Besides the intolerable summer heat; the mosquitoes, flies, creepy and crawly insects that accompanied it, the oceans were a confounded mess of enemy and Allied ships. Much patience and diligence were required from the operators and technicians of the Radar Stations, especially when an influx of fishing vessels invaded the same waters. Clearly, the fact that a war was taking place did not deter them from making a living; “A man’s got to live, war or not!” The fishermen would mutter.
Exhausted from a difficult shift Peggy and Audrey walked slowly to Peggy’s quarters. The belting summer sun bounced off a Military Jeep parked outside Lt. Mrs. Simpson’s office. “Ooh, official visitors, interesting!” Audrey said without much enthusiasm.
Audrey kicked off her shoes and sat on the edge of the porch watching nothing in particular. Peggy came from her room barefoot and carried two enamel cups of cold juice. As Peggy exited her room, she noticed two official Military Police Officers walking in her direction. Lt. Mrs. Simpson was hot on their heels.
Audrey jumped up and slapped both her hands over her mouth preventing her from revealing the unwanted obvious. Audrey’s body stood frozen but her eyes, already wet, darted between Peggy and the Officers. Peggy stood and watched as they walked closer, their faces grim and serious. A loud clang shattered the stilled silence as Peggy dropped the two full cups of juice spraying the liquid contents everywhere.
Peggy inhaled a loud gasp of air; she raised her shaking hands to her face holding her cheeks as if they’d offer a different view. “NO, no, no,” Peggy screamed at the Officers now within stepping distance of her porch. “Go away, go away.” Audrey still stood frozen except her eyes.
“Sgt. Newsome.” The first Officer said.
Peggy shouted louder “No. Go away, go away.”
Lt. Mrs. Simpson stood beside the Officers now standing on the porch.
“Sgt. Newsome, I regret to inform you ..” “No. No. No.. shut-up shut-up.” Peggy screamed and covered her ears with her hands.
Audrey remained frozen other than her eyes; her hands still covered her mouth.
“I regret to inform that your husband ..” Peggy took a very large loud gasp of air and spluttered out her next words in an array of sobbing “No. Oh please no. Go away. Please no.” She begged, she pleaded and thrust herself against the first Officer pounding his chest “No. No. No.” She screamed and wailed.
The first Officer almost brought to tears himself, gently touch her shoulders “Your husband was killed …” Peggy screamed hysterically “No. No. no.”
“Audrey. Audrey.” Lt. Mrs. Simpson called out to Audrey who still stood frozen with her hands over her mouth and her eyes flooding tears. When Audrey never responded Lt. Mrs. Simpson shook her shoulders and shouted above Peggy’s hysterical cries, “Go and tell Frank to call Cpt. Vogel, he is at the Hangklip Station. Go now.” Lt. Mrs. Simpson ordered sternly.
Audrey ran as fast as she could to the Silversands Radar Station where Frank was on duty.
Lt. Mrs. Simpson reached for Peggy’s arms and gently persuaded her to release the first Officer and to sit on the couch. “No. No. NO.” Peggy’s anguish was beyond comprehension and reasoning. “Leave me alone.” She fobbed off Lt. Mrs. Simpson’s hands and her gesture.
“Sgt. Newsome, the plane your hus …”
“Shut-up, shut-up.” Peggy forcibly screamed at him punching him in the chest again and again.
The second Officer stood like a statue, silent and overwhelmed at Peggy’s anguish and grief. His lips quivered as he tried to remain rigid and formal and not feel the pain of this woman clinging to the first Officer.
Audrey returned and nodded at Lt. Mrs. Simpson; she tried to pry Peggy away from the first Officer, but Peggy fought her off. “No. no, leave me.” Audrey too distraught herself to pursue the battle slumped onto the couch burying her face in her hands and sobbing.
Lt. Mrs. Simpson continued the effort to get Peggy to remove herself from the first Officer. Strangely it was almost as if the Officer was clinging onto Peggy too; probably his blanket of defense against collapsing in remorse that he had to deliver such a message.
Cpt. Vogel bounded onto the porch and stared at the scene in front of him. He always bordered on the fringes of the friendship line with everyone at the barracks. Cpt. Vogel was always cautious to overstep the line between friends and rank, or between personal feelings and compassion. He took one look at Peggy and forewent any concerns of barrier lines. With one sweeping movement, he cradled Peggy into his arms and carried her to her bed. The first Officer staggered, and his chest vibrated as he relinquished his distress.
Frank dived onto the couch and swallowed Audrey in his arms burrowing his face in her neck and sobbing like a little boy lost.
Lt. Mrs. Simpson followed Cpt. Vogel and helped to lay Peggy on the bed. She fought them both, screamed at the first Officer to tell her he was lying and constantly called out Harvey’s name.
By now the porch was crowded with every resident, except those working, of both Silversands and Hangklip Barracks. They made a pathway for the doctor to get to Peggy’s room.
“Oh doctor thank you for coming so promptly, you have been informed of the situation I presume.” Lt. Mrs. Simpson said with a hint of relief.
The doctor nodded and immediately settled his black bag on the bed pulling out an injection and a little bottle filled with the relief Lt. Mrs. Simpson sought for Peggy. Peggy looked at the doctor, and he was the confirmation she did not want to receive. “Oh doctor no, no. Oh, my Harvey. I want my Harvey back doctor; please bring him back. Oh please, please. Please, I want my husband back. Harvey, oh no, no.” Peggy sobbed and sobbed, and there was nothing Cpt. Vogel could do other than hold her hand and fight with every inch of his might to be strong for Peggy’s sake and not break down which would surely not be of any consolation to her. Lt. Mrs. Simpson sat on the other end of the bed holding Peggy’s other hand finding herself in the same situation as Cpt. Vogel. They looked at each other and recognized the pain in one another’s eyes. They held strong for Peggy.
Peggy, while constantly calling painfully for Harvey, slowly fell into a restless, induced sleep.
Cpt. Vogel ordered everybody to the Rec. room immediately. He requested everyone to stand in a circle and join hands. Then he asked Cecil to say a prayer for Harvey’s soul, for Peggy and Harvey’s family. Cecil battled to formulate the words of comfort; it did not matter much as no one listened, they only tried to quiet their own heartaches.
Cpt. Vogel cleared his throat and swallowed several times, cleared his throat again, wiped his eyes; he took a shaky breath and then softly addressed the group of shocked mourners. “Lt. Harvey Newsome was returning to South Africa from New Zealand by plane. Flying over the Australian coast the plane was shot down by enemy ships. The plane crashed on the coast near Perth. Lt. Newsome, Harvey’s, parachute did not open.” Cpt. Vogel pushed the emotional lump in his throat down; it just bounced back up. He realized speaking further was not a possibility. He shook his head and looked down; his tears dripped from his chin falling like soft rain onto the floor. Frank and Cecil standing beside him put their arms around him, and in the next moment everyone huddled together, arms around each other and grieved for their great friend Lt. Harvey Newsome.