Background
Eleven-year-old Heddy can communicate with her deceased grandmother, Nonni.
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So far, Heddy has discovered a German man hiding in Dr. Monroe's abandoned house. A new boy about her age, Lester, has come to stay with his aunt and uncle, and they become fast friends. Her brother, Willis, has returned from the war and is fighting his own demons. When Lester and Heddy return mail to the German, Lester's aunt, leads her husband and others to burn Artie, the German out of his shelter. Now, Artie is injured.
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My father and Willis lift Artie up and with his arms draped over their shoulders, they carry him away from the heated flames that continue to lick the black sky. Artie opens his mouth to speak but nothing more than faint noises come out.
"Poor man," Momma whispers. She timidly reaches her hand out and touches his cheek. "What should we do?"
Willis looks at my father. "Take him to the house. We can tend to his wounds and then, once he's strong enough, we can ask him some questions. We can make our decision about what to do after that."
I look at Willis. He isn't just my brother, at least not the one who left a few years ago, he's a grown man. He's a good man. I look at his face, black streaks from the smoke and his hair going every which way from the wind and heat. He's a good, strong and fair man. I stand and straighten my back, I bring my hand to a crisp salute, imitating the way Artie had saluted me once.
Willis smiles. "I should be saluting you, miss Heddy." He painfully gets to his feet. He stands, straightens and returns the salute.
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Artie goes in and out of consciousness for the next two days. Sometimes he speaks in his sleep. One moment it's in German and the next in English. Momma continually presses cool damp cloths to his forehead and my daddy and Willis wash as much of the smoky residue off of him as they can.
I hover, off to the side, trying to stay out of their way as they tend to him. But whenever they leave the room, I creep to where he lays on the couch, adjust the sheet on him and talk to him.
"I'm glad you're safe now. Mrs. Collette meant to kill you, I believe. She would have done it, too, if Daddy and Willis hadn't gotten there in time. I wish you'd wake up, though. It's scaring me that you ain't opened your eyes yet. I keep praying to God that you'll be okay, but he must be to busy with the war and all."
He rolls his head towards me. "I am thankful for your prayers, Heddy." he whispers. His eyelids flutter, the reddish eyelashes moving as he opens his eyes. "I am thankful for your family. I have always thought you were kind, but I see it comes naturally. This house is filled with kindness."
"He's awake!" I shout. "Artie is awake. Momma, Daddy, y'all come quick."
Willis races down the stairs and his face breaks into a huge smile. "Brother, I thought you were a goner. Yes, I did."
Artie sighs. "It was the prayers of Heddy and the kindness of her family that kept me alive."
Momma comes in, her hair damp with humidity from tending to the garden. "What's all this fuss I'm hearing?" she says, breathless from hurrying inside. Her eyes travel from Willis and then me to Artie. "Praise God, he's awake."
Artie nods, a weak smile etched on his face. The scratches and bruises from his ordeal are finally fading leaving yellowish patches in their wake. "Yes, ma'am."
The room grows quiet. Now, I tell both Momma and Willis, know it is time to ask their questions and make their decisions. I wait. Neither says a word.
"Do you want some water?" I ask.
"That would be nice. Thank you."
Momma runs back into the kitchen and hurries back with a full glass. She leans down, tipping the glass to his lips. He slurps it, greedy and desperate, nearly draining the whole glass. He lets go a ragged sigh. "Thank you."
Still no questions. They can't see him as anything other than a man now. They don't see the red and black banners of the Fuhrer. They don't see his accent. They see what I see. They see Artie.
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Later in the afternoon, while Willis sits with Artie, there is a knock at the door. Momma opens it and there is Lester. "They came from the mainland and took Aunt Nancy. Put her arms in this white coat. She was screaming like a banshee. My uncle cried. He bawled like a baby." His voice shakes. "I just came to tell y'all that."
Momma doesn't say anything, just opens her arms for Lester to fall into.
"Anyway, Uncle Wayne sent a telegram to my Mom. She's coming to take me home next week." He looks at me, a bit of sadness and relief in his eyes.
Momma tilts his chin up to look at him. "Lester, you will always be welcome here. You best believe it's been our pleasure knowing you."
I look at the curtains, the floor, anywhere but at the very best friend I have ever had who is leaving. "Bye, Lester," I mutter. "I'm going to go take a walk. I've been cooped up inside too long."
Once I'm over the threshold of the kitchen I feel my bravado fading away. I push through the screen door and run down the sloping dune to the only place that brings me joy. The ocean rumbles softly as the gulls cry out over head. I want the noise to fill my head, push out every thought that fights for my attention. I don't want to cry. I don't even want to care, but I do. I do care. I care about Lester. I'm gonna miss him. My best friend is leaving me and I won't have anyone.
"Heddy!" he yells from the dune. "Wait."
I should keep running, away from the one who's causing my hurt, but I don't. I stop and stare at the ocean, wrapping my arms around myself.
"Why'd you run off like that?" Lester says after he catches up.
I bite the sides of mouth, willing myself not to cry. "Because, dammit, I don't want you to leave."
Lester smiles and hugs me. "I'll write you, at least once a week, I promise."
"Promises get broken."
"i won't ever forget you, Heddy. Never for as long as I live. You're my best friend."
Wars go on. Life goes on. And sometimes good things happen in the middle of the bad. Lester and Artie are two very good things that happened to me those years that the war divided the world.
Author Notes
One more chapter and Saltwater Ghosts will be in the books. Thank you to those who were there for the whole story and those who joined late. Every review was appreciated and valued. Hopefully, the finale will make it all worth it.
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