. They might run over an officer on his golf cart." Brad asked, but received no answer. Just the hint of a smile on the officer's mouth.

That sucker. He told them to take the shortcut.

The driver saw his boss's truck in his rear view mirrors and slowed down and pulled over to let them pass.

Mr. Mac pulled around the truck and trailer, blew his horn and waved to the two men in the truck as he passed.

Having worked with the ordinance team before made it easy for Brad and shortly after he picked up the crane from the Army they had crane and missile loaded on the YFU.

The cruiser was at anchor almost in the exact center of Buckner Bay and as the coxswain got the YFU turned around and headed across the bay, Brad climbed the ladder to the wheel house. The coxswain was a first class who Brad knew from other boat rides. "When did she pull in, George? Early this morning?"

"Hell no. In time for liberty call yesterday afternoon. The ville was full of fleet sailors last night drinking and hollering all night long. Kept me and my woman awake most of the night. I feel like shit."

Brad looked the coxswain over and when he came to his bloodshot eyes he wondered just how sober he was. Just what I need, a coxswain with a hangover. I had better tell the guys from the missile shop.

Brad took another look at the cruiser before going down the ladder to the cargo deck of the YFU where the crane and missile were sitting. He instantly realized that the gray steel side of the ship was growing bigger altogether too fast. Shit, he's going in too fast! The small boat boom and Captain's gig are right on front of him. At the same time Brad saw that the 70 foot boom of the brand new Army crane that he had borrowed, was above the bow ramp of the YFU and right in line with the fast approaching small boat boom and side of the cruiser itself.

He grabbed the sides of the ladder. Swung himself around and slid down the ladder to the cargo deck. Sprinted to the cab of the crane. Swung up into the operators seat and in one motion hit the starter switch by instinct. He quickly engaged the drive clutch at the same time pulled back on the boom hoist lever. The crane boom lifted out of its cradle and he swung the boom to the left over the truck's cab barely missing the exhaust stack. At the same time the right corner of the YFU's bow ramp smashed into the cruiser's side. The small boat boom, made of a piece of oak timber about 6 or 8 inches around,and held by cables snapped like a twig sending the cruiser's Captain's gig sailing around the YFU's ramp bouncing across the flat plate steel as it went by.

Brad sat staring at the pieces of debris falling into the bay between the YFU and the cruiser and was surprised when the coxswain got the YFU under control bringing it to a smooth stop exactly below the missile handling crew waiting with their missile on the cruiser's deck. Shaking his head in disbelief, Brad watched the YFU coxswain, who now seemed completely in control, for his signal that he was ready for them to start the transfer.

He nodded. I guess that means he's ready. A quick look at the missile handlers below him on the YFU's cargo deck and Brad finished raising the boom and started the hook down to them. It just took them a few seconds to hook up the cable sling and remove the last two straps holding the missile to the trailer. A quiet signal from a smiling second class and Brad gently and smoothly lifted the delicate missile up and swung it over the deck of the cruiser and easily set it down on the missile cart the cruiser's crew had waiting for it.

The whole transfer didn't take 15 minutes. Brad decided to stay in the crane until it was safely back on land.

Brad returned the crane to a grouchy Army Staff Sergeant who wanted to know why the Navy had to use one of his new cranes and made him come to work early so Brad could sign it out.

Mr. Mac swung into the Army dispatch center, stared at the Staff Sergeant for a second who sheepishly saluted him before turning and going back into his office.

"He belly aching again?"

"Does every time I use one of his cranes. I guess he can't understand that the Navy can get along with the Army civilians who he can't get along with.

"May have something to do with how you get along with the civilians. I heard and somewhat saw what went on out there this morning. The coxswain will be headed to CONUS by the end of next week. Sometimes it's nice to outrank some people, Brad.

By the way, you did a great job out there. I am sure there would have been hell to pay if that crane or a missile was damaged.

Want a couple days off? I think that I can arrange that."

Thanks. I have the weekend off and may take you up on it some other time."

"Don't wait long. I'm a short timer. Three weeks left."

"Where you headed, Sir?"

"Stateside shore duty. North Island NAS. San Diego, CA."

TWENTY-TWO

Brad had not slept in and it was quiet in the barracks on Sunday morning at 0830. He had already gone downstairs to the Master-at-Arms office to get a cup of fresh brewed Navy coffee before checking to see if Ron Jessup was out of the rack yet. Even when he had spent the night before out drinking, Akabu was usually up and raring to go fairly early in the day. Brad hoped today wouldn't be an exception. Friday evening he and a couple of other motor pool Seabees had talked Akabu into taking them North about halfway up the island to go snorkeling in the pristine waters off Nago City. He found Ron's rack empty and heard the shower running in the distance.

Brad went back to his locker and finished getting his snorkeling gear together. Carrying his gear, he went back to Ron's rack and found the keys to Akabu's 12 year old Oldsmobile.

"I have your keys Ron. I'll find Mac and Sherwood and we'll meet you in the parking lot"

Brad heard a faint Southern drawl 'alright' over the running water before going on his way down one flight to find the other two Seabees.

Smiling as he bounced out the barracks's door, Ron started talking when he was barely within hearing. "I'm hungry. Let's go to the NCO club for brunch before we go north."

Since it was his car and Brad knew that the only physical activity Ron would be having today was to raise bottles of Orion beer, he didn't object though he was really anxious to head for the reefs off Nago.

Wonder if Tomako is working in the Club on Sunday mornings. She never said and I never asked.

Brad had some trepidation about seeing Tomi. He still wasn't sure how he felt about Yoko's rejection of him and Tomi's acceptance of the situation. Was she just being a good friend or was there something more in her response to my drunken plight a couple of weeks ago? What did she mean when I saw her with Dan and Yumi? Did she really want to see me? She is 8 years older than I am.

McCorkle, the youngest of the group hollered "shotgun" before Ron even caught up to the group standing next to the car. Mac opened the passenger's front door and stood waiting for the other men to get in back.

"Do you know where you're going, Akabu?" Brad asked him.

"Kind of, Brad. You can help me after we get to Nago. I know a nice little bar the Marines go to right off the main drag though."

"It figures. You really want to go to brunch?" Brad asked, knowing full well that the skinny Mississippian was a perpetual garbage disposal who ate constantly. His food intact and beer intact were in constant competition with each other.

BRAD HAD DECIDED THAT SINCE IT WAS INEVITABLE THAT HE WOULD SEE AND HAVE TO TALK TO Tomako he was disappointed that she wasn't working. A young Air Force Staff Sergeant, in civilian clothes, was on the reception desk when the quartet of Seabees trooped into the NCO Club. Brad let the other three go towards the breakfast buffet so he could ask the sergeant if Tomi had or was working today.

No, she doesn't work on Saturday or Sunday mornings. One of us club staff covers the register then. We found it easier because so many unauthorized people try to get in the club." Then he looked directly at the Seabees with a slight smile.

It was an enjoyable drive up the coastal road with the tropical sun almost overhead as noontime approached. There was little traffic which only increased slightly coming into Nago.

"You want to turn left at the next side road Ronnie. Then in about a mile the road swings around to the right. After that you can see the reef on the left. Park anywhere along where we are close to the water and there's a sandy beach.

There are usually some nesans on the beach, Ron." Brad knew that would keep Akabu's attention all afternoon since he seldom spent more than 10 minutes in the water on any afternoon and his fair skin burned really easy. But he could girl watch forever.

The water was the clearest he had ever swam in and possibly the most comfortable temperature to be in with just a swimsuit. Brad took a deep breath before flipping up on his head and swimming towards the coral reef about 10 or 15 feet below him. He was sure he had spotted the tentacle of a shy octopus before it had pulled it back into the crevasse where it was hiding the rest of its body. Ahh. There you are. How come you're showing your self in the daylight? Maybe a little too big, but everything looks bigger underwater. You will make some fine taco.

He grabbed at the misplaced tentacle with a diving gloved hand and felt its rough surface slide through his fingers to escape. Returning to the surface for a breath before making a second attempt for the octopus. When Brad approached the hole where the octopus was hiding he realized that the opposite side of the small coral head was cracked also. A quick push with his fins placed him behind the octopus. The smart creature felt the impulse of Brad's passage through the water and jetted itself out of the safety of the crevasse in an attempt to escape. Brad grabbed at the creatures tightly held tentacles and got a strong grip. With a hand full of tentacles and an octopus trying to bite him, Brad shot for the surface.

Now, what am I going to do with him? Tomako? If she's at home, will know what to do with it.

"Ron do you still have the bucket in the trunk." Holding the octopus high up out of the water as he waded ashore. "Fill it up would you, so I can put this in it?"

As they approached Tomari Port from the north on Highway #1, Brad, who was riding shotgun asked Ron to turn at the next street.

"Where are we going, Brad?" Ron asked when he followed Brad's directions and turned down the narrow street leading to Tomako's apartment.

"I have a friend who lives down here and I'll drop off the octopus if they want it. Koko. Right here at the new pink building. I'll be right back," he said climbing out of the car and heading around the side of the building.

He saw her uncle's cab parked next to the stairway. Hesitating for just a second before starting up the stairs. Oh hell, I got nothing to lose. I'm just offering her the octopus. It isn't like I'm asking her to spend the night. A nice thank you for her being so good to me.

He could hear them talking from outside the door and though he didn't understand more than one in a hundred words, their tone was friendly and he heard distinct laughter from a male's deep voice. Brad barely knocked on the door knowing the apartment was small and it would be impossible for Tomi not to hear him. She answered quickly, almost as if she was standing next to the door.

"Oh, Brad-san" Then she smiled. Broke into a quiet laugh as she looked him up and down. She turned and spoke to her oji-san who was out of sight behind the door.

Brad caught 'Brad-san' and something else that might have been about the ocean. She was still smiling happily and her face seemed to remove any feelings that Brad had that he might be intruding or not wanted. Tomako had on a cherry blossom decorated kimono that had several shades of pink and some soft green cherry tree leaves on her obi.

Wow! I've ever seen her in a kimono. Makes her look so tiny, but gorgeous. A Japanese doll.

Then it hit him. I have only a swim suit on, and my swim booties. You jerk. "I've been swimming. Snorkeling up north near Nago. Four of us went together"

"Come in Brad. I know that you are a little strange, but harmless. You know Tomanaga-san. My oji-san. Neh?"

Brad stepped onto the entry tiles and stopped not wanting to step on the tatami mats with sand covered diving booties. "I have a small octopus that I'm not sure what to do with. I thought you might want it, or if I was really lucky, you would show me how to fix it. I like taco sushi.

It's still alive. I put it in a bucket of sea water. So if you don't want to mess with it, I'll dump it off the seawall."

"Mess with it? What does that mean?"

Her uncle spoke up and Tomako spoke rapidly to him and the two of them smiled and kind of laughed quietly.

"Oji-san is leaving, but he asked that we save him some of the octopus if you wouldn't mind. He also wanted to know if you needed a kimono to put on as it's getting cold to be dressed like that. I told him that I had one you like and can use again."

"Sayonara, Brad-san." Tomanaga said before stepping around Brad and going out the door.

"Sayonara, Tomanaga-san."

"Where is our supper?"

"It's downstairs in Akabu's car. I'll go get it."

"Brad?"

"Yeah?"

"Bring your clothes and shoes up also. You can share my futons again if you would like."

"Okay. Domo, Tomako."

Okay, what am I going to tell these drunks? I don't want them to think that something that isn't is. Or to see Tomi.

"Christ Brad, we were beginning to wonder what had happened to you." Ron spoke up.

"Especially after that big Okinawan taxi driver came out. Who is he anyhow, Brad? McCorkle asked.

"He's my friend and his wife is going to take the octopus. I'll take it up to her and he said that he would give me a lift back to the base later when he comes back home." Brad started to gather his jeans, shirt, socks and shoes before taking the bucket and octopus out of the trunk of the Olds. "I'll see you guys back at the barracks later, okay?"

"See ya. Don't lose my bucket, Brad." Ron hollered as he put the car in gear and headed back towards Highway #1.

Tomi was standing at the top of the stairs waiting for him and took his clothes from him then pointed towards the kitchen sink while Brad was slipping off his dive booties.

"In the sink, dozo."

When Brad turned from the sink Tomi had folded his clothes and was putting them neatly on an empty shelf in her wardrobe cabinet. She came over leaned towards him and kissed him on the cheek. "It's nice to see you. Even if you have no clothes on. Ugh! You taste salty. Why don't you take a shower while I start our dinner. I'm going to the store while you shower. You know where the kimono is, neh?"

"Sounds good. Hai, I can find the nemaki."

As she started out the door Brad spoke, "Tomako, Thank you. You look great in that kimono."

Smiling brightly,looking very young and again defying Brad's impression of how old she was, she answered. "Oji-san and I just came back from the temple. I usually wear a kimono when he takes me there. This one is not my best one. How do you say it, not for dress-up. Not as pretty as some that I have. Arigato goziemashita, Brad-san. You also look great in your swimming suit."

He smiled and shook his head as she closed the door and he could hear her soft laugh through the door.

He felt the soft touch of her hand on his cheek which made him snuggle deeper into the silk covered pillow he had laid his head on. He had been watching the sun slowly settling down out over the East China Sea. The hot shower relaxed him and after a day in the sun and water there was no staying awake in the quiet of Tomako's apartment.

"Are you hungry? Or would you rather sleep?"

"Mmm. Keep that up." Turning his face into her hand which was lingering on his cheek, he kissed the palm of her hand. "Is that kohi I smell?"

"Maybe. Would you like some? Or a beer?"

"Kohi, dozo. I'm hungry so I want to wake up and eat something if you took time to fix it."

"I did, but it is not ready yet. A sukoshi and it will be ready. You were very asleep. Did you drink a lot of beer today?"

"No. Only two bottles of Orion. One with lunch in Nago, and one after I got out of the water."

"You don't drink much do you?" She bent down and again kissed his cheek. "I wanted to see if you tasted better. You do." Laughing at him she stood and went to the stove.

He watched her walk with appreciation of her small hard body and realized that she no longer wore the kimono. She had put on blue jeans that were snug enough to show her figure but not as tight as those many of the younger girls and bar girls wore. I wonder if she really is 35?

"Do you want to help me? The food is ready. In the refrigerator is the taco sushi and some that I got from the sushi bar. But the taco is from our octopus. Just 5 minutes and the gohon will be ready and we can eat. Did you get your kohi?"

"Got it. Can I try some of the sushi?"

Brad didn't hear her barefoot steps on the soft tatami mats but felt her nearness before she touched his back. "Sit down with your kohi and try the sushi." Tomako set a bottle of soy sauce on the table, a small sauce dish and another small dish with wasabi. "Be careful. Horseradish is very hot, only use a skosh." She slid the dish with the green horseradish closer to Brad and handed him a pair of lacquerware chopsticks. "You can use these, neh? Gomen, Brad-san. I remember now. At the coffee house you were using them. Kind of."

"What do you mean kind of? I thought I was doing very good with them. You're picking on me again, Tomako."

"I would never, what you say? Pick on you." She said with a big smile and laughed not quite so quietly as she turned back to the stove.

They had been talking softly as they ate, then after dinner while Brad helped her clean up the remains of their dinner they continued like old friends.

"Brad, have you been back to Kadena Circle to talk to Yoko?"

He hesitated before answering not quite sure what Tomi wanted to hear or how to answer her. "No. I'm not sure what I want or if I want to hear the truth. Whatever that maybe."

I want Tomi, but I'm afraid of my feelings for Yoko. Tomi is right though. I should resolve it.

"You are getting sleepy, Brad. I will fix our futons and we can get ready to sleep before you fall asleep with your head on the table."

"It's only 10, Tomi. But I am sleepy from all the good food and being outside all day."

"Remember, I must get up early. You can sleep later. I will fix the clock before I leave for the NCO Club."

Brad spread his futons next to the open slider as he had before and when he came out of the bathroom he saw that Tomi's futons were again next to his, closer, but still apart.

"You found the new toothbrush?"

"Yes. thank you. I'm sure my breath needed it."

Brad vaguely remembered Tomako coming out of the bathroom dressed in her nemaki and slipping under her futon.

Early in the morning, when the sun was just spreading a pink tinge across the sky, Brad was sure that he felt Tomako lying next to him under his futon only to feel her slip away. That was a nice dream. It was good to feel her next to me like that.

Get over it. I know she thinks I'm too young for her, besides, she has as much as said that she wouldn't sleep with, much less live with a GI. You were dreaming that's for sure.

The alarm clock clanging away like something out of the 1920's startling Brad awake. He rolled over and looked at its old fashioned face. 0630. Sitting up he saw that Tomi had put her futons away and her little coffee pot was sitting on the two burner tabletop gas stove. There was a note leaning on it. In her clear script Tomi said that the coffee was ready to brew and there was a fresh roll wrapped in rice paper on the counter. "I hope to see you later. Tomako."

Shaking his head at her thoughtfulness. I didn't even hear her doing all this. I have time for coffee and take my time getting ready. I can catch a sukoshi cab easily from here.

TWENTY-THREE

The Monday morning after payday always brought some strange sights and moods at 0800 when the motor pool had muster in the bunk-room. This morning McCorkle was stretched out on a bunk nursing a major hangover. Mike Branch had the duty on Sunday and was bouncing around all hyper waiting for muster to be over so he could rush to barracks, change into civilian clothes, and go to Noumanoui. On Wednesday he would start his new job as the Base Commander's driver.

When Chief Lawton came in the connecting door from the dispatch office he hesitated and searched the room. His gaze stopped on Brad, nodded and pointed to the outside door before stepping outside. Brad crossed the room and followed the chief out the door.

"I spoke to Lieutenant Commander Tole a minute ago. He has seen the report and conclusions of the inquiry of the lost grenade. The EOD found their lost grenade in another boy's backpack. It didn't have a spoon on it and the kid had tried to unscrew it but everyone is guessing that it was rusted together so he couldn't get it apart without some kind of tools which he didn't have. He admits hiding along side of the truck after the school teacher left with the other boys. Then grabbing the grenade and hiding in the rice paddy until you all left.

The boy who lost his hand said that he found his grenade a week before in the cave near where the Army was working. His friends were giving him a hard time about how it worked so he decided to take it apart before going to school. He PULLED THE PIN AND LET THE SPOON COME OFF. It blew up instantaneously. He never had a chance to throw it."

"Shit! We looked all over for that thing and nobody saw him hiding that close to the truck. But I'm glad it wasn't the grenade that exploded."

"The Inquiry Board isn't holding anyone responsible.

Lieutenant Commander Tole and Lieutenant Anderson wondered if you knew where that cave the kids were talking about might be? The Army civilians are claiming ignorance about it."

"I doubt if they would know where it is. They had some enlisted men working on that project, but they were 'short timers' and left the island a month ago.

Late Friday afternoon Johnny Stump asked me if I could work on it for them. I hadn't seen you since to check if I could, so I haven't given him an answer yet."

"It's okay by me if you can set-up hauling the fill for the Chief's club road before you go. That will take what, 2 or 3 weeks using the dump truck when our heavy equipment crew isn't using it?"

"Sounds about right. I'll give the EOD a shout before I go down to see Johnny and Crocker at Naha Port. I don't think that the dozer is still out in Ozato village. It will be a day or so before we can get it moved unless the Army is anxious to get the job done."

"I'll leave it up to you to work it out. The Commander will take your word for what is going on.

"Can I have Akabu to haul the coral for the road fill? He likes to hang out with Ashamini and the heavy crew and will haul as much coral as anybody can."

"Yeah, that's fine with me. Why don't you check out my pickup and go to Naha Port."

"We can move the bulldozer to the Ozato Minami School after lunch if you can go out there and unload it from the trailer. It would be better if you went with the driver or follow him out there."

"That will work." Brad told Crocker, Stump's boss. "I'll come back after 1300 hrs.

Stump pulled into his parking spot as Brad was climbing into the chief's pickup. "What's up, Brad?"

"Getting Crocker to send the dozer out to Ozato so I can start working on the schoolyard. He wants me to follow the trailer out there and unload it."

"I told him this morning that I was going out there after lunch and unload it. We can go together if you want."

"Good idea, Johnny. You driving? If so I want to take Lawton's truck back to him and tell him what we decided if you don't mind."

"I'll pick you up at his office and it will be lunch time by then. Any place special you want to go to eat?"

"How about the Kokusai Coffee House?"

"Really? What is so interesting about the coffee house?"

"Quiet scenery and good food."

Johnny turned off of Kokusai Dori into an alley then pulled into a loading dock and turning off the engine.

"You always park in front of somebody's loading dock? I suppose you have a shortcut to the coffee house from here."

"Actually that door right there goes into the coffee house kitchen. This building used to be a furniture store. Western furniture, but it didn't make it so they have no use for the ramp now. Come on."

"Brad? Where did you come from?" Her smile and the faint blush across her face made Brad glad that he had decided to drop in on her for lunch. "How did you find the backdoor?" Even our Okinawan customers do not know it is there.

Johnny-san, Konnichi wa. So you are teaching Brad the bad things?" Tomako laughed and took the two men each by one arm and led them back towards Brad's favorite table. "I will be right back. Dozo, sit down."

"So you're Tomako's interest? I was talking to her uncle last night and he was concerned about who she was getting interested in. Seems like he knows this guy is a young Seabee who runs all over the island doing strange jobs and at strange times. Seems like Oji-san likes him but doesn't trust his own feelings when it comes to Tomako."

"We're just friends Johnny. You know her, so you know that she is a bit older than I am. And she isn't interested in getting involved with a GI. Actually 8 years older than I am." Brad stopped talking as he watched Tomako's petite form coming towards them with a tray.

"Asahi for you Johnny-san. Kohi for you, Brad-san." She set their drinks on the little table before stepping behind Brad and placed her small hand on his shoulder. "Do you need a menu? Maybe you already know what you want? Yakamesa, Brad?

"Hai, dozo, Tomi. With chicken, okay?"

"Hai, with chicken and you Johnny?"

"A bowl of soba. Any kind, Tomako, dozo."

Brad watched her walk away. That is one very fine lady. She is so feminine and so intelligent. A nice combination."

"Brad. Hey Brad? Are you still on this planet?"

"Sorry, I was looking at something else, thinking about something else actually."

"Right. How long have you known Tomi? A while from what I'm seeing."

"Almost the first week I got on the island. Somebody brought me in here on a daring adventure since it has no 'A' sign. Tomako was working and we became friends right away." Brad told Stump about how she baby-sat him when Yoko dumped him, but very conveniently left out staying at her apartment on that night, or his visit to her place last night.

"Tomanaga said that you have stayed over with her a couple of times. He's just concerned for her. Life hasn't been really good to her. Like a lot of Okinawans. She has had to deal with losing her family when she was very young, and not being able to have a decent relationship with an eligible male. You may have noticed that males are in short supply here on the island."

"The Army is treating today, Brad." After Johnny had settled their lunch check the two men started back towards the kitchen to leave.

Brad felt her warm hand take his when he went into the short hallway leading to the kitchen. "Goodbye, Brad. I was glad to see you.

"Me too, Tomi. I'll see you later."

"Have you thought about Kadena Circle?"

"I will."

"Hai. Where are you and Johnny going?"

"To Ozato Minami School. I'm going to build them a ball field."

"Honto?" Tomi looked up into Brad's eyes. Smiled her face lighting smile and went up on to her tippy toes to kiss him lightly on his cheek.

Johnny took his time driving on the rural roads leading to Ozato Village but it wasn't long before they caught up to the Army truck hauling the Caterpillar D-8 bulldozer. Slowly they followed it until they came to the intersection leading one way to the school and town hall and the other continued on towards Awase. The driver stopped waiting for Stump-san to tell him which way to go. Brad and Johnny got out of the car and walked a short way down the unpaved road leading to a small farm on the opposite side of a large hill from the school.

"We can use this road for a haul road. It stays dirt all the way to the school."

"Is this where the Army troops were working before they left?"

"I think so. Why?"

"The Navy thinks that they could have covered up a cave that may or not have explosives in it. It's possible that they didn't even know it was there or what it was if they did see it."

"We can look around and see if we can find anything. First let's get the dozer unloaded and the driver on his way back to Naha."

"Sounds good. Why don't you ask him to back it around so the trailer is just touching that road embankment. Then I can jump the dozer off the trailer."

"Gotcha."

Brad ran the dozer off the trailer and started up the road to the hill he was going to take down and haul to the school yard. He reached a small house with a dozer track leading around behind it and stopped the machine. He climbed down to wait for John who was getting the driver going to Naha before walking up the road. Brad walked to the top of the knoll where the Army had been working before. He turned and walked back down and met Johnny at the dozer.

"I didn't see anything to arouse my interest. They did move a lot of dirt around up there though it doesn't seem to make sense of why."

"Crocker was out here with them and I'm not quite sure what he had in mind or what he was doing. I wasn't involved in this one at all. We were working on the stadium parking lot when he started this job. But all of a sudden he isn't interested in coming out and wants me to finish it. And you." Stump added.

"Well tomorrow is another day. I'll see what I can find out then. I'm ready to go back to Naha, how about you, Johnny?

"Time for a beer or two don't you think?"

"You got it."

"It was kind of strange Sunday night." Brad started to tell Johnny about yesterday and his visit to Tomako's apartment. "Tomanaga and Tomako had just come back from the temple when I showed up in dive booties and swim trunks with a live octopus in a bucket. He laughed at me then asked me to save him some. Then he left I suppose to go to work."

"I told you, he likes you, but his main concern is Tomako."

"Even though I stayed with her, we didn't make love. Or even sleep in the same bed. Or even take a shower together. Hell, Johnny, she is undoubtedly the sexiest woman I have ever not slept with. You know what I mean."

"I know. When things are ready to happen with Tomako she will let you know. If it isn't going to happen, well, nothing will happen."

"Stump?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks, I appreciate your advice and telling me the score."

TWENTY-FOUR

Brad's mind was working overtime since lunch yesterday when Tomako asked about Kadena Circle again. He still could not comprehend what she was saying except that she seemed to want him to go see Yoko.

It's been over a month since I saw her. I don't think I miss her, but I do think about being in bed with her.

The light misty rain hit him in the face when he stepped off the barracks steps. Instead of going to the motor pool, he decided to grab some breakfast and see if any of the Seabees were still in the mess hall.

Not seeing anybody he knew eating breakfast, he went through the line and took some pancakes and eggs along with a cup of hot coffee. He took his time finishing and glancing at his watch knew the bus would be making its rounds within three or four minutes and if he didn't catch it, he would be late for muster.

"Okay if I take a personal day, Chief? It's too wet to do much on the new road and I can't think of anything else that needs doing right away."

"Sure, go ahead, Brad. How is the Ozato job for the Army coming?"

"Good. We moved the dozer there yesterday and if it doesn't rain tomorrow I'll head out there and see if I can find the cave that everybody is talking about."

"You'll be at muster in the morning?"

"Sure enough. Thanks Chief.

It was just 1030 when Brad paid the sukoshi cab driver and walked down the street towards Yoko's house. He felt his gut twitch, knot a little and felt other signs of trepidation.

I wonder why I feel like this? Is it because she hurt my feelings, bruised my ego, or that I'm not over her?

Tomako, I need to talk to you. Brad spoke to himself in a soft whisper

The first thing that Brad noticed when he entered the small yard in front of Yoko's house was that the wooden shutters and several windows were open, but not the bedroom windows.

Stepping up to the kitchen door, Brad rapped sharply on the door frame as he spoke. "Yoko. Yoko, are you home? It's Brad. Okay if I come in?"

He waited and heard female voices speaking Japanese and the sounds of people moving around on a bed.

"Brad. Come in to the kitchen."

Yoko was coming out of the bedroom as Brad entered the kitchen. Behind her, standing next to the bed was a nesan he had seen with Yoko in the Brown Derby. She was a big woman, in her thirties with coarse facial features. Both women had on cotton dresses like Mother Hubbards. Neither had washed their face and still had residue of last night's make up on, nor had they combed their hair. Behind Yoko, the bed was in wild disarray. The futon was on the floor and the bed sheets were twisted and pulled out from under the mattress. One pillow was in the middle of the bed indented as if someone had sat on it, the other was on the floor.

Yoko was smiling and came to Brad in the kitchen where he stood looking over the rooms trying to comprehend what he was seeing.

"Brad? What are you doing here? You have not been to see me for a long time."

"I'm not sure that you want to see me. I'm right aren't I?"

"I'm sorry, this is my friend Fumiko. She stayed with me last night and we are just getting up."

Brad turned to Fumiko in time to catch the look of hate that she had and was projecting at him.

What did I ever do to you, girl? Boy, you are one piece of work.

Yoko took Brad's hand and led him out the door. "Let's go to the restaurant and get some kohi, Brad. I'm sorry that I haven't seen you. I miss you." She said in her soft voice.

Neither spoke as they walked along the quiet street lined with the bars and restaurants that catered to the American GI.

Sitting in a back corner away from the few people who came into the restaurant, Yoko colored some and bent down to look at the table top. "I'm sorry, Brad. I have another friend I sleep with besides you. Fumiko stays with me whenever I am not with a GI. She is why I got confused and couldn't live with you."

"How long have you been with her, Yoko?"

"Since I came to the Brown Derby. About two years. She helped me when I first came here and is very good to me."

"So you don't know if you prefer her or a man. You just stay with us for money and the chance to go to a nice restaurant?"

"Yes. Sometimes Brad. I do like you, but I don't want to live with you."

"You should have told me before. I like you, Yoko, and probably would have spent more time with you in hopes that I could take you away from her. But I can see that I'm too late."

Brad got up, dropped two dollars on the table and walked out the door.

TWENTY-FIVE

When Brad walked into the dispatch office after muster in the bunk-room, Aranaka told him that there was an Okinawan driver from Naha Port waiting for him outside.

"Thanks Kusii. I'll be working for the Army for a couple weeks and will check-in with whoever is dispatching when I get back every night."

"Okay. If I have anything for you I'll leave it in the side drawer of my desk."

"Gotcha. See you later."

Johnny Stump was waiting in the equipment yard when Brad got to Naha Port. "I rate a driver now?"

"Crocker is getting pressure from the Colonel to finish the job in Ozato. So you my friend, are getting the privileged few treatment. Just enjoy it while it lasts, but don't get too used to it."

"What you're saying is that the Army is fickle and might put me back at the bottom of the food chain when Ozato is a non-priority and as their mood strikes them."

"Something like that, definitely." Johnny stepped closer to Brad and guided him around to the other side of the Army sedan he had arrived in. "I snooped around some this morning before Crocker came back from the Colonel's office. A couple of my operators were in Ozato with the Army enlisted men. And Crocker was also there. Seems like you and the Navy are right. The Okinawans think that Crocker told the enlisted men to bury the cave entrance rather than get shutdown until the EOD could get out there and clean up whatever is in that cave. Neither of the operators saw what was in the cave, but they both said that Crocker was in a real hurry to get it closed up before they could see what was in it. For your info also, it was Crocker who opened up the entrance while he was pushing dirt."

"Okay, I shouldn't have any trouble finding the cave once I start setting up the hill to haul fill from it. Why don't you stay out of it and I'll handle it with the Navy EOD after I stumble across a cave with World War II explosives in it. I already have an idea where on the hill it is so it's just a matter of moving a bunch of fill out of the way which I'll be doing anyway."

"Thanks Brad. If you're ready to go I'll send the driver out. Do you need anything else? By the way, the fuel truck will be out every other day and will fill everything for you."

Brad worked most of the day without getting enough fill moved from where he thought the cave was to find it. At 1545 the Army driver pulled up in front of the little farm house and waited patiently for Brad to shutdown the bulldozer.

I'm going to make a couple more passes near that row of trees and get some more of that loose fill out of there. There isn't any reason for it to be there except to fill in a cave entrance. Maybe.

On his third pass He watched as a pile of dirt slid away and down into a small opening against the hill. Brad reversed the dozer and moved it back up the hill and deliberately pushed a blade full of fill back over the opening he had just discovered.

"Let's go home Papa-san he told the driver as he slid into the front seat of the Army sedan.

TWENTY-SIX

It was right on 0815 Thursday morning when Brad walked out of the motor pool dispatch and found the Army sedan and the same driver waiting on him. "I need to stop at an office up there." He told the driver as he pointed to the road running across the back of the motor pool.

"Koko, right here, dozo." Brad pointed to a Quonset hut with a small red sign proclaiming it was the Navy EOD facility. "I'll be right out, okay?"

"Hey Brad, what have you found so early in the morning?"

"Nothing yet Eric, but there is a good chance that sometime this morning I just might."

"Where have you been working lately?" Lt. Anderson asked as he came into the outer office from his back office.

I think a place that you guys have heard of, and maybe interesting in visiting if you don't have any plans for the day. Good morning Lieutenant. How about Ozato?"

"You know, we heard a rumor, mind you now just a rumor, that there was a Seabee working for the Army out there. Building a ball-field for the school and digging big holes in the side of a hill. Is that a rumor, or fact?"

"I don't know where you would hear such a thing except maybe from a certain Lieutenant Commander who shall remain nameless since we don't want to upset the Army. They seem to be a bit touchy about that area for some reason. But they couldn't turn down volunteer labor by the Navy.

"We were thinking about going for a ride about lunchtime and checkout the area around Ozato. After all we did find a grenade and a rocket out there not too long ago. Do you think that would be a good time to be in that area?"

"Most definitely, Sir. I believe that the Army is going to stay in Naha and leave that job to the Navy today. The specific area is where the dozer tracks lead off of the main road just before you get to the turn-off to the school. I'm sure anybody traveling that road would hear a dozer running just around the corner of the dirt road."

The day was showing every indication of being warm so Brad stripped down to a pair of cut-off Levies and jump boots while the bulldozer's diesel engine was warming up.

While straightening out some more of the piles of dirt left when the Army's enlisted men had quit, he started to cut into hard untouched gray clay baked solid by the hot sun. The dozer engine lugged down straining to rip out the hard clay. Swinging the dozer to the left a bit to take off some of the pressure, Brad saw a bit of brown buried in the gray. At the same time that he heard the screech and clang of metal on metal. He swung the dozer sharply to the left and lifted the blade simultaneously.

What the hell was that? I'll run down the hill and park the dozer out of the way then checkout what I hit. It has to be ordnance of some sort buried here and that deep. I don't see any smoke. Just that quick shot of smoke when the blade hit whatever it was. I'm sure that was from the metal to metal contact. I'll give it a few minutes then go check it out.

Looking back up the hill from the high dozer seat he decided that 15 minutes was long enough to wait. He climbed off the dozer, got a drink of water and then started to walk slowly up the knoll.

There it is sticking out of the hillside. Fairly big. That thing isn't a small mortar round. Must be 10" or more in diameter. I hit it pretty solid there's a big gouge along it's back end. Oh-oh.

He bent over the pile of fresh clay that he had left behind after lifting the dozer blade out of the ground. With a careful touch he brushed the dirt from the flat metal surface enough to see that it was the fins off of a bomb.

Just what we need. I hope these two things go together.

Okay. I can still work down lower on the hill where I think the cave is. I really want to get that dug out if it's there. EOD will have the bomb to play with even if there is no cave, or if it's empty.

As Brad bulldozed the fill down the hill, the entrance to a cave started to take shape against the hillside. Though still full of dirt, the entrance was soft surrounded by hard densely packed gray clay which the rest of the hill was made up of. When he saw several pieces of half rotted wood roll away from the dozer blade he decided that he had removed as much fill as he wanted to. Digging out more fill by hand and making entrance to the cave would have to be made by the EOD.

"We decided to have an early lunch. Is there anything going on out here?"

"Matter of fact, Sir, there is. How about a cave that we have to dig out the entrance to? I got everything moved with the dozer that I could, but if you guys want to watch out for anything weird I might be able to move some more fill out of the way. But I have to show you, I started digging out some kind of wood. It maybe from wooden boxes. You can be the judge of that."

"And? Come on Brad, I can tell by your face that you are just dying to spill your big find." Petty Officer Erickson spoke up.

Brad laughed and started up the knoll. "I think that you're going to earn your hazardous duty pay this afternoon. I have to admit that it scared the crap out of me when I found it. I hate to roll big rusty things out of a clay bank especially after they have been in there for 20 years or so. It's up here."

Brad lead the EOD up the knoll first to the fins in the pile of dirt. "I don't think these are attached to anything, now, but I wasn't going to pick them up to find out. Any ideas?"

"We'll probe around them, but I think your right, they aren't attached to anything." The Lieutenant said as he bent over for a closer look. "What? A 250 pound, US made?" He asked no one in particular.

"The interesting part is up here. This is what I believe the fins came from." Brad said and walked a few more steps and showed them the half buried bomb.

"Interesting. Boy, you really gave it a whack, Brad. You think the fins came off of this?" Erickson asked him.

"Yeah, no doubt. I popped the blade up as soon as I spotted the body of the bomb and dropped the fins where they still are in that pile of dirt. If they aren't, well you guys have a challenge I would say."

Brad told the EOD everything he had seen and felt about the fins and bomb before getting ready to smooth a road up to the bomb so they could load it on their truck if that was what they decided to do with it.

"I'll take the dozer around to the school yard while you work on this. If I can help let me know. Also I'll help you get into the cave if you have time this afternoon."

About 1500 hours Brad watched the EOD newby walking across the unfinished ball-field towards him. He spun the dozer around and met him halfway across the field.

"The Lieutenant wonders if you could bring the dozer around and move some more dirt from in front of the cave."

"Sure, Sammy. Jump up here and ride in style. Did you get the bomb dug out and loaded alright?"

"Yeah, we did. It actually wasn't a problem after we got it dug out. The whole fuse assembly was missing. Looks like it broke off when the bomb hit the ground. You may find it laying around somewhere on the hill, but it's basically harmless without a bomb to detonate."

It only took a couple of passes with the dozer to open the very top of the cave entrance. Then the EOD manned their shovels a couple minutes before Erickson grabbed a couple of flashlights out of the truck and slid down into the cave.

In less than a minute his head popped out like a woodchuck with a big smile. "Pay dirt my friends."

"What did you find in there, Eric?" Lt. Anderson asked leaning on his shovel.

"Keep digging, Sir. We are going to need a big hole to take this stuff out. Actually it looks like several cases of Japanese hand grenades, a few cases of 60MM mortar rounds with the still boxed fuses to go with them. A couple of mortar tubes also."

"Okay, you want to check for booby traps while we finish enlarging this hole? Be careful. We aren't in any hurry."

"Gotcha, Sir."

"Brad can you help us out here with the dozer?"

"Sure. I can drag some of that fill away now that we know right where the cave and explosives are."

"I'll ride back in with you if you don't mind. I should send the Army driver back to Naha."

"No problem, and Brad."

"Sir?"

"Thanks, and thanks for sticking around."

"Glad to. I am your best customer."

"Actually I believe that your are."

It was after 2100 when Erickson dropped Brad off at the Navy motor pool. "Been a long day, Buddy. Thanks for your help."

Have a good one, Eric. See ya later."

Brad barely got up to the outside dispatch window when Mike Branch, dressed in dress whites as was fitting of his new job of the Commanding Officer's driver, was waving a small slip of paper at him.

"Jesus, Brad. Will you please answer these phone calls. Lawton called three times, Johnny Stump once and said he'd meet you at the pawn shop wherever in hell that is. And I am impressed, Lieutenant Commander Tole called just once about a half hour ago and asked that you call him at his quarters ASAP when you got on base.

What in hell have you been doing? Hijacking Navy airplanes? I'm just waiting for the Old Man to call and ask for you."

"Mike, what are you doing hanging out in the dispatch office dress whites?"

"I asked you first. But I'll answer in my official capacity of the CO's driver. The Captain is at the Air Force Officer's Club at some phony function and wanted to put on the my-dick-is-bigger-than-yours show. So I had to drive him from his quarters to the Club, wait around for him to call for a pickup after he has duly impressed the Air Force. Then hopefully he will change into civilian clothes and go to Noumanoui for a couple of drinks.

Your turn."

"Sorry, need to know only. I've got to go use the chief's phone."

"You shithead, Brad. Never will I tell you about the Captain's roaming again. Until next time." Laughing, Mike Branch pulled his head back into the dispatch office.

Brad made the calls and set everybody's minds at ease that the public relation problems in Ozato were squared away thanks to the EOD and at the Army's expense. Also the Army was never going to be the wiser since Stump was on the Navy's side. Chances are that Crocker would never hear about it.

"I need to run down the hill to Johnny's pawn shop to fill him in, Ok if I check out a pickup, Chief?"

"Yeah, go ahead. See you at quarters in the morning. On second thought, don't worry about muster, just meet me for coffee before you go out to Ozato."

TWENTY-SEVEN

Brad had spent most of the last week working on the Ozato Minami School ball field hopefully trying to get it finished before the chief pulled him back to NAF Naha to work on the road to the Chief's Club. With all the rough grade work finished in Ozato and only the final grade work to do, he was told that he was needed on the Chief's Club road. Ronnie Jessup and the Okinawan equipment operators had hauled coral fill to the new road as often as they could and now it was as Chief Lawton said, "out of control."

Friday morning, August 7, found Brad at the weekly Public Works personnel inspection and then afterwards taking a ride to the road with the chief. "See what I mean? There hasn't been an operator shaping the road for a two weeks. Jessup has kept it smooth enough to haul more fill and so we can get up and down the hill, but if it rains I believe we'll be in deep shit."

"No doubt about it, Chief. I already talked to Crocker and Stump about bringing a D-8 dozer in from Ozato so we can use it. I'm finished with all the rough grade work out there so they can finish it with a grader."

"Any chance of getting it the first of the week?"

"Yeah. I think that if I go to Ozato today with the Army's driver I maybe able to bring it back today. Then we'll have it here for an early start Monday. If you treat me nice, I might want to run the dozer for a while on Sunday instead of being duty dispatcher."

"That's blackmail, Brad."

"Really?"

"Okay, you work on the road for 8 hours on Sunday and I'll find somebody to stand duty dispatcher. Besides, you'll be close by and if they get in a bind you can bail them out."

When Brad got to Naha Port, Johnny Stump was in the yard near an Army tractor and lowboy talking to the driver.

"You're just in time. Want to take a ride to Ozato?

Next question. Do you want the D-8 brought to your job?"

"Yes and yes. Lawton wants me to start straightening out those huge piles of coral that are passing for a road like on Sunday"

"I know. I took a ride up to the chief's club last night to buy a bottle of scotch. I'm surprised that they hadn't hollered for you to work on it sooner.

Come on, let's get a cup of coffee then go out and load the dozer."

At about 1500 hours Brad was climbing up on the dozer to unload it from the Army's trailer. He waved a thank you at Johnny who was heading back towards Naha Port. Glancing back he saw two vehicles passing by on the paved road where the new road would tie in. Chief Lawton waved as he pulled on the the shoulder to watch him. The second vehicle drove slowly by and the Lieutenant Commander driving waved and threw Brad a loose salute then smiled as he drove off.

By 1900 he had the worst of the humps knocked down but there was still a lot of hours of grade work to do yet. Then Brad would bring in the surveyors to give him some grade stakes so he could really shape it like a real road with a couple of smooth curves and a gentle climb up the hill.

While he backed the dozer down the hill, Brad was startled by the blaring of a car horn. Throwing out the master clutch and slamming on the brakes he was surprised not to feel the dozer hit something. He turned around and saw Ron, 'Akabu', Jessup's big smile behind the windshield of his Olds.

"Isn't it time to knockoff and get some chow?" Ron hollered as he stepped up onto the dozer. "Come on Brad, let's go down to the Ten-Gay-Ten and get some yakamesa."

"You talked me into it. Have you got...?"

Brad never finished when Akabu swung his arm around from behind his back and handed him a icy bottle of Asahi beer.

"Domo." Brad managed to speak before taking a long draft of the icy beer. "Arigato..., domo arigato, Akabu-san" He repeated between gulps. "Let me park this beast and we can go. Got any more of this?" Handing Ron the empty bottle.

"I just happened to think you might be thirsty, so there maybe some more in the car."

It was a short drive down the flight-line road to the civilian gate where the commercial flights came into Okinawa. Just outside the gate was the civilian air terminal and the Ten-Gay-Ten Japanese restaurant. The Seabees used the Ten-Gay-Ten as their private retreat to catch a late dinner or early breakfast when they had the duty. Seldom did they ever see any airmen from the Air Force side of the base in there.

The two Seabees finished the generous servings of yakamesa and started on their third beer. The dining room was almost empty, only two Asian couples were sitting towards the front of the dining room at separate tables but both couples were drinking mixed drinks slowly as if killing time. "They must be waiting for a plane."

"Huh? Who" Ron had been quietly drinking his beer and watching the waitress as she moved around the dining room filling containers and straightening up generally. "Kawaii, isn't she."

"Christ Ron, she's the only person in this dining room isn't she?"

"Sure enough."

Laughing at his friend, Brad signaled the nesan for two more beers. "Fill your eyes when she brings us more beer and cleans off the table. You do realize that if the wrong Naval officer or petty officer comes in here we are dead ducks since we are both in work uniforms and mine are kind of dirty from running dozer most of the day."

"Yeah. Guess we should leave and get back on base. But not before I drink at least one more beer."

"One more. After that you can take me to the barracks, Ron. I'm about to fall to sleep right here."

TWENTY-EIGHT

Brad caught the Navy shuttle bus from the barracks to the main gate. It was 1000 hours Saturday morning when he walked through the gate and headed towards the two pink cabs parked across the street pointed towards Naha. Maybe Tomi's oji-san is here. I would like to see him again. If he is and takes me to Kokusai Dori he'll think that I'm going to see Tomako.

Brad opened the back door of the front pink taxi and told the driver, "Black Market Alley, dozo." When he slid in.

He looked at the driver and for a second thought he might be Tomanaga until Brad realized the the driver was younger and smaller than Tomi's uncle.

He prowled the nooks and crannies of Black Market Alley browsing the diverse goods. He stopped for some minutes at a small booth where a tiny, old Mama-san, toothless and stooped over with osteoporosis, cheerfully showed him her stock of colorful Hawaiian style shirts, the kind that many Okinawan men wore.

"Just 3 dolla, GI.

Brad had trouble understanding her not only because of her almost nonexistent English, but her lack of teeth. "Okay, $2.50. Oba-san."

Holding up three crooked arthritic fingers she responded, "Iie, three dolla." She shook her head vigorously.

Brad dickered with her for several more minutes and got her to settle on $2.75 each or $5.50 for the two. He went through her stock of about 12 shirts and picked out two which were not quite as scary as the others. "Alright, Mama-san, I want these two shirts and here is your $5.50." He then handed her a five dollar bill and three singles as he turned and walked away with his prizes.

"Arigato goziemashita." He heard quietly spoken as he turned the corner into another area of the alley. As he progressed working his way back towards Kokusai Dori, he realized that here almost any kind of food you would want from fresh vegetables, and pork, to canned sardines, canned hams and military C-Rations could be bought. There was even Spam there.

He hesitated for a bit to orientate himself to where on Kokusai Dori he was when he stepped onto the wide sidewalk lined with real stores. Turning left he walked a few yards and seeing a lull in the heavy traffic, cut across the street like a true Okinawan ignoring the crosswalk less than a half block away.

He hurriedly covered the two and a half blocks to the Kokusai Coffee House. I'm sure that Tomako will be working. I haven't seen her for almost three weeks. It will be good to talk to her for couple of minutes. Hopefully the coffee house won't be too busy. And I am hungry. Coffee and a couple of pancakes didn't last long on top of all that beer that Akabu and I drank last night.

Brad had hurried until he started down the narrow stairway descending to the coffee house. A bit of self doubt started to overtake him making him have second thoughts about seeing Tomako. He wondered what kind of welcome she would give him. Oh, well, I have nothing to lose. Either she's my friend or not. He let his thoughts drift off. She's really a fine lady and good person.

Taking off his sunglasses before slowly pulling open the door and stepping into the dim coffee house Brad was unable to see very much, he heard Tomako's soft voice speaking in Japanese to a departing customer. When the young Okinawan couple passed him he realized that his vision was getting used to the dim light. He looked towards the small greeter's desk and knew that she had not noticed him enter so he stood quietly taking in her smooth, very pretty face and her petite build with a snug floral skirt defining her tiny waist, shapely butt and thighs. I never noticed before, but she has small breasts, but cute. He could see that she did not have a bra on and under the light green floral silk blouse she wore each breast was defined elegantly.

Tomako seemed to sense his presence and raised her head and turned towards Brad standing quietly in the doorway. Her face lit up and without a word took the three steps to reach him. She took both his hands in hers and drew him into the hallway leading to the kitchen. "Brad, I am glad to see you. I hoped, and knew that you would come here today." Still holding his hands she stepped closer raising her hands up to Brad's chest and against her breasts. She didn't seem to notice or care and continued to look into his eyes.

Jesus! I want so much to kiss you. Do you know what you are doing to me?

"Hi, how's my favorite nesan? You look really good to me."

"I'm fine. Johnny-san was in here a couple of times. He said that you were working really hard in two places. So I know you have been alright.

Come on, you must be hungry." Tomako let go of his left hand but hung on to his right hand and led him towards his favorite table in the back."

"What did you buy?" She asked looking at his shopping bag. "Black Market Alley, neh?"

"How do you know?"

"The bag. It is used and came from the Army commissary."

"What a smart ass you are. Now what did I buy?"

Before he could stop her, she snatched the bag from him and took out the shirts. "Not bad. Colors are dim. No? Well, not happy, neh?"

"You mean boring. I know, what you mean. Not bright and as pretty as your skirt and your kimonos." He admitted sitting down at his favorite table.

"How much did you give mama-san for them?"

"Eight dollars." Brad said quietly

"I didn't hear you, Brad. How much?"

"She wanted $2.75 each. I gave her $8 for both. Well, she's just a tiny, bent over oba-san with no teeth." Brad attempted to defend himself against being taken by a little old lady.

Tomi bent over and kissed his forehead. "Your math is very bad, but you're a big softy. You care for people and I like that about you. I'll go get you some coffee and lunch.

Brad was sipping on his coffee when Tomi brought him a huge plate of chicken fried rice placing it and two sets of hashi in front of him. As she was pulling a chair around on the side of the small table closest to him she said, "It is not too busy. Michako can take care of the customers. And I'm also hungry, so I will share your yakamesa with you." She smiled up at him and handed him his hashi.

Brad smiled back when he took the hashi and started to eat. He felt her knees pressed against his and he savored their intimate touch.

About 1400 hours Brad stretched and looked around to see where Tomi was. The coffee house had gotten busy and for the last hour he had seen little of her. Seeing her come out of the kitchen he walked towards the front door and intercepted her before she could disappear again. "I'm going. See you later" He tried to hand her a ten dollar bill but she stopped him.

"It is all taken care of. Remember, I ate half of it?"

"More like a small half a cup full. Arigato, Tomako-san."

"You are very welcome, Brad-san. Will you meet me here at seven when I get off? Oji-san is not going to pick me up tonight if you will take me home it would be nice."

"Sure. Of course."

"Arigato" She stretched up and kissed his cheek. "At seven, neh?"

TWENTY-NINE

Brad caught a sukoshi cab on Kokusai Dori going to Noumanoui and the apartment that McCorkle shared with his newest girl friend. Knowing only vaguely where it was he got out of the taxi near the seawall before starting to hunt for the apartment. He had only walked about a block and while going across an intersecting road looked towards the seawall. I should have know. It's a warm sunny Saturday afternoon and Akabu isn't working.

"Hey! You got a beer for me?" Brad hollered when he turned towards the collection of Seabees. "If ever I saw a motley crew you guys are it."

"Shut up and take this beer before I drink it." Answered Mike Branch from his seat on the seawall.

"Orion. It's only one day since pay day. What gives?"

"Mac is in charge of beer procurement, but we can't get him to go any further than mama-san's store on the corner." Ron Jessup complained.

"He won't even walk the two blocks to a bar to get us decent Japanese beer." Mike added.

"What are you doing, Brad? I went looking for you and the house boy said that you had left the barracks and the bus driver said that you had caught a taxi."

"What have you got, Ron? A spy network? I went to Kokusai Dori and Black Market Alley to buy a couple of shirts."

"You sure are spending lot of time on Kokusai Street lately."

"I don't think so, Mac. I've been working a lot and haven't been bar hopping and chasing the girls so much lately. That's all."

"We need some more beer. Let's walk over to the Clover and see if O'Brien is there. If not I'm going to put the make on Sashiko." Akabu said and started to walk away from the group.

"How come he's so horny? Didn't he get laid last night?" Brad asked no one in particular.

"I think he did. I saw him with a new nesan from the Kokusai Club heading for the hotel about 0230 this morning." Mike Branch answered.

"And what in Heaven's name were you doing walking the streets of Noumanoui at 0230 in the morning. Being the Commanding Officer's new driver and all, don't you think that you should be on your best behavior?" Brad asked.

"Actually, I wasn't walking the streets. I was driving the Old Man's oo-fficial vehicle."

"You're going to make me force you to tell the story aren't you Mike?"

"It is strictly on the 'need-to-know' basis, Brad."

"Oh, shit! It just bit me in the ass didn't it?"

Mike Branch didn't answer. He just smiled and followed Akabu down the street.

"You coming Brad?" McCorkle asked as he also headed for the Clover.

"Yeah. I'll have one beer with you guys then I've got to leave."

"Hot date?"

"You might say that, Mac. Just between you and me."

"No sweat. Has it got something to do with the apartment next to Tomari Port?"

"Could be. You seem to be the only one who picked up on that."

"I would guess you'd like to leave it that way, Brad."

"I would appreciate that at least for a while longer, Mac."

At 1850 hours Brad got out of the taxi in front of the Kokusai Coffee House and hurried down the stairs. There was standing room only. Every table was full and the quiet murmur of Japanese moved across the room like smoke. The only positive sound came from the speakers with their constant output of mood music though soft and low it could be heard above the murmur of the voices.

Brad stopped by the small reception area and caught the eye of Michako, the nesan that Tomako had been teaching the ropes for the last few weeks. She smiled back, nodded and stepped closer enough to softly tell him that Tomako would be ready to leave in just a minute.

"Domo." He turned back to look over the room out of curiosity to see how many sets of round eyes he could see. A few. I'll bet most of them are officers slumming with their wives and school teacher girl friends.

He felt her hand take his hand and turned to her. "Hi. Ready to go?"

"Hai. Have you been waiting long?" Tomi asked him.

He looked at his watch, smiling he caught her eye and held it while unconsciously his hand tightened on hers. Tomako responded by also tightening her grip and drawing him towards her. Their shoulders briefly touched and Brad felt the sensation of the touch shoot between them. Still holding each other's eyes they went out the door and started up the stairs.

"Ten minutes. I had to wait for ten whole minutes."

Laughing, she made a sad face before answering. "Poor Baby. Were you missing me?"

"Actually? No. Of course not. After all you are the older woman in my life." Brad looked into her eyes, smiled broadly as he slipped his arm around her waist and drew her closer to him in an unbrotherly hug before kissing her lightly on the lips.

"And why did you do that?" Tomi asked with a pleased smile.

"Cause I felt like it and needed it."

"Really? Needed it?" Tomi asked and let her face get her inquisitive look

Reaching the top of the stairs and stepping out onto the sidewalk Tomi separated their touching bodies just enough of a space between them to maintain Japanese decorum.

"Let's stop and get sushi to take to your place? Unless you have some elaborate plan to cook dinner."

"That's a good idea. Sometime, if I haven't eaten at the coffee house, I pick up sushi on my way home. The best sushi house is at Tomari Port next door to my home."

They sat at the table in front of the slider, watching the last of the sunset over Tomari Bay. They were sitting on the same side of the table, close enough so their shoulders would brush each other as they ate. Tomi had made ocha, but every few minutes she would sip on Brad's icy cold liter bottle of Asahi beer. Neither had said anything for several minutes and they were comfortable with their silence.

"I went to Kadena Circle Tuesday. I saw Yoko."

"Did you have a long talk?"

"If you call three minutes long."

Tomi reached for his hands and with her elbows on the table , held them up to her face. "What happened?"

Brad told her how he went to Yoko's house and what he saw. "Then she admitted sleeping with the nesan. Not her friend Yoshiko. But this big huge nesan who could break me in half if she got mad."

"Honto? She sleeps with a woman?"

"She just wanted me around to buy her drinks and take her out. When she needs more money she sleeps with a GI."

"I'm sorry Brad. I know that you did care for her. Are you alright?"

"Yeah. I've had a couple of days to think about it. And I thought about you and I before I went to see her. I knew before I went that it is you who matters the most to me."

Tomi continued to hold both his hands in hers and squeezed them before lightly touching his knuckles on her lips.

"Do you want to hear some music. I bought a new tape deck and some tapes. They are not all Japanese, I also have some American tapes."

"Sure, that would be nice. Play them like coffee house music."

She looked at him with a question in her eyes.

"Soft and quiet, neh?"

"Hai." She answered.

Brad moved the table back into the room while Tomako picked up the sushi boxes and Brad's empty bottle. He heard her open the futon cabinet and turned to see what she was doing.

I want to put a futon on the floor so we can lay on it. It will be more comfortable. Neh?"

"Sure let me help you"

Settling on the futon next to each other sharing a silk pillow, the sun they had been watching was becoming a fresh memory as its last rays of color disappeared below the horizon. "Brad?" Tomako spoke and turned towards him, sliding across the few inches of futon that separated them to touch him with her legs as she reached for his closest hand.

Brad turned towards her letting her hold his hand and slip her knee between his.

"I'm not sure what to do, Brad."

"About what?"

"My feelings. I think about you a lot. And about myself. I'm 8 years older than you and I'm not sure whether that is a good thing or not. I'm not saying that I'm in love with you, but I like you a lot. Maybe not enough to make love with you, but I want to see you and spend time with you. We have never talked about it because I have not asked us to. It has just been a sukoshi we spent together. Time that is."

She was talking so softly that Brad had to listen closely and he wanted to hear every word she was saying. He reached for her, placing his hand on her hip and she responded by moving closer to him. He could feel her warm breath on his cheek and smell the faint odor of the beer she had been stealing from his bottle.

"I don't want to hurt you, or have you want more than I can give to you right now. But I am also selfish enough to want you to be with me. Do things together."

Brad started to speak, but she laid her fingers across his lips.

"I must talk. Wakarimasu ka?"

Brad nodded gently and kissed her finger tips. "Hai, wakaru"

"You are becoming part Okinawan. Am I doing that to you?"

"Maybe. I love Okinawa and her people."

"I am scared that I'm wanting more than you can give to me. As I am scared that I cannot give you what you need or want as a man. Now you can talk. Neh?"

"I'm not quite sure what you want that I can't give you. You will have to tell me more. But I do know that age doesn't matter so let's forget that and not think about it at all. Agree?"

"Yes. Hai. But "

He touched her cheek and lips with the back of his hand. "My turn remember?"

Tomi smiled, looked into his eyes and nodded minutely.

"Most of what you ask and are thinking can not be answered all at once. I think that it will take time. The more that we are together and get to know and understand each other the more sure we will be that we are or not doing the right thing. If we tell each other about what we want or need we'll know if it is possible or not. Like an aka-chan, one small step at a time, with lots of love and talking in between steps.

Am I talking too much or too much English, Tomi?"

"No, you are being very good. I understand most of what you are saying. I am afraid that it might be too hard to say to each other what we want or need. I am afraid I will hurt you or be hurt because we won't or cannot say what we would like."

"My heart tells me, that we will do our best and that we already care for each other so much that we will lose more if we don't keep seeing each other and spend time together."

"Hold me, dozo. Like a lover. Not a brother." Speaking almost too softly for Brad to hear she added, I do love you."

Brad took her back into his arms and pulled her against him. He slid a hand onto her butt and with no pressure she pushed tight against him and wrapped her legs into his. He rested his chin on the top of her head and felt the warmth of each breath that she let out on his chest.

It was fully dark and they were still holding on to each other. He felt her move in his arms before she spoke sleepily. "I'm cold, Brad. Can you reach a futon to cover us with?"

He turned away from her and in the dim light coming in the window could see the pile of futons that Tomako had left on the tatami mats near his head. Stretching his arm out he managed to grab one and felt her wrap her arms around his midsection burying her face against him. Trying not to disturb her, he pulled the futon until it opened over them and gently laid it down across her. He wrapped his arms around her again while she adjusted herself to find a comfortable position.

He came partially awake in the early morning stillness. Tomako had turned over and her backside was tucked up against his stomach, but they were both covered and cozy under the futon. Still sharing the silk covered pillow. A little apprehensive about touching her as she lay in such a vulnerable position, it was as if his hands and arms moved on their own volition. Placing one hand gently on her tiny waist he felt her snuggle tighter to him and sigh contentedly. When her breathing took up the rhythms of deep sleep he let himself slip back into a deep sleep.

"Ohayo gozaimasu, sleepy one." She spoke softly but Brad was faking sleep and had taken a quick look at his watch. It was 7 in the morning. The sun was up and spreading its warmth, chasing away the night time chill.

"Did you sleep as good as I did? I have not slept this long or deep for a long time."

Brad stretched, realized he had slept in his jeans and tee shirt. When he turned to Tomako he saw that she had on a nemaki and her hair was still damp from a shower. She was holding her skirt and the blouse that she had slept in all night. He watched a faint pink blush creep up her neck and onto her cheeks.

"I woke early so I took a shower while you slept. I forgot to take one last night and I slept in these." Lifting her hands which were holding her clothes. Tomi turned towards the small kitchen dropping her clothes next to the bathroom door. "Do you want coffee, Brad."

"Please, Tomako. I slept good also. I always sleep deep on your tatamis." He slide out from under the futon and headed for the bathroom.

"Brad?" Tomi started to speak then stopped until he came out of the bathroom after washing the sleep out of his eyes.

"What, Tomi?"

"Coffee will be ready in just a minute or two. Are you hungry?"

"Just coffee right now thanks."

"Last night what happened is what I tried to explain when we were talking. I needed and wanted, to be held and sleep together. But I'm not sure that I care for you in the right way to do seiai." She blushed a real blush of deep embarrassment.

"I understand that. Last night was nice. I liked holding you and I'm glad that it was good for you."

I heard what you said before you went to sleep. And I love you also. Brad thought and decided to keep it to himself for now.

"You are not mad or upset that we did not have sei?"

"No, I'm not. Like I just said, I understand what you need and maybe love you enough to want to find out what is going to be good for us together."

"Kohi is done, dozo. Will you come stay with me again? Maybe not tonight, but soon?"

Brad sipped being careful not to burn his lips or tongue. "I would like that very much."

"I can prepare dinners for us to share after work. Would you get me at the coffee house, then come to my home with me?"

He met her eyes and realized that she was a small step from crying. Reaching for her hand Brad drew her to him. She came up onto his knees next to the table. She sank down against him and let him hold her tightly.

"Relax, okay? We'll work it out and as long as we talk about what we have going on in our heads and hearts, we will be alright and good for each other."

"You really think so, Brad?" I'm not asking too much of you as a man? Not making love, maybe for quite a while."

"We don't know that. Let's not count days or weeks. Just take it easy and enjoy being us."

"I trust you. I always have and do more now."

"Well I'll do my best. Some weekends, Sundays, I have to work. Like today. I promised to work to do a job that needs to be finished. I took yesterday off because I knew you would be at the coffee house and I could see you, so today I work."

"You took yesterday off to see me?"

"Yes. That's what you mean to me. I was afraid to come to your house without being asked. So I went to the coffee house."

Tomi lifted her face to him and kissed him lightly on the lips. "Arigato goziemashita, Brad-san. I do love you and from now on you can come here anytime that you want."

Tomi jumped up and went to a drawer in the kitchen and came back with a key. "This is yours" Handing the door key to him. "You are the only man who has a key to my home. There are only two keys, yours and mine. I want you to come whenever you want. Even when I'm at work. If you want you can bring some clothes and uniforms to leave here. If you do, then you won't have to go to the barracks, neh? You can leave later in the morning and go directly to work?"

"I'm not sure how to do all that right now. We have a house mama-san who washes and irons our clothes. I'll figure it out because I don't want you to worry about my clothes."

"I wouldn't mind doing your clothes."

"Tomi, you are too busy to do my clothes. And sometimes at work I get takusan dirty. Thank you anyway. Some day you can come to see me at work."

"I've got to get to the base. I'll grab breakfast in the mess hall this morning since I have to go to the barracks to change anyway. What are you going to do today?"

"I want to go shopping for some clothes and food so I can feed my new friend. You will come here tonight?"

"Yes, if you want me to."

"Oh, yes I do. I want you here whenever you can put up with a confused sukoshi nesan."

"I've got to go. I'll be here about half after 6. Alright?"

"That will be good. I'll fix supper for us. Okinawan food, Neh?"

"That will be good." Brad stood and took her hand to give her a kiss on the cheek, but she stepped into his arms and gave him a big hug before kissing him fully and long on the lips.

Laughing softly and hanging onto his hand she said, "that is all you get for now. Have a good day, my special tomodachi."

THIRTY

It was just before 0900 when Brad fired up the Army's D8 dozer and started working on the chief's club road. He had not taken time to go to the barracks to change clothes. Instead he was working in blue jeans and tee shirt. He decided not to go to the chow hall and took the jeep to the flightline snack bar for coffee and a roll. He knew that he had a long day ahead of him, but thoughts of going to have dinner with Tomako would lighten his day. The morning went quickly and he felt that he was accomplishing a lot and had worked his way most of the way up the hill towards the clubhouse. There would be a double curve at the very top which would not be within sight of the main road leading to the Navy administration area, but he would be still a half day or so from starting to develop the shape of the curves and grading the parking lot. He swung the dozer sideways to look back down the hill to be sure it was shaping up as he wanted it to.

At the intersection of the new road and older paved road he watched a nesan walking slowly towards the intersection. Being too far away to tell who it was, but he was wondering why she was walking around there on a Sunday morning. Well I'm not getting much done sitting here watching girls. I'm getting hungry. He looked at his watch and decided by the time he ran the dozer down to the bottom of the hill where he had parked the jeep he could go eat some lunch.

After he idled the dozer down he glanced across the road and saw the the nesan was still there watching him. She looks familiar. She wouldn't be here. But she does have a base pass. Leaving the dozer running, Brad jumped down from the dozer track he was standing on and started to walk towards Tomako. He smiled when she realized what he was doing and had started to smile and run across the street towards him.

"What are you doing here." Brad almost shouted since Tomi was still some distance from him and the dozer's heavy engine was still running in the background.

They met at the entrance to the new road. Tomi reached out and took his hand smiling and quite happy to be there. "I wanted to see you work and knew that not many people would be around to see me."

"How did you find me?"

"I got on the bus at the gate and when we got to the NCO Club I stayed in back until everybody was off. Then I asked Uehara if he knew where you were. He told me and then let me off the bus up there before we came to the motor pool bus stop. He was very nice. I don't think he will say anything. Do you?"

"Do you know all the Navy bus drivers? I'm afraid the motor pool niisans like to gossip."

"Hai. I have been working on base for a long time and riding the Navy bus. What do you mean gossip? What is that?"

"Tell stories about people. But don't worry about it. It's really okay.

Have you had lunch? I was just going to run down to the flightline snack bar and get a Coke and sandwich. We can go to the NCO Club if you want.

"The snack bar would be good. I just wanted to see you work and eat lunch with you."

"I'll shut down the dozer and we'll go. You can get in the jeep if you want."

"You won't get in trouble for taking me in the jeep?"

"Not as long as you have a base pass."

They came out of the snack bar each with a burger, fries and a large Coke. "Jump in. I know a nice place to eat that has great scenery and isn't far from here."

Brad headed back down the flightline, past the admin building and the turnoff to the motor pool. Turning onto what was more of a trail than road, he slowed the jeep down and shifted into four wheel drive. "The hill is really steep, but the view is great."

The little jeep scramble on the loose coral and with a jolt, crested the hill coming onto a flat built on the top off the largest hill around. "This was a gun emplacement. The Navy took it down when they built the base." Brad swung them around so the jeep was pointed towards the East China Sea. Spread out below them was the Naha base runways and taxiways. Straight out was a wide sandy beach and beyond that a barrier reef which held the beach in place. The tide was coming in and breaking across the coral reef with foamy white breakers and a muffled roar.

"This is nice, Brad. Do you come up here a lot?"

"I eat lunch up here almost everyday that I'm on base. Some times at night when I have the duty and need a break I'll come up here and watch the planes and the ships like the one on the right. It's coming out of Naha Bay."

"What is that big hole in front of us?"

"That's a typhoon pit. We can put lots of trucks and trailers in there if a typhoon is coming. See the road on the right going into it?"

"Hai. What do you do when we have a typhoon? Do you have to stay in the barracks?'

"No. I stay at the motor pool in the dispatch office. I have to make sure that sickbay and the mess hall have generators and water trailers. If somebody needs an ambulance I have to be sure the Corpsmen can get to where they have to go."

They had finished their burgers and were sitting quietly sipping on their Cokes. "I have to get back to work. Do you want to stay with me for a while? I'll let you run the bulldozer."

"Iie. No. I don't think that I want to run? You call it? The bullzer."

Brad laughed as he put the jeep in gear and drove it off the hill taking a shortcut to the road below.

"It has a wide seat. You can sit on it with me if you want."

"That's all right. As long as you are there with me I won't be afraid."

You know that I wouldn't do anything to scare you or get you hurt?"

"Tomako reached for his arm squeezing it then pulled his hand onto her thigh.

Brad took her hand and helped her climb up onto the track then onto the deck in front of the seat. "Sit here while I start the engine, then I have to sit on the right side of the seat. You okay?"

She nodded, but he could see some apprehension on her face.

"Are you sure you want to do this? It won't hurt my feelings if you don't want to."

"It's okay. I want to see and feel what you do."

When the big diesel engine roared to life, Tomako covered her ears and made a face. "It is so much noise."

Brad made several passes shaping the lower shoulders of the road. Staying away from the steeper shoulders up higher on the hill. Tomi sat quietly beside him with her hand on his thigh which she tightened slightly when he ran along a bit of side hill. Sensing that she had enough, he parked the dozer at the bottom of the hill.

"Come on. I'll take you up to the gate so you can catch a taxi."

"I can ride the Navy bus to the gate, Brad."

Taking her hand, they walked to the jeep before speaking. "The Navy admin bus stop is right there across the street. I'll be at your place about half after 6. Do you want to take some of my things with you?" Brad reached into the back seat of the jeep for his brown leather AWOL bag. "It isn't very heavy. I packed this a couple of days ago and left it in my shop. I hoped you were going to ask me to live with you."

With a smile, she took the bag from him and stepped close to kiss him quickly on the lips. "I am really glad you want to do this, Brad. You can bring anything that you want home." She turned and walked to the bus stop.

He was making himself as comfortable as anyone could on the dozer seat and looked to where Tomako had gone. She had stopped and turned before crossing the road. She seemed to be waiting for him to do just that. Even from that distance he could see her smile and her shy wave.

For the second time in an hour Brad felt the flutter in his chest and stomach as he watched her walk away.

Sensing, rather than hearing or seeing something, Brad looked up and to his right. The big Chrysler New Yorker had stopped on the newly graded section of road next to where he was shaping some more of the road's shoulder. The smile and wave made him smile as he dropped the blade onto the ground and set the brakes on the dozer.

Walking up to the car he started to salute when he realized that he didn't have his hat on. But then he wasn't in uniform really. Blue jeans, a tee shirt and jump boots.

"Hello Commander, are you out slumming?"

Lieutenant Commander Tole got out of his car and he was also in civilian clothes. "Hey, Brad. Just checking up on how the road is coming. I'm glad that's an Army bulldozer. Wouldn't want a civilian running a Navy dozer on a Navy job." He laughed, walked around to open the car's back door and pulled out two icy cans of Budweiser. He handed one to Brad and popped the top of the second. "I'm sure this is going to taste very good. You've put in a long day. Isn't it about time you knocked off and went home to that operator you were giving OJT to earlier."

"You saw her, huh?"

"No sweat, Brad. Is it serious?"

"Can I tell you later? Like in a couple of months?"

"Don't wait too long, I'm getting short. So short in fact that Mrs. Tole is thinking about packing for stateside duty."

"Have your orders yet?"

"No, but we're hoping for the East coast and since it will be our last tour there's a good chance that's where we'll end up.

Anyway Brad, why don't you park that thing and head for the barn. Can I hang around and give you a ride off base?"

"I'd appreciate that Sir, but I've got to stick around until 1800. That's the deal I made with the chief to work on the road instead of being duty dispatcher all weekend."

"Sound to me like we got the best of the deal. You accomplished a lot since you got the dozer here. When are you going to lay asphalt?"

"I'm not sure. By Tuesday or Wednesday the road will be ready, but I have to bum an asphalt spreader and operator from the Army at Sukiran. That's the iffy part."

"I won't ask if I can help with the iffy part. I'm sure that you have better connections with the Army than I do. But speak-up if I can help anyway."

"Yes Sir, I will. And thanks for the beer."

"Here." The Commander handed Brad another Bud and popped open another for himself. "I have to pick-up the Mrs. at the Officer's Club. Some kind of wives get-together.

Take care, Brad."

Just after 1800 Brad parked the jeep at the heavy equipment shop, locked up the keys and trudged up the hill to the dispatch office. I'll never get off base dressed like this and I don't want to take the time to go to the barracks for a shower. I believe that it's time for an illegal wrecker run.

"Hey Tom, I need a ride out the gate."

"The Chief thought that you might want one. I can drop you at Tomari Port. Is that close enough to where you want to go?"

"That would be just hunky-dory, thank you."

He picked up his pace as the pink apartment building came into sight. O'Brien had dropped him off on Highway #1 at the entrance to Tomari Port since that was the easiest place to turn the wrecker around. It was less than four blocks from there to Tomi's apartment. He had a feeling of well being and was comfortable with life knowing that Tomako was waiting for him.

He hurried up the stairs covering the three flights in what he was sure was record time. Should I knock, or just open the door and walk in? Damn. This is new to me. It's her house and home, but also mine.

It wasn't the problem that he was conjuring up in his head. Tomako heard him coming up the wooden stairs in his heavy jump boots. Before he reached the top landing he saw the door open and Tomi step out onto the landing. She had changed out of the blue jeans that she had on when she was on base. Now she had on a blue and yellow floral print yukata which was tied snug on her tiny waist. Her feminine hips and small breasts hadn't disappeared in the layers of soft cotton. Her welcoming smile warmed him and he felt his stomach and heart give a jolt and flutter out of sync for a couple of heart beats. Answering her smile with one of his own before reaching for her hand when he stepped up onto the landing.

"Hi, Brad-san. Come into your home." She tugged easily on his hand leading him into the house.

"Hi. I'm dirty and..."

But before he could finish Tomako put her arms around his neck and hugged him ending with a light kiss on his lips. "You taste funny. I think you need a shower and brush your teeth."

"You are so right. It tastes funny to me also. I have to get off my boots." He stepped back out on the landing leaning against the rail to take off his boots.

"Would you want a biru? Or mizu kohl?"

"Mizu kohi, dozo. I had two beers before I left the base. My boss, big boss, Commander Tole came by to see how the road looked and brought me two ice cold beers. He also kidded me about my sukoshi helper who was with me on the dozer after lunch."

Tomi looked up from stirring sugar into Brad's coffee with a hint of alarm on her face. "Are you in trouble because of me?

She hurried across the room from the kitchen forgetting his coffee on the counter. "Brad, is it alright?"

Realizing that what he had told her, which he knew was alright, was upsetting her he answered quickly. "No, there's no problem. He's a very nice guy and didn't mind that you came around to see me. I wouldn't have done it if I thought anybody would care.

Can I have my kohi? Dozo? Domo." As he took the offered glass of ice coffee.

"Your yukata is in the bathroom. If you want there is also a pair of shorts, Okinawan shorts that I found in Black Market Alley for you as I was coming home from the base after lunch. They look better than the chopped off jeans that you wear. And a clean tee shirt. Go take a shower. Hayaku! I want a takusan hug before I become an oba-san." Laughing she pushed him towards the bathroom then turned and went to the kitchen. "I made some tempura sauce and have shrimp, fish and vegetables. That is wrong, neh?" She spoke loud enough so he could hear her through the closed door.

"It doesn't matter Tomi. We call it batter. And that sounds great. Lots of fish, neh?"

"Hai. I also got a skoshi bit of maguro for sashimi. Did you hear me, Brad?" She then realized that the shower was running and was sure that he couldn't hear her.

"Mmmm, you smell nice. I'm glad that you brought the lotion. I've never smelled it on you before." She snuggled up tighter to him. "Hold me for a longer time. You feel so nice."

"I like to hold you like this, especially since you like it. I just bought the after shave. If I use it I don't have to take so many showers. Just rub on some more after shave."

"You are lying to me. You smell like soap, you did take a shower. Oh, you." Tomako stepped out of his arms and punched him on the chest, laughing as she did. "Do you want to eat?"

"Dozo. I'm very hungry."

"Too bad. You shouldn't have told me a story. Now I'm not sure that I will feed you."

"Have a heart Tomako-chan. I worked hard all day and I'm wasting away from no food. Besides you told me that you got sashimi for me."

"Iie. I got sashimi for us. Us is two or more, neh? That means me too."

"Okay, I'll share with you."

"Eeee. You are very bad." She told him and stepped close to give him an affectionate peck on the cheek. "You may smell nice, but you taste bad. Sit down, I feel sorry for you and will share my food with you."

"You do that a lot."

"It is because you are my very best tomodachi and can not cook very well". Tomi started to place food on the table.

Together they cleaned off the table and while Tomako washed the dishes Brad moved the table and got their futons out of their cabinet. It hit him as he started to spread the futons. "Where did this chest come from? You didn't have it before?" A new four drawer lacquer finished chest was against the far wall next to the front door.

"Oji-san brought it just before you came home. He said that you would need a place to put your clothes and that I never have enough room for all of my clothes anyway."

"You told him that I was living with you? What did he say?"

"Of course. I tell him everything. Well, almost everything. He didn't say much, just looked in my eyes and told me not to get hurt. That was three days ago."

"You told him I was going to move-in with you three days ago? I didn't know three days ago."

"I was hoping that we would talk and you would want to. To see how we get along and what is in our hearts. Are you mad Brad?" She asked with concern in her quiet voice.

"No. Never. I'm just surprised that's all."

She came over to where he was standing next to the new chest of drawers. Reaching for the top drawer she pulled it open. "This is your shorts and tee shirts. So far I am only using the bottom drawer for my things. So you have two more drawers for more clothes and also I made room in my tall cabinet for you to hang pants and shirts."

He reached for her bottom drawer. "What do you have in here?"

"Never mind, Brad. Those are mine." She slipped between Brad and the chest to prevent him from opening her drawer. But he already had it open enough to see into it.

"Silky things. Cute and sexy."

Embarrassed, Tomi pushed him away and closed the drawer. "Those are not for you to see. Maybe sometime you will see them. You are making me hazukashii. Giving me a red face. Like I shouldn't wear things like that."

"You mean ashamed? There is no reason to be ashamed to wear girl things or for me to see them.

I'm sorry, Tomako. I was just kidding and I didn't know what was in there. I won't look or say any more about them." He reached for her hand. Held it for a second before drawing her to him. She came easily into his arms. "You know that I didn't mean anything by doing that. Everything is okay between us? Neh?"

"Hai. I just don't want to tease you or send talk that is not so."

"It's alright. You didn't do anything like that. It was my doing. But I'll bet you're cute in them."

"Eeee! You are bad. It is a good thing that I am beginning to know you and know that you are not really bad. Put our futons out and I'll finish cleaning the kitchen then we can listen to music and talk. You want to talk? Neh?"

He tightened his hug before releasing her.

Brad finished laying a futon down in front of the slider, added a silk covered pillow before he turned on the stereo and put on a tape of the newest Japanese songstress.

"She is very good. Some of her love songs are very sad. Do you like her?"

"Yeah, I do. I can pick up the sadness in her tone and rhythm of her music. Are you finished there yet? I'm lonesome here by myself."

"Poor baby. I am so sad for you. Just laying there on a soft futon. In the soft breeze from the water on a warm night. Watching the fishing boats passing in and out of the bay."

"You're picking on me again, Tomako. There are no fishing boats just a big ugly freighter coming up the coast to the Army Port."

He felt her nearness and warmth when she laid down on the futon next to him and adjusted her head on the pillow next to his. He turned towards her to find the she was also lying on her side facing him. He raised up and put his right hand under his chin. Their faces were barely inches apart and her soft breath caressed Brad's face. They held each others eyes easily and comfortably until Tomi scooted a bit closer and placed her right hand on Brad's waist drawing herself closer. They stayed touching in almost full frontal contact for several minutes until they mutually reached an unspoken agreement to rollover on their backs. They each reached for the other's hand as if grasping a life ring.

"Are you upset with me."

"No. It was only for a minute. You embarrassed me because I did not expect you to open the drawer and see those things. They have always been very private to me. No man has ever touched them or looked at me when I wore them. Oji-san and I lived together after I lost the rest of my family. He always gave me privacy and told me I must keep my femaleness to myself. I am not sure that is the correct word. Is it, Brad?"

"It's close enough. I know what you want to say."

"I think that it scared him to have a young woman that was not his wife or daughter living with him."

"He never married?"

"Yes. She died in the war. Within a few days of when the rest of my family died."

"So he was defensive about you and was protecting you and himself."

"Yes, I think so. He was very happy when I got a job and did not have to live with him. Actually it was a small room with the the other house girls who worked where Naha Air Base is now. I stayed with them for over two years. Then I had to find a new job."

"Why?"

Tomi was quiet for a long moment then looked into his eyes. "I was a house girl for Army officers on the base. You know, wash clothes, make beds, clean up their rooms. One morning, after all the officers had gone to work, a new driver for the officers came to the hut where I was washing clothes" Tomi stopped talking, turned back to Brad and gently ran her right hand down the side of his face. "He wanted me. I was young. Only 18 years old and I really knew nothing about men. Especially Americans. He shut the door and opened his pants and took out his man. He scared me and I made a big noise and an Army nurse walking by heard me and tried to open the door, but he had put something in it so she couldn't get it open. When she ran around to the back door he ran out the front."

Brad reached for her pulling her gently into his arms. Tomi put her head on his shoulder and buried her face against his chest. They lay quietly. He stroked her back and shoulders.

"I was so scared that I ran away from the base. My friend brought my clothes to me because I could not go back."

"Yeah. What did your uncle say?"

"I never told him. It was the only time that I ever lied to him. I didn't want him to think badly of me. I told him that I wanted a new job that paid more money and so I would not be a slave? That is not correct is it?"

"No. You didn't want to be a servant, not slave. Same, same, though."

"I went all over Naha trying to work. Only job I could find was a bar girl."

"What did you do? Were you living with your uncle?"

"Yes, but only for a short while. He had a lady friend and she didn't want me around. She told me to go Noumanoui and work in a bar. I didn't want to be that kind of girl. The GIs scared me. I finally went to a restaurant in Noumanoui and asked if I could work. The mama-san said yes If I would work at night in the kitchen since I didn't speak very much English."

"You cleaned up and washed dishes in the kitchen?"

"Hai, but Mama-san was very nice and she found me a place to live with her friends. Four of us who worked in restaurants and shops in Noumanoui stayed in a small house together. By the Tea House. She also taught me to cook."

Tomi snuggled up a bit closer and played with Brad's ear lobe, then ran her finger down his nose. "You have a nice nose. Not small like mine."

"There's nothing wrong with your nose. It's a very pretty nose." Brad leaned over and kissed the end of her nose.

"The Tea House of the August Moon?"

"Yes. One of the girls I lived with worked there in the kitchen. I think it was really her house we lived in. The rest of us paid her... rent?

I went to school to learn English and worked in the restaurant over five years. Mama-san died so I left and found work in a coffee house. It was near Naha Port in Giagonji. There were no GIs. Not many anyway. Honto? You have been there, neh?'

"Where?"

"Giagonji. I know you have because you know a lot of places on Okinawa and when you look at me like that I know you don't want to tell me. But that is okay. You are a man, and you like nesans. I worked in a coffee house, no place else. I stayed there 8 years then the owners found the place for the Kokusai Coffee House, so we all came to Kokusai Dori."

"I wasn't doubting you. But I wasn't sure if you would think badly of me if I said that I went to Giagonji."

"I would never think badly of you.

"So you have worked on Kokusai Dori for a long time."

"Only four years, but twelve years for the same mama-san. When we moved to the new place, they made me the honcho of the other girls. The coffee house and I do the money. The books, neh? Mama-san runs the cooks and kitchen"

Tomako got up to put on another tape and fix her futon for the night. "Are you going to sleep in front of the door? I think that you are. It is warm and you need the breeze from the water."

"Hai, dozo. I'm about ready to go to bed. I'm getting sleepy. You fed me too good. I am like an over fed pig."

Brad moved his pillow so he was across the front of the door and lay back down on top of his futon.

It was a moonless night and the only light in the apartment came from the overhead lights in Tomari port. He felt chilly and was going to cover up when he felt the soft touch of the futon being placed on him. Tomi reached over him and closed the slider quietly before nudging him gently. "Move over, I have no room to lie down."

Brad rolled up on his left side facing the door and then felt her warmth against his back as she snuggled up to him.

"I'm cold." She said.

Brad heard Tomako moving around the apartment and knew it was still early for him, but wanted to have coffee with her before she left for work. He rolled over to see the clock and when he saw her futons realized that they had not been slept on. I thought that I was dreaming. I guess she did sleep with me and she was the warmth I felt at two in the morning.

"You don't have to get up, Brad. It is only a little after five. I'll set the clock for you so go back to sleep."

"Are you going to have ocha before you go? If you are I'll have coffee with you."

"Are you going to make coffee?"

"As a matter of fact I am. Either now or at six"

"Then I will have coffee with you. I can finish getting dressed and ready to leave while you make the coffee."

He looked towards her and saw that she still had her nemaki on. Her skirt and blouse were laid out neatly on her futon which had not been slept in. She was just putting a touch of color on her cheeks and lips.

"You got it my dear. I'll make coffee now and get dressed after you leave."

Brad was sitting quietly at the table sipping on his cup of hot coffee when she came out of the tiny bathroom dressed and ready to leave. She bent over and kissed his forehead before sitting on the side of the table and extending her legs under it to touch his. "I have almost 20 minutes before Oji-san will be here. That is time for us to have coffee and say konnichi wa to each other. Ohayo gozaimasu, Brad-san. Did you sleep well?"

"Ohayo gozaimasu, Tomako-san. Hai, I did. Domo. I was very warm and comfortable. I hope that you were.

Her neck and cheeks flushed slightly when she met his eyes. "I was cold for a while, but got warm after. I hope you do not mind. I meant nothing by it. I just wanted to be warm and close to you. Nothing more than that." She added.

"It's alright. I understand and also want to be close to you. I can't think of a better way to get warm and feel close to somebody that you care about. Can you?"

"No, I cannot. Just as long as I am not upsetting you. I don't want to do that."

"We talked about it. I still want our deal and if something changes, we, or one of us can talk about it. Everything is fine. Neh?"

"Hai. Domo, Brad. I must go, Oji-san will be waiting for me. What time will you be home. I want to fix you supper."

"Why don't we eat on Kokusai Dori? I'll come home. Shower and meet you there when you get off work"

"Oh, Hai. That will be very good."

When she started for the door, Brad got up and met her as she was reach for the door knob. He put his arm around her waist and she turned into his arms. They hung onto each other until she pushed gently against his chest. "I have to go." She then kissed him fully on the lips and continued to hold him for several seconds. Without another word she went out the door where she turned with a happy smile and wiggled the fingers of one hand at him and touched her lips with the other hand.

THIRTY-ONE

Brad worked with the engineers all Monday morning laying out the road's grades and reaching a consensus of opinion about the best way to layout the difficult curves going up the hill. Now with the engineers busy with their transits and hammers driving the grade stakes in, Brad started to walk back down the hill to where he had left the grader parked. Halfway down the hill he was met by Chief Lawton coming up.

"How's it going Brad? You about ready to put the finish grade on it?"

"As a matter of fact I am. The engineers are putting in the last of the grade stakes and have volunteered to stick around today as long as it takes me to get the grade in. It really looks better than I thought it would."

"Do you need anymore fill?"

"Absolutely not. I'll have a bit extra which I can grade off on the shoulders next to the road to admin."

"Great. Want to get some lunch? I was going to run down to the flightline snack bar."

"Sounds good to me, Chief. It will be the quickest place to get something to eat..

"Let's call it a day, guys. Its after 1800 and I'm getting hungry." Brad hollered at the engineers after he had parked the grader at the bottom of the hill. "I really appreciate your help. Tomorrow I'll run the roller on it one more time and a fast final grade before we lay the asphalt and it will be ready. Thanks again."

Brad swung by the motor pool dispatch office to let them know he was going home and to catch a ride to the gate and home.

Ron Jessup had the duty and handed Brad a piece of paper. Lawton dropped this off for you and he wants and needs a list of who you want on the asphalt crew and what you want them operating. And call Charlie Morris in Sukiran tomorrow morning, Tuesday. Or go see him."

"Thanks Ron. Do you want to help on the crew?"

"Sure. I'm the best breakdown roller operator here."

"Yeah, right. Your the only one. That makes you the best."

"You hurt my feelings, Brad. Now I'll only have Mac take you as far as Tomari Port."

"What is it with you guys and Tomari Port? You would think that that is the only place that I ever want to go."

When he and Mac reached the bottom of Naha hill Brad asked Mac if he was game for an extra run.

"Sure. What's up, Brad?"

"I promised to meet Tomako at 1900 on Kokusai Dori and if I go to the house to shower I'll never make it."

"Show me the way."

Brad took Mac around the back of the coffee house and had him pull into the loading dock where Stump had parked before. "I'll leave you here. We can catch a sukoshi cab from here. Find your way back okay, Mac?"

"No sweat, Brad. See ya tomorrow."

"Thanks, Mac."

Going through the kitchen Brad was met by several smiles and big wave from Mama-san as she was cooking something on the grill.

Tomako was standing with her back to the kitchen talking to Michako who was taking over as receptionist for the evening. The young girl smiled as she saw Brad coming out of the kitchen and said something to Tomi who turned in surprise.

"I think you forgot to shower so you sneak in through the kitchen? But I don't care, I'm glad to see you even with a dirty shirt on."

"That's really nice to know." Brad reached for her hand and met hers between them. Holding hands they walked back down the hall towards the kitchen. Tomako stopped outside the kitchen door and raised her mouth to his. They lingered after their mouths met until Brad felt the kitchen door nudge him in the back.

"You worked very late?"

"I was trying to finish up the road. I had some other Seabees helping just for today so they wanted to stay and help me finish."

"They are good friends, neh?"

"Yes, very good. Because of them and some others, we'll finish the road before it rains and it will be a good road."

"Why don't you go wash your face. Mama-san is making us something to eat and we can go home after we eat. That isn't a problem is it?"

"Not if we sit in a dark corner so no one sees that I'm in a work uniform."

"Oh, go wash. I'll be in the washroom in a sukoshi."

Brad had his face down in the sink letting the warm water splash across his head when he felt a soft hand touch his bare shoulder. Straightening up he felt the warm soft towel she had in her hands.

"Here, dry yourself. You are looking like the man I know. Clean and almost smelling good again."

He turned to her while drying himself off and their eyes met and any distance between them disappeared. He held her and kissed her forehead and then the lips when she raised her head to him.

"You might have got in trouble coming right from the base to here instead of changing first?"

"Maybe. Only if I got caught by some grouchy person."

"You did that because you were late and I was waiting for you?"

"Yes. I didn't want you waiting or worrying why I was not here when I said that I would."

Still holding each other Brad lightly rested his chin on top of her head. He lifted his head when he felt her move to raise her head. There was a tiny tear in the corner of each of her eyes.

"You care that much, don't you? For me. But I never want you to get in trouble. Alright? I will always believe what you tell me if you are late or can not meet me because of the Navy, neh."

"Hai, Tomi." Brad still had one corner of the towel in his hand. Gently he wiped the tear from the corner of each of her eyes. Then softly kissed each eye.

"Here. Wear this." Tomi handed him an authentic Okinawa floral shirt. "It belongs to one of the boys who work in the kitchen. Nobody will be able to tell you from an Okinawan by the color of your skin."

"What do you mean by that?" He asked laughing.

She didn't answer. Just stuck her tongue out at him and took him by the hand and leading him into the coffee house.

"You have so much color from the sun. Okinawans don't usually get so much color. We protect our skin from the sun. But you are so dark it is hard to tell that you're white.

Does it bother you when I make fun of it?"

"No. I like the sun and the feel of it. Also it makes me look healthy. Don't you think? Rather than being all white like a dead fish's belly?"

"I'm not sure. I will tell you later. Someday I will know you better then I can tell you."

"Okay, if you say so. I'm not quite sure what you're saying, but as you say, someday I'll also know."

"Who has dibs on the shower?" Brad asked as he unlocked the apartment door and let Tomi enter ahead of him.

"What is----'dibs'? I don't know that word."

"It means who is going to take the first shower. Or do anything before somebody else. Like who has dibs on the left over cake that you put in the refrigerator last night?"

"You can have the cake. You worked very hard today. But you also ate a lot of Mama-san's cooking. But I get the first shower. Will you please turn on the hot water for me?"

"So that's the way it's going to be. You always get dibs on the shower. I understand that."

"Iie! That is not true. I was being nice letting you eat the cake while I shower then while you shower I will make our beds because it is late and we are both tired. Honto!" She was smiling broadly in response to Brad's smile and both were doing their utmost not to laugh out loud at the other."

Hai, you win. Your thoughtfulness is greater than mine, so you get dibs on the shower." Then he added under his breath, "tonight."

"What did you say? I heard you say something you didn't want me to hear."

Trying hard to suppress his laugh, Brad walked into the tiny bathroom to turn on the water heater for Tomi.

Brad stood under the hot shower for a long time enjoying the heat and massaging effect of the water. Reluctantly he turned off the water and hurriedly dried himself off.

"Tomi," Brad started to ask her if she was going to make ocha, but she answered as if reading his mind.

"I'm not going to make ocha Brad. It is late and I want to sleep. Are you ready for bed?"

"I really am. I'm tired also, but I don't have to get up as early as you do." He realized that their futons were very close together, almost overlapping and his had one of the larger silk covered pillows on it.

If you would you like some tea before we sleep I will make it."

"No, thanks. I'm ready to crash my Love."

"Crash? What crash?"

"It means that I'm very tired and ready to sleep."

Tomi slipped under the top futon of Brad's bed and patted the pillow next to her. "Okay? Can we lie together for a while before we sleep. I would like to steal some of your love so I can go to sleep feeling warm and wanted."

"Brad slide under the futon next to her and turned towards her. He reached for her hand and drew her to him. "Come here, I want to hold you."

Tomi slid over close to him. After a minute she drew herself closer, hugged him closely and entwined her legs with his. She lay quietly, her warm soft breath caressing Brad's cheek and neck. Her breathing became regular and her eyes had closed several minutes before.

Brad had been stroking her back and shoulders and as her breathing slowed down he had unconsciously tightened his hug on her butt drawing her closer.

Tomi's muscles tightened under his hands and she raised her face "Oh! I'm sorry, Brad." She slid away from him gently and reluctantly. "I didn't want that to happen." She brought both hands up to his face and studied his eyes. "I'll go to my futon."

I don't want you to. But I understand if you do. It wasn't your fault, or mine. I'm pure male and you are a very sexy woman who I care very much for. I can live with it until we are ready to make love."

She had started to move towards her futon, but turned back as he spoke.

"Were you asleep, Brad?"

"No. But I was very comfortable and happy holding you. I didn't realize what was happening for awhile, then I didn't want to move. I just wanted to keep holding and caressing you. I was being selfish, maybe."

She slid back across the futon and turning onto her side with her back to him. Not quite touching except for her right hand which she used to reach around and take his hand. "Like this is alright?"

"Hai. I would like to sleep like this."

When Brad opened his eyes it was still quite dark except for the twinkling of the stars that he could see through the glass sliders. A faint glow was coming from behind him and he turned enough to see Tomi sitting at the table with the tea pot and a cup in front of her. The glow was coming from a very small light that she had on in the kitchen.

She spoke very softly and hesitantly. "Did I wake you up? I'm sorry. I cannot sleep." She went on not waiting for an answer from Brad. "I think about what I am doing to you and you being so good to me and such a good friend."

When her voice broke several times in quick succession Brad realized that she was crying quietly to herself. He sat up letting the futon slip off him and gingerly moved the few short steps to the table on his knees. She sat with her head down holding a tissue to her nose and trying to wipe her eyes.

Brad picked a tissue out of the three or four sitting on the table. With a hand on her chin he gently raised her face and dabbed at the corner of her eyes. "Shhhh. It's alright. It can't be so terrible? Do you want to talk about it?"

Tomi wiped her nose delicately with movements that were typical of her femininity. "It is not right what I am doing."

"Doing what, Tomi?" What is wrong?"

"I ask you to hold me, sleep with me like a lover, but I cannot be like a lover. I'm the oldest and I should know how life is and make it good for us. But I cannot."

He reached for her and drew her into his arms. She shivered slightly as he held her and her breathes were ragged and noisy. He heard and felt her gulp down her tears as she leaned her head into his chest and clung to him with both arms.

"You're cold. How long have you been up?"

"I don't know. I made tea, but it is now cold." She was hard to understand speaking into his neck. The cloth of his nemaki helped garble her words. "Go back to sleep. I will be alright."

Brad reached around and dragged a futon up to them and wrapped it around her. "Relax. I'm going to make some hot chocolate."

As he was working in the kitchen putting together C-Ration hot chocolate he felt her nearness as he always did when she stood next to him.

"If you don't want to stay with me, I'll understand. I do love you, Brad. But I ...." Her words faded away as her thoughts failed her.

He put one arm around her and pulled her small body against his side. He leaned down and when she raised her face to him he kissed her on the lips. He flicked his tongue and felt her teeth when she opened her mouth barely enough to allow it to happen.

"I'm not going anywhere and I will be here every night that I don't have to work. And I expect that you and I will fix our suppers together and then lay down and watch the moon set over the ocean. Together, under the same futon."

"If we do that, we are going to have to buy bigger futons." She said smiling and blushing. "I am afraid that I will be waiting at the coffee house some night waiting for you to come get me and you won't come. You will have given up an me and found a woman who will do what you need and want."

"Here take your hot chocolate to the table. Sit down and we are going to talk this out."

"It is so late, Brad. You must sleep so you can work today. It is three in the morning now. We can talk later."

"The time to talk is now. I can't stand to see you so unhappy and confused. No matter what we say and decide, even if you want me to leave it will be what we, you and I, decide to do. Besides, I've stayed out drinking later than this and worked all that day."

They sat side by side at the table. Brad had moved a futon to the table to sit on and had wrapped the other around her shoulders.

"What happen to you that hurts so bad that you worry about being hurt and hurting me?"

She sat quietly, statue-like, not moving except for an occasional ragged breath as she held back her tears.

"Tomako, listen to me. You have said that you love me. And I have fallen in love with you. You are the terrible older woman in my life. The woman who is going to lead this young boy astray and ruin his morals. Now you have to take the first steps to live up to your end of this soap opera."

Tomi wiped her eyes and quietly blew her nose. Laughing softly she spoke, "You are crazy, Brad Burgess. You have fallen in love with an older woman who has never experienced life as you already have. What is a soap opera?"

"They are the television shows about men and women who have hot torrid sex with their neighbors, the butcher and waiter in their favorite restaurant and their son-in-laws. I've seen them on Japanese television like American television."

"Hai. I have seen them. They are not real, Neh?"

"Hai. But we are real, and our feelings for each other are real, so we have to find out how to make it work for us. Talk to me my Love."

Tomi leaned her head against his chest. Took a deep ragged breath before trying to speak. "I told you the soldier came after me in the officers hut. I didn't run away in time. I,...I let him kiss me before. Twice. He had come into the hut after the officers were at work and I let him kiss me. He talked a lot, but I didn't understand English, so I didn't know what he was saying.

This time it was different. He never said anything. Just backed me up against a bed and kissed me very hard. I tried to push him away, but he was too strong. Then he pulled down my pants and pushed me down on the bed. I had never know a man before him and he hurt me. Really hurt me. I started to bleed and that is what scared him away. Not a nurse like I said. Nobody came to help me because I never screamed. I put my pants on and went to where I slept to get my things. I wanted to get away from him and all soldiers. I had very few things, but pictures of my family I could not leave. Those pictures up there." She pointed to the top of the futon cabinet. "One of the nesans was in our hut and she saw the blood and when I told her what happened she told me go tell one of the American nurses what had happened.

I was ashamed and knew that I did something to make him do that to me and I didn't want anybody, especially Oji-san, to know what happened. I took my things from the hut without speaking to anybody else and went to Oji-san's house."

"There is no way that it was your fault, Tomako. You didn't do anything wrong. There are men like him everywhere. They will do bad things to girls and women while the women are defenseless against them."

"I was afraid to tell you, because I was afraid that you would not love me and would leave me.

I knew two Okinawan men. Very nice men who I wanted to be with and maybe marry me. But when we had seiai.

I don't know how to say it in English."

"When you tried to make love? Have sex?"

"It hurt and made me want to scream. I got so scared that I could never like it. But Brad, I wanted to have seiai with them.

How do you say it, Brad?"

"Making love is the nicest. It means that you and your partner love each other and want to share it together. To have sex means you both want to enjoy sex, but there maybe no love involved. You may just like each other."

I think that I may have loved one of these men, but I never found out or will ever know."

"I love you very much, Tomi. And you said that you love me." He reminded her.

She tightened her arms around him and nuzzled into his neck. "I am afraid to say yes, Brad. I want to be with you and wish that we could make love. But I don't know if I can make you happy and be happy myself."

"I'm not going to leave you or change my feelings about you no matter what. If we keep going, one step at a time, talk and share what we are thinking and feeling it will work. Some day you will not be afraid.

Do you think that you can sleep now? We can get some sleep before we have to go to work. It's almost four."

Brad stood then went over to where they had their futons to straighten them out. He pulled the top one back and offered her his hand. "Dozo. Get in bed and I'll hold you until you fall to sleep. Or I fall to sleep." He added with a quiet laugh.

Tomako laid down with her back to Brad and reached for the arm that he was holding her with. She wiggled back to get closer to him. Scissored together they lay quietly for several minutes until Tomi broke the silence.

"Do you want to make love to me? You do, neh?"

"Yes, of course. It isn't the right time. I really want to, but I think we should wait. We're tired, you're still upset and to be together like this is always nice for me. You like it also, honto?"

"Yes, arigato, Brad. Yes, I do love you even if you are a baby-san"

"You really know how to hurt a guy."

"You do not hurt. I can feel you."

She giggled quietly and wiggled her butt against him.

THIRTY-TWO

"Hey Chief, I talked to Charlie Morris at the Sukiran Army maintenance facility a while ago. He's going to send the asphalt spreader and operator late today so we can lay asphalt tomorrow. He said that you had ordered the asphalt and he'll double check so the first load will be here at 0900 and a load every 45 minutes until we get it all."

"That will do it. Is the crew all ready and each knows what he'll be doing?"

"I got the word to everybody so there shouldn't be any problems on this end.

Alright if I cut out, Chief? I got somethings to do."

"Do it. I'll take care of the spreader and operator when he gets here. I'll see you in the morning."

It was only a couple of minutes after 1000 so Brad jumped on the bus which was headed for the NCO Club. Uehara was driving the bus so Brad took advantage of the fact that he knew Tomi and sat directly behind him.

"Did you pickup the nesan Tomako from the NCO Club yet, Uehara?"

Uehara looked in the mirror over his head, made eye contact with Brad and smiled. "She hasn't left yet, Brad. Maybe she catch this bus, neh?"

"Thanks, I was afraid that I didn't leave soon enough."

Brad got up and moved towards the middle of the bus out of Uehara's hearing.

She had on her favorite light blue skirt which was snug, but not too tight on her hips and butt. A white freshly starched and ironed blouse tucked into the skirt. She had pulled her hair back into a short ponytail and somehow had worked her bangs to each side of her forehead.

He watched her step briskly up the steps speaking to Uehara in a friendly way before starting back a couple of seats from the front of the bus. Tomi turned and started to sit down when she stopped, raised her head and looked into Brad's eyes. The smile spread across her face taking years off of her age.

That smile always makes her look like a teenager.

She had put on a touch of blush and a hint of soft pink showed on her lips. Two more strides and she slid into the seat next to him and she grabbed his right hand in both of hers.

"What are you doing? Are you not working? She slid closer to him so they were touching from shoulders, to hips and down to their knees.

Brad felt the warmth of her body and had all he could do not to take her in his arms and kiss her. Instead he squeezed her hands tighter, raised them up to just below the level of the seat back and lowered his face to them and kissed her knuckles one at a time.

"You are bad. But you make me feel good. Can you come with me?"

"That's the plan. Can you take the day off? I have the day off and want it to be special today for us?"

Tomi looked deep into his eyes reaching for his soul. "I can do that. What are we going to do?"

"We're going home. Take a shower, then we're going to talk and take naps to make up for the sleep we didn't get last night."

"I'll call Mama-san from Tomari Port and tell her I did not sleep well last night and don't feel good so I need to stay home."

Uehara had stopped the bus at the main gate and waited patiently for Tomi and Brad to realize where they were and get off the bus.

Tomi was looking out the window of the taxi and sat silently for a couple minutes. Unable to contain herself, Brad could see the smile creeping across her face. "I have been thinking about what is going on in your head, and we can talk about it at home. First I have to call Mama-san and pretend I am so very tired that I must sleep this afternoon. Alone." She said with a smile and quiet snicker.

Walking hand in hand from the pay phone near the entrance to Tomari Port, they both turned as one and looked towards the sushi bar that had the freshest fish on the island. At least they thought so.

"Lunch, Tomi? I'm buying."

"Is this supposed to get me to forget what you are thinking about?"

"No. I just thought that you might like some sushi for lunch. And since you aren't going to cook for me, I think I should fill up while I can.

You seem to be thinking that I have some ulterior motive for taking you home so early in the day."

"That is very smart. I'm not sure that I understand everything that you are saying for sure.

Hai, I would like very much to have sushi for lunch. We'll take it home to eat in our own quiet home. Maybe with some soft music from our new stereo while you show me what you are thinking about." Tomi looked him in the eye as a soft smile spread across her face. She tightened her grip on his hand and playfully swung their arms up to her shoulder.

"Sounds great to me. Would you like to order our sushi?"

"You're chicken to speak Japanese, that is why you want me to order lunch."

"Honto. You are very smart, Tomako Tomanaga. A lot smarter than your humble servant."

"Who is my humble servant supposed to be?"

Feigning surprise, Brad opened the sushi bar door for Tomi. "Why me of course."

Tomi started to laugh, her face was aglow as she buried her face into Brad's shirt sleeve. He could feel her snickering quietly as they waited for their sushi.

"Can you walk up the stairs, or should I carry you?"

Shaking her head, holding the rail with her right hand, and taking Brad's hand with her left she started up the stairs.

They climbed the three flights without speaking. Nearing the top Brad spoke. "Can I have my hand so I can unlock the door? Dozo."

Tomi stepped out of her slippers, took the boxes of sushi from him, walked over and placed them on the kitchen counter. She turned back to him. "Would you hurry and get your boots off."

"What's your hurry?" Brad asked when he closed the door and met her halfway across the room. She launched herself and all 90 pounds landed in Brad's arms.

"I love you. Oh, I love you so much, Brad-san." She almost hollered. "Hold me, kiss me, dozo."

Brad felt her tongue probe his lips and slip between his teeth and he relished her taste. Their hands slid down each others bodies until each gently caressed the other's butt. Gradually, gaining courage from the other, they hugged harder drawing the other closer.

"I love you so much, Tomi." Brad repeated several times between passionate kisses, and hearing her murmurs of love at the same time.

"I must take a shower, Brad." Tomi pushed him away gently and very reluctantly.

Stepping back, but still hanging on to her with both hands on her tiny waist. "Yeah, me too." Pulling her back to him, he kissed her deeply before just standing still to enjoy the feel of her small warm body against him.

Giggling, she pushed him again freeing herself from his hands. She went to the chest of drawers and took something from her bottom drawer and slipped into the bathroom asking as she did, "Please put the sushi in the refrigerator, Brad. And make us some ocha, dozo."

"It's your turn, Brad." Tomi stepped out of the bathroom wrapped in a huge bath towel, her hair still wet and a smile that was so soft and gently that it made Brad's heart and stomach flip.

When he passed her on his way to the bathroom he paused, placed a hand on her shoulder, leaned down and kissed her tenderly on the lips. "I love you."

He barely heard her, "I love you too."

Brad stood for a long time under the shower enjoying the hot water. His mind was flying and zipping around the happenings of the last several weeks. Thoughts and visions of Tomako. Her reactions to what was said and what she had said to him. How she made him feel comfortable around her friends at the Kokusai Coffee House. How Mama-san treated them as a couple and him as family, not a stranger. The reaction of his fellow Seabees and their pushing for him to bring Tomi into their midst.

"Did you die in there my Love?" Tomi had opened the door and walked into the bathroom. She had on a soft green yukata with leaves and flowers spirally around and down the length of her body.

"I'll be right out." Brad answered turning off the shower before pulling back the shower curtain and stepping out of the tiny shower stall.

Looking at him and meeting his eyes with a definite gleam in her eyes, she threw him a soft warm towel, turned and left just partially closing the door behind herself.

He dried off, put on the yukata that Tomi had hung on the back of the bathroom door.

He expected to see her sitting at the table drinking hot ocha, but she had already got under the futon and was watching a pair of fishing boats coming into Tomari Port.

Without moving Tomi spoke. "I want you to hold me and for us to take a nap together."

He slid under the futon with her and when he touched her, she came back against him. She doesn't have a robe on. Brad thought when he felt the warm bare skin of her arm and shoulder.

Sliding his hand down her side he touched the silk of her panties and felt her shudder. Just a very small tremor that traveled the length of her body.

Tomi turned towards him and the futon fell back off of her shoulders. She raised her arms to hold him and he saw that she had on a red lacy bra.

He took her in his arms, pulling her closer.

She hugged him and drew even closer placing a knee between his legs.

He kissed her softly several times while running his hands up and down her back then onto her butt. She wiggled closer and gently thrust her hips up against him. Her hand crept down along his stomach and stopped on the tie to his robe.

Brad cupped her breast as he started to kiss her more passionately. She responded to his kisses and touch by moving her hips against him and tugging on the tie to his robe.

He gently raised her upper body to give him room to reach the clasp of her bra. Her small breasts were now totally exposed. Her nipples pinkish beige and hard when he kissed one then the other.

Tomi moaned softly and twisted from the waist up thrusting her breasts towards him and his waiting mouth. "Please, your mouth." She took her left breast in her hand and offered it to him.

Brad ran his hands down along her hips slipping them under the waistband of her panties. Gently he raised her hips and cupped a cheek of her butt in each hand pulling her against him.

Tomi moaned between kisses and pushed against Brad's chest so that she could finish untying his robe and tugged it open. She pressed her bare breasts against his bare chest while kissing his face and neck continuously.

He felt her small hand slid down across his stomach reaching for his crotch. Finding what she was reaching for, Tomi slowly felt and caressed him. "Am I hurting you? I have never touched a man like this. Please, Brad, tell me if it is what you want."

"It's great and feels wonderful." He answered and slipped her panties down over her hips. He felt her stiffen to his touch as her panties slid lower towards her knees and his penis touched the inside of her thighs.

"It's okay." Brad said in response to her movements. He finished taking off her panties but moved his body back away from her a little bit. "I love you and we can slow down." He felt her tears smearing on his shoulder when she snuggled her face into him and felt her slowly shuddering as she cried trying not to let him know that she was.

"I'm sorry, Brad. It is not you. You don't have to stop. I want you to do what you want."

"Shhh. Just relax and rest for a while. We have never touched like this before. I want to get used to feeling your bare skin and delicious body."

"Delicious? Like food?" She sniffled as she tried to control her tears while she hung onto him with one arm and caress him with the other hand. Smiling a little, she looked into his eyes. "I am food?"

"Oh, yes. He answered when he bent to her breasts and ran his tongue around one nipple then the other making her moan and hang onto him tighter.

"I'm scared. I know that you won't hurt me like the other men did. But I'm not sure that I can make you happy. That you will be disappointed with me.

It is not so important that I am happy. Just knowing that you love me and want me is enough."

"I'm not sure that is true, Tomi. It can be good for you, and you deserve for that to be. The way you feel now tells me that it can be good for you if we take our time and if I make sure it's good for you."

"Honto? That will be nice if it is so and you stay with me. I am also afraid that it will be very hard for you and you will leave."

"Who left you, Tomi?"

"I did have a GI boy friend once." She spoke shyly and very low. We were going to have seiai one night in a hotel. I got very scared when he hurt me just a little. He didn't mean it. He was very young and I am sure had no more experience with women than I had with men. I hollered and cried. He got very scared and upset and left me in the hotel room. I think he was angry also.

I'm sorry I didn't tell you before."

"It's alright. You did tell me that you tried twice to make love and it was bad for you."

"Honto." I think that it is me, so I tried to do it with an Okinawan who I worked with in the Giagonji coffee house. I was very scared, but I let him do it. He seemed happy and it didn't take very long. It did hurt me a little and I felt no good feelings. Not even as much as I have had with you. You do make me feel good."

"You'll be fine. Let me hold you and we'll just lay here and touch each other."

He pulled her back into his arms and they meshed together. Touching each other from chest and breasts, to stomach and stomach, thighs to thighs and feet intertwined.

He felt and heard Tomi's breathing change as she relaxed and he was sure that she was asleep.

They were laying with the futon pushed down to their waists. The mid afternoon sun was coming through the glass sliders and warming them in its radiant heat.

Brad had felt Tomi turn over earlier and now she lay on her other side snuggled up with her back to him. She was gripping his hand tightly against her bare breasts. He could feel her warmth on his belly and felt himself pulsating against her butt. She sighed softly and pushed back against him as she pulled his hand further down and tighter against her breast.

"Are you awake?" She asked in a whisper and rolled towards him and onto her back still clinging to his hands.

Instead of speaking, Brad raised up enough to reach over and kiss her on the lips, her neck and started to work his way down her naked body. He paused at her breasts and when she moved her hand he kissed and sucked on each nipple.

Tomi moaned softly and brought both hands up and her arms around his neck hugging him. She arched her back in response to his touches and kisses while he continued to work down her body.

"I love you, Brad. Ohhh, please."

"Did I hurt you? He paused and looked at her face. She had her eyes closed, breathing through her mouth and started to arch her back again.

"No. I feel good. Don't stop, please."

Brad slid her body around and on top of him. Opened her legs to straddle his hips and drew her onto his body. "You stay there. You can put me in you as easy as you want. Slowly and make yourself feel good."

Tomi had stayed on top of him stretched out full length. She was squeezing him with her thighs and kissing him wherever she could reach with her lips and tongue. They were both breathing heavily in shaky rasping breaths as their passions slowly diminished. They were quiet for a long time.

Brad was caressing her back and shoulder and felt the cool perspiration on her skin. He reached over and pulled the futon over them.

"MMM, that feels good." She moved against him.

"What feels so good?"

"All of it. Making love with you. Your hands, your lips, your tongue. The warm sun. The futon. I have never felt like this in my life."

"I'm glad. I feel great also. I knew that you would be a great lover and I love you dearly." Brad answered as he put his hands on her butt and pulled her into him wiggling his pelvis as he did it.

"OHH. I'm not sure I can stand that.

Hai, I love you too Brad."

"Really? I don't believe you. Want me to stop?"

"Iie." And she tightened her thighs together.

"Oh, yes, I do love you takusan and takusan more."

He felt the chill. The sun had come down closer to the horizon over the East China Sea. They were lying scissored together, her breath softly warming his neck and her leg thrown over his hip. They had kicked the futon off onto the tatamis. Not wanting to wake her, but very much wanting to see her whole body he slowly raised his upper body.

Tomi let her leg slid off of him and rolled onto her back. With no sign of shyness she looked at him with a beautiful sparkling smile. She stretched with her arms over her head. "We slept a long time, neh?"

"Hai. I'm hungry. For food," he added quickly.

Smiling, she looked at on him then reached out and ran her fingers across his chest, up across his chin, touched his lips before pulling him down to her and kissing him passionately on the lips.

"Laughing, Brad asked, "what is that for?"

Smiling with the somewhat mysterious look she could get, Tomi shook her head negatively. "No reason, except that I love you."

"Really, why would you do that?"

"What? Love you, or kiss you?"

"Oh, I know why you love me. I'm irresistible to older women."

"Iie! No!" Then she became shy. Looking away and starting to reach for the futon to cover herself. She stopped, stood up, still naked. "Do you think I have a good body? Or am I old and starting to have an old body?

"Jesus, Tomi, you are only 35. You have a great, gorgeous body which I love to look at. And you really do turn me on."

"Aren't I too small? My breasts are just sukoshi. My legs are small and short."

"My dear, you are a petite, small woman. All woman. Your curves are all in the right feminine places. I love your breasts. They are small, but fit the rest of your body. And they're pointy, your nipples stick out and make you dangerous."

Still standing, Tomi came to him and hugged his head pulling him into her tummy. "Thank you, Brad-san. She smiled as he kissed her flat tummy, then started to laugh. "You're tickling me."

Do you want your yukata, Brad?"

"Hai, dozo.

Hai. I'll make us kohi." Tomi answered while she reached for her yukata.

"Put your red bra and panties back on, dozo."

"You like them, neh?" Tomi answered smiling her mischievous smile that made her look so young.

"On you, honto. I mean under your yukata. Then I can use my imagination to what you have on."

"You are very bad. You have turned me from an innocent unmarried lady to a hot woman who is desired by a man whose appetite for me does not stop. But I like it. Love it. And him." Still naked she crossed the room and held up her face to be kissed. Is this safe to do or will you take me back to bed?"

"I'm too hungry." Brad answered after he had kissed her lips. "You're safe for now."

"For now? Does that mean you still want to make love to me? After all that I have put you through since we met, you still want to take me to bed?"

"I think so. I'll know better after I eat and get my strength back."

They sat in a comfortable quiet together on the same side of the small table. Eating sushi and sipping on hot coffee, watching a couple of fishing boats getting ready to leave Tomari Port.

"We have some yakamesa in the refrigerator if you are still hungry, Brad."

"I'm fine, Tomi. I will have more coffee though. Is this from the coffee house beans that Mama-san gave to us?"

"Hai.

Do you want to buy a television, Brad? We will not always want to go places especially when we both work all day."

"Sure, I'll check the prices at the BX and we can shop the Okinawan stores Saturday or Sunday and see what we want."

"I will buy it. I do have money put away. I am not a bar girl who has no money."

"I know that and I do know that you work very hard. We'll split the price. Half and half. Okay?"

"Yes, that will be good."

"I see that you didn't put all of the futons away. There is still one bed." He commented and reached for her hand.

Tomi colored quickly and looked down at her empty coffee cup shyly. She took Brad's hand on the table between them. Still looking down for several more seconds before meeting his eyes. Her bright smile spread across her face, she raised his hand and rubbed his knuckles gently across her lips.

"I don't want to sleep alone anymore. I want to feel your body against me when the spirits wake me up in the middle of the night. Then I can go right back to sleep knowing you are there to protect me from any evil that might come into my dreams. I won't wake up scared anymore.

Do you not want to sleep with me?" Her mischievous look replaced her smile as she slipped out of her yukata.

"Is it bedtime?" Brad asked when he stood and dropped his yukata onto the tatami floor.

"Eeee! You have no clothes on." Tomi said quietly with her mischievous look still in place.

She reached behind her back, unhooked her bra and dropped it on the floor. Brad stepped closer to her and she closed the distance placing her arms around his neck. Sliding his hands down her body to her hips, Brad slipped her panties down onto her thighs. With small steps she stepped out of them before he picked her up and laid her gently down onto the futon.

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

On Wednesday morning just before 0600 Tomi and Brad left their apartment together. Tomanaga-san drove them to the Naha front gate where Tomi could wait for the bus to the EM Club. Before he jumped into the waiting jeep with McCorkle, He started to give her a hug and she surprised him with their first public hug and long lasting passionate kiss. "Good luck my Love. Have a good day and only think about me after you have finished your road. I love you." Tomi spoke softly as she nuzzled his neck. She then turned and walked to the now waiting Navy bus.

Flopping into the jeep's front seat Brad turned and watched the bus pull away.

Mac glanced at Brad as he pulled through the gate. "No wonder your keeping her away from the GIs, Brad. She is a very pretty lady. And I do know her from the coffee house, but I didn't make the connection."

"Do you think anybody else has, Mac?

"Not that I know of. And they'll never hear it from me.

The asphalt spreader is at the bottom of the chief's club road and the operator said he would be here before 0700 to help you set it up.

Did you know that you were going to help him lay the asphalt?"

"Actually, no. I was hoping he'd bring somebody with him, or Chief Lawton would volunteer. Guess I'm going to became an asphalt expert in the next hour and a half or so."

"Yeah. Good luck. I'm going to find my roller and stay out of sight."

It was shortly before 1400 when the last load of asphalt was laid on the far side of the chief's club parking lot. It had turned into a typical August day on Okinawa. A hot sun and gentle off shore breeze. Most of the crew and peeled down to tee shirts or naked backs. Everyone had forgone a sit down lunch and had instead gulped down the sandwiches Chief Lawton had picked up at the chow hall and drank copious amounts of water and Cokes while wishing for icy cold Orions.

At 1600 Brad, the Chief and all the asphalt crew watched the Army lowboy pull away with the asphalt spreader heading back to Sukiran.

"What's left Brad?" Ron Jessup asked.

"Unless the Chief has other ideas, you can all go to Noumanoui and get drunk. I'm going to the flightline snack bar, drink two Cokes then go to the barracks and take a long cool shower, put on a clean pair of dungarees. By that time the road will be cool enough to do a final roll. So I'll come back and finish it off.

He hesitated. Met the Chief's eyes who nodded slightly. "Then go home to my lovely nesan and sleep for about 12 hours.

You guys did a great job today and I do appreciate it. And I'm sure that the chiefs will all appreciate us as well as everybody who frequents the club package store."

"You heard him troops. Get out of here and be at muster, 0800 tomorrow morning. And to repeat what Brad said, thanks and we do appreciate the job you did. Chief Lawton added.

After showering and putting on a fresh set of dungarees, Brad went back to the motor pool and entered the now deserted Chief's office to use his phone.

"Hi Love."

"Brad? Where are you?"

"In the Chief's office. Can Papa-san take you home? I'm not sure when I can leave here."

"The road? Is everything all right?"

"Oh yeah. It went really good. I have to wait for it to cool off a sukoshi more then roll it one last time.

I miss you. Wish I was on my way home now. But I won't be too late.

I love you."

"I love you also. I want you to hold me. Like last night. No clothes.

Brad, do you think that we could both fit in the shower?" Tomi asked with happiness in her voice. "I think that would be fun. I'm going to wait for you to come home before I take my shower. I must go. I have many customers who want to pay. I love you. Sayonara, Brad."

"Me too. I love you Tomako Tomanaga. I'll see you at home as quick as I can."

THIRTY-FOUR

"Brad, you do realize that Friday is Christmas. That means that Thursday night is Christmas Eve and best of all, we don't have to work on Thursday or Friday." Mike Branch informed him after muster on Monday morning while they were drinking coffee in the motor pool coffee mess. "And, the Old Man told me that he's going to put the facility on holiday routine at 0900 on Thursday. That isn't for general publication. He's going to tell the department heads at the weekly staff meeting Wednesday morning. But he wants it to be a surprise so we won't be told until Thursday morning."

"It can't be. What's the date Mike?"

"For sure, December 21st."

"Well, that's really nice of him, Twig. How come he's doing it?"

"He and his family are taking the PBY to Japan at noon Wednesday to spend Christmas with old shipmates. Won't be back until Monday night."

"And you will be off until he gets back? Right?"

"Well, yeah.

What are you going to do, Brad? I have the feeling you won't be doing much partying."

"Actually, Mike, I haven't a clue right now. I never even thought about Christmas until you mentioned it."

Is your nesan Christian?"

"No, she's Shinto. And I don't even know what her thoughts of Christmas are about. Whether she celebrates it or part of it, or not. I have no idea.

But in good American tradition I will buy her a Christmas present and take her out to dinner either Christmas Eve or Christmas Day."

"Your next stop will be the BX then. On second thought knowing you, You'll go down to Kokusai Dori to get something."

"Just off the top of my head, with little thought, I think something stateside would be nice. Yumi is still working in the BX. She knows Tomako and will help me pick out something nice. Also make sure it will fit her."

"When is she going to CONUS? Yumi I mean."

"A couple days after New Years. The second or third of January."

"So, her name is Tomako. That's all anybody knows about her except you seem to be really serious. She works in the NCO Club doesn't she? I remember there was scuttlebutt about a nesan in the NCO Club just before Dan left. Also Akabu made a remark about the kawaii nesan hanging around the chief's club road project one Sunday when you were working."

"Yeah, well Akabu and Uehara both talk too much."

"You should bring her to the department Christmas party. It's Tuesday night. Like tomorrow you know."

"I'll have to think about that and also talk to her about it. She's a little gun-shy to be around GIs socially. I won't twist her arm to go."

Just as Brad reached for the coffee mess door, it swung outward and Chief Lawton stood blocking his exit.

"Just the man I need. Do you know if the parts were ever ordered for the air cleaner on the crash crane, Brad? I can't find any record of them and Supply doesn't know anything about them."

"I looked up the numbers we needed and was going to order the whole assembly but the American civilian who left Supply about then, said he would do it and kept the numbers. I guess that he was trying to make work to protect his job."

"I wouldn't be surprised. He created the civilian job for himself before he retired from Supply as a Warrant.

Can you find the numbers again and see that it gets ordered this week?"

"Shouldn't be a problem, Chief. I kept a copy of the numbers in a crash crane file in your office."

"I should have known.

Are you going to bring your nesan to the party?" He asked while stepping out of the door and Brad's way.

"I'm not sure Chief. Actually I never thought to ask her. It's tomorrow night isn't it?"

"1900 at the Tea House of the August Moon. A 10 course Japanese dinner. Our coffee mess is supplying the drinks. Beer and hard stuff. Take your pick.

You're driving everyone crazy. There are rumors to who your nesan is and as I understand she is a very nice girl."

"I'll talk to her tonight, but as I just told Mike, she's very shy around Americans and GIs in particular.

"Tomorrow night there's a Christmas party at the Tea House of the August Moon that we have been invited to, Tomi. It's the people I work with and I want very much for you to go with me. I want you to see that these people are very nice and will like you. Also, I want them to see what a beautiful woman I found who I know loves me as much as I love her. You don't have to give me an answer now, but I need one before we go to work tomorrow morning."

"I don't know." She looked down at their hands clasped together on her knees. "I have never been to a party like that, and-----."

Brad cut her off. "No talking about it now. We have time to talk about it later. Friday is Christmas. Everybody celebrates it whether they believe or not. Even me."

Tomi looked at him with her head tilted and a questioning look. "What do you mean, even you?"

"Christmas is a Christian holiday. I'm not a Christian.

"Now about Christmas. You know that it is the custom for Christians to decorate their houses and give each other presents, neh? At least to their family and people that they love. Even though I'm not a Christian, but since I love you, I will surprise you with a present on Friday. But I need some ideas of what you would like. I may not get you what you ask for, but I will know what you want."

"That makes no sense, Brad. Why ask what I want, then not get it for me?"

"I know. That is what is great about me asking you. Even after you tell me, you will be surprised at what you get, because you will think that I will not get you what you want."

"You are nekkyo. Crazy. You have sukoshi chinbun. But," she stopped talking as she laughed at him and tried to straighten out her face to finish what she wanted to say. "But I will tell you what I want after you tell me what you want. I also have to get you a present that you will not know that you want or will get. Do I have that correct?"

"Close enough. You have the idea."

"So? Tell me what you want."

"I want you."

"You have me. As long as you want me I am yours. I do not count as a Christmas present."

"Okay. A weekend for two at a real Japanese ryokan that has private hot tubs and room service so we can stay naked all weekend and make love, eat and soak in the hot water."

"That is easy, but who is the second person?"

"My girl friend of course."

"Who?"

"Tomako Tomanaga. The little broad that I found in an Okinawan coffee house."

"She's a little broad? What is a broad?"

"I really don't know. You said I had sukoshi chinbun."

"Alright, I want girl things."

"Girl things?"

"Yes, girl things. Like panties and bras and panty hose. Light colored panty hose, but bright colored panties and bras."

"You're pulling my leg right?"

"Iie. Like these." Tomi pulled open her yukata and showed off her red bra and panties. "Those are the things I don't want because I have them. So I told you what I wanted. Except maybe panty hose. They are expensive and hard to find on Okinawa, but they have them at the BX. Maybe a dress from the BX. A pretty American dress made of nice cotton. Or a muumuu from Hawaii."

"Okay, I'll jump a plane to Hawaii and get you a muumuu. What color would you like? Let me guess. Light blue with tropical flowers?"

"How did you know?"

"That is your favorite kimono."

Brad got out of bed right after Tomi went into the bathroom and had the coffee made before she came out.

"Mmmm. I smell new kohi. What are you doing up so early my Love? You should sleep another hour. I know that you're still very tired."

"I wanted to have coffee with you, then go to the base with you. You always leave so early every morning."

Tomi stepped into the small kitchen, pulled open her robe and hugged him.

"You have no clothes on."

"Yes. I have my panties on." She ran her hands down his backside and squeezed his buttocks. "I don't think that I should keep doing this. We will be late for work if I do.

Put my kohi on the table, dozo. I will drink it while I get dressed.

Brad."

"Hai, Tomi-chan?"

"I want to go to the party. Shall I wear my prettiest kimono?"

"Yes. Your prettiest and fanciest." Brad answered with enthusiasm.

"Will you buy me my Christmas present now since I'm going with you?"

"I don't know. If you are good at the party and not flirt with all the Seabees I might consider it."

"Eeee! That is not what you said last night. You are making fun of me. Neh? I never flirt with men."

"Iie. You flirted with me for almost three months before I took you to bed."

"Iie. It was you who was flirting. I was a good girl until you made me a bad girl."

Tomi came across the room and threw her arms around him. "I like being bad with you." Was spoken softly as she kissed his mouth hard and gently bit his upper lip.

"That's going to cost you."

"For sure? Tonight when we go to bed?" And her mischievous smile spread across her face.

Brad wandered into the BX right after they opened at 1000. He worked his way to the women's clothing section looking for Yumi. Coming around a stand full of dresses he almost bumped in her where she was hanging up new dresses.

"I need some help, Yumi. I want to get Tomi's Christmas present and have no idea how to go about it."

With Yumi's help Brad was ready to go to lunch by noontime. He bought a very pretty, light blue floral print silk evening dress and six pair of pantyhose for Tomi and another six pair for Yumi who although she worked in the BX, could not buy anything there.

"Are you going to have to work on Christmas, Yumi?"

"From 1000 to 1500. We'll close early."

Why don't you come to our house after you get off and we'll all go out and get dinner? I don't think that it matters to any of us where we go. It doesn't have to be an American Christmas dinner. How about the Seamen's Club?"

"That would be fun, Brad. Domo."

A couple of minutes after 1800 Brad heard Tomi's light foot falls coming up the wooden staircase. He opened the door for her and was attacked by his 5 foot, 90 pound lover.

"I missed you coming to the coffee house to meet me." She whispered between kisses and hugs. "Mama-san let me off early, then said for you not to stop doing it. It was okay tonight, because of the party, but never again. And if you have to work it's okay." She added. I'll take a shower and be ready quick. We are to be at the tea house at 7, neh?"

"Hai. You have plenty of time if I let you go and stop taking off your clothes. Mmmm, no bra."

"Stop that! I have to take them off to shower, but we will do more than shower if you don't stop."

Tomi finished taking off her clothes dropping them onto the kitchen floor. "I'm wearing my new kimono, neh."

"Oh, yes. Dozo. I want to show you off."

She kissed him on her way into the bathroom. You turned the water on for me!" She exclaimed. "Thank you, Brad."

It was almost 7 when they hurried down the stairs. On the street sat a pink sukoshi cab. "Oji-san said he would pick us up so we would not be too late. He brought me home from Kokusai Dori tonight. I have not seen him for almost a week. He said that he doesn't have to take care of me anymore. That it is now your job to do that."

I hope that he will still be around for you. And me." Brad added.

Brad took Oji-san's hand which the big Okinawan offered out the open window of his taxi. "Konbanwa, Oji-san." Brad said and felt the pressure of a big hand on his.

Many of the Okinawan drivers knew Tomako from riding the bus, but Uehara had been more closed mouth than Brad had given him credit for. Few had made the connection between Tomi, the NCO Club and Brad's nesan.

Only three Seabees besides, LCMD Tole, and Dan Buckner, neither of which were on the island, knew who she was. Mac McCorkle and Mike Branch both having made the connection weeks ago, were standing together with know-it-all smiles on their faces giving Brad a thumbs up whenever he made eye contact with them. Ron Jessup, Akabu, had greeted them at the door made himself known to Tomi as Brad expected him to, then like the true Southern Gentleman he was, made his excuses and started to hustle one of the tea house waitresses.

Without a doubt Tomako Tomanaga was the prettiest girl there, was well accepted and was the only Seabee girl friend and nesan at the party. Brad watched as three or four of the wives took her off in a corner smiling and shaking their heads whenever they turned to him. There was no doubting their approval of Tomi in their smiles and actions.

After a 10 course tea house dinner and an a couple after dinner drinks, Brad saw that his non-drinking Tomi was showing signs of being slightly inebriated. They were saying their goodbyes when LCMD Tole's replacement and his wife intercepted them near the front door.

Brad had worked for Chief Warrant Officer Winters in Port Hueneme in 1962 and had great respect for him. But had never met his wife.

Brad, it's good to see you. We haven't had a chance to talk since I came aboard, but I'm sure we'll get to it after the holidays. Anyway, this is my wife Arlene and this is Tomako I've been told."

After the men made all the introductions and acknowledgments, they stood talking for a minute when Mr. Winters asked Brad if he belonged to the VFW.

"No, Sir. I've been there, but never when I had to have a membership card."

"Arlene and I would like you and Tomako to join us there on New Year's Eve. If necessary I can borrow a membership card for you to use."

Tomi was leaning against Brad's side and he was sure that most of what was being said was going over her head. He slid his hand down onto her hip and pulled her tighter against him. She smiled and pushed her hip against his thigh.

"We'd like that very much, Mr. Winters. Can I get with you the first of the week about final plans? I need to get my sukoshi friend home. I think those were the only drinks she has had this year."

"That will be fine, Brad. Tomi, we really are glad to have met you." Arlene Winters answered for husband before taking his hand and leading him back into the tea house.

Brad had hailed a sukoshi cab and when it headed north on Highway #1 Tomi who was leaning on Brad spoke for the first time since before they left the tea house. "What time is it, Brad?"

"2300, 11 o'clock. You okay?"

"I drank too much. I thought that I was going to be sick. I have not drank anything for a very long time except to share a beer with you. I didn't do anything bad did I?"

"No, my Love. Everybody thinks that you are a very nice lady and enjoyed talking to you."

"Somebody said something about another party?"

"New Year's Eve. My big honcho and his wife invited us to go with them as a couple. The four of us. I told them that we would. I hope that's okay. If you don't want to, I can tell them we can't do it."

When he got no response he felt her breathing had changed and realized that she was asleep.

"Come on my Sukoshi One. I can't carry you up three flights of stairs."

"Why? You picked me up and carried me to bed last night."

Brad could see that she was reviving and was almost her smart-mouth self again. "You took all of my energy and strength last night. I'm weak and tired now."

She slowly started up the stairs ahead of him while he paid the taxi. Turning to follow her, Brad stopped and watched her go up one step at a time in her tight kimono. This is one very lovely lady. And a great figure as well. Cute butt even if it's half hidden by the obi.

He felt his heart skip and his stomach give a tumble as he watched her.

I really do love her. I can't imagine any other reason for feeling this way.

Tomi reached the apartment door before he did. She stopped and waited for him. "If you will open the door I'll feed you so you can get your strength back. It will only be necessary to carry me a very small ways. And I will not be very heavy without any clothes on."

Brad opened the door and instead of moving and letting Tomi go into the house, He turned and scooped her up in his arms and carried her in. Walked across the room and carefully lowered her onto the futon.

They kissed passionately for quite a while and were worrying each others clothes. "I think it would be better if I got up and took off my kimono. And I think that we should close and lock the door."

"Brad looked toward the door as he rose up and pulled Tomi up until she was sitting on the futon. "How come you didn't close the door? I carried you in, you could have helped by closing the door."

"Iie. I was in your arms how could I close the door? Then I was so busy kissing and holding my Darling that I didn't have time to close it."

Tomi stood, walked to the door, closed and locked it as she worked on taking off her obi. "Would you like to make us kohi, Brad. You make such good coffee. Mama-san said that you could work in the coffee house just making kohi."

"Where do you come up with these wild stories to butter me up?

"Butter you? What you mean? You want me to put butter on you? Where? Down there?"

"Iie, not if you're going to make love to me." She lost it and started laughing.

"I know that you don't always know what I'm saying means. And I do know when you are giving me a hard time and being a smart-ass. Mama-san never said any such thing. She thinks that I'm useless for anything to do with kohi or food."

"Here. dozo. Help me please." Tomi was holding her arms out for Brad to help here take off her kimono and silk underclothes.

"Don't touch!" Tomi exclaimed laughing and slapped at his hand. "I never wear a bra under a kimono. I don't need to wear one under many clothes."

Brad finished making their coffee and watched Tomi as she finished undressing, then still naked, carefully rolled up her kimono and obi before placing them in the cabinet.

I'm cold, but it is too late to light the heater, neh?"

"Yes, it is. Here, put on your robe. Kohi is ready, come sit down.

"I like your friends, Brad. They are very nice and their oku-sans were nice to me too. Would they be so nice if they thought that I was a bar girl?"

"Most of the men would probably hit on you. I really don't know how the women would react."

"Hit on me? I don't know that."

"They would flirt with you. Ask where you worked so they could go to your bar and have an all-nighter with you."

"Even though I am your girl friend?"

"Hai."

"That is not right. If anyone hits on me, I'll tell you."

"Do you want to go to the New Year's Party, Tomi? Mrs. Winters seemed very nice and she liked you."

"I don't understand where it is going to be."

"At the VFW. It is an American GI club. Very nice place in Machinato."

"Would you go if I didn't?"

"Never. It is a party for lovers and other couples like the Winters who have been married for a long time."

"I think it will be fun and interesting to go there. Shall I wear a kimono, or dress western."

Either would be fine. But maybe you would be more comfortable in western clothes. Most people there will be GIs with their wives and girl friends."

"Alright, I don't have anything to wear though if I wear a western dress."

"You can go shopping for one."

"Will you go with me?"

"Of course.

I'm tired and falling to sleep, and so are you, Tomi. Let's go to bed.

Tomi came out of the bathroom after brushing her teeth, slipped out of her robe and naked slid under the futon next to Brad. "I'm not going to wear anything to sleep anymore. I want to feel you all over." She said and wrapped herself around him.

Brad had ignored Tomi when she had gotten out from under their futon. He had no idea what time it was, but did know that the sun was up. It had been so many mornings since he was able to sleep-in that he wanted to take full advantage of their apartment's quiet.

The smell of fresh brewed coffee got stronger, then disappeared. Again the delicious smell got closer and stronger. This time he felt a light weight presence pressing against the futon. Feigning sleep he could hear her quiet breathing and the sipping sounds then again the scent of fresh coffee invaded his nostrils.

"Mmmm, this kohi is so very good. Too bad it is getting cold."

A hint of her warm breath caressed his cheek and the lips that touched his tasted of coffee. "I'll share my kohi with you if you will wake up."

He opened one eye cautiously. She was eyeball to eyeball with him. Laying on the tatami mat floor on her belly, her chin cradled in a small slim fingered hand. Her other hand was gently touching his neck and moving up onto his cheek. Opening the other eye he saw that she had set her coffee cup next to her elbow which was cradling her chin. It was within easy reach for him.

She read my mind. There goes the coffee.

"Get awake my lazy love. You will never get any of my delicious kohi by pretending to be tired and sleepy."

Tomi slid closer to him so she could kiss him passionately on the lips. "Mmmm you are alive aren't you? Even without any coffee." She got onto her knees which were now pushing against Brad's arm.

"Eeee."

With a quick flip of the futon, Brad had Tomi next to him under the futon.

They held each other tightly, kissing each other softly still with the tentativeness of new lovers not quite sure what the other wanted or needed.

"You have nothing on under your robe."

"Hai. You are making me a bad woman. I sleep with no clothes on and don't get dressed properly when I have a man in my house.

Oh, yes. I like what you are doing to my breasts.

Do you want hot kohi? If you do, you had better stop doing what you are doing."

"Kohi, dozo. I need kohi."

"More than you want me?"

"That is not the same and I shouldn't have to choose."

"Are you going to get up. It's Christmas morning and you said that I could have the present that you bought for me."

"Isn't this enough?"

"Iie. This is not the same. We share this present, it is not one way."

"Oh really."

"Get out of bed." Tomi threw off the futon and started trying to roll Brad onto the tatami mats.

"I'm up. I'm up." Brad protested as he put on his robe and took the cup of hot coffee a brightly smiling Tomi offered him.

"How can you be so cheerful so early in the morning?"

"I don't think it is so early, Brad. We slept a very long time."

He turned to look at the alarm clock that Tomi had placed on

the kitchen counter. "No. You changed the time, neh?"

"Are you hungry, my Love? Think about when we ate last night."

"I'm starving. But that is because you don't feed me."

"You're like a farmer's pig that he must feed?" Tomi was laughing at him and he knew that he had slept the morning away.

"Now I'm a pig? You are picking on me again. So, I slept until 1100. It isn't lunch time yet. So we can still have breakfast, honto?"

What time is Yumiko coming to dinner?" Tomi asked.

"I told her anytime after three. Is that alright?"

"Hai. Do we have to go to her, or she coming here?"

"She's coming here. I gave her our address and described the house to her. Why the questions?"

"I didn't want to get dressed yet. We have lots of time though, so we can stay in our yukatas until later. Now -----where is my present?"

"You are so impatient. A baby-san. What are you? Twelve years old?"

"Hai. You have taken many years from me. I feel like I missed so much until I met you. Now I will be only a child and have the fun I never had before. That is okay isn't it?"

"Yes, it's very okay. I want for you and I to enjoy your growing up together. I shall start by fixing my woman-child a good American breakfast. A Christmas breakfast."

"But,—Brad?"

"What, Tomako?"

"You know, what."

Oh. You mean this." Brad opened the third drawer down on the chest of drawers and pulled out two Christmas paper wrapped parcels.

"Eeee! Two presents?" She jumped up from the table and ran to him. "You bought me two things?" Kissing him hard on the lips, Tomi took the offered presents and sat back down setting them gently on the table next to their coffee cups.

Brad reached for the coffee pot on the kitchen stove and poured them each another cup.

"Are you going to open them?"

They are so pretty. I don't want to change them. Nobody has ever given me such beautiful things. It will make me sad to rip the paper."

Brad took a knife from the kitchen and carefully slit the tape holding the paper together first on one present, then on the other. "Now you can have the paper and your presents."

"Tomi, you don't even know what are in those presents. Maybe they're just rocks and sand from White Beach."

"You would not do that to me." She said still excited and started to carefully remove the paper from the smaller of the packages. "The small one is first, always because the big one will hold more surprises."

"Where did that come from?"

"I just made it up."

She lifted the top of the unwrapped box and lifted out the top plastic envelope.

"Ahh. ---Stockings? I have never owned such stockings."

"Open the package and take it out."

Tomi gently removed the sheer nylon and as it unfolded towards the floor she gasped again. "They are pantyhose? I have never had any. How many are here, Brad?" She asked and took the remaining plastic envelopes from the box.

Six pair. All different colors. Look in the big box, Tomi."

Gentle she placed the larger box in her lap and slip off its cover. Taking the dress out, still wrapped in tissue paper, her face showed her excitement. Eyes sparkling and a hug smile on her lips.

Brad stood next to her and reached for her hand and helped her to her feet.

"Here, let me hold it out for you." He unfolded the dress and held it up in front of her so she could take it and hold it against her body.

"It is so beautiful, Brad. And it is silk, neh?"

"Yes, it's silk. Your first western style formal dress, just for a very pretty woman to wear to a very special New Year's party."

"It is my favorite color and I love the flowers. Here, hold it so I can put it on."

Tomi dropped her robe to the floor and naked slipped the dress over her head.

"I think it would be best if you at least wore panties under it."

"That is okay my Love. Do you think I will have to wear a bra under it?"

She turned so Brad could close the tiny buttons up her back then turned back to face him.

"No bra. Definitely, no bra." Brad stated. "My God, it fits you so well and makes your body stand out and really show off your figure."

Tomi stepped into his arms hugging him tightly to herself. "You're so good to me. I love these presents, Brad. I want to wear it to the party. I want to look nice for you."

"You are looking great right now. And I am going to fix us something to eat before you fade away and the dress falls off your body."

"No, wait, Brad. I have something for you. Not as good as my presents, but I think very nice. I didn't go to Black Market Alley for this present."

Tomi opened the small purse that she usually carried to work with her keys, ID and money in it. She took a small velvet jewelers case from it she handed to Brad. Her hands shook almost unnoticeably, but enough so Brad saw it. When she handed him the case, he took her hand and felt the nervous moisture on her palm.

He kissed her on her forehead, then feeling a protective urge, wrapped his arms around her drawing her tightly against him. "I love you, Tomi. You didn't have to spend a bunch of money on me."

Drawing her head back away from him she looked up into his eyes. There were tears in her eyes which she did not try to hide. Her mischievous smile appeared and with her free hand wiped her eyes. "Just open it. It is probably a very small rock from White Beach."

Laughing with her, Brad took the velvet case and carefully opened it. The gold chain was the first thing that he saw. Lifting the heavy gold chain, he brought out an almost exact gold copy of one of his dog tags. His name, blood type and rating were engraved on it. Turning the tag over he studied the kanji characters engraved on the reverse side.

"It is the same things in Japanese, but also has my name saying that I gave it to you with my love." Tomi looked up nervously.

Taking her hand again, Brad could feel the nervous sweat on her hand.

"I am afraid that I went too far. I wanted to give you something different and that you would always want to have on you."

Brad slipped the chain over his head and let the tag hang from his neck before taking her in his arms and holding her. He wasn't so sure that he could talk. He also had never received such a personal and beautiful present. His breaths were still raspy, but he wanted to express his appreciation and love to her so she would no longer think that she had screwed up in trying to show the same thing to him.

"It is beautiful, Tomi. I love it. You didn't go too far, but you did catch my by surprise. To me this means that you have given yourself to me fully and with no holding back."

"That is true. No matter what, I will always carry you in my heart for what you have done for me and when the day comes that you must leave and I must stay behind, I'll know that you have my gift to you and I'll always be close to your heart. I know that we cannot make promises to each other now. But maybe some day we will be able to. I ask no more than that."

"Tomako, you put me to shame. I only gave you a dress. You gave me gold."

"We both gave from our hearts, Brad. That is what matters. I have my very first western evening dress. I have my first date to a very fancy party with the first man that I have really given myself to and love very much. We are equal.

Now, fix my Christmas breakfast before I get so hungry that my new dress falls off."

"That wouldn't be all that bad. Would it?"

THIRTY-FIVE

"Brad, I want to go back to school. I want to learn more English and learn to use a typewriter so I can write to you in English."

It was the first week of May, 1966 and they had been living together since mid-summer of 1964. It had been a good time for both of them. Tomako was now the full-time manager of the Kokusai Coffee House. When the coffee house mama-san realized that Tomi was not going to run off with her American GI boyfriend anytime soon, she decided that it was time to retire. Tomako was the obvious person to take her place and when she offered Tomi the position, she and Brad both knew it was good for her. The guarantee of a steady income that was based on how well the coffee house did, with other generous terms from Mama-san.

Brad had added another chevron to his arm and with it more responsibility which he thrived on. He was still as much his own boss as any enlisted man in the Seabees could be. For a day or two each month, he could help out his friend Johnny Stump with the Army's ongoing People-to-People projects. He had made more connections with the various contractors on Okinawa and contractors with military contracts all over Southeast Asia. He debated with himself the possibility of going to work for one of them and staying in Asia. Then he could still live with Tomi or at least be close enough to Okinawa and spend every spare day that he could with her.

Brad had a major concern and a decision to make. The war in Vietnam was escalating rapidly and many of the Seabees that had been stationed on NAF Naha were ending up in Southeast Asia. His enlistment hitch was coming to an end. The decision that he had to make was whether to reenlist. A fast and guaranteed way to end up in Vietnam, or take his discharge on Okinawa and try to find a job to support himself and Tomi.

They had talked about marriage in very general terms which was all that Tomako would allow. She remained adamant that she did not want to leave Okinawa. It was her home and she loved the island and its people very much. "Everything I need in life is here except you. As long as you are with me I want nothing else. If you have to leave then I know I could lose you. If I leave Okinawa, I lose my home, my ancestors, my way of life and all of my friends. I love you very much, but to leave Okinawa is asking a lot of me."

Brad seldom brought it up, but did think often about wanting to marry Tomako. Another time when he asked her what her thoughts were, she admitted that she also thought about marriage a lot. She admitted again, that the idea of leaving Okinawa or losing him was more than she wanted to think of. He was sure that at least part of her not wanting to leave Okinawa was the uncertainty of her ability to adapt and fear of the unknown.

Tomi kept her work schedule around Brad's duty hours. When he had the weekend duty, she would spend all weekend at the coffee house only going home to sleep and talk to Brad on the phone which was now a necessary fixture in their lives. When he could get time off in the middle of the week after a weekend duty, she would also take time off so they could be together. In the warmer times of the year they would go to one of Okinawa's great sandy beaches or take an Okinawan ferry to one of the numerous small islands for a day of exploring or trying to find Tomi's lost relatives. Tomanaga-san had given them a list of relatives that he knew of from the war years or shortly after, but who he was unable to locate since.

"If you reenlist, you will go back to the States, then to Vietnam. If I can type in English, we will not have to find somebody to translate our letters to each other. I would not wish for some other person to read what I want to write to my lover. It will be very personal.

"Are you worrying about Vietnam?"

"Oh, yes, takusan. I do not want you to leave me and I worry that you will go to Vietnam and get hurt. I do not want to be alone, without you. But, I will have Oji-san and my friends. If I go with you to the States, you will go to Vietnam or some other place, and I will be alone with no friends or Oji-san.

Brad reached for her. They were still sitting on the same side of their table within an arm's reach of each other even after two years of being together. He drew her into his arms. Kissed her on the forehead tenderly, then lifted her chin and kissed her lips.

"I guess we are going to have to finally talk about this and figure out what is the best for us as a couple.

Tell me what you're thinking about school. I know that you have been talking to people about it so what do you know so far?"

"I can go to a sukoshi college run by the Americans in Sukiran two nights a week for three hours each time. First it would make my English better and I would learn to write it. At the same time, if we had a typewriter, I could practice what I was learning in class.

It is the same school that I went to before I met you. I couldn't speak English at all. Now we can talk. I understand you almost always. I think that you understand me, too. Don't laugh at me. I can see your mouth. You want to laugh because I sometimes say things wrong. But your Japanese is bad." Tomi stuck her tongue out at him.

Brad laughed out loud. "I'm not laughing at you. I'm laughing at myself. I know that my Japanese is terrible and without you I could not get along at all. Except to order yakamesa I would starve. Even then I can't order chicken fried rice."

"I know that you would not really laugh at me, or say I'm stupid, Brad. But I would like to speak better for you and I am afraid that you are going to have to leave someday and I will have to write love letters to you if I want to keep you.

I am more than afraid. When we see the television about Vietnam, I get very scared knowing that the Navy will one day say, 'Brad Burgess, pack your bags, you are going to Vietnam'. And we will not be able to do anything about it. You are in the Navy, and I think that you like what you do very much and are very good at it.

I love you very much and want you to be happy. I do not want to make you angry at me because I don't like what you do, or where you may have to go."

Without either really being aware of it, they had stretched out on the tatamis, in each others arms, holding tightly on to each other.

"Maybe you could enlist in the Seabees and we could ask to be stationed with each other like brothers do."

"Eeee! You are crazy. Me with all those Seabees? I could be very rich in a month and buy my way out and come back to Okinawa. Okay. Let's do it." Tomi buried her face in Brad's shoulder.

"All right. Knock it off. I hear you. You can stop laughing at me now."

She looked up at him. Her face was streaked with laughter tears and her mischievous smile had spread across her face. "I think it is a good idea."

"When does school start? And how long do you want to go?"

"It will be on Tuesday and Thursday nights starting on May 24. It is a keep-on class. So I can go for as long as I want. I would just learn more and more English for two, three years. Maybe more."

"Do you mean continuous education?"

"Honto. That is what they called it. I just want to be able to write you letters when you are gone, Brad."

"I understand that, Tomi. I think it's a great idea and I'm very proud of you and touched that you care enough about me to do it. I am concerned that it will put more of a load on you. You're working in the coffee house from before 0800 sometimes six or seven mornings a week and stay until 1800, sometimes 1900."

"Mama-san said that if you want to, you could help me. On the nights I am in school, I won't be home for you, so if you don't have the duty you could stay at the coffee house and be sure that all goes well. If something really bad happens, you could come find me at school. Or go to Mama-san and ask her what to do.

Besides, you would get a free meal of Japanese or Okinawan food those nights."

"I get all the free meals I want already. Why should I work for them?

Of course I'll do what I have to so you can go to school. Even run an Okinawan coffee house. What if your customers find out a GI is running the place?"

"Many of them know you and like you already. Besides, Mama-san will tell them to do it or lump it."

"You mean like it or lump it?"

"See, that is why I want to learn more English."

"Have you ever wished that I knew more Japanese, or Okinawan? We talk in English more, and even Mama-san and Oji-san struggle with English so they can talk to me."

Tomi looked at him shyly and hesitated to answer. She seemed to be weighing her answer. A small smile crossed her lips before she raised up enough to kiss Brad lightly on his lips. "I don't want to hurt your feelings and I am sure Oji-san and Mama-san feel the same."

"I won't cry or get angry if you hurt my feelings. I'll never make you sleep by yourself, no matter what you say to me."

Tomi hugged him tighter before speaking softly. "You are very shy and you try to speak Japanese, but you are very bad at it. It is like you cannot hear how we speak. I watch you and sometimes you get very red faced because you do not understand what I have said, or you do not speak it right. It is not as hard for us to speak as we do to you. We love you and do not want to embarrass you or make you feel bad about yourself."

Brad hugged her and held her knowing how much courage it had taken her to tell him the truth.

"Thank you, Tomako. It's alright and I do appreciate how you all care for me. I'll tell you something about my education. When I was in high school, I had to take two years of a language so I could go to college. After a month in Spanish class, I knew that I could never pass it, much less do it for two years. So I chose to take the college entrance exams rather than take a foreign language. I would get so embarrassed that I could not speak or even practice the language in front of the class.

I understand more Japanese than I will ever be able to speak. To me it is not a problem. This way I do not have to speak and show how dumb I am.

"Eeee. You are not dumb, just stubborn, but I love you anyway."

THIRTY-SIX

Friday morning Brad was leaving the Public Works area after the usual Friday morning personnel inspection.

"Hey, Brad. Have you got a minute? I think that we can find a cup of coffee in my office." Mr. Winters came across the driveway to meet Brad halfway. "I have a deal you might be interest in."

"Now you have stirred up my curiosity, Sir. Especially if you throw in a cup of fresh coffee."

"It's not Navy or commissary coffee either. Our daughter sent us coffee beans from the States and I'm going to share them with you."

"I smell something here besides a deal that is in my best interest. Obviously Arlene is in on it, or else you stole the beans from her kitchen."

"I think it will be in your best interest." Mr. Winters said again while pouring Brad a cup of coffee. "First things first. We, meaning this Command and us here in Public Works, have to ship out most of our Seabees to Port Hueneme for duty and eventually Vietnam.

What I propose you do is to extend your present enlistment for say, one year. Base the extension on transfer to an MCB at Port Hueneme. An MCB getting ready for deployment back to RVN. Go on their deployment to Vietnam and by then your extension will be running out and you can reenlist In-Country. Make a condition of shipping over another tour here at Naha, or Camp Kinser, which by the way is being transferred back to the Seabees.

You interested? Or will we just have a cup of coffee and then go on with our day?"

"Of course I'm interested, but I want to know about all the catches, which I know from experience after 4 years in the Navy, exist. The Navy never gives anything out of the goodness of their collective hearts. The catch is always there."

"Smart-ass-boot." Mr. Winters chuckled and looked with affection at Brad. "I knew that this wouldn't be an easy sell."

"Well Don, I have Tomako to think about."

"So how are you guys doing? Great, I hope."

"Actually we are great. She's going to English class and wants a typewriter so that we can communicate directly with each other when I leave. She's very practical and also realistic. She knows we can't put off the inevitable much longer.

So, the catches?"

"I won't kid you Brad, we can only guarantee that we will approve the transfer. We can't guarantee the transfer itself. That is going to be based on the Navy's, and in this case, the Seabee's needs. You are in a critical career field and you made E-5, second class, in 4 years. A very nice evaluation for promotion. " Winters hesitated again and met Brad's eyes. Smiled and slowly shook his head. "You have to ship for 6 more. Years, not months. I read your smart ass-mind. If we have a chance of it happening."

Brad started to laugh with his friend. He hesitated before asking what had very suddenly, become his top thought. "What's the ship over bonus for six years?"

"Six thousand cash up front if you do it here. Over fourteen thousand if you go to Vietnam and ship over there."

"You're kidding me?"

"No."

"You know that I'll have to talk all this over with Tomi? We'll need to digest it and it is quite a gut full and I'll want to take a few days before I answer."

"I understand that and you have until you hit the 90 day mark. Which is how long?"

"Today is 6 May. My hitch is up on 18 August, which gives us plenty of time."

"Is there any chance that you and Tomi want to get married? I know that you've been together for quite a while."

"I don't think getting married is the question. We will do that someday after I convince her that she doesn't have to go to CONUS. That she can stay here on the island. Though we won't be together all the time, we will have a decent relationship. Neither of us is interested in anybody else and would rather have each other part time."

"Have you considered staying here as a civilian?"

"We have, but the opportunities aren't that great or that plentiful. The Navy seems to be the answer. It isn't anything that we've settled on. Vietnam worries Tomi. After being alone for most of her life, she finally finds what she wants in life and the chance that it could be jerked out from under her is scary. Truthfully Don, it scares the hell out of me also.

I have a feeling that this discussion was only part of what you wanted to talk about."

"Perceptive aren't you? Actually it's Arlene who wants a favor and I volunteered to ask you for her. It was that or cook my own dinner for a month.

She is on a committee in the Officer's Wives Club that is going to build a gift shop at White Beach. They have a spot picked out and have everybody's permission to build it there. The problem is that the spot is three feet lower than the existing road and is right on the drainage ditch that goes into a culvert just south of the EM Club. They need somebody to haul and compact coral fill on the area so the foundation can be poured. If you're willing to go out there for a day or so to do it, we'd really appreciate it."

"It doesn't sound like any big deal, but I do know that we can't use Navy equipment for a project like that during regular working hours. Kinda like the work we did around the Navy Housing area here at NAF."

"You are so clever. What is it going to cost me?"

"How about a 72 hour pass?"

"When?"

"Whenever Tomi can make a deal with Mama-san to take three days off from the coffee house.

I'll check with Ashamini to see when the equipment we need will be in White Beach. I'll need the loader, dozer and dump truck and will figure I can do it in one weekend if I stay over and work dawn to dusk."

"They're taking the equipment out there Monday to work on the White Beach roads. It will be there all week and maybe into the following week."

"Now who is the clever one? How come you know about this and I don't?"

"Charlie Lawton and I went out there the other day and decided the road needed its annual maintenance done soon. We also anticipated that it would cost us something considering who we were dealing with."

"My God. What kind of reputation am I getting around here?"

"Unanswerable. Would you stop in and tell Charlie that it's a go and keep me posted about the other thing as well?"

"Yes Sir. And thank Arlene for the great coffee."

Mr. Winters opened a desk drawer and pulled out a small paper bag. " She said to give you this to take home to Tomi. If you agreed to do it."

Brad took the bag of beans from his friend with a smile. "Thanks again."

Brad had gone home, showered and changed into civilian clothes before going to the Kokusai Coffee House to pick up Tomi. It was only 1830 when he went down the stairs and entered the coffee house.

He waved at Michako who stood at the hostess station, and then walked back into the kitchen to where Tomi had enclosed a back corner to make herself a small office.

She stood when he opened the door and took the two short steps to get around her desk and into his arms. Brad hugged her and tasted the salty flavor from cooking on her lips. "How I love the taste of soy sauce after a hard day in the sun."

"Why are you smiling so much? What did you do?"

"I didn't do anything. Yet, but I will if I get a chance."

Tomi rolled her eyes in mock despair, then kissed him again. "I'm ready to go home. It has been a busy day, but I am all done with the papers for last month. Do you mind if we fix something to eat at home, Brad? I don't want to see the inside of a restaurant or even the dining room of the Kokusai Coffee House."

"I do understand and I'm all for it. Tomorrow I can come in with you and do some things that need doing. Okay?"

"Oh yes. Domo arigato, Brad. I do love who you are.

We can stop to get some fresh sushi and sashimi on the way home if you would like. And maybe a biru for us to share."

"Hai. That is an excellent idea. A biru? What are we celebrating? You getting stinko?"

"I'm not going to get stinko, Brad."

"I know my Love. You just fall to sleep every time we share a beer with supper. Than I have to undress you to put you to bed."

"You never complain. I know that you like to undress me. I can see it in your eyes right now. I can feel my panties slipping down over my hips."

"My God woman, you are terrible. Hurry up so I can get you home and get you to drink half of my beer."

"I had an interesting talk with Mr. Winters this morning, about my shipping over and a nice bonus."

While they ate, Brad repeated what he had been told as well as adding his own feelings about the deal and what he and Tomi wanted from life.

"We have at least two weeks before I can do anything about it, and until August before we have to do it. So we can talk and think about it until we are sure it's what we want. Right now, off the top of my head, I'm not sure that I want to commit to 6 more years. It's a long time to be committed to. I'm not sure I trust the Navy enough to do it."

"You trust Mr. Winters? But not the Navy?"

"That's about right. Their interpretation of a deal, or contract, isn't always how a normal person interprets it. The Navy sometimes puts their own meaning on it."

Tomi was lost in thought holding his beer after taking a small sip. She lifted the bottle and took a good healthy drink. Choking and red faced, she exclaimed, "Eeee! How can you drink this stuff? I thought that I was drinking tea until it came out my nose. It burns, Brad."

"No kidding." He responded and went to the kitchen and brought her back a glass of water. "Drink some of this. It will help."

"Domo. It is making it better."

"I would advise against exhaling beer through your nose. You are supposed to drink it through your mouth."

Tomi gave him a look that for her could be described as 'a dirty look'. He had to look really close to see any hostility in her look.

"Are you going to eat those two pieces of sushi?" Brad asked her.

"Yes, I am thanks."

"You're just eating them because they're my favorites and you know that I want them."

"Yes."

"Payback is hell you know that, Tomako?"

"Since you used my full name, I will guess that you are seriously–--I think what you are doing is threatening me.

Is that the word I want, Brad?" Tomi asked with her mischievous smile spreading across her face. She tried hard to remain serious but lost the battle.

"How much money if you go to Vietnam and ship over there?"

"About 14,000 dollars. Quite a bit of money, Hon."

"That is for 6 more years in the Navy, neh?"

"Yeah."

"Can you do less? Not 6 years, but maybe like two, or four more years?"

"Sure. The bonus would be less."

"I know that you love it on Okinawa, but would you even like being some other place in the Seabees? You have said that you do not like the base in California and would do anything to avoid going there."

Brad had stretched out on the tatamis as they talked. He reached for Tomi's hand and gently pulled her closer to him. The sun had set some time ago. The slider was still open and they lay quietly watching a fishing boat's masthead lights slowly swaying with the ocean's swell as it came into Tomari Port.

Tomi rolled over pressing against Brad and laid her left arm across his chest. Soon her fingers were probing and undoing the buttons on his shirt and he felt her warm hand caressing his chest. They kissed softly for a long time. Brad gently ran his hand on her bottom and snuggled her tighter against him.

Tomi pushed herself up. Kissed him hard and rubbed her breasts against his bare chest. "I have to shower. I am not like some people who get off work in the middle of the afternoon and can shower before supper. Will you make our bed, dozo?"

"Hai, I am your humble slave, my Dear Tomako."

"And put our supper things away. And warm up the futon for me?"

"You are so good to me." she said. Fresh from her shower and smelling of scented soap, she slid under the covers next to Brad. "It is a nice night. A sukoshi warm. Is that why you used a small blanket to cover us?"

"Yes. I want you to get cold enough to snuggle up to me all night so I can feel your soft velvety skin on me."

"That does feel nice, neh? What else did you talk to Mr. Winters about?"

"How do you know we talked about something else?"

"My Love, we have lived together, slept together, almost every night for almost two years. I know when you have something in your head. Is it as hard as reenlisting?"

"Not even close. Arlene and Don want me to do them a favor out at White Beach."

"Oh, is that a problem? You go out there a lot at all hours of the day and night."

"It's a two-day favor and I'll have to do it on a weekend. The only way I can do it in two days is to work from sunup until sundown and maybe a little later one night."

"So you will stay out there maybe two nights, neh? What is the favor?"

"Arlene's club wants to build a gift shop on the base out there. The place they can have is very low and must be built up about as high as your waist."

"Built up?"

"Yeah. Bring in dirt to fill a hole so they can build a building."

"Okay. You will do this alone?"

"You got it. The good part is I get three days off whenever you can make a deal with Mama-san to work for you."

"You can't have the days off unless Mama-san works for me? I wakaranai, umm, I do not----. What is the word, Brad?"

"I think that you are trying to say that you don't understand, neh? I won't take the days off until you can also have the days off. I want to take you on a small trip. Maybe to a ryokan up north."

Tomi turned to him and placed her upper body across his. Nose to nose, she looked into his eyes. "You want to take me to a nice ryokan where we can soak in oyu and stay in bed for three days?"

"Yes. You told me once, over a year ago that you wanted to do that and you knew just the place you wanted to go."

"Oh yes, but that was when Mama-san was still working. Oh yes, I do want to go."

"Good, talk to Mama-san for anytime after next weekend. I'll go to White Beach next Friday night and stay until late Sunday night. When the job is finished, I'll come home.

I already talked to Mama-san. Tonight before I came to the coffee house. She said okay." Brad informed Tomi.

"Thank you." She hugged him and kissed him passionately pressing herself against him and wrapping her legs against his hips. "You are bad. You have no clothes on."

"You're one to talk. Brazen hussy you are."

"What is a hussy?"

"A woman who is bold and goes after the man she wants."

"Like this?" She asked when she threw off the blanket, sat up and straddled Brad's hips rubbing and thrusting against him.

"I want to go to White Beach with you."

Brad opened one eye carefully. It was sunny and warm. The delicious smell of fresh brewed coffee wafted by his nose and he felt a movement of air like a warm spring day bearing the fresh coffee scent. He opened his other eye.

She was holding the coffee cup five or six inches from his nose and blowing gently towards him. "Smells like morning doesn't it. This is Arlene's coffee. Is it a payoff to me to let you go to White Beach or paying you off to let me go with you?

You know that you will have to sleep alone if you go without me. If you take me, you can have me----to warm your bed that is."

"It's a Navy Base, Tomi. You can't sleep with me there."

"There's a sukoshi Okinawan hotel in the village before you get to the base. I think the sailors call it Village One."

"That hotel is where the bar girls take the sailors, Tomi."

"I don't care."

"But you have to work Saturday. It will be a long taxi ride after working all day. Besides, the hotel is in Village One and a Half."

"Oji-san will bring me to you. I can leave the coffee house earlier. And Sunday is always my day off. I can go to the base with you all day Sunday, neh?"

"Yes."

"It is okay then. It is what we will do. It will only be Saturday night in the hotel. Just like a sailor and his girl friend for a night

What is the hotel like, Brad? I always wonder what those hotels were like."

"I have created a monster.

Can I have some coffee now that you have disturbed my sleep so early in the morning?"

"Hai. This is your kohi. I have already poured mine in the kitchen. I'll get it and come back to bed. It is not early."

"Domo. What time is it. I'm afraid to look."

Tomi came over to the futon, set her coffee on the tatami next to her side of the futon, dropped her robe on the end of their bed before sliding in next to Brad. "It is 0830.

Have you thought more about whether we will reenlist?" She asked him.

"We? I guess that's true. If I reenlist, it will be you and I doing it.

Not really. I slept very hard and don't think that I even dreamt about you last night."

"You dream about me?"

"It must be you. I remember a black haired nesan, dark, almost black eyes, bangs that come to her eyebrows. Oh yeah, she's slim with a cute butt, small breasts and sleeps next to me naked."

"You are so bad. You tease and pick on me all the time. You know that it is me that you dream of. And I love that." Tomi commented quietly.

"Now answer my question, Brad. Are you thinking about how many years we are going to reenlist for?"

"The question is now how many years? Not whether we are going to reenlist or not?"

"Hai. We really have no choice if we want to have time together. Unless you have takusan dollars that you have not told me about. We must also choose each other. Are we going to stay together no matter what, or shall we forget each other except when it is convenient for you to come to Okinawa?

I don't want anybody else. I will not live with another man or even sleep with another man. I have a very good job and do not need a man to pay for me."

"Independent woman aren't you? I'm totally committed to you, Tomako. I'll always be true to you and don't want another woman in my life. But we have to know in our minds and hearts that being separated from each other can sometimes be for a very long time and a long ways from each other."

"For the first 35 years of my life I had no long time relation with a man. Especially one who gave me warm feelings everyday. Then I met you. Though we didn't make love, we slept together the first time that you made a pass at me."

"I didn't----"

Tomi placed her fingers across his lips. "No, I want to talk."

Brad nodded and kissed her finger tips.

Tomi smiled. Removed her fingers and kissed him tenderly on the lips.

"In our first two months of knowing each other, we slept together three times, yet we never made love. I knew that I loved you even though you didn't know. I couldn't tell you. Then we became one here in our home, and we made love many, many times and have not stopped. I know that you also love me as much and also know that we will be committed to each other for the rest of our lives. I don't fear being away from you. I will miss you very much, but I will read your letters and maybe hear your voice on the denwa and know you are mine and will be coming to me when you can."

They lay together watching the fishing boats leaving Tomari Port and the shadows grew shorter as the sun climbed higher in the cloudless azure sky.

THIRTY-SEVEN

Since he was running late, Brad called Tomi at the coffeehouse before he left the base. He had been in White Beach all day getting ready to start the job for Arlene Winters and her Wives Club the following Saturday. And he still had to make a stop in downtown Naha before he went home.

Tomi was with Michako at the hostess station when Brad came through the coffee house door.

"You are not so late." Tomi said when she stepped into his arms for a hug and kiss. "I thought you would be later."

"It actually worked out alright. O'Brien was going to White Beach so he dropped me off at home on his way." Brad didn't tell her that he and Tom made a side trip to lower Kokusai Dori to run an errand before he was dropped off in Tomari Port.

"I don't think the fried rice is ready yet. I will go find out."

"It's okay, Tomi. Finish what you are doing with Michako while I get the yakamesa."

"Why are you in a hurry to get home tonight? We could have eaten at the coffee house and you could have had a biru or two." Tomi remarked as they settled themselves in the back seat of a cab.

"I wanted to spend more time with you at home. Our time together is important to me."

"Is something wrong, Brad?" Tomi asked with a touch of panic in her voice. "You got orders to California?" Their worst nightmare had jumped into the forefront of Tomi's mind.

"Iie?" It's alright, Tomi." Brad reassured her, slipped an arm across her shoulders and drew her closer. "I just want to spend some good time with you and I do have something of interest for you."

"You bought me something? Something that could not wait until after we had supper?"

"You could say that. But I'm not going to."

Tomi looked up at him. Wrinkled her nose with a new expression for her which translated into 'mess with me and I'll get even'.

Brad had felt her retribution on a couple of occasions. Once when for two weeks she had hid a James Michener novel he had been reading. Another time when she had kept promising to bring sashimi home for a nighttime treat and she kept 'forgetting' for a week. He still could not recall what he had done or said to provoke her.

"I am not doing anything wrong so don't get that attitude."

"Really. You look like you are sliding on very slippery kori."

Brad couldn't help but laugh even knowing it was putting him in danger of stirring Tomi's ire even further, though he knew most of it was put on.

"You are laughing at me again. Why?"

"I think you mean that I'm walking on a slippery slope."

Without missing a beat Tomi continued, "you are, and it is about to dump you into very cold mizu."

Brad was paying off the cab and Tomi had started up the stairs to their apartment. "You know that I love you." He spoke loudly enough for her to hear him.

She turned, hurried back down the stairs and they met on the bottom step as the cab drove off.

Jumping into his arms she asked, "what did you get me? Something to wear? What, Brad-san?"

Kissing her passionately, he picked her off her feet and held her tight against him.

Breathing rather heavily, Tomi looked around them before speaking. "It is good that Oji-san put these stairs here away from everybody else's apartments. The nesans and oku-sans would all be jealous of me for having such an over-sexed boyfriend.

Put me down and we can go upstairs and be alone."

"Good idea. Besides I'm sure the yakamesa is getting cold, and I am hungry."

"You are always hungry for food and for me." She smiled her mischievous smile as she took his hand and started up the stairs. "I can put the yakamesa in a wok and heat it fast. Remember I run a coffee house and we have a kitchen."

"Do you want to take a shower while I fix supper, Tomi?"

"Hai, that would be very nice Brad. I smell like old cooking I know. It is always so good feeling to come home to you and a very hot shower. You first, then the shower."

"I'm glad that I'm still on the top of your best things list. You will let me know if I fall down?"

"Never happen my Love. You give good back rubs."

"That's all I'm good for? To give back rubs?"

"Iie, you give me very nice foot rubs after I have worked hard all day.

And you warm me up on cold nights." She added standing in the bathroom doorway and was finishing getting undressed. "Oh." standing naked, she turned towards Brad who was starting to work in the kitchen. "And you make me feel all-woman when you look at me like you are now."

With a smile she closed the door and turned on the shower.

Brad had put on a nemaki while Tomi was in the shower and had their supper on the table when she came out of the bathroom looking fresh and delectable in her light blue flowered nemaki.

"You are very beautiful and you make me wonder what I did to have you, Tomako Tomanaga."

Stop, you make me red faced, but I like it when you say such nice things to me. Please do not ever stop." She contradicted herself.

"I won't. Are you ready to eat?"

Tomi looked a little disappointed for a second then her smile flashed across her face like a bright flash of sunlight.

"Hai, I am hungry. We usually eat earlier."

"I have something you might find interesting. I got a really good deal on it. My friend Aranaka, the motor pool dispatcher, found this for us on lower Kokusai Dori."

Brad went into the kitchen and from the bottom pot and pan cupboard, pulled out a fairly large cardboard box. He placed it on the tatamis next to Tomi before going to where his plate was on the table. He started to eat while from the corner of his eye, watched to see her reaction.

"What is it? It's oki."

"Really? Why don't you open it. I already cut the tape."

Tomi tilted the box and stared at the image of a typewriter imprinted on the sides of the box.

"Honto, Brad-san?"

"Hai Tomako."

Without opening the box, she turned and crawled onto his lap covering his face with kisses and not caring that her robe had opened and its ties were hanging down tangled up in her legs.

"Your are too much. Oh, I love you so much. Arigato goziemashita, Brad. Thank you."

"We have less than a week to give Mr. Winters an answer. I think that we both know what we want now. Six years is a long time, though the potential of such a huge bonus is there. Honto?"

"Hai. As you say, Brad, we cannot completely trust the Navy to do as it says, but we know that it could be okay. You will stay here or go to Vietnam shortly. From there you can come to Okinawa more easily than from California, neh?"

"And I'll make more money than being in California."

Tomi, still sitting on his lap turned to look him in the eyes. "I know that you will be okay in Vietnam and will come to me whenever you can and I will be okay here with Mama-san and Oji-san.

I'll be able to type and tell you everything that happens while you're gone."

"Twelve more days and you start school. You will be really fluent in English and using the typewriter before I have to leave."

"Hai." A tear rolled slowly down her right cheek before she could turn away from Brad.

He reached up and tenderly wiped the tear away without a word, then kissed both eyes.

"I'll talk to Mr. Winters on Monday morning when we come back from White Beach."

"Will he be happy for us?"

"Yes. He understands about us and how we are connected to each other."

THIRTY-EIGHT

With the decision made, Tomako and Brad had most of the summer to strengthen their bond to each other and just enjoy life. They had both agreed not to talk about the events that would change their lives and also agreed to accept what life threw at them with no regrets.

"It isn't as if we will always be apart." Had become a common theme in their lives.

They did however speak of their future together. How they could have three years together after Brad come back to Okinawa from his sea duty tour with a battalion. Then possibly a three year tour of stateside duty on a West Coast Naval Air Station such as Miramar or North Island in San Diego. Even as an instructor in Port Hueneme at the Naval Schools of Construction or the Seabee military training facility wouldn't be too awful. Tomi was becoming more accepting to be with Brad on a stateside tour as long as they stayed together and Brad wasn't shipped out to leave her alone on a faraway base somewhere.

"When we come back from Vietnam, we will have three years here, neh?" She asked.

Again, their connection to each other grew. Brad's tour was now theirs and Tomi would accompany him in spirit if not physically.

"If all goes as we hope, we will, Tomi."

It will give us a lot of time to do the marriage paperwork so if they do send you stateside, I can go with you, neh?"

Under the light futon cover, Brad caressed the velvety skin on her bare stomach, then drew her to him. Their bed was in front of the slider their favorite spot in the apartment, and they were laying on it in the darkened room watching for fishing boats to come or go from Tomari Port.

It had been a long time since either of them had brought up the subject of marriage and Brad's heart skipped and his stomach gave a flip.

"I have thought about marriage many times since we knew you might have to leave Okinawa. It doesn't change my thoughts very much about going to the states, but I would if you want me, Brad."

Tomi threw a bare leg across his thighs and snuggled closer to him. What would we do if I get pregnant, my Love?"

"We would become parents, Tomi."

"Would we have to get married, no matter what? And would I have to go wherever with you?"

"Things would change, but I could never make you go where you didn't want to. We would get married only if we both agree it will be the thing to do. If you wanted to stay here and raise the kid on Okinawa, I would be fine with that."

"Have you ever wondered why I have not got pregnant? I'm still young enough. I still have periods. Though I have never been as most women who have one every 28 days, like by the calendar. Sometimes I go one or two or even three months without a period. We have never talked about it."

"I have thought about it, but not obsessively. If you got pregnant, it would be good as long as you wanted it to happen. I know that you are not regular and maybe that is why you have not got pregnant. I talked to a Navy doctor last year when I took my physical and he suspects that it is because of how you ate and didn't eat when you were growing up and when you reached puberty."

"You never worried that it was your fault? That maybe you couldn't be a father? I don't want you to think that, Brad. An Okinawan doctor told me the same thing about my body. I went after we were together a few months and I wasn't getting pregnant.

What is puberty, Brad."

"It is the time of life when you became a woman. When your period started."

"It is juushichhachi tushiguru in Okinawan, Brad."

"Oh sure, I knew that." Brad answered and they both started to laugh. "Like I could ever say that or even remember it."

"That is okay. I won't say that you have sukoshi chinbun because of it."

"Gee, thanks. You don't know how good that makes me feel knowing the love of my life doesn't think that I'm stupid."

"I just said that I would not say it."

"But it is okay that you think it? How you hurt me Tomi."

"That doesn't feel like you are very hurt to me."

"That is because you are rubbing on my bare body with your bare skin and other parts."

"If we were in the states together, and they sent you somewhere, I could come back to Okinawa, neh?"

"Hai. Definitely yes. I wouldn't want you to be someplace that you didn't want to be."

"Even if we had an aka-chan?"

"Even if we had an aka-chan."

"Do you want a baby, Tomi?"

"It would be nice to have a little Brad. But I am happy to have you if that is to be.

Are you okay? Do you need to be a father?"

"I'm thinking like you are. If it is to be, it will be.

I think it's a good idea to get married when I come back from Vietnam. We will have the money and as you said, we will have a lot of time for the paperwork."

"I'm sorry, Brad, I didn't think about White Beach and if Mr. Winters liked it. I was thinking too much about shipping over and what we were doing."

"That's alright, Tomi. I've spent a lot of time thinking about it also."

"So? What happened? Tell me, dozo?" Tomi insisted and rolled over against Brad with a hand under her chin so she could look into his eyes even in the dim light of their apartment.

Brad stuck his tongue out at her, then raised his face up until they were nose to nose. Her tongue flicked his lips twice before she kissed him passionately pushing him down onto his pillow.

"Do you want me to tell you about my day, or are you going to seduce me again?"

"Eeee. I am not seducing you. I never seduce you. It is always you who seduces me."

"Okay. Have it your way." Brad rolled over on top of her, but before he could do anything else, she had wrapped her legs around his waist and started to squeeze.

"Tell me Brad-san, or I will not let you go."

"It was a long ride to White Beach this morning with Chief Warrant Officer Winters and Mrs. Chief Warrant Officer Winters."

"Arlene went with you? To White Beach? Honto?"

"Hai. She also bought me lunch and a glass of wine. And told me what a great job that we did for her club."

"We?"

"Hai. I told her that you helped me with great moral support and keeping me supplied with biru all weekend."

"You lie. You didn't tell her that?"

"Hai. I did. She thinks that I was drunk all weekend while I was doing the job."

"You are so, so bad a liar." You can never fool me. I know the minute that you lie to me."

"I can't get away with anything can I?"

Tomi released him and rolled over on to her side still holding his hand which she kissed lightly. "Iie, I will always know. Now tell me what really happened."

"We talked a lot about how they like Okinawa, and getting ready to retire. And we talked about you and me and how we have decided to deal with the Navy and our life together."

"What did they say? About us and our decisions?"

"They both agree with us and think that we are handling it very good. They also offered any help that they could give us, now or in the future."

"But if they retire, we will lose them, neh?"

"Actually, Don gave me some phone numbers where we can always get a message to them and said they would give us their new address when they leave the island."

"The job? It was right? Good?"

"Of course it was right. I did it, didn't I? They knew it was great.

Oww. Why did you hit me?"

"Sometimes your head swells up and I need to make it smaller. Does that make sense in English?"

"Hai. I get the message."

"When are you going to send in your request for an extension and transfer?"

"Not before I have to. I think the first week in August should be soon enough."

"How long is that?"

"About 80 days. Almost three months.

Did you hear me Tomi?"

Brad heard and felt her breathing change and felt the little snuggle thing that she did against his side when she fell to sleep every night.

"Good night my Love." He said softly as he settled against her.

THIRTY-NINE

Brad again looked at the speed message he was holding dated on Friday, 12 August 1966, sent three days before from North Island Naval Station in San Diego. It was the approval of his extension of 12 months and a transfer to MCB-8 in Port Hueneme, CA. He decided to wait until after they got home from the coffee house before showing it to Tomi.

It is just like we expected. No surprises here. He thought before tucking the single flimsy piece of paper under a place mat on the table. He finished changing out of his working uniform and put on a pair of civilian slacks and a new short sleeve shirt that Tomi had bought for him on Sunday when they prowled Black Market Alley together seeking bargains of things they really didn't need.

As had become his habit, Brad went around to the back of the building and entered through the kitchen. Waved to the cooks and kitchen help before grabbing an icy cold San Miguel beer from the cooler.

"Brad-san." The new cook that Tomi had hired last week hollered. "I am making some tempura. Would you like some?"

Hai, dozo. A lot of fish and rice with it. Arigato Papa-san." Brad answered just as he went into Tomi's tiny office.

Tomi swiveled her chair and stood when she heard him outside. A short step and she was across the office and in his arms. "Konbanwa my Love." She said before kissing him passionately on the lips and hugging him hard.

"Whoa, what is this? Did I do something I don't know about to deserve such a loving greeting?"

"Iie. Nothing. I just felt the need to hold you and in my very sukoshi office I cannot do anything else. Really, I have waited since about 3 this afternoon to do that."

Brad studied her face. Made eye contact and saw love and a touch of sadness in them. Jesus. She knows. I went to pick up the speed letter at 1500. This is spooky.

"Brad? Something wrong? You are looking strange. You got our orders didn't you?"

"Hai. I picked them up at about 1500 just before I left the base." He watched her face. She did pick up on the time. This is getting spookier by the minute. He had watched her expression go from a little sad, to a bit scared and sadder still.

Brad pulled her tighter against him and she responded by tightening her arms around his neck and lifting herself slightly up in his arms.

"It's just like we knew it would be. I'll be checking out on 30 August and check-in aboard MCB-8 30 days later"

Tomi stepped back so she could look into his eyes. Hers were wet, but no tears had run down her cheeks.

Gently Brad wiped the corner of each of her eyes with his thumbs. He took her hand and started out the door. "Let's go sit in the back corner. Papa-san is fixing us some tempura and besides, my biru is getting hot."

Tomi laid her head against his arm and followed him.

"I don't think that your beer is that warm. You are just hungry and the thought of Papa-san's cooking is more than you can stand.

It was very strange." Tomi went on as they sat at the table reserved for the help in the back corner of the coffee house. It was actually Brad's favorite table from before he fell in love with Tomi and she made it the employee's table when she became manager of the coffee house.

"What do you mean? What is so strange?" Brad asked knowing full well what she was talking about.

"That I knew our orders had come, and what they were. All of a sudden I felt you holding a piece of paper. I needed to touch you. To have you hold me and me you. I needed a kiss and a hug. The feeling got stronger until the door to my office opened and you walked in. I knew that you were here and you were about to hold me and kiss me. I felt your body against me. I really felt the hot from your skin."

"Then what, Tomi? What's the matter? I'm here. Everything is all right now."

"It's alright. I felt very good the minute you touched me. It was like I knew in my head that you were here and I could see you, but my body had to feel you.

Do I sound stupid? Or crazy?"

"Not at all. You love me and right now we need each other to get through life."

She smiled, reached across the small table to hold his hand before getting up. "I will get our dinner and you another beer, neh?"

"I'll pass on the beer, Tomi. How about ocha? Want me to help you?"

"I will do it. Relax it is my honor to serve the man that I love."

"You are crazy, but I won't complain. At least for the moment."

As soon as they got into their apartment, Tomi headed for the shower as she usually did. Brad opened the glass slider and stood watching a tanker moving slowly along the coastline towards Naha Port. As the ship passed from view, he laid out their futon bed and changed into his nemaki. Sipping on an icy Coke, he picked up the flimsy speed message and reread his orders.

What is that?" Tomi asked coming out of the bathroom wrapped in a big towel. Her hair was still wet and she started to fluff it dry with a smaller towel. "I love these towels that we got at BX. I'm glad you talked me into getting them. I have never felt anything so soft and warm."

Tomi reached for the flimsy and slowly read it. Brad watched her sounding out the more difficult words. Proud of her for her perseverance in learning to read a lot of English in such a short time.

"I know my English is not very much, but some of this makes no sense, Brad. What does it all mean?"

"I'm to go to MCB-8 in Port Hueneme for Sea Duty, (read Vietnam for that,) with 30 days delay-in-route, (I can take 30 days of leave here before I go stateside) and I have 12 months of obligation left to the Navy. I'll have to leave NAF Naha on or about 1 September, 1966."

"You are sure about the times? I can't read that. And I thought we would have more time than that."

"We do if I take 30 days of what the Navy calls delay en route."

Tomi let the towel drop from around her and stood quietly studying Brad's orders.

"What that means is that I can take a month leave here. With you. And if you keep standing there, I'll be taking more than that."

Tomi looked at Brad, down at her naked body and her mischievous smile lit up her face for the first time all evening. "I'm comfortable this way. And I do like the look on your face. I think that it is a look of hunger.

Wakarauai? If they say you must leave around the first of September, how can you stay here for another month?"

"They will let me checkout of NAF Naha on or about September 1, but my airplane ticket won't be good for another month after that. Like October 1. Wakarimasu ka?"

"Hai." She answered and slid down onto Brad's lap. "I'm cold, warm me up, dozo."

"You can't be cold. It's August and the breeze is small and warm." Brad said and turned his face away from her so she couldn't see the smile spread across his face.

"Eeee. Sometimes you are so stupid." She laughed and slid onto the top of their futon lying on her back as the mischievous smile spread across her face.

They lay sleepily in each other's arms. The glow from an almost full moon spread across them. "Turn out the light, Brad. I want to see the moon and the boats."

Brad slipped back under the light blanket next to Tomi.

"Everything will be okay. You know that?"

"Hai. You just made me pregnant." She said sleepily as her breathing changed and she snuggled against her one true love.

FORTY

LETTERS

10/7/66

Konnichi wa my Love,

I am still trying to gather my thoughts and recover from the time changes. It is not helping that my days have been quite full of military stuff. I did arrive as we thought on Tuesday evening and I checked into a motel for a night's sleep.

It was very strange and unsettling to sleep alone without my love to snuggle against. I kept waking up reaching for her, or to feel her warmth next to me. How I do miss you and it has not even been one week since we last slept together.

I am concerned that you are okay knowing that you are not pregnant. I didn't think that you seriously believed that you were, but was pretending for the love it added to our love making. I have trouble waiting for your first letter to tell me all is okay.

On Wednesday morning I checked into MCB-8 and never stopped running until late Friday afternoon. Then I took a shower before going to the Acey-Ducey Club to get dinner which I never made it to.

When I woke up it was very dark and quiet out. This letter I had started to you still sat on the desk with yesterday's date on it. As far as I got. I staggered down the hall to the drink machine for a Coke and got some cookies out of a snack machine. My first supper after returning to the States.

How about some sushi? Can you bring some home to me? Or better yet, stay at the Kokusai Coffee House and eat some of Papa-san's yakamesa?

Wednesday, Thursday and Friday I spent checking-in to MCB 8. I had to get an issue of Seabee greens, our work uniforms, draw my weapon and get scheduled for a new course in jungle warfare as well as two weeks of weapons training. One boring week of weapons training in the classroom then a week on the live firing range. At least that will be fun.

I was surprised at how many of the men here that I know, and have been stationed with before. I guess there aren't that many Seabees in the world. At least it seems like a very small world. One old friend is Dan Storer. We were together in Alaska where I worked for him. And again I shall be working for him when I get through with the military stuff.

MCB-8 will start leaving Port Hueneme for RVN the last week of November and then be spread out through the middle of December. Dan thinks that we will be leaving the week of 12/4. Not sure which day yet.

Dan has a nesan in Japan, who also has a typewriter and she writes regularly with no translation necessary. You Oriental women are just so very smart. I'm jittery waiting to get your first letter. I want to know that you are okay and all is well with the apartment, coffee house and all of our friends.

Enough for now. I'll write as often as I can and hopefully it will be at least every other day.

I love you so very much and miss you with all of my being.

Love Brad

10/20/66

My Dearest Tomako,

I just finished reading my very first letter from you. I am so proud of you. Your English is great and so readable.

I feel a lot better now that I know that I was right about your thoughts of being pregnant. You do not have to apologize for anything. I am just a loving, caring man in your life who worries about such things. If we were together at home and seeing each other everyday, I would know that you were all right and would worry less.

It is such a secure feeling that our letters are now passing back and forth between us.

I have to limit this letter so I can study for a test that I have to take at 0800 tomorrow morning. But I do want to say how much I miss you and love you. How much your letters mean to me.

I'll make up for this short letter tomorrow, Saturday. I expect it will be a quiet day with little to do so I am planning on writing letters to a nesan I know on Okinawa and reading an entertaining book instead of something on jungle warfare or military tactics.

Good night my love.

I am missing your silky skin that I can only dream about caressing. In my mind I can still feel my touch on you even though we are thousands of miles apart.

Love and Kisses

Brad

11/25/66

Tomi, My Dearest Love,

Yesterday was Thanksgiving and some of us got together for an American Thanksgiving dinner.

I told you a couple of weeks ago that Charlie Lawton and his family had arrived here. Well they were settled into their new home well enough to have some of us over to dinner and a few glasses of wine.

It was very nice and Charlie had found a couple of other Seabees from the NAF motor pool that I didn't know were here. Beside the Lawtons, Mike Branch is here, of course he's from Port Hueneme, Mac McCorkle showed up last week and is in MCB-11. Charlie and Dan Storer are old friends, so Dan was also invited.

Dan and I will be leaving for Chu Lai, RVN on 12/5. We'll fly non-stop on a C141 from nearby Point Migu NAS to Chu Lai. MCB-3 is there and we will replace them.

Next weekend will also be a long weekend for everyone on our aircraft so Dan and I have decided to see if we can get a phone call through to our prospective brides. So stay close to the denwa on Sunday, 12/4 your day and time. We are about one day and 8 or so hours behind you. We also suspect it will take a while to get the calls through.

My concern is that you will not get this letter in time to know the call is coming.

Loads of love and kisses and naked hugs. It would be so very nice to be lying as we do, naked, on a futon in front of our window watching the sunset.

All my Love Always Brad

12/5/66

Konnichi wa My Lovely Tomako,

It was so great to hear your voice. I never thought that such a lousy denwa system full of scratches and squeaks could sound so beautiful.

It was as I thought, my letter never reached you. But it was amazing that for some reason you decided to stay home even though Arlene and Don invited you to go to dinner at the VFW with them.

Dan also got through to Yokota and Yuki.

Yes, we are leaving in the morning. Actually today. It is 0030 Monday morning and our aircraft leaves at 1000.

I know you are very self sufficient and can usually figure things out yourself, but don't forget that Oji-san owns the apartment and he wants to help you be happy and comfortable. So if your American neighbors keep up the noise and late hour partying, let Oji-san handle it. A hint for both of you though. If they are very persistent, talk to Don Winters and he can call their commanding officer and put an end to it. Since they aren't married and are Navy, they can be made to move back on base. Enough said.

You sounded so 'up'. You know, happy and good mood, I hope that you can stay that way and don't let it get you down. I will be fine and a lot closer to you than I am now. We found out from some admin guys that our R & R will start in 90 days. I have already made an unofficial bid for the first week of March. That is the week it will start.

Let's see, nine months from then will be about the first week of December '67. I will be back on Okinawa by then. If we don't get it done then, the next R & R will be in May or June of '67. Nine months from then will be spring of 1968. A nice time of year for a baby to be born.

I know that we are day dreaming, but such nice dreams. To be together and making babies. What more could two people who love each other as much as we do, ask for?

I will write as soon as I get settled in Chu Lai. You can keep using the same address for me and I will get your letters.

Remember, if you need me, talk to Don Winters and he will arrange whatever we need.

With all my love forever, your naked lover

Brad

12/19/66

Konnichi wa my darling,

It was a pleasant surprise to get several letters from you today. I think that some of them came by way of Port Hueneme. I have read them all once. After I finish this letter to you, I'll relax and slowly relish the reading of each and every one of them again.

I'm with a crew of really sharp equipment operators working out on Highway #1 south of Chu Lai towards DaNang. One group is maintaining the highway, which by the way is all mud and gravel. Another group is replacing a bridge that the VC blew up a couple of months ago. While the third and largest group is reconstructing the highway. It has to be made wider and solider to handle heavy trucks and lots of traffic. Eventually it will be paved, but for now we will put a crushed rock surface on it.

It is safe enough working out on the highway. We have Marines all around and Marine helicopters run up and down the road all day long. On many days I run a grader on Highway #1 and often hear the thump-thump of a Huey helicopter coming up behind me. The Marines pass over my head then make several circles around to be sure that I was alone, don't have any VC sneaking up on me. The helicopter then passes across in front of me, slows down and the crew waves, gives me the thumbs up OK sign, before turning towards their chopper pad at Chu Lai. This has become a twice or more daily routine for us. It's great to have such friends around here.

I'm glad and not surprised that you see Arlene so often. She likes to go to the coffee house, but also likes you. She and Don are good friends to both of us. It will be strange when I come back and they are no longer there.

Have you seen Johnny Stump? I would be surprised if he didn't drop in once in a while unless he has a new girl friend.

By the time you get this letter you would have seen Arlene and Don again and got a small present from me. I felt that it was better to send it through the military mail rather than international mail. There will be no duty to pay or any kind of inspection on it.

You can wear one or both rings as you want. They are my complete commitment to you and our love for each other. I could think of no better way to do it and hope that you agree and are content with me doing this. They ain't cheap lady. That's a joke because I know that their cost is not what either of us care about.

Your many letters to me are my Christmas presents from you. I can hear your mind working from here. "I didn't buy him anything. I didn't have anything to give him. What should I do?"

Well my Love, you have given me plenty. You have made my life complete and worth living. You have given me the goal in life of making you happy and secure. You have given me more than enough.

I love you beyond reason and miss you every minute of everyday. I think of you constantly and the only desire I have is to be with you for the rest of my life.

I wish that I could send you the date of my R & R to Okinawa, but at this point it's impossible, but it is a sure thing that I will be amongst the first to get it. Let's say I have it from a very reliable source that my name is way up on the top of the list and first for Okinawa. Maybe it is because my boss is Dan Storer?

Now I will get this over to the post office so it will be on tomorrow's flight out. Then I'll start rereading your letters.

Do you want me to use a red pencil to correct your English mistakes?

I'm just kidding. You are doing very good and I could not do any better. Don't be hard on yourself about it.

Love You, Again & Again & Again.

Brad

2/22/67

Hi Lover,

A very fast note. Mail leaves for the airport in about 30 minutes and I want to be sure to get this on its way.

I have the list for Okinawa R & R. Dan got it for me so that I could let you know when I'll be there. At least within a day.

I will leave Chu Lai for DaNang on Friday, 3/3. Then will catch a plane to Okinawa from DaNang on either 3/4, Saturday or possibly 3/5 Sunday. The aircraft usually leaves DaNang in the early afternoon so we will be landing at Futemma MCAF in the early evening. I'll catch a sukoshi cab home from there. So I'll see you on either 3/4 or 3/5. Then we will have five days together which is not a whole lot but beats not being together.

Love You Brad

FORTY-ONE

He had spent a restless night and 0600 on Saturday morning found Brad in the DaNang R&R Center Transit E5 & E6 chow line looking for a cup of drinkable coffee and maybe a roll or some toast. He didn't have to check-in for his flight until 1000 hours this morning so he still had quite a bit of time to kill.

Just before 1000 Brad and two E5 Marines walked into the air terminal in search of the Marine Gunnery Sergeant who had the flight manifest for Okinawa. Brad and the two Marines had heard that the aircraft had been overbooked and the three of them had got bumped by three officers who were being transferred.

The Gunny acknowledged them and confirmed that in fact the trio had been bumped from the flight, but were on top of the list for the next day.

"Hey Gunny?" One of the Marines spoke up. "If we can find a hop, can we go on our own? We're all E5s and have been stationed on Okinawa before."

"I don't see why not. You have orders to go to Okinawa and stay there for five days. When you get there, check in with me at Camp Schwab by landline and I'll give you your flight numbers and check-in time to come back."

"Thanks Gunny." Brad said as he turned to follow the two Marines when they hurried towards a door leading out onto the aircraft ramp.

"Wait here a minute. I was C-130 ground crew at Futemma for three years and still know a lot of the crews. I'll go check the Herkiebirds and find somebody on a crew that I know or who will find room for us."

The Marine was only gone for a couple of minutes when he hurried back into the terminal. "See the second bird in line? That is our chariot and as you can see they're already starting engines. I would say we should get aboard."

Brad rode the Navy shuttle bus from the Futemma air terminal to the front gate where he intended to grab a sukoshi cab. Stepping off the bus with his AWOL bag he eyeballed the row of cabs and spotted a pink cab that had a familiar look about it. What was familiar was the number stenciled on the side near the rear side window and the oki Okinawan standing by the driver's door with a huge grin on his face.

The passenger side front door opened and her petite silhouette removed everything else from Brad's vision. In a instant she was across the street and in his arms. Tears ran down both their faces as they held onto each other stopping the incoming traffic to Futemma MCAF.

"Sir? Sir, you have to get off the road, Sir." The Marine gate guard spoke loudly as he held up the incoming traffic for the couple who were blocking part of the gate.

Brad looked up and was greeted by several stopped cars full of male and female smiles as he led Tomi towards Oji-san and his taxi. Military people on Okinawa were used to a scene like this. Just came from In-Country and was home with his wife/lover.

Brad started to shake hands with Oji-san and found himself engulfed in a bear hug. "Welcome home, tomodachi." The smiling Okinawan boomed. Then opened the back door for them.

Tomi raised her left hand and wiggled her fingers at him. The diamonds flashed and sparkled in the lights of oncoming cars. She raised up and kissed him passionately. "Yes, I will. With no holding back, and I will go wherever they send us."

Brad started to speak, but she kissed him on the lips and spoke again. "Don't. I will lose my courage if I do not finish. OK?"

Brad nodded gently.

"I missed you so much that at times I thought that my world would stop. Only your letters made me know that we are real and that you would soon come back to me. And when Arlene and Don brought your little package to me, I couldn't say anything. I just cried for so long and wanted you to be with me, forever. I am so glad that you sent them. I wear both of them. I am already married to you in spirit if not in the so-called civilized world." Her tears were flowing freely and Oji-san looked up then moved his rearview mirror so he could not see them.

"I was hoping that you would wear both rings, but I couldn't ask you to. It was something you had to decide for yourself. I knew it wasn't the usual way to ask a girl to marry a guy. But I couldn't take the chance on losing you. So if you kept the rings, but said no to getting married, I knew that I would still have you as a lover and friend. But you have said yes, without the words, so I have a friend, a lover and wife. Honto?"

"Hai. Hai, honto, Brad." Tomi spoke softly her voice breaking between words and her tears kept flowing as she hung onto him with all her strength and with lips trembling, their mouths met.

"There is more sushi in the refrigerator. Also beer to go with it." A sleepy eyed Tomi pushed herself up off the futon to sit next to Brad who was sitting quietly looking out across the East China Sea which at the moment was pitch black except for an occasional star hanging above it. The small amount of light from the kitchen just put a glow on their naked bodies.

"You can't sleep, my Love? I missed you also and want to feel you next to me forever." Tomako touched Brad's arm and he encircled her with both arms and drew her to him and pulled her down on top of him. They kissed softly and long. Their hands and fingers caressing and gently touching each other where they had not been touched since they last lay on their bed months before.

"I am hungry. For food, also." Brad smiled as he cupped Tomi's bottom in his hands and drew her closer to him pressing her into his stomach.

"Which do you want first?" She asked then laughed. "You have already had firsts. Ohh! Yes, more of those firsts." Tomi exclaimed as Brad turned them over before sliding down her body and burying his face in her.

Tomi was up and was fixing a pot of coffee and there was a faint golden glow in the eastern sky. Brad was still on their futon with his arms under his chin so he could watch Tomi while she moved around the kitchen. Her slim body denied her age and made his heart skip a beat and his stomach flutter and flip whenever she moved into his line of vision. Her nakedness from head to toe was and he was sure, would always be a vision of beauty to him.

Sitting next to each other at the table sipping hot coffee, Tomi asked Brad what he wanted to do. "Besides staying in bed and making love, that is. We have to see Arlene and Don."

"I'll call them later today or tomorrow morning. I also have to check-in with the Gunny Sergeant who got me here, to find out what flight I'll be going back on. Are you warm enough Lover? I do like looking at you, but you don't have to be cold for me."

"I'm fine, Brad-san. I'll get dressed if I get chilly. It makes me feel sexy to be with you like this. I remember when we went to the ryokan with the hot baths. It made me feel delicious to be naked with you.

Do we have time to go back this week? For one night maybe?"

"Sure, I'd like that also. Let's get things done that we have to do, then go.

Are you going to have to work at all this week?"

"Mama-san and Michako will work for me as many days as you are here. Mama-san is starting to show her age. She gets tired easy, so I made her let Michako do my job at night. Also, Papa-san, our cook, and Mama-san seem to have something going."

"He's younger than she is, neh?"

"Hai, but he sees her after work. I think that he stays over at her house sometimes. He told her that I was correct about her working too much. She backed off and did as he said."

"That is interesting. Do you think he has ideas of getting the Kokusai Coffee House for himself?"

"Iie. He owns a restaurant in Koza and also the coffee house where I worked in Giagonji many years ago. He has takusan money."

Brad wiped the egg yolk off his dish with a piece of toast. Drank some of his coffee. Held the cup under his nose and sniffed appreciatively.

"It is some more of Arlene's coffee beans. She brought them to us Wednesday night after I got home. Said she knew you missed good coffee and that I deserved to enjoy good kohi also. I don't think she has anymore. She gave us a lot of them."

"I know. She's generous and spoils us."

Tomi turned Brad's face towards her with a gentle finger on his chin and with her napkin wiped some egg yolk off the corner of his mouth. "Just like a little boy." She said smiling before standing and going to straighten out their bed.

"You look sleepy, Brad. Take a nap while I shower and clean up the house a sukoshi bit."

* * * *

After a late breakfast on Monday morning Brad asked Tomi if she wanted to go to the base with him. He wanted to see Don Winters and also needed to call the Marine Gunny for his flight time.

"I really feel I should see if all is okay at the coffee house, Brad. Okay if I go there first? Then when you finish on base, you can meet me there for lunch? Papa-san wants to fix us lunch, so I can tell him we will be there and Mama-san can visit with you, too."

"Sounds alright with me, Tomi. It's 1030 now and if I remove all temptation I should be able to be at the coffee house by 1300."

Tomi looked at him with a quizzical look not comprehending what he meant.

Brad reached for her robe and gently covered her breasts. "I love you." He said as he stood and with a smile started to get dressed.

"What are you snickering about. Tomi?"

She had stood up next to him and took him in her hand. "Yes, you do love me, I can feel that."

It was shortly after 1300 when he reached the coffee house. When he reached the bottom of the stairs, Mama-san met him with a squeal of delight and a bear hug that competed with Oji-san's. Michako was more reserved, but had a bright smile and bowed politely before getting all embarrassed and retreating into the dining room.

Brad pushed open the door into the kitchen looking for Tomi and came face to face with Papa-san who smiled happily, bowed deeper than was necessary before reaching out with his right hand and shaking Brad's tightly and mightily.

It took a few more minutes of greetings and expressions of happiness before Brad and Tomako could retreat to their table in the very back, dim corner of the coffee house. Reaching the table, Brad pulled her into him. Hung onto their mutual hug for a long time before kissing her on her warm moist lips. Tomi responded and thrust herself against him with warmth and pleasure.

"Did you see everybody?

What did the Marine say?"

"First of all," Brad hesitated, held her eyes for several seconds, "I'm not leaving until Friday. The Marines I came with, and I were rescheduled to get here yesterday not Saturday. So we are scheduled to go back in five days which would be Friday. Even though we got here on Saturday, the Gunny couldn't see changing our flight because somebody screwed up and tried to keep us in DaNang an extra day. So the three of us get six days here instead of five."

"Honto, Brad? That is so good. I have you for one more day. Then we really can go to the ryokan?"

"Hai, we can for two nights.

I stopped at the Bank of America this morning. You know, I have always done my banking there. I opened another checking and savings account for both of us. So you have to sign this card and after lunch we'll drop it off at the Kokusai Dori Branch. There is a small amount of money in it for now in case you need it for something."

Tomi met his eyes as a tear formed in each of her dark brown eyes. "Thank you, this means we are almost married, neh?"

"Yeah, it means except for the legal mumbo-jumbo, we're married."

Tomi looked at him with a quizzical expression.

"Sorry, Tomi." He took her hand and bent sideways along the table to kiss her. "We're married except for the paperwork. We are committed to each other in every way more than if we had all the paperwork."

"Hai, I understand that. I like to hear you say it and I want to say it to you. We are married and I am committed to you, Brad-san."

Don and Arlene want to take us to dinner at the VFW tomorrow night. I told them alright, but we had to be home early."

"Why early, Brad?" It was like the golden dawn after a dark night. Her face glowed and she turned red.

"You didn't tell them that?"

"Sure why not? I said that I had to have you naked and in bed by 2000 so we could make a baby by 2015."

"Iie. Eeee, you didn't. No, you didn't, Brad." Tomi started to laugh. "You would not embarrass me like that. I do know that.

You are such a story teller. Just for that I will take you home as soon as we finish lunch and show you a good time, sailor. All for two dolla. Okay GI?"

The water was almost neck deep on Tomi when she kind of floated and walked the couple of steps to sit on the rock bench next to Brad.

"It feel so good. I want to stay in here the rest of the week. Can we make love in the water, Brad?"

"I have the will. So there must be a way"

"Yes, you do." Tomi answered before ducking her head under the hot water.

"That's a start." Brad said when she came up for air. Then he ducked under the water and came up with the petite Tomi sitting on his shoulders with her legs wrapped around his neck .

"I don't think you will have to come up for air this way."

Brad gently lifted her off his shoulders and set her on his lap.

"This is a great steak and you're eating fish, Tomi?"

They decided to order room service rather than go to the dining room. Neither had dressed all day.

"I think we should go for a walk on the beach after we eat. Tonight is our last night here and we haven't seen anything except the inside of this room and the hot bath. What do you think my Love?"

"I would like that. There's a small store that sells American ice cream just a little ways down the beach. Would you buy me an ice cream like an American girl?"

"Absolutely. You mean more to me and deserve everything any American girl ever got."

Tomi started to laugh and blush.

"That is not what I meant. You are so bad. Is your mind always on sex?" Brad kidded her and kissed her on the forehead.

"It is all your doing. You have ruined me. A nice, proper woman and you have made me into a sex fiend. We do anything you want and I like it. Oh, yes I really like it, Brad-san."

"See, that is what I mean. You are so very bad."

They decided to take a bus back to Tomari Port rather than a taxi as it would take longer and they could pretend they were still on their mini-vacation.

Brad had his arm around her and Tomi was drowsing in and out of sleep as the bus swayed around the curves on the narrow country road.

"Do you want a boy or girl, Brad?"

"Where did that come from? Are you so confident that we did everything right this week?"

"Oh, iie. I was just thinking and wondering if it should be so, which you would prefer. We have not made love so much since the first months that we were together. I really missed you and will until you come home again. I know that making love is important to us whether we make a baby or not. We like each other and how we make each other feel when we make love. I would never have know such feelings in my body and heart if I had not fallen in love with you. Here you are 8 years younger, a baby-san." She laughed and hugged Brad's arm tightly. "You are not a baby-san when it comes to being in me. I am terrible aren't I?"

"Not really. You are very lovable and a realist when it comes to what life is."

They stopped in the sushi bar before going home to buy their dinner and Brad's last meal before he had to leave Okinawa.

A sleepy Tomi snuggled against Brad. "What time is it, Brad?"

"It's only 8, Tomi."

"You have to get up at 0530? So early. We aren't going to sleep much are we? I'm sleepy, but cannot stay asleep for more than a few minutes."

"I know, me either. I haven't been to sleep at all. I just want to hold you and not look at the clock.

My flight leaves at 0700. I have to be there by 0630 so the Gunny knows that I'm there to get aboard."

"Oji-san will pick us up at 0600. Is that okay?"

That's great. Try to get a little rest."

FORTY-TWO

LETTERS FROM VIETNAM

3/12/67

Hello My Lovely Wife-to-be,

I just got off the aircraft in Chu Lai. I couldn't get a hop from DaNang until this morning so I stayed with some friends at MCB-11. It beats staying at the Marine transit hooches on the air base. The food and company was a whole lot better, also. Charlie Lawton was there and we went to the Chief's Club. He told me to get used to it as I would be one very shortly if I shipped over.

After I checked back into 8 the Alpha Company Commander told me to get some rest and enjoy another day off because it would be the last one I would see for a while. I didn't know what he meant until I ran into Dan Storer. He was all grins and hyped up. He left for Japan this afternoon. He did fill me in on what the Lieutenant meant. We are starting a new job Monday morning outside the protected area. We are going to build a huge number of helicopter landing and parking pads for the Army's First Calvary Hueys. I'm going to be in charge of all the earth-moving which means a large number of Seabees, bulldozers, loaders and other trucks and such. The job is expected to last at least a month, maybe more if the Army can't bring in more equipment to help.

I'm stalling around in this letter because truthfully my Love, I am missing you more than ever. I hope I will be able to sleep, but know in several days I will be so tired even thinking of my loss from not being with you will not keep me awake. Never did I realize how much I could love another human being as I do you. Or have a woman who loves me as you do. I know that my childhood wasn't exactly ideal or healthy, but I now realize how deprived of love and human caring I was. Don't get me wrong, I am not crying about how bad my life has been. I am just becoming aware of how great and different it is with you and having you as a partner and want to share these feelings with you.

I have six letters from you sitting here to be read. They all came while I was gone and while I was with you. It is strange when you think about it. I was with you for six days, yet six letters are here waiting for me and I know that you didn't write any letters to me while I was on Okinawa.

Please thank everybody for me. They all helped make it a great trip and they are all looking after you for me and that makes me feel more secure about being so far from you.

I wish I was in bed with you, just so I could hold you against me and feel your warm body and breath.

With all my love forever

Brad

5/7/67

Hi Lover,

I am feeling good. It is the first Sunday I have had off, actually the first day I have had off since I came back from Okinawa. The first thing I am going to do is write you a long letter and tell you all that is going on that I have not had the energy or time to really write a nice long letter to you.

You have been so good and patient writing almost everyday even though I have not been able to match you letter for letter.

What do you mean that you haven't used our bank account except to put money in it? Please spend some of the money on yourself. Buy a new kimono or dress.

When I am very busy and putting in long days I have been sleeping pretty good, but I'm worried that if I get too much time off my thoughts of you will overwhelm me again. It is very hard to stay asleep when I dream so real that I can feel your soft velvety skin against me and feel your soft lips and tongue on my mouth. How I love thee. Sounds a bit silly I know, but it is true, I love you beyond reason.

Okay, we finished our big job for the Army and I got a nice "Atta Boy" from the officers and a great letter in my record which has guaranteed that I will get another chevron shortly after I ship-over.

Speaking of shipping-over, the approval came through Friday from COMCBPAC. They approved everything that we asked for. So we are going to ship-over for six years on Tuesday, May 9th. I will be a first class on 1 August the same day I checkout of MCB-8 and head for home and you. We will have thirty days vacation, the whole month of August. Then I will check on board Camp Kinser on 2 September for a three year overseas tour.

I put in for another R & R on 5/26, but in the meantime I am sending my check of shipping-over pay to the bank for deposit in our account. It should be there on 5/11. So my Love, go to the bank on 5/12, Friday and be sure it is there. It will be for several thousands dollars. I haven't got the figures yet, finance is still working on it. Probably just under $20,000. Plus what is already there gives us a very nice nest egg of around $32,000. Not bad for a pair of newly weds.

Think about what you want to do on our 30 day leave. I kind of thought a trip to Hawaii would be nice. We can talk about it while we soak in the hot bath at the ryokan later this month.

It always makes me more comfortable knowing that Oji-san is around for you and that Arlene and Don Winters check in with you often. You know that you can always turn to them for anything about the Navy.

I told you that Don would take care of your noisy, partying neighbors. They had to find out the hard way that Okinawa is not their private party house. Play nice or get whacked up side the head.

I'm going to go to lunch, then take a nap. Maybe seal this letter up and start another later in the day.

Love you as I will always love you and think about you next to me every night.

Brad

FORTY-THREE

This is a letter that Brad Burgess never got to see or read. In fact it was never mailed.

Written in English, by hand, laboriously and slowly. An act of love by Tomako Tomanaga at a time that would hold great joy for both of them.

5/22/67

My Very Darling Brad,

I am so very happy to be able to tell you what is about to happen to us. I was going to wait until you came home on R & R, but find that I can not wait so long.

I AM pregnant. The doctor said two and one half months. That agrees with our time together when we were on R & R. Who knows which time that we made love. We enjoyed each other so many times that week.

I am so happy and know that you are also. I am very anxious to see your face when you see my little stomach. I already have a tiny bulge because I am so small. I only thought it might be true when I saw my belly grow a sukoshi. My periods have always been so out of time with the rest of the world, my not having a period did not make me think that I could possible be carrying our baby.

I have told no one else yet since I saw the doctor only one hour ago and came straight to our home to write this letter to you.

With so much love for you and our baby. tomi

Tomi carried the letter with her to the coffee house so she could give it to Arlene Winters as was their arrangement. Every two or three days Arlene would come to the coffee house, have a cup of coffee and visit with Tomi. Pickup any letters Tomi had ready to be mailed to Brad, take them and send them through the military mail system to Vietnam.

Tomi was surprised when she was getting ready to leave the coffee house for the day and met Arlene and Don Winters coming down the stairs into the coffee house.

She saw Arlene's tear streaked face and gasped for breath. A vision that Tomi had been denying for several days flashed through her mind. Lightheaded and weak, Tomi slumped towards the stairs as Don Winters caught her and gently lowered her onto the bottom step.

Again the image returned. A brilliant reddish-orange flash. Then horrific thick black smoke. Streaks of torn metal and flying debris.

BRADFORD (NMN) BURGESS, EON2, was a KIA in the Republic of Vietnam on 18 May 1967 at 1445 hours, while accompanying and supervising a convoy of MCB-8's heavy equipment from the Chu Lai military facility, traveling South on Highway #1 to the village of Ben Son, RVN. The vehicle he was driving struck a mine planted on the shoulder of the road when Petty Officer Burgess swung off the traveled portion of the road to avoid hitting a young Vietnamese girl. The girl was also killed in the resulting explosion.

###

AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY

The author, Herb Blanchard is retired and living in the Puget Sound area of Washington State. He is a Vietnam Era Seabee veteran who spent several years stationed on Okinawa and made many trips to the island during his two tours in Vietnam. He followed his six year Seabee tour with an Air Force hitch of four years as a KC135 tanker crew chief flying to and from Southeast Asia and flying combat missions over Vietnam and off the coast of China. He took every opportunity to return to Okinawa be a two day lay-over or a 120 day TDY.

Herb made and had many friends on the island, American and Okinawan. He knew the island and its people well and enjoyed every day he spent on the island.

GLOSSARY

(A list of Japanese, Okinawan, English & corrupted words & names in all three languages used by the GIs on Okinawa during the 1960's and 1970's.)

"A" Sign - placed by military health inspectors. GIs and Military civilian employees were only allowed to patronize establishments with an "A" sign.

akabu - red, such as red hair. A women's period

aka-chan - child, baby

APA - transport ships for movement of Army & Marine Corp. troops

Asahi - a Japanese beer

aspirin - liquid, came sealed in one dose glass containers that you snapped open and drank

ATCO - air transport coordinator

arigato - thank you

arigato goziemashita - feminine thank you

AWOL - absent-without-leave. Slang for a small bag like a gym bag to carry a change of clothes & shaving gear in.

benjo - toilet

bento -box lunch

biru - beer

butterfly - person who goes from lover to lover

BX - Base Exchange,(Navy & Air Force) also PX - -Post Exchange(ARMY)

C/C & kori mizu - Canadian Club whiskey and ice water

cha or ocha - green tea

Cherry-boy - Slang for a GI new to the Island, or a young male virgin.

chinbun - knowledge

COMCBPAC - Commander Construction Battalions Pacific

CONUS - continental US

denwa - telephone

domo arigato gozaimasu - formal thank you

domo - thanks

dozo - please

futon - Japanese bed.

Giagonji - area of Naha City with no "A" signs establishments. 'OFF LIMITS' to all Americans, military and civilian

gohon - rice

gomen - sorry

gomen nasai - excuse me, I'm sorry

green beanies - green berets, Army Special Forces. The Seabees and green berets worked together closely in Vietnam

habu - Okinawan poisonous snakes. Very aggressive and deadly

hai - yes, agree

haiji - left

hashi - chopsticks

hayaku - hurry up

hazukashii - embarrassed, ashamed

honto - true, for sure

iie - no

Kanji - Japanese written characters

kawaii - cute, pretty

kohi - coffee

koko desu - it is here

koko - stop here

konbanwa - good evening

konnichi wa - good day

kori - ice; kori mizu - ice water

MCAF - Marine Corp Air Facility

MCB - Mobile Construction Battalion. The main organization of deployment for Seabee units.

maguro --tuna for sashimi

migi - right

mike boats - landing craft with a ramp in front to off load troops or vehicles

mizu - water

NAF - Naval Air Facility

nan desu ka - what is it

neh - you agree?

nekkyo - insane, crazy

nemaki - sleeping robe or kimono

nesan - elder sister, girl, young woman

niisan - elder brother, boy, young man

Noumanoui - Area of Naha City set aside for "A" sign bars and restaurants

oba-san - grandmother

obi - kimono sash

ohayo gozaimasu - good morning

oji-san - uncle

oki - large, big

oku-san - wife

Orion - Okinawan beer

oyu - hot water

round eyes - Caucasian Used by GIs in reference to white women

ryokan - Japanese inn

San Miguel - Beer from the Philippines

Sapporo - Japanese beer

sashimi - raw fish

sayonara - good-bye

sei - sex

seiai sexual love

six-pac - a 6 passenger, 4 door pickup

skivvie house - whorehouse

soba - noodle soup

suck-a-hachi - GI slang for fellatio & oral sex

sukoshi - small, little

sukoshi chinbun - not smart, not much knowledge

sushi - rice & fish combination

TAD - Temporary Duty Assignment

takusan - a lot, large amount

tatami - woven straw mats about 3' x6' (a 6, 8 or 12 tatami room.)

tomodachi - friend

ville - the bar area of Noumanoui or small villages near any military base

wakarimasu ka - do you understand?

Wakarauai - I don't understand

wakaru - I understand

yakamesa - fried rice

yakasoba - fried noodles

YFU - Navy utility boat with a low flat deck and loading ramp on front

yukata - informal, everyday wear kimono

