Adopting Yua
The dust had all but settled from the sultry morning air when Sergeant Kessler tapped me on the arm to wake me up.
“Gonna be a hot one,” he announced, “a chance o’ rain...and could get up to ninety,” as he tipped his coffee cup.
“How’d ya’ sleep?” he queried, as I briskly rubbed my eyes, “we leveled most of what was left by nine o’clock last night.”
“I wouldn’t call it sleepin’, Sarge...it’s more like - passin’ out,” I filled him in, while peering through the early morning light.
“I shinnied up a tree last night an’ watched ‘em strafe the village...had a real good view of things from high atop my perch.
Anything that breathed, I swear, got blown to kingdom come...but give me a bit an’ me an’ the guys ‘ll do a thorough search.”
“Don’t forget how quick them suckers vanish,” Kessler warned, “and...male or female...young or old, always...shoot to kill,
Even those without a gun, ‘cause...as I’m sure you know...any Jap that gets a chance to - stop your breathing -- will!”
Gathering up a half a dozen fairly seasoned youngsters - each aware of just how risky searching buildings was -
I began the door-to-door, digging through the carnage, knowing that - as virtually every “thorough searching” does -
Totally unexpected things can pop up out of nowhere. Dangerous things...rife with fear...and always by surprise.
The sort in which - an only child, whose father...dead but hours...and - moments after being found, its wounded mother dies,
Clings to what - ‘til then had been - its “cornerstone of life”. The sort in which a suddenly orphaned child is left - alone!
I leaned my gun against the wall, and stooped to pull her free, then noticed how she trembled as a slowly passing drone
Warned her - unmistakably - that...coming ‘round again...was what had torn her world to pieces only hours ago!
I held her to my chest and did my best to calm her down, when, wafting through the rubble came the summons...“Hey, let’s go!”
I grabbed the sobbing orphan’s hand, never for a moment wondering if my plans for her were something I should do,
But caring instincts took control that made it crystal clear, short of having fam’ly I could easily take her to,
Nothing would be safer than to - take her back to camp, where those who spoke her language could communicate with her.
Moments later I was stunned to hear the girl’s interpreter rock my world by telling me...“You won’t believe this, sir!
“She says her name is, Yua, which I know - in Japanese - means ‘tie - or bind with love’...and claims that ------- you are now - her dad!!
She claims...because you found her...and then led her someplace safe...her god has chosen you, sir...to replace the one she had!
“Trouble is,” the nurse remarked. “I’m sure she really means it! And didn’t you say that both her folks were killed in last night’s raid?”
“A photo by their bed,” I said, “that showed the three together...told - in no uncertain terms - the awful cost she’s paid
“For merely being – Japanese! She hadn’t joined the conflict. Her soul objective every day was - playing somewhere safe,
Which wasn’t all that easy, ‘cause...they don’t tip off civilians and risk reducing body counts in towns they’re going to strafe!”
“She says she has no relatives or friends who’ll take her in,” the gal explained, “which means, of course, she’ll have to count on us.
I’ll try to make it clear to her - “god” - got this one wrong, then feed her good an’ book her on the early morning bus.”
As I sat there, mesmerized by what this child believed...wondering what some other person, sitting in my place,
Might have done if torn between - listening to their heart - and - what is know as common sense...I suddenly felt my face
Tickled by a teardrop...and I knew my choice was made. I raced to where the orphaned kids were kept and hurried in,
Found the nurse I’d worked with, and informed her, “Yua’s right...I’d like to be
her foster father...where do I begin?
“I’m married - over twenty one - and money’s not a problem. I’ll call my wife tonight, and - trust me - she will be enthralled.”
I rang my wife, as promised, and informed of my plan to - foster dad an orphan. Not surprisingly...she balled.
I teased her about my having - no alternative - because ...based upon the child’s faith, the father part was done,
And told her, if they’ll let me bring her back on my next furlough - she’d would fall -like I had - for the tiny heart I’d won.
Lorrie - being infertile - had suggested several times our taking in a foster child…this wasn’t something new...
But desperate as she was, I knew that - bringing Yua home - to let them meet and, hopefully, meld - was what I’d need to do.
The military orphanage - now bursting at the seams with kids who’d lost both parents to the ravages of war -
Said, when I explained to them I’d met an orphaned girl that I would give the world to take responsibility for...
“Provided we can verify the child you have in mind has absolutely no one that will take her - in Japan,
And ---
you will be adopting her the moment you return...as far as...‘can we make it work’…if all goes well...we can!”
Later on that day I had the matron take some pictures, then texted them to Lorrie, to help her understand
Why my heart had told me...“Here’s your chance to - raise a child”...the moment I’d reached out and took ahold of - Yua’s hand.
Rarely is a destiny so terribly opportune, with no potential downside and completely “sorry free”,
And, though our faiths were different, our yearnings, long denied, would light a fire inside our souls that reeked of - meant to be.
Yua saw me as her father...soon she’d meet my Lorrie...and Lorrie, without question, would adore her...this I knew,
And we would spend our lives together, knowing through the years, the sort of love - and kind of bond - you just don’t get with two.
|