Overdue Letters

April 2, 1942                                             

Dear Diary,

After supper, I quietly settled in for the evening, sitting at my desk, resting my elbow atop it. I found myself reflecting on the past months as I sat there, instead of writing some overdue letters that I had only half written the day before. I  became lost in my whirlwind of thoughts. I can’t quite grasp how my life has changed since Pearl Harbor was attacked, and not only my life has changed, but the lives of Mother, Father, and Jenny. I remember the months leading up to the attack and how unaware we all were that something so dreadful was about to happen.

Last October, during fall break, I had the best time! I went on hay rides with friends, pumpkin picking with the family, baked all sorts of delicious treats with Jenny and Mother, and I was even invited to the most dreamy autumn parties! I even had a brand new dress I wore to them. It was a beautiful taffeta gown of burnt orange with a cream tulle overlay on the skirt that had flowers scattered throughout. It had darling puff sleeves, a sweetheart neckline, and a matching belt with flower accents to match the skirt. It was my very first formal and one I will treasure forever.

After the wonderful weeks of fall break, it was time to return to school. I didn't mind, though, I enjoy learning new things, especially history, and test papers aren't so bad, I guess...except for math. My goodness, I cannot grasp that subject for my life! After the long days of school, I would rush home because Mother had been showing me a new recipe each day and fun cooking techniques so I would be able to make Thanksgiving dinner! I had been begging Mother to let me do that for I don't know how long, and I was thrilled to finally get my chance.

Before I knew it, it was time to use everything Mother taught me. Oh, it was such fun! I made turkey, ham with honey sauce, mashed potatoes, green beans with almond glaze, stuffing, and pumpkin pie with fresh whipped cream for dessert. Mother and Father said I did an excellent job, which made me immensely proud. What Mother and Father think means the world to me. And even though Jenny refused to touch the green beans, she ate everything else and cleared her plate of every last crumb.

The day after Thanksgiving, Mother, Father, Jenny, and I sat in the living room by the fireplace with Christmas records playing on the gramophone. We were making such marvelous plans for the upcoming Christmas season! I am always so excited for Christmas since it's my favorite holiday and winter is my favorite time of year, but I wasn't the only one excited. Jenny was especially thrilled! She kept telling us that Santa was coming and how she had been such a good girl all year, so Santa was sure to leave some lovely presents for her under the tree. And, Jenny was right. She was a good girl indeed, far better than I was at her age. I was a bit too sassy for my own good at times.

As we continued to discuss our plans, Father took the opportunity with all of us together to announce he was going on a business trip to New York. To my surprise, Father asked me to go with him for a father-daughter trip! I simply couldn't believe it. I was going to visit New York for the first time! And, during the holiday season! Father only had to be in meetings for an hour each day, and the trip was three days long, so Father said we could plan to go ice skating and Christmas shopping. I mean, my gosh! Spending time with Father in New York at Christmastime, what could make a girl happier!?

Jenny was quite sad about this news. Jenny adores Father, never wanting him to leave for work most days, begging him to stay and spend time with her. Jenny curled up in Father's lap, asking why he had to go and why she couldn't go on the trip too. Father explained that he must go because it was necessary for his job. Father also explained why Jenny could not come as well. Jenny was still too young to travel such a long way, and this was a trip for Father and me to spend time together. Jenny knew this since she had a trip with Father last month to the circus that had traveled through town. Jenny understood but was still quite sad. Mother chimed in and suggested that she and Jenny make special plans while Father and I were away. They could sew together and make some special clothing for Jenny's doll, make ornaments for the Christmas tree, and perhaps even make Jenny's favorite dessert—pineapple upside-down cake. Jenny, no longer sad, got up from Father’s lap and went over to hug Mother, giving her a big smile. She loved the ideas Mother had shared, and even more, she loved that she could spend three whole days with Mother.

Time had flown by since that day. December 8th came upon us, and I was planning, organizing, and packing. The trip was only three days long, so I only needed to bring a little clothing, but it was so incredibly hard to decide what clothing to choose, not to mention shoes, jewelry, and accessories! I knew I would surely bring my black knee-length coat with the fur collar and my matching winter boots. Mother decided to come up and see how my planning was going, and as she entered the doorway, of my room, she took a significant step back. I will admit I was becoming carried away with choosing what to bring since I covered my entire bed with all my winter clothing. Shoes, jewelry, and everything else I could think of were scattered across the floor. Mother recovered from her shock, then stepped inside my room and offered to help since she could see I was completely lost. Mother suggested a red plaid skirt, a green skirt, a cream long-sleeve blouse, and a black wool sweater to create my first two outfits. Then, I was to choose a casual dress I could wear one day, and Mother reminded me that Father and I would go to a special dinner and dance one night, so I could bring my formal. Mother's suggestions helped tremendously.

Now, I knew I would bring my cream satin heels to wear with my formal, and since I already planned to bring my black boots, I decided another pair of shoes wouldn't be necessary since most of the time I would be wearing my coat so it wouldn’t matter if my boots matched entirely with my outfits anyway. I also chose a pearl earring and necklace set that belonged to my grandmother, cream elbow-length satin gloves, black winter gloves, a black fur hat, my diamond earrings, and a silver locket I always wear that has my Mother and Father's pictures in it. We were leaving in two days, and luckily with Mother's help, I was almost done packing! I was just about to press some skirts when Jenny came into my bedroom and began pulling at my blouse sleeve, "Come on, Marge," she said. Ugh, how I despise that nickname. I don’t know when Jenny will listen and start calling me Margaret. Jenny told me it was time for our favorite radio show, the Aldrich Family. Despite wanting to press my clothing so everything was finished for the trip, I couldn’t help but sit down for just a little while and listen to the program.

The whole family gathered around the radio, its glowing lights shining from within, peering through the little glass pane where we could navigate which channel we wanted to listen to. As it was warming up, you could hear the buzz of electricity and the crackle of static as it connected to the airwaves. Father had lit a fire and proceeded to light the wooden pipe that Mother had gifted him last Christmas. Mother was knitting on the couch, and Father sitting in his favorite armchair with the evening paper. Jenny was playing with her doll, and I was mending a hole I discovered in my winter coat. I have always enjoyed sitting in the living room and listening to the radio with my family. It holds such fond memories for me. That night we were so absorbed in what we were doing as we listening to the program that we were startled when the show was interrupted by a sudden news broadcast. What was about to be heard across the airwaves was something we could have never imagined, and that would change our lives completely.

As the newscast began, we were shocked to hear President Franklin D. Roosevelt. He began by addressing the Vice President, and the members of the Senate and the House of Representatives. We listened intently, wondering what the President would say next. Then the dreadful news was conveyed. The Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor yesterday, December 7th. The President continued saying the attack was sudden and unprovoked. December 7th, as President Roosevelt said, was a “date which will live in infamy,” As the speech ended, I looked toward Mother and Father. I could see the fear and horror in their eyes, for the war was no longer overseas, but on U.S. soil. Not quite old enough to understand what had just happened, Jenny began showering Mother and Father with questions about why our fun program stopped, who was speaking, and what on earth infamy meant. Father moved over to sit on the couch next to Mother and lifted Jenny onto their laps, and, they explained what happened as best they could. Though Jenny could not quite understand, she felt that what happened was not right.

We cleared the living room of all our projects, toys, and clutter, turned off the radio, and extinguished the fire. Then, we proceeded upstairs. Mother helped Jenny get ready for bed, and I returned to the ironing I had left in my room, but I no longer felt motivated to continue. So, I put the iron and ironing board back in their places, put on my nightgown, and seated myself at the vanity. As I removed my makeup and brushed my hair, I began to think of what happened at Pearl Harbor, the cruelness of the attack, the soldiers who did not have time to defend themselves, and the innocent civilians who were caught in the crossfire. Oh, it was just dreadful.

As I finished my hair, I knew I needed to take my mind off the horrible thoughts going through my head before sleeping, So, I went over to my collection of books and pulled out one of my favorites from the Nancy Drew series. I curled under the covers, put my head on the pillow, and began to read "The Mystery Of The Old Clock". Although I still had thoughts of the attack wandering through my mind, reading something light helped me cope a little better so I could sleep.

In the morning, Father knocked on my bedroom door and opened it gently. I propped myself up in bed as Father walked towards me. I saw such sadness in his eyes. He sat gently next to me, wrapped an arm around my shoulders, and, as he always did, said, "Good morning, Pumpkin". It was a nickname he gave me long ago and a name only he could call me. After I, too, said, "Good morning," Father proceeded to tell me our New York trip was canceled, a trip which I had anticipated would not come to be due to the news we received yesterday. Although disappointed that there would be no special trip with Father with ice skating and shopping, it somehow seemed unimportant now.

As the days went on, we continued our daily lives as usual until Father came home from work one night. As I greeted him, he didn't give me his usual long warm hug and kiss on the cheek. When I looked into his eyes, they looked stressed, worried, and sad. "Hello, Pumpkin," he said, rather quietly, while he patted me on my cheek with his large, warm hand. Mother came over to greet Father too. Then, Mother called Jenny and asked all of us to sit in the living room because there was something important to discuss. When we were settled, Father began to tell us the news he had for us. Father had enlisted. Father was an incredible mechanic, and it was important to have the best workers to repair the military machinery.

Father, although not wanting to leave us, knew it was his duty to help with the war effort. Father continued by saying that they had stationed him in France. My heart sank. It was perilous, and most likely, Father would be on the front lines where the most vital machinery was damaged. As I turned towards Mother, I saw tears form in her eyes, and my eyes, too, began to tear. Jenny began to sob because Mother said Father would not be home for a long time. Jenny ran to Father, begging him to please stay. Father lifted Jenny and hugged her tightly. "My darling, Jenny," Father began to say, " I don't want to leave you, Mother, or Margaret, but I need to do my part to help end the war sooner. I know right now, my sweet Jenny, you cannot fully understand, but trust me, when I say I would never leave unless I had to." Jenny couldn't see that Father's eyes had begun to tear up, and I knew his heart was broken. As the tears subsided, Father took Jenny and brought her upstairs for a nap.

Mother also had news to share that night, but decided to spare Jenny more bad news for now. Mother was to work full-time at the newspaper office as an editor while Father was away. It had been decided to have Mother's sister take care of Jenny until I was home from school, then I would take care of Jenny and help with the housework the rest of the time. I could now clearly see how much would change, and despite not wanting it to, there was nothing to do but accept the change and continue on with our lives as normally as possible.

A week later, the time came to say goodbye to Father at the train station. It was the most difficult thing we had ever done. Father looked so handsome in his uniform. We were proud, but wished the war had never existed, because if it didn't, Father would be home and safe with us. The day was cloudy and dark, making saying goodbye feel even more dreadful. Father bent down to hug Jenny, with tears streaming down her face. Father kissed Jenny, then pulled away to retrieve a handkerchief from his pocket, which he always used. Then, Father gave it to Jenny so she always had a piece of him with her. Jenny took the gift and held it tightly to her face, and closed her eyes. It had Father's scent on it, which comforted Jenny. Then, Father stood up and gave Mother a tight hug and kiss, and said, "I love you, and I will be home in no time". Mother put her head to Father's and said, "I love you too, be safe, and don't worry about me and the children. We will be just fine".

After Mother and Father hugged one last time, then Father came to me. "Well, Pumpkin, this is it. I'm off to play with a lot of fun vehicles," Father said as he winked at me. I smiled and laughed. Father's smile began to disappear, and so did mine. I was going to miss Father so much. My heart was breaking, and it felt like it would never be put back together. Father hugged me tightly and kissed me. He promised to write me letters whenever he could. We all said "I love you" one last time, and watched Father walk to the train and hop on board. The train whistle began to blow, and clouds of steam formed. The train was moving, taking dear Father away to war, and for how long we did not know. Mother lifted Jenny into her arms, holding her tightly, and we began to wave goodbye, our hearts aching like never before.

We returned home, and as we walked through the front door, there was an emptiness. Father brought a warmth to the home that wouldn't be here for a long time. Mother started her new job that day, so she quickly went upstairs to change and came downstairs in just a few minutes. She gave Jenny and me a kiss and hug, then she headed out the door. The following days were so different and lonely that it seemed as though I would never get used to the feeling. Each day became more and more difficult. I had my school work, the housework, and Jenny to care for, but I desperately wanted to help with the war effort like Father.

I know what I wanted to do and had known for a while. My friend Mary's sister volunteered with the Red Cross, and I got to meet her during a school field trip. Judy showed all my classmates how women helped with the war effort. I made a point to speak with Judy privately. She inspired me, so I learned more about what she did and decided I wanted to be a volunteer with the Red Cross too. The only thing holding me back was the courage to discuss it with Mother.

One day as I sat on Mother and Father's bed, watching Mother brush her hair, and decided it was time. I told Mother I wanted to quit school and volunteer with the Red Cross. I only had half a year left of schooling and didn't want to attend college. Mother and Father knew that. At first, Mother looked shocked, as she looked at me with the widest eyes I had ever seen. But then, her shock faded, and a warmness came to her face. Her eyes glistened, and she smiled as she said, "You are something, my dear Margaret. As soon as you said you wanted to quit school, my immediate response was to say, 'Absolutely not'. But, it seems the war has changed many things, hasn’t it? Even my opinion on your quitting school to volunteer has changed."

While Mother didn't exactly approve of my quitting school, she knew that helping the war effort was incredibly important. Mother also knew I was headstrong and knew exactly what I wanted to do. I assured Mother that I had thought everything through, and it was something I felt called to do. Then, Mother gave me a big smile, a tight hug, and said, "I am proud of you, Margaret, and everything you do. God made you an incredibly strong woman with a kind heart and the willingness to help those in need. You have my blessing dear". Those words meant the absolute world to me, more than I could ever express on paper. I thanked Mother with all my heart and gave her a kiss and hug as I said, "Goodnight".

It's April now, and I have been a volunteer with the Red Cross since the beginning of January. It is the most fulfilling work I could ever do, and I wouldn't trade it for the world. Now, I am where I began this diary entry, sitting at my desk about to finish my overdue letters.

Next

"Margaret! Margaret! Come downstairs quickly. Father is home!"

(to be continued...)

© Kelly, SomeWearInTime