Every Storm (16 page)

Max looked a little shocked, so Lorri rushed on.

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"You don't have to go through the whole trunk, Max, but let me get her dresses and skirts out. Over the years, we found some very cute clothes in Australia."

"What about you? Don't you want to wear them?"

"I'm shaped a little differently than you and Josie. And I'm not as tall. We never traded clothes much. It just didn't work."

"I don't know, Raine," Max began, but Lorri was already on her feet.

"If they make you sad, or if it feels odd to you, I'll just put them back. Okay?"

"Okay," Max agreed, wondering if she might regret it, but she was about to be surprised. Max had never seen the clothing that Lorri hauled into her room. There was no sentimental attachment at all. And her sister was right; they fit and looked sensational.

Ruth came in from the neighbor's to find her daughters in a fashion parade. Max was using the hall as a runway, and Lorri was commentating.

"Maxine Archer is wearing a stunning navy skirt with a pointed waistband. She's matched it with a snow-white blouse, sporting just a hint of lace, perfect for school or that special afternoon date." Lorri paused for just a moment. "Unless of course, you've sworn off boys for good."

"What are you two doing?" Ruth said, smiling at their antics.

"I'm giving Max a new wardrobe for school. Josie and I found all kinds of cute things in Australia."

"This skirt is beautiful." Ruth studied tiny buttons and detailing at the waist.

"Which reminds me..." Lorri was on the move again, this time to her own trunk in the living room. Her mother and sister

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followed, and Lorri handed^'Ruth a skirt, similar to the one Max was wearing, and a blouse in pale pink. f; "Try these, Mother."

! '. Ruth didn't even think about protesting. New clothing, homemade, store-bought, borrowed, or handed down, was always fun. "Oh, Mother," Max exclaimed. "That blouse is beautiful with your dark hair. You should wear pink more often."

"I don't think I realized how close in size we are, Lorri, but I
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don't want to take this from you."

"I can't wear it right now anyway. When I'm back to my normal ; size, I'll borrow it back from you."

"You're getting there," Ruth suddenly said. "I was noticing yesterday that you're filling out."

;" Lorri glanced down at herself before saying, "It's nice not to be as tired."

"But she was crying." Max felt their mother had to know. "She's writing to all of the children." "That would be hard, but it's very sweet of you."

"I miss them," Lorri admitted. "When my mind started to go on the island, I couldn't remember their names, and that was scary."

"Why did your mind start to go?" Max asked. "The hunger, I think. As soon as I got some real food, things became clearer, so I have to assume that my brain needed nutrition." '

"And that didn't happen until you were on the PT boat?" "Right. They fed me even while I was still on the island." "They didn't take you right away to the boat?" "No, they had repairs to make, and I stayed put until it was time to leave." As soon as Lorri said this, she started to laugh.

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i '

"What's the matter?" Ruth had to know.

"It's not funny at all, but I can't help laughing. I(when they were ready to leave. The lieutenant was so j was always such a gentleman, but at that moment, I think j have strangled me."

"Where did you go?"

'To see Josie's grave one more time."

"Did you tell him that?"

"No." Lorri shook her head, wishing she had wasn't thinking too clearly. I should try to write him, 1 know where I would send the letter."

"He didn't stay angry at you, did he?" This was ir Max.

"No, not at all. He was very kind."

"Shall I tell you what I'm thinking right now?" Ru girls looked at her. "You've lived another life, Lorri. mother to be so disconnected from my daughter, You've stepped into a world that Max and I can't sha Dean could. He would understand, but all I can do i$ ine what this must have all been like."

"I'm glad you don't know." Lorri's voice was sober i want you to know what the war looked like. I had jui but I wish I hadn't even had that."

This time no one questioned her. Lorri was thi way the guns had exploded and the enemy aircrai them. She had held on for dear life, sure she was got in the water and drown, all the while wondering1 easier, drowning or starving to death.

"Are you all right?" Ruth had been watching her (

"Yes," Lorri said and decided to tell them. "The came under attack on our way to base. I hid in the J

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everything. I didn't think about it until i amazing men, having to fight like that. I ;if the crew made it through the war."

id out for you." i$sk him when he gets home."

nd, but Ruth would have none of it. :;Skirt and blouse/' she said. |feave some other things you should try" |p i can wear them again."

e. "Because in a very short time you're lisize again, and you might feel differently

l to argue, but Ruth forestalled her with ping to be so generous, but I have plenty

raid Raine's closet if you change your tlpfully.

atter-of-fact, as if she could picture her
r
thing, that her family laughed. Loving to , Max grinned with pleasure before going S'Once in her room, she looked at all the it from Josie's trunk and realized her ti't have to sew at all before school began.

l," Leonard commented to Arlene on the , "Anything wrong?"

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If

"I just miss the old Max. I know it sounds selfish, but sometimes she's so sad and quiet."

"Give her time, sweetheart. I think there's more to all of this than any of us quite realize, and that's bound to be very hard."

"What do you mean?"

Leonard and Cora exchanged a glance. Did they tell their daughter some of the things Ruth had shared with her friend? It would certainly help Arlene understand, but was it fair to the Archer family?

"Let's just say that Lorri has been through quite a bit, and that's bound to affect Max."

"Do you know what it is, Mom?"

"Yes."

"Did someone hurt Lorri?"

"No, it has to do with Josie's death."

Arlene knew there had been a plane crash. She had wondered but never asked how Lorri had survived. The facts had never been explained to her. Arlene now asked God to take care of her friend and to help her think less of herself. Beyond that, she didn't let herself dwell on what the details might be. She realized she didn't want to know.

i.1ri

"There's something we need to talk about," Ruth told the girls on the way home from church on Sunday. "I told your grandfather that we would discuss it, and I keep putting it off."

"Why is that?"

"Because I'm tired of crying."

The girls didn't know what to say to this, so they made the remainder of the ride in silence. However, they were not going

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to let their mother off the hook. Both Lorri and Max followed her up to her room, their actions very clear.

"I thought it could wait until after lunch," Ruth said when Lorri and Max sat on the bed and stared at her.

"Now is a good time," Lorri said pointedly.

Ruth saw no escape. She sat in the chair near the bed and made herself begin.

"Your grandpa and I want to have some type of service for Josie, including a headstone at the cemetery next to your father."

Lorri felt sick to her stomach and called herself every type of fool.
Why did you push this? Why did you have to know right now?

"I like the idea" Max stunned her family by saying, unaware of Lord's turmoil. "I wish I could see where Josie is buried or even a picture of it. I'm glad we'll have something here." Not until Max was done did she realize that Ruth and Lorri were staring at her. She looked uncomfortable and apologized.

"No, don't be sorry, Max," her mother put in. "I'm glad I know how you feel."

"But I think I upset Lorri."

"Are you upset, Lorri?" Ruth asked.

"Yes, but not with Max. The whole idea just takes some getting used to." Lorri tried to say this without crying, but it didn't work. They didn't know the details. They didn't understand the way she had dug in the dirt for days, using a thin rock and her bare hands, in an effprt to give her sister a proper grave and one for Clarence Fuller as well. It all came flooding back to Lorri, and she buried her face in her hands and sobbed.

"I'm sorry, Raine. I'm sorry," Max said, arms around her and unable to stop her own tears. "I didn't mean to hurt you."

Lorri couldn't speak. She hugged Max, who looked so much like Josie, and tried not to remember. Dry of tears just now, Ruth

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had pulled her chair a little closer, waiting for the storm to pass. Handing tissues to the girls so they could wipe their faces, she spoke when they looked at her.

"Your grandfather had two conditions: that we wait for him and that we all agree. It doesn't matter how long it takes, but until we all agree on the best way to handle this, we won't do anything. Do you understand?"

Lorri and Max nodded.

"It won't be a fun time, but it doesn't have to be all painful. We can have a funeral service, casket and all, or just a memorial service with no casket, or something in between. It can be private or include the whole church family."

"The church family has been wonderful," Lorri said, thinking about the hugs and warm smiles she'd been getting the last two weeks.

"Yes, they have, and they loved Josie too "

"Would we really want to have a casket that had nothing in it?" Max asked.

"It could have some things in it, special things that remind us of Josie," Ruth answered.

"You can do that?"

"We can do anything we want."

"What does Grandpa want?" Lorri asked.

"He wasn't very specific, except about wanting a proper headstone*

Max looked at her sister. "Do you know what day Jo died?"

"Junel."

"That was three months ago yesterday," Max said. "It doesn't seem that long."

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"It's not for us," Ruth reminded her. "We didn't get the telegram about the plane being missing until the fifth. And even then we didn't have any details."

"What did the telegram say, Mother?"

"Just that your plane never arrived and there was a search going on."

"Did you assume we were lost?"

Ruth sighed. "I pictured all those miles of ocean and tried not to imagine your small plane in the water, but it wasn't easy."

"Clarence said the weather report Was for clear skies, and when a little rain started, he joked about not being able to trust anyone anymore." Lorri shook her head, still anjazed. She was back in that little plane. "There was no warning. We were suddenly in a downpour, lightning flashing all around us and the wind tossing us all over the sky.

"It felt like forever. Clarence had joked a little more, but then he was quiet. Josie felt sick with the motion, and I had a headache from my head being thrown against the window. I don't know how long the storm actually lasted, but at least an hour, maybe more. Clarence shouted at us to duck just as we crashed into the trees.

"The impact knocked me out. When I woke up, all was dark. There was a huge gash in the plane on Josie's side, and the rain was pouring in. Josie and Clarence wouldn't answer me, and I couldn't get my seatbelt undone." Lorri closed her eyes with the! memory.

Ruth took her hand. "Don't think about it anymore, okay? We don't have to know right now."I

Lorri looked into her mother's eyes.

"Do you ever think about yourself, Mother? Do you ever take care of yourself first?"

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"I

Ruth's smile was crooked.

"You know me, Lorri. I just don't want you to have to live it over again and again."

"I'll probably not have it all dear in my mind for months. I keep remembering things that happened. They were so vivid at the time, but then they completely slipped away."

Ruth reached up and cupped her cheek.

"I'm so glad you're home. I missed you so much."

"Josie and I talked about that. Neither one of us would have left if we'd known we would be gone for so long."

"Sometimes I feel cheated " Max admitted. "You and Jo were away for so many years, and I didn't get to see her again."