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Eleven-year-old, Heddy can talk to her deceased grandmother, Nonni.
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So far, Heddy has met a mysterious man named Artie. She has a new friend named Lester. Her deceased grandmother, Nonni, appears to her. The war isn't just something that's going on in Europe and the Pacific, its changing the shape of Heddy's world, as well.
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After Lester and I pick enough green beans for dinner and for Lester to take home, Momma makes us both go outside. My daddy takes the hose, and with a twist of the nozzle, he hoses all of the sand off of us.
Lester let's go a little squeal as the cold water hits him. To be honest, the water feels good to me. Some nights, it gets so hot you could wring out the sheets in bed.
"That's cold," Lester says, twisting his body first one way then the other like he can escape the spray.
"Alright, you two, arms up in the air," Daddy says, making sure there was no sand hiding there. "Okay, arms down. If there's sand left on either of you, I don't know how. Wipe down with that towel, then come inside to eat."
I watch as my daddy wrangles the hose back onto the hook on the side of the house. I catch Lester watching, too.
My guess is he misses his own daddy. I don't know how long it's been since he's seen him last. I know he hasn't seen his momma in almost three weeks. I've never been away from my own parents, except for one time my dad couldn't come home for almost a week. We had a terrible Nor'easter and the ferry couldn't run. I remember being scared the storm wouldn't ever end and he might never come home. I just remember crying when he finally walked through the front door. He looked at me and smiled when I told him how scared I had been. He hugged me tight and said, "Ladybug, let me tell you something. No man or storm, nothing can keep me from coming home to you. If I had to swim home, you best believe I would. Now, stop those tears and show me your pretty smile. "
I believed him for a few years, but now I know there are things that can keep you from going home. Sometimes, no matter how bad you want to, you just can't make it home.
Lester eats like my daddy does. Both have their cheeks puffed out and make these little grunting noises. When I try to join in, my momma shakes her head.
"How come they get to do it?" I ask.
"Men are different. Ladies are more refined." Momma's voice is soft and gentle.
"What's that mean?"
My daddy swallows and taps the table top. "It means, men are more like animals. The females of the species are more, uh, what's the right word, hun?"
"Evolved?" Momma offers.
Daddy smacks his forehead. "Couldn't have put it any better."
I finish my dinner in silence. I like animals. The more I find out what makes men and women different, the more I understand one thing. Women don't get to do near as many things as men do. That just doesn't seem very fair.
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Mrs. Collette has closed the post office for the day by the time we get there. Lester leads us to the house in the field behind it. It's not in very good shape. The railing around the porch is missing a bunch of pickets. It's like looking at a first grader who lost some baby teeth. One of the dark green hurricane shutters is propped up on the porch.
I wrinkle my nose as I look around.
Lester nudges me and leans in to whisper, "Smells like cat pee inside."
"You got a cat," I ask, getting excited to see it, but he shakes his head.
"No. It just smells like they do."
Daddy knocks on the screen door.
"I see the ocean didn't carry you off," Mr. Collette says, pushing open the door and mussing Lester's damp hair. "Thanks for walking him home." He has a cigarette dangling from his lips, and it bounces up and down as he speaks. His eyes go from my daddy to me.
Daddy nods, putting his hand on Lester's shoulder. "It was a pleasure having him at the house."
Mrs. Collette hollers from the kitchen. "Hold on for a sec. I got something for you."
The floor creaks as she comes rushing out from the kitchen. She elbows Mr. Collette out of the way, and digs into her pocket. "I forgot to give this to your wife this morning. Looks like it might be from your boy."
Daddy takes the letter, slides it into his shirt pocket. He takes the paper sack filled with beans and hands it over. "We thought you might enjoy these."
He looks down at me and smiles, but it's different. There's worry in his smile.
"Bye, Lester," I say as we turn to leave.
Daddy takes the letter out of his pocket as we walk. "I know I should wait for your momma before I open this, but I can't." He pulls the flap up just enough to get his finger under there, then he rips the top open. He stands in the middle of the dirt road, eyes scanning the page. The tiniest smile breaks free from his serious expression.
"We've got to hurry home, Ladybug. Your brother is coming home. We need to tell your momma."
Even though he's smiling and laughing, his eyes are welled up and tears roll down his cheeks. "By the grace of God, Willis is coming home."
He stuffs the letter back in the envelope and with it clutched in his one hand, he grabs mine with his other. We run the rest of the way home.
While he and Momma read and re-read the letter, I go sit on the back porch. Nonni waits.
"That's good news, isn't it?" she asks.
"Yes. Momma will be a lot happier."
"Are you happy? I know you miss him."
I nod. "What if he's different? Clara Dunham, a girl from school, said her uncle came home from the war. She said he wasn't right in the head. What's gonna happen if Willis ain't right in the head?"
Nonni sits next to me. "Then you will need to change how you are with him. All you need to do is love your brother. Don't spend your time worrying about things that haven't happened yet."
I wrap my arms around my knees. But I am worried. Momma is expecting Willis, her Willis. What will she do if he isn't right in the head? What will any of us do?
