I lived in the last Quonset hut on the road, across from the Enlisted Men's Club, next to the pool. It was a small, but comfortable, three bedroom house. Outside the front door were several banana trees from which I could get fresh bananas almost anytime I wanted. Out the back door was a large canyon that the Navy used as an ammunition dump. The front yard was large enough for several youngsters to play freely. The back yard was nothing more than a dirt circular driveway. Very little traffic passed the· house, so the yard was not fenced. Behind the pool was a large field that gave us another place to play.
Next door lived the most fantastic nine-year old girl. She had long flowing brown hair that swirled around an oval face out of which peered robin egg blue eyes. I was also nine years old and very much in love with Elaine. We shared many wonderful moments in our fortress made from old cardboard refrigerator cartons, discussing our future together. Of course neither of us thought for a moment that we were too young to be thinking about such things. We played together for hours. Down the block and around the corner lived another of my friends. Jimmy was a small boy with a serious nature. He had a hard time finding fun in anything. His one passion was swimming. He could swim all day long and never tire. He swam. He dove. He swam again. Living in Hawaii, near a swimming pool was great for him. The one day a week the pool was closed for cleaning, Jimmy would moped around like he lost his best friend, which of course, he hadn’t. I was his best friend. The four of us, Jimmy, Elaine, Randy and I would go almost everywhere together.
Surrounding the base were sugar cane fields. They were prime areas for adventuresome nine-year old kids to explore. Naturally, we did just that. We would romp through the cane fields without worrying about the possible dangers. When the cane fields were ready to be harvested, they are burned to remove leaves and to kill rodents or spiders living in the plants. Sugar cane is also irrigated using wide, deep canals. When the water gates are opened, water gushes in a torrent into the canals, sweeping away anything that is in its path.
One day the three of us, Jimmy, Elaine and I were going about our usual business of exploring the fields. Of course, we hadn’t told our parents where we were going. We were not supposed to go into the fields. Suddenly I fell into a canal with a splat! There was very little water in the canal. I was fortunate that I was not seriously hurt. Just my pride was a little shaken. Jimmy and Elaine came running to see what had happened. They shrieked with laughter when they saw me sprawled in the canal.
"Very funny," I said pouting. "I could have been killed!"
"Yea, but you weren’t," Elaine giggled. "You look funny with your rear-end sticking in the air."
"SHHH! Listen! What-s that noise?" asked Jimmy.
The deafening roar of onrushing water filled our terrified ears. Someone had opened the flood gates. They didn't know that we were there. I was in big trouble. Suddenly the full force of the water hit me, knocking me down. I was washed away from Jimmy and Elaine so quickly they could do nothing but watch. They ran along the bank, screaming and yelling at me. I heard nothing except rushing water. I was bobbing up and down like a cork, gasping for breath, when something snagged my shirt. I thought I was done for this time. Whatever it was that snagged my shirt was also causing me to stay under water. Struggling to free myself, I reached behind my head. I felt a hand! A strong, firm hand had caught hold of me. I realized that he was struggling to pull me to him. I stopped wiggling. That made it easier for him to haul me out of the water. Sputtering and spitting water, I peered through the water in my eyes, fearing whom I might see. It was Sam! He knew that the field was going to be harvested soon and had come to retrieve his mongoose traps. He heard Jimmy and Elaine and guessed that someone was in trouble. He came to my rescue. Boy! I was glad to see him!
"Now, Mike, what have you gotten yourself into this time?" Sam asked seriously.
I still hadn't recovered enough to answer, so I just sputtered.
Just then Jimmy and Elaine came running up to us. They were winded from the running and frightened so badly they couldn't answer either. They were relieved to see that I was all right.
"Do you realize what could have happened here? You could have all been drowned. Never play in the irrigation canals."
"But, Sam, we weren't playing in the canals. I slipped and fell. Before I could get out, someone opened the flood gates."
"What were you doing in the sugar cane anyway?" Sam asked.
"We were playing war and running through the fields to escape the enemy," Jimmy answered.
"War is not something that you should be playing. War is serious business with people being killed, property being destroyed, families separated."
"We know that, Sam. We didn't mean any harm. We just wanted to have some fun," Jimmy said.
Turning to Elaine, Sam asked, "Well, young lady, what do you have to say for yourself?"
Elaine was staring in wide-eyed wonder at Sam. She had not met him before this. Sam could be scary the first time you saw him. She finally came to her senses enough to say:
"Hi."
"You have to forget about Elaine," Jimmy said. "She's just a girl."
"A mighty pretty little thing though," Sam said. "Let me tell you a story about the time that I was nearly burned in the sugar cane fields.
Boy! Sam did have his stories!
"As you know, just before harvest time, they set fire to the fields. I trap mongooses and anything else I can catch for food in the fields. I heard about a harvest that was going to take place the next day, so I went out to retrieve my traps. I felt I had plenty of time because the fires were not to be set until the next day. It was hot that day. The sun blazed unmercifully down on my head. The irrigation canal looked inviting with its cool water flowing lazily along. I decided to take a dip to cool off. That was almost a fatal mistake!
"I took off my shirt and pants. No one else was around so I didn't have to worry about being properly dressed. I eased down into the refreshing water and just sat there with the water gently swirling around my chin. I must have dozed off. The next thing I knew It was extremely hot. I felt like I was in a blast furnace. There was no water around me at all. The sun was slowly roasting my skin. It is a good thing that I was used to the sun or I may have been fried alive. Someone must have closed the flood gates. “Sluggishly I climbed out of the canal and started to walk to where I had my traps set.
Suddenly I caught the scent of burning leaves. I was in real danger now. They came a day early to clear the field. The fires are set on all four sides and allowed to burn inward toward each other. That way the fires can be controlled more easily. Since I was in the middle of this field, I knew there was no way out.
"The flames were closing in on me. I could feel the heat intensify. I had to find some way to stay alive. The irrigation canals looked inviting because they were deep and had a little water in them. I had to decide quickly. I jumped down into the canal and got as low as I could, so the water covered most of my body. There was nothing else I could do except wait.
"After what seemed like hours, the heat slowly lessened. I peered over the edge of the canal. Most of the flames were out, but the embers of the fires were still glowing in the twilight. If I tried to make it out now, I could still be burned. I made myself as comfortable as I could to wait until morning. In the morning it would be safe to leave.
"Or so I thought. A little while later, I felt the ground tremble like an earthquake. Then I heard the rumble of the cane harvesters rolling along to pick up the still smoldering cane. Pretty soon there would be workers following on foot. If they found me, I would be in trouble for trespassing, which by the way, we are doing right now. I had to make a break for it. Since it was dark by now, I didn't know which way to go. I got up and started to run. I ran blindly until I cleared the field. Once on the highway, traveling was easier but I was still shaken by almost being caught."
"Are you a criminal or something?" blurted Elaine. She regained her voice at the most inopportune time. She looked like she was ready to run.
"No, Little Darlin', I'm not a criminal or fugitive or alien. I prefer to be alone. If someone found out about me, the authorities would try to put me in a home for the old or something. I'm not ready to give up my freedom." Sam answered.
"Sam, what do you do? I mean, do you have a job or something?" I asked.
"Do you remember when I caught you and Randy at the hospital? I told you that I had been in the Navy during the war. When the war was over, I left the Navy and had several jobs. I just couldn't find one that I liked well enough to stick with it. The last job I had was in construction. I am a pretty good carpenter. The foreman didn't like the way I put up a wall and we had a fight. I beat him up pretty good. Last I heard, he was looking for me to even with me. I stay out of the way and away from people as much as I can.
It was getting pretty late by now. Jimmy, Elaine and I had to get home for dinner. We slowly walked back toward the gate. The guards at the gate let us in with no trouble because they knew us so well. I didn't know that our time together was short. When I got home, Mom told me to get ready for dinner. We sat down to eat and Dad said he had an announcement.
"As you know, we are on a base that is part of three ammunition dumps. I have been transferred to one of the other ones," he said.
Mom said, "That's wonderful! Which one are we going to?"
Dad said, "We are going to Westloch. It's part of Pearl Harbor. We will be living right on the bay."
Mom, Dad and my brother were very excited by the prospect of a new house, new friends, and fishing nearby. Supposedly this was a promotion for Dad. All I could think of was losing the friends I had here. It just wasn't fair. Why didn't they think of me and my feelings? I sat there sullenly and played with my food.
"Don't you feel well, Mike?" Mom asked.
"No, I don't. It's not fair. I don't want to go. I'll lose all my friends. I don't know anyone there."
"You'll do fine. You will find new friends," Dad said.
I was devastated. After dinner, I went to find Jimmy and Elaine to break the news to them. To my surprise, they were happy for me.
"Just think, you’ll be able to fish anytime you want. I wonder if you can swim in the bay," pondered Jimmy.
"Well, I'm glad for you," Elaine said. "Daddy said we would be going back to the mainland soon anyway."
So, we parted company, never to see each other again, I moved to Westloch, Elaine and Jimmy went back to the mainland.