Enemy Camp (13 page)

I felt bored. The Featherston Library opens only in the afternoons on Monday, and I wasn't going to read any more silly
Mary Poppins.

I chopped some kindling for Mum. I thought about Ito and his son. How long before they meet again? Will the war end this year, or will it keep going until 1944? It can't last any longer than that, surely? Be
great if we can all climb Mt Egmont, like Mum said.

After lunch, I took a penny from my huge riches and biked down to the school baths. Mr White was there, reading as usual. He and I chatted about the holidays and books. He mentioned one I'd heard of, but never read:
Huckleberry Finn.
‘Try it, Ewen. Wonderful narrative.'

I swam for a while, then lay on the grass and sunbathed. I must have gone to sleep, because I jerked when a voice went ‘Hello, Ewen.' Susan Proctor.

We talked about Castlepoint again. ‘The Americans train there,' she said. ‘Dadd— my father thinks they're practising beach landings for when they fight in the Pacific. That would be awfully scary.' I wondered if Moana's boyfriend was among them.

We yakked about who our teacher might be this year. I told her how boring
Mary Poppins
was, and she giggled.

I went for another swim, and Susan got in, too, up to her neck. We had just sat down on the grass when Mrs Proctor's voice called: ‘Susan? Time we were going, darling.'

‘I wish she wouldn't call me “darling”,' Susan muttered. I stood up, the way we have been doing with Ito; Mrs Proctor looked surprised and pleased. (There! I'd shown her my family's manners are good, too.)

We talked about the Japanese lessons: ‘You are being a real help, Ewen. Well done.'

I lay in the sun again after they had gone. This time I did go to sleep. Mr White had to wake me up to close the pool.

I got to the library just before it closed, still feeling sleepy. They had a copy of
Huckleberry Finn
; it's about this boy in America a hundred years ago. I was going to read it after tea, but I had a headache, so I went to bed early.

TUESDAY, 19 JANUARY I couldn't see or hear things properly. My mouth felt dry. I heard Mum going ‘Ewen? Ewen, wake up. Are you alright?' Her voice got loud, then it went away. My head hurt. A man was there; he lifted up my eyelids and shone a light in them. I tried to ask what he was doing, but my mouth wouldn't move.

WEDNESDAY, 20 JANUARY My whole body ached. I was boiling, then I was freezing. Mum kept crying. I felt frightened, then I knew: I've got polio. I'm going to die.

THURSDAY, 21 JANUARY I tried to move my arms and legs. The man who had opened my eyes stood beside my bed. He put something under my tongue, then took it out again. Mum was crying and smiling at the same time. Dad had his good arm around her. Why wasn't he at work?

FRIDAY, 22 JANUARY I woke up, and I was better. My legs and arms felt weak and heavy, but I could move all my body. I lay there, and knew that I didn't have polio, and I felt so glad I almost cried.

I must have made a noise, because Mum came rushing into my room. ‘I'm thirsty,' I croaked. And would you believe it, she didn't even get me a drink of water. Instead, she wrapped her arms around me, and burst into tears.

I had sunstroke. ‘We told you not to stay out in the sun too long without a hat!' Mum went, after I had drunk four glasses of water and said five times I was alright.

Dad has been home for three days, looking after me with Mum, but he had to go to the camp today. After I'd had another glass of water and an orange (where did she get an orange from?), she said, ‘I'll tell Mrs Morris. Half the town has been worrying about you, love.' I saw
how tired she looked. ‘Dr Waterstone came
three
times,' she added.

I dozed during the afternoon, and had a boiled egg for tea. The bread and butter (Mum has butter
and
an orange?) was almost too heavy to lift. Dad came home just as I finished, put a hand on my shoulder and went ‘Hello, son.' Then he picked me up in my pyjamas and carried me to my room. I was asleep before my head reached the pillow.

I woke in the night, and felt hungry. How amazing. I was alive, and I was going to be alright. I thought of how some kids with polio would
never
be alright. I slid back into sleep, planning what I'd eat for breakfast.

SATURDAY, 23 JANUARY I was awake early. Mum moved quietly in the kitchen. It took me two goes to get out of bed and wobble along the hallway.

My parents jumped when they saw me. ‘Ewen! What are you doing up?' Mum exclaimed. ‘Are you alright?' (The eighty-fourth time she had asked that question, I reckon.) She made me sit down, wrapped Dad's tartan dressing gown around me. A second orange, cut into slices, appeared on a plate in front of me. ‘Mr Yee sent it for you. The whole town has been asking about you!' Funny: it was only half the town yesterday.

I've missed so much! Dad told me how the prisoners are rehearsing their Noh play. ‘How's Lieutenant Ito?' I asked, and saw Mum glance at Dad.

‘He's OK,' my father replied. ‘A bit busy at the moment. Might be a couple of days before you get another lesson.'

The way I felt, it could be a couple of
years
before I biked out there again!

I just sat — or lay — around home for the day. I felt as strong as a mouse. Barry dropped in on his way to Miss Mutter. ‘I t-told her you were crook. She said “Shtupid boy! Why ishn't he c-careful?”'

Mr White stopped Dad in the street yesterday, and asked how I was. News certainly gets round Featherston fast. I tottered to my room, opened
Huckleberry Finn
, realised the words were revolving slowly in front of me, and went to sleep again.

A voice woke me. I heard Mum saying, ‘Thank you so much. That's so kind', and the front door closing. I was sitting on the edge of the bed when she came in. ‘Mrs Proctor heard you were sick. She brought you a bottle of barley water. Isn't that nice of her?'

I yawned. I wondered if my being crook had been on the BBC News, since most of the world seemed to know about it. I felt glad Susan hadn't seen me looking like something that's just been dug up.

Barry and Clarry arrived, and we talked for a while.
‘Were you scared?' Clarry asked. ‘When you were really sick?'

I knew what he meant. ‘Yeah. Yeah, I was. I thought … I thought I might have polio.'

Barry nodded. ‘Your m-mum came over to our place. She was c-crying.'

‘I got frightened the first time I was in hospital,' Clarry said. ‘I could see Mum and Dad staring at me through the window of that isolation ward.'

He grinned suddenly. ‘And the time they lowered me into the exercise pool on a stretcher. I thought, if the rope breaks, I'll drown!'

I felt better and better as the day went by. Mum made me a special afternoon tea, with some of Mrs Proctor's barley water. It tasted like weak sago, but I didn't say so. I had one more visitor, but I'll tell you about him later. I'm still a bit shocked by what he said.

Dad came home just before tea. He gave me this huge smile, and ruffled my hair. He loves me. It's not the sort of thing blokes say, but I really knew it today.

My visitor was Dr Waterstone. ‘Be more careful of the sun next time, eh, young fellow? Your parents had a real fright. Drink plenty of that barley water (Eerkk! I thought), and take things easy for a few days, right?'

Mum asked whether he would like a cup of tea. Dr Waterstone glanced at his watch and shook his head. ‘No thanks, Mrs MacKenzie. I'm due at the POW
camp.' (Doctors get extra petrol rations, too.)

As he started towards the door, he went, ‘I have to check on that prisoner who was stabbed with the bayonet.'

SUNDAY, 24 JANUARY It's not as bad as it sounds. It happened on Thursday. One of the guards lost his temper with a couple of military prisoners who wouldn't stop their wrestling when it was time to line up for roll-call. He ordered them twice, then grabbed one by the arm and pulled him. The Nip half-fell, and gashed his arm on the guard's bayonet.

‘Gave everyone a shock,' Dad told us. ‘Bloke's got a nasty cut; needed quite a few stitches. Guard looked sicker than he did. Had to lock down the camp, everybody sitting around again until things were sorted. It's all under control now.'

Mum smiled and nodded. ‘That's good, Jack.' But something about the way she and Dad were talking made me wonder.

I felt almost normal today, just tired. I wandered around outside. (I had to wear a sunhat!) I read some of
Huckleberry Finn.
The boy runs away from home, and meets a Negro slave who's escaping because his owners want to sell him to someone else.

Barry and Clarry came around. Clarry had this huge grin on his face; he'd walked all the way without braces.

‘You had t-to hold onto the fences, though,' Barry told him. My friend's speech is
so
much better.

Clarry glared. ‘So?'

They brought a newspaper from Mr Morris. The government says blackout rules might be lifted soon. I've almost forgotten what streetlights look like!

Tomorrow I'm starting my new journal. I've filled the first one up completely — right now! And Ito has ordered us to report for another lesson.

MONDAY, 25 JANUARY First page of my second journal.

Meant to write that when Dad passed on Ito's message, he said: ‘He's just about running the camp, that bloke. He calmed down the Nips who got all worked up over that one cutting himself on the bayonet. There are still some looking to cause trouble, though, and Colonel Wallace wants to come down hard on them. Tricky situation, son.'

I feel important when Dad talks to me that way.

We all rode out to the camp. Well, I didn't actually ride; Dad doubled me on his bike, while Barry towed Clarry. Even then, I had to get off three times and sit down by the side of the road for a few minutes. Makes
me realise again how gutsy Clarry is.

Dad said he'd arrange a lift back for me on a stores lorry. A young guard led us past the prisoners. More of them nodded or half-smiled. One said ‘Hurro' like last time, and an older bloke went ‘Good day-ee'. The guard grunted ‘Shut up, Tojo', which he didn't need to do. There seemed to be more khaki figures on duty than last time.

Our guard took us into the room. Ito arrived almost immediately. We three stood. I was pretty tired after the bike ride, and sort of staggered. Barry went, ‘Ewen's b-been sick.'

Ito's face stayed expressionless. ‘You will be strong,' he said. The guard snorted.

We repeated lots of words he'd taught us. I realised he was getting Barry and Clarry to answer most of them, and letting me stay sitting.

Today's lesson was about
kendo
. It is a fighting sport with bamboo swords; it teaches speed and courage. We learned about the special gloves and masks and the black robes that fighters wear. ‘It has made our people great fighters,' Ito said. The guard muttered something. I felt embarrassed; Barry turned and glared at him. Ito ignored him.

Our teacher got us to repeat the words ‘
shinai
' for the sword and ‘
men
' for the mask, over and over until he was satisfied. ‘Japanese swordsmen are the finest of
the world,' he told us. ‘Japanese man can write poetry, have flowers, make war. He is a whole man.'

The guard sniggered. Barry whirled around again. ‘We respect the
sensei
! D-Don't be rude!'

The guard's face flushed red. ‘Don't you start telling me what to do! Your fancy Nip is—'

Ito's palms smacked together. ‘You will not speak!' he told Barry. ‘This is lesson. You do only what
sensei
tells you.'

Now Barry went red, too. He bowed and said, ‘Sorry,
sensei
.' The guard stayed silent.

We repeated more words. Outside the hut, voices called to one another in Japanese. A guard went, ‘OK, blokes. Let's go.' It all sounded relaxed enough.

Finally, our teacher asked: ‘You have questions for me?'

Clarry stood straightaway. ‘
Sensei
, are you still our enemy?'

Barry and I held our breath. Ito didn't even blink. He said nothing for a few seconds, then: ‘You are child. I am not
your
enemy. But I am soldier of Japan. I will always fight for my Emperor.'

The guard snorted again. This time, we all ignored him. The door opened, and Ito's guard entered.

No, it was my father. ‘Lieutenant Ito, I'd like to speak to my son.' His voice was polite but normal, the way I had heard him speak to Mr White sometimes.

The Japanese officer nodded slightly, and Dad turned to us. ‘There'll be a lift for all you lads on the stores lorry after you've finished here. Thanks, Lieutenant Ito.' Our
sensei
gave Dad a second nod, and I felt once again that they respected each other.

My father left. Now Ito's own guard arrived. ‘You will thank your mother for the Mah-mite,' our
sensei
told me. ‘It is … interesting.'

He and his guard left. We three followed, with our guard. As we got outside, he sneered at Ito, ‘Going to play with your flowers, Jap?'

Ito whirled. His eyes burned. ‘You are mouth!' he hissed. ‘Big mouth. Nothing more!'

Our guard snatched at his rifle. ‘Don't you bloody—' Next minute, the gleaming bayonet was just an inch from our
sensei
's chest.

He stood perfectly calm, not moving, gazing at the angry face in front of him. ‘You kill me?'

‘No!' Clarry's voice. ‘Leave him!'

At the same time, the other guard spoke. ‘Easy, Tom. Don't be stupid.'

I remembered those other military prisoners facing that old man with his rifle. A few yards away, some of the civvie ones began to stand from their game of Go. Ito took half a step forward, until the front of his blue tunic touched the steel blade. ‘You kill me?' he asked again. ‘Or you only mouth?'