Chapter 11
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It was July. Pearl Harbor was as hot as it had ever been. Sweltering really. Ella had stopped going to work, the heat was much too intense and she was unceasingly uncomfortable. The heat of the afternoon was upon them; Ella lay on a chaise on the porch, a glass of icy lemonade at her side. The only relief she got was from the soft breeze from the ocean. She heard Evelyn come in. She stood up the heat getting to her already,
"Hi guys!" she said trying to sound enthusiastic.
"Hi" came the very suppressed voice of Danny.
"Danny's tired, the heat is getting to them. Grace should fall asleep soon though."
"Okay, See ya Ev"
Ella decided the best option was to grab a blanket and head for the waves.
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Evelyn returned from work that after noon to find Ella, Danny and Grace all very wet. They had just come off the beach, soaked and sandy. Evelyn looked wistfully at her children, if only she had the time to play and be free like they did. She thanked Ella and left, hurrying home to her own sweltering house. ************************************************************************
Rafe returned home that evening to find his wife asleep on the porch, she had been napping often, the pregnancy and the heat getting to her. He gazed at her, thinking how lucky and truly blessed he was, Evelyn may have been his first love but now he realized she wasn't his only love. Ella sensing the presence of another stirred and awoke.
"Hi" she said sleepily
"Hi" Rafe replied with a soft smile.
"When did you get home?"
"Not long ago, ten minutes or so. Are you hungry?"
"Not really, you?"
"Nah not too much, Want to go into town have dinner there?"
"Okay, I'll eat as long as I don't have to cook, too hot to put that stove on."
"Okay" Rafe laughed at the disgusted sound in her voice when she spoke of cooking.
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Ella went upstairs and combed her hair, brushed her teeth and changed. She and Rafe left for the restaurant.
They arrived at the small brick building and parked in the small lot. As they entered the restaurant Rafe recognized a tall man with strawberry blonde hair. He wondered if it was who he thought it was. Ella got his attention when she questioned him
"Rafe? Do you know that man?"
"Actually Elle, he looks like an old friend of mine, from when I was here at Pearl all them years ago."
"So go say hello, if it isn't him he'll just think you were being polite."
Rafe walked over to the man and timidly said "Um Hello."
"My god it's Rafe McCawley." It had been who Rafe thought it was.
The two men brought each other into a tight embrace; after all it had been years. Ella sensing the sincerity of the two stayed at bay. When they broke apart she looked curiously to her husband who waved her over.
"Ella I want you to meet Red, a good friend of mine."
Ella approached the stranger and put out her hand, he took it shaking it vigorously.
"Red, this is my wife Ella."
"Elle this is Red, he was here too, Have you seen Danny Walker? " Rafe cut off.
Red joined Ella and Rafe for dinner that night and offered him one of their many guestrooms, an offer he graciously accepted. ************************************************************************
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It was July. Pearl Harbor was as hot as it had ever been. Sweltering really. Ella had stopped going to work, the heat was much too intense and she was unceasingly uncomfortable. The heat of the afternoon was upon them; Ella lay on a chaise on the porch, a glass of icy lemonade at her side. The only relief she got was from the soft breeze from the ocean. She heard Evelyn come in. She stood up the heat getting to her already,
"Hi guys!" she said trying to sound enthusiastic.
"Hi" came the very suppressed voice of Danny.
"Danny's tired, the heat is getting to them. Grace should fall asleep soon though."
"Okay, See ya Ev"
Ella decided the best option was to grab a blanket and head for the waves.
************************************************************************
Evelyn returned from work that after noon to find Ella, Danny and Grace all very wet. They had just come off the beach, soaked and sandy. Evelyn looked wistfully at her children, if only she had the time to play and be free like they did. She thanked Ella and left, hurrying home to her own sweltering house. ************************************************************************
Rafe returned home that evening to find his wife asleep on the porch, she had been napping often, the pregnancy and the heat getting to her. He gazed at her, thinking how lucky and truly blessed he was, Evelyn may have been his first love but now he realized she wasn't his only love. Ella sensing the presence of another stirred and awoke.
"Hi" she said sleepily
"Hi" Rafe replied with a soft smile.
"When did you get home?"
"Not long ago, ten minutes or so. Are you hungry?"
"Not really, you?"
"Nah not too much, Want to go into town have dinner there?"
"Okay, I'll eat as long as I don't have to cook, too hot to put that stove on."
"Okay" Rafe laughed at the disgusted sound in her voice when she spoke of cooking.
************************************************************************
Ella went upstairs and combed her hair, brushed her teeth and changed. She and Rafe left for the restaurant.
They arrived at the small brick building and parked in the small lot. As they entered the restaurant Rafe recognized a tall man with strawberry blonde hair. He wondered if it was who he thought it was. Ella got his attention when she questioned him
"Rafe? Do you know that man?"
"Actually Elle, he looks like an old friend of mine, from when I was here at Pearl all them years ago."
"So go say hello, if it isn't him he'll just think you were being polite."
Rafe walked over to the man and timidly said "Um Hello."
"My god it's Rafe McCawley." It had been who Rafe thought it was.
The two men brought each other into a tight embrace; after all it had been years. Ella sensing the sincerity of the two stayed at bay. When they broke apart she looked curiously to her husband who waved her over.
"Ella I want you to meet Red, a good friend of mine."
Ella approached the stranger and put out her hand, he took it shaking it vigorously.
"Red, this is my wife Ella."
"Elle this is Red, he was here too, Have you seen Danny Walker? " Rafe cut off.
Red joined Ella and Rafe for dinner that night and offered him one of their many guestrooms, an offer he graciously accepted. ************************************************************************