Beyond the Shadow of War (41 page)

45

10 February 1946 

On board the SS Wisteria

“Anya! Wake up!”

Someone shook both her shoulders, rousing her from another restless night’s sleep. She lifted her head and found Gigi sitting up on her adjacent bunk.

“Gigi? What are you doing? What time is it?”

“It’s almost five. Get up!”

“Five in the morning? Are you out of your mind?”

She ruffled Anya’s hair. “Come on, sleepyhead! We have to get dressed so we can be up on deck in plenty of time to see the Statue of Liberty!”

Somewhere in her fog-filled mind she remembered reading about the brides on the SS
Argentina
lining the rails of the deck to see the famous statue as their ship pulled into New York’s harbor. But Anya was so tired, she couldn’t care less about some silly statue.

“Anya, come on! You don’t want to miss this!”

Anya pulled the pillow over her head. “Just take a picture. You can tell me all about it later.”

Gigi yanked the pillow off her head and tossed it out of her reach. “Not a chance. I’m climbing down to knock up‌—‌” she giggled, “I mean,
wake
up Kate. Don’t you make me come up here again.”

Anya rolled onto her back again with a weary groan, realizing she’d never get back to sleep if Gigi had anything to do with it. As the cabin slowly came to life, she closed her eyes for a moment, trying to get her bearings. She couldn’t quite grasp the fact that they might actually be that close to America. In American waters?

After enduring the past few days stuck on this big gray bucket, she could hardly believe they were almost there. What a journey. The war had taught her to expect the worst, but nothing could have prepared her for the sheer panic that swept through the rolling corridors of the
Wisteria
the night it lost power
.
Rumors of the call to abandon ship had sent them all scrambling up the stairs in search of lifeboats. Thankfully, the crew blocked all the deck doors, shouting for them all to return to their cabins even as the captain made stern announcements over the public address system debunking the rumor. But with hundreds of women and children, most of them sick and in a state of utter panic, the scene was like something out of a horror cinema. Once again, she witnessed the tremendous calming presence of the Red Cross and their assistance in emergency situations. Had it not been for their compassionate, assertive help that night, who knows what might have happened.

She closed her eyes, hoping Gigi would let her rest a few more minutes.
Dear Gigi.
Last night’s talent show had played to a small group of those able to attend. Gigi won with a warm rendition of “There Will Always Be an England,” a heartfelt patriotic song that stirred a strong emotional response from all the English brides in the room. To be fair, Gigi had little competition with so many of their shipmates still bedridden with the dreadful seasickness. The event probably should have been cancelled, but Anya had to give the staff credit for their valiant efforts to keep up morale among the few who came.

Over the past few days, she and Gigi had been the only ones able to help the others in their cabin who’d been so sick. Kate had fared better than most, but she stayed out of the cabin as much as possible for Joss’s sake. Thankfully, the little one hadn’t been sick again.

Anya had cleaned up more vomit than she’d ever seen in her entire life. She wondered if she’d ever get the stench of it out of her nostrils. She still had no idea how she avoided getting sick herself. What a wretched way to travel. Still, she mustn’t complain. Rumors of deathly ill passengers‌—‌or worse, those who had considered jumping overboard‌—‌had swirled down every corridor like a string of harrowing tornadoes. And while Anya hoped they were nothing more than rumors, it grieved her to think otherwise. To be so close to America’s shores …

She shook off such thoughts, grateful she and her friends had survived, and thankful the ship was no longer being tossed about.

In fact, it was quite still now.
Too
still.

She sat up suddenly. “Gigi, why are we stopped? What’s going on?”

Gigi brushed her long blonde curls. “I snuck out before I woke you and asked one of the stewards. He said there was a boatload of reporters and Red Cross workers boarding us. I suppose they’ll make an announcement. Then at some point a tug will take us in the rest of the way.”

“But I thought someone said the tugboat workers were on strike?” a groggy Kate asked from below.

“They are. The steward said the U.S. Army Transport arranged for army tugs to help us dock. C’mon, girls. Get up!”

Anya pushed her hair out of her face then slowly climbed down the rungs from her bunk. “Why do we need more Red Cross workers if we’re about to dock?”

Gigi pulled on her dress and wiggled into it. “Yesterday someone said we’d have to get all checked out again before we can disembark.”

Anya groaned. “Surely that doesn’t include another physical?”

“How would I know? Kate, hurry up and get dressed so we can go up top!”

Joss whimpered from her hammock as Kate lifted her out. “You all go without us. I have to nurse Joss.”

Gigi pulled on her stockings. “Don’t be daft. You have time. We won’t leave without you.”

“But it will take me a while to get dressed properly. I don’t want Joe to see me like this. And I’ll want to freshen Joss a bit more before she sees her daddy for the first time.”

Gigi folded her arms over her chest. “Kate, we’re just going up to see the Statue of Liberty. They told us it will take most of the day to get us organized to disembark. Just feed Joss then throw on some clothes and come on. We can all doll up later.”

Kate positioned Joss against her breast. “Joss, has anyone ever told you how bossy your Auntie Gigi is?”

Anya snorted. “Gigi bossy? Isn’t that like saying Hitler could be a bit rude at times?”

“Hey!” Gigi pinched Anya’s arm playfully. They tussled like a couple of schoolgirls until Anya locked her arm around Gigi’s neck, trying not to laugh.

“I give up! I give up!” Gigi raised both hands. “Let me go! Mustn’t harm the goods before I see my handsome husband.”

“It’s a wonder we’ve made it this far,” Kate quipped from her bunk. “I feel like I’ve had
three
children instead of one.” She leaned down to kiss Joss as she nursed. “Never you mind those two, Jocelyn. Just a few more hours and we’ll be safe in our new home with Daddy.”

When neither of her friends responded, Kate looked up at them. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

Gigi looked back and forth between them. “It’s just that …”

Anya blinked. “It’s just that we’ve been …”

“Family,” Gigi whispered.

“Yes.” Anya nodded, her smile waning. “We’ve been family.”

“And now we’ll be going our separate ways,” Kate said quietly, understanding.

Gigi took hold of Anya’s hand. “Surely we can plan a visit? Once we’re all settled?”

“How?” Anya asked. “You’ll both be in New York, but won’t I be such a long way from you?”

“Anya’s right,” Kate said. “America is ever so much bigger than England.”

Gigi’s voice graveled with emotion. “Then we must insist on a meeting place. We simply must. I can’t bear to think of us not being together again.” She pulled Anya into a hug and held her tight. “You’re more family to me than I’ve ever known.”

“Oh Gigi, please don’t cry, love,” Kate said. “You’ll have us all in puddles.”

“You heard her,” Anya said, dashing at her tears. “And don’t go staining my blouse with all those cosmetics you cake on.”

Gigi laughed as she reached for her hankie. “Now look what you’ve done. I’ll be all splotchy and drippy when Lady Liberty sees me.”

Kate refastened her bra and lifted Joss from her lap so she could stand and join them. “Look at us. Happiest day of our lives, and we’re all three in puddles.”

It felt so strange to Anya, this unexpected sense of sisterhood. And with it, a palpable sadness. First Sophie. Then Sybil …
poor Sybil.
Now Kate and Gigi and sweet little Joss. Friendships she never would have imagined; friendships she couldn’t imagine living without now. So many new beginnings on the heels of so many goodbyes. Oh, how she would miss them.

Chatter rose as others in the cabin got up and dressed. At a pause in the excited conversations and laughter, they turned at the sound of sobbing from the corner of the cabin. The girl named Tilly had suffered terribly from seasickness from the first day they sailed. Then, last night, she’d become so distraught, her friends had asked the crew to allow her to make a ship-to-shore call to her husband. Others had placed calls, and they thought the sound of her husband’s voice might reassure her and give her hope.

The crew obliged. When she finally got through to her husband’s family home, she’d been told her husband had their marriage annulled a week ago, then quickly married someone he’d just met and moved to California. The news nearly put her over the edge. Her friends hadn’t left her side, fearful she might try to do something desperate.

The shocking news spread through the ship like a raging wildfire causing most all the brides to wonder. Would they arrive in America only to find no husband waiting for them? A long queue formed at the communications office, but eventually the crew turned them all away. Perhaps they knew best, Anya thought. A ship full of unwanted war brides could get ugly in a hurry.

She watched the girl as she wailed, then turned back to Kate and Gigi.

“We have to believe,” Kate said quietly. “And believe with all our hearts.”

Gigi straightened. “Yes, and we need to go. Now.”

It took a while for them to make their way to the deck with all the others heading the same direction. Anya noticed that many of them looked as haggard as she felt. Theirs had hardly been the luxury cruise they’d all dreamed of. Far from it. But now, so close to their destination, the sparkle had returned to their eyes, and their voices rang with joy again as they eagerly made their way outside to see the Statue of Liberty.

“Fancy that‌—‌it’s snowing!” Gigi giggled. “Oh, isn’t it lovely?” She tilted her head back and tried to catch snowflakes on her tongue. “Oh, girls! It’s like we’ve been given another go at Christmas!”

“I certainly hope it’s better than the one we just had,” Kate mused. “I shouldn’t like to see any Christmas trees burn down the house again.”

“Kate, why did you have to bring that up now?” Gigi moaned. “Don’t spoil our fun! Nothing but happy days ahead now, so leave all that behind, will you?”

“Yes, but I wish Sybil was here with us,” Anya said, shielding her eyes from the snowflakes dancing all around them.

Kate sighed, holding Joss close. “Dear Sybil. I hope she’s well. We must all write to her as soon as we’re settled.”

Gigi rubbed her hands together and stomped her feet to stay warm. “Yes, we must. I hope that handsome lieutenant is watching over her. Such a nice fellow, that one.”

“Yes, he is,” Anya added, “and she deserves someone who’ll be good to her.”

“Then let’s pretend they’re already in love,” Gigi said. “Remember, nothing but happy days ahead of us now. And that goes for Sybil, too.”

“Gigi, you’re the eternal optimist, and I love that about you.” Kate reached for her hand and squeezed it. “Now please tell us where that statue is. Joss and I are shivering!”

Ripples of conversation floated forward and aft as they all searched the early-morning waters for a glimpse of the famous statue. No sooner had they settled in than a noisy group of men spilled out of the doorways onto the deck. Photographers started snapping pictures as reporters huddled close vying for a chance to interview anyone who would look their way.

Anya and Kate shared a laugh as they watched Gigi draw them in.

“Hey, boys! What’s a girl got to do to get a little attention?”

“Like moths to a flame,” Kate quipped. “They can’t help themselves, can they?”

They surrounded Gigi as flashbulbs popped off in rapid succession and the eager reporters barked questions faster than she could answer.

“So how does it feel, finally getting so close to America?”

“What’s the first thing you’ll say to your husband?”

“He’s a lucky one, your husband!”

“Ain’t she a beauty!”

“How long since you last saw your husband?”

“Where did you meet?”

“What’s your name and where are you headed?”

Gigi raised her hands. “Boys, boys! Give a girl a chance, will you?”

Their hearty laughter filled the deck.

“How does it feel to finally reach American waters?” she repeated the question. “It feels
wonderful
, doesn’t it, girls?”

All the girls cheered as they crowded in closer, jostling Anya and Kate as they joined in the fun.

“First thing I’m going to say to my husband? Well, let’s see now. Let me think.” She gazed up into the snow-filled sky as she tapped a red-nailed finger on her chin. “First, I’ll ask him for a great big, juicy kiss‌—‌”