If it weren’t for the activity in the seas that kept everyone on their toes day and night, Peggy might have gone crazy with her longing for Harvey. Often she would take another shift just to keep herself occupied. But for whatever reason, the activity in the seas calmed down for a few days and everyone, even Peggy relished the time to relax at the rock pools on the beach.
Peggy, Audrey, Dorothy and Maisy sat in their bathing suits upon towels on the high rocks above the rock pools. A heavy droning sound caught their attention, and everyone looked about to search for the cause. Jan was the first to spot the squadron of Kittyhawks coming into view from over the mountains. He shouted and pointed, and everyone focused in that direction with their heads bent up toward the sky. Peggy, Audrey, Dorothy and Maisy lifted their hands over their eyes shielding them from the sun as they watched the oncoming planes.
They flew very low, way lower than they had ever seen any plane fly before. Claude kept shouting that he could see the pilots they flew so low. All the ladies waved their hands wildly or flew their towels in the air in greetings. They shouted “Hello” knowing quite well that the pilots would never hear them; all the same, it felt terribly patriotic to do so. They counted sixteen Kittyhawks flying over them and into the distant skies above the ocean. The fly-by from the Kittyhawks caused such great excitement amongst all the operators and technicians. They had arrived in Cape Town from the United Kingdom a few months ago, and it was the first time any of them got to see them flying. They looked fiercely proud with their long noses and most had the nose-mount painted in a set of evil jaws. They flew so low the evil jaws could easily have scooped them up and swallowed them. Cpt. Vogel was immediately on the phone to HQ to enquire as to whether there was any danger and why were they flying so low? He was informed that they were of course not in any danger or under any form of attack. The Kittyhawks had arrived in Cape Town without any spare parts, and the pilots had been idling around since then. Just recently the parts had arrived, and so naturally, the pilots were eager to do what they did best - fly.
Cpt. Vogel relayed the message to all the operators and technicians, and for the next few days, everyone gave their two cents worth on what happened. Most of the men were highly disappointed that they were not in any form of danger; they felt the need for an episode of cloak and dagger at Silversands. The women, of course, felt the opposite. What they all agreed on was how magnificent and how powerful the planes looked flying in such a number and at such a low altitude. Audrey could not help herself thinking out loud about the pilots. How they were always the most sought after of all the military men and how dashingly handsome they were in uniform; much to Frank’s annoyance.
***
Peggy did not enjoy the loneliness of her room at the married officer’s quarters since Harvey had left. For most evenings when she wasn’t on a shift she spent it in the Rec. room either in Harvey’s chair in front of the fireplace or playing games with her friends. When she was alone in her room, she usually sat outside on the porch in her two seated couch and relished the evening spring air. She used, this time, to write to Harvey, as they had promised each other to write every day and mail the letters once a week. A light breeze wafted through the porch, and Peggy could almost sense Harvey sitting next to her. “I can feel you my darling; I know you sent me that breeze. Thank you.” She knew if she had told anyone what she had just told herself when she felt the breeze they would think she was crazy but not her closest friends. They would probably agree with her, but still, she thought it best to keep the moment to her and Harvey. She smiled and wrote her daily thoughts for her darling husband.
My dearest Harvey
It feels like an eternity since you left, but as such, it has only been one week.
How are you my darling? Have you arrived in New Zealand yet? I dare say that by the time you arrive in New Zealand, my letters will have arrived before you, wouldn’t that be a laugh.
There was much excitement at the barracks today, sixteen Kittyhawks flew over at a very low altitude and caused much concern. But we were assured that there was no danger. Claude is convinced he could see the pilots and Audrey annoyed Frank to no end at her delight of perhaps meeting a pilot. Oh, darling, they looked so impressive and commanding, I wished you were standing with me to witness it; you would’ve thoroughly admired them.
Cecil and Dorothy told me this morning that when the war is over, they want to go into the ministry and start a church in this area. Is that not fantastic?
God is truly working wonders here in this quaint town we live in, Desmond was baptized after Worship service, and then guess what he did? He proposed to Maisy! Yes, he got down on his knee in front of everyone and said "My girlie I’s love you. Please, you marries me." It was very funny but so terribly romantic at the same time. I think they will get married next month over Christmas.
Christmas, it is hard to think we will not be spending our first Christmas together. My heart truly aches for you my darling.
I am longing for your safe return into my arms where you belong.
I love you with all my heart.
God keep you near and true always.
Yours forever
Peggy
xxxx
She reread her letter and held it to her chest wishing it would transport her to her true love. Peggy leaned her head back against the sofa, the breeze tickling the skin of her face. “Good night my darling. I love you.” She kissed the letter, folded it, placed it into the envelope with the others and sealed it with her heart. She closed her eyes, wrapped her shawl around her shoulders and reminisced over every moment she and Harvey had spent together from the second they had met.
Soon Peggy fell into the depths of her slumber. She dreamt of Harvey; his face shone brightly in the sun’s rays as he walked towards her smiling, his China-blue eyes picturesque happy as he drew nearer to Peggy. He did not have his spectacles on, his face was magnificently handsome, and Peggy glowed at the sight of him. His steps quickened, he was almost running with his arms wide open reaching for Peggy; she too was rushing with her arms stretched out. Peggy’s hair bounced up and down and flopped about as she hurried to her soul-mate, her perfect gentleman. They were inches away from one another, their fingertips almost touching, in the next second Harvey’s desire to hold his beloved Peggy would be satisfied. But at that moment Harvey’s face grew dark and blank, dark rings surrounded his eyes and turned his China-blue eyes into a hideously yellow color. His smile changed downward, and he revealed an evil smirk of distasteful lust. His neatly styled hair went frizzy and wild then, with a deranged lurch, he grabbed Peggy dragging her to the shadows of the park out from the sun and the light. Peggy screamed hopelessly, but nothing could deter Harvey’s manic desire to ravage Peggy in the deathly shadows of Satan’s darkness. Peggy shouted and cried for help, but there was no one to hear her, no one to help her. No one would come. She begged and pleaded, and in a split second, he lost his grip on her arms that gave Peggy the chance to run. Her legs staggered exhausted and tired; she kept running, and he kept chasing her. The more she ran, the more he chased her, and the more horridly evil his features became. Peggy yelled out hysterically for someone to rescue her.
A light touch on her arm jolted Peggy out of her dream from hell. Dazed and confused she looked for Harvey; she looked for her perfect, gentle Harvey not the grotesque Harvey from her dream. When she did not find Harvey, she looked for whoever it was that touched her, and with no one in sight she familiarized herself with her surroundings sorting out her fuzzy head. She pulled her shawl back over her shoulders and felt a movement. She looked down at her upper arm. Her body froze, her heart drummed at twenty thousand beats to the second, she inhaled huge breaths of air to keep from fainting. A huge gray hairy monster of a spider sat on her shawl covering her arm. It moved an inch, and Peggy flew from the couch trying to throw the spider off at the same time, it hung perilously onto the shawl. Peggy still in her nightgown and slippers ran in no particular direction. She bolted into Lt. Mrs. Simpson’s office unannounced and stood unmoving not noticing the two visiting officers sitting in the chairs opposite Lt. Mrs. Simpson. The two officers and Lt. Mrs. Simpson jumped out of their chairs questioning Peggy. Peggy was rigid to the floor, her eyes glassy and freakishly wide. Her body was shuddering, not shaking or in a spat of shivers but shuddering from head to toe. She opened her mouth to speak; no words were forthcoming. She tried several times to express her situation but only “Sp.p.p.p.p....” escaped her. One of the officers reached to touch her, and Peggy screamed like a madwoman her body went from shuddering to vibrating. Her hand moved from its hold against her body to the back of her neck; she rubbed it, then began to scratch it; scratching the creepy, crawling, creepy, creepy crawling sensation running up and down her tendrils. The movement of her arm caused her shawl to fall to the ground with the spider hanging on for dear life. Lt. Mrs. Simpson took a giant step backward, and the two officers retreated a step or two. Peggy’s eyes caught the ugliest, specimen of a spider fighting to untangle itself from her shawl and hurled out a horrendous screech. Peggy’s screaming went on; her body shook violently, and she continuously tried to gouge away the crawling sensation from her neck and shoulders. Her gnawing and scratching at her neck were only a few seconds, but already she was drawing blood. “What must we do?” Begged one of the officers. Lt. Mrs. Simpson walked calmly up to Peggy, whose eyes were completely glazed up; she was not in control of her vision or actions. Peggy’s head flung to her left once then twice, and when she refocused she held her right cheek; it stung like a poisonous itch. “I’m sorry Sgt. Newsome, I had to hit you.” Lt. Mrs. Simpson said apologetically. “Come sit down, please.”
“Do .. Don’t touch me.” Peggy stuttered, her arms waving off Lt. Mrs. Simpsons gestures.
“I won’t dear, but please sit down before you faint.”
While Lt. Mrs. Simpson coaxed Peggy into sitting on a chair the two officers grabbed the dustbin and a ruler and shoved the shawl and the spider into the bin. It was never seen or heard of again, and the two officers were not telling as to what they did with the eight-legged monster.