Chapter 2: The Plane Tragedy

As Evy woke up day after day she couldn't help but remember what Rick had said. He would be back in 6-7 days. She wondered why it was going to take so long. After 2 days Jonathan came home in a sling and had his medal on his uniform. Jenny couldn't have been happier but Evy, although glad he was home, really wanted Rick to be with her. Jonathan knew that Rick was going to be delayed and wouldn't be home for at least another 5 days. He hadn't called or let Evy know that he was alright. She was getting worried that something had happened to him on his way to California but was trying to look on the good side of things, Rick would be home in another 5 days and that's all she need to know to make her happy again. On the fourth day, news came to Evy that was to her dismay the worst news ever.

"Over Hawaii today, a Plane crashed into the ocean carrying 47 American soldiers who were suppose to be coming home to their families. The Plane was hit by an anti-aircraft missile before it landed at the island of Oahu. So far no survivors were reported found and officials are saying there is no chance of finding any. The majority of the wreck has sank to the ocean floor." After hearing all this from the reporter, Evy wanted to cry. The only thing that was keeping her from crying was the thought that it was another play and Rick wasn't on it.

3 days after the crash, Evy couldn't believe it. There had been 4 more Plane crashes and Evy was losing hope that Rick would make it home with out a wooden box. Jenny was also starting to get nervous about it. She was starting to think that her brother was at the bottom of an ocean or in a mangled, burned Plane wreck. Then the door bell rang and the only one that felt like answering it was Jonathan. Jonathan had an emotional moment with his sister, not that he was crying over Rick or anything, but he was comforting her when Jenny was away on business. He did, however, hope that Rick would make it home soon. He told Jenny the night before that he couldn't deal with all the emotion that his sister was laying on him. As he opened the door he started to believe that there was a god and he had brought Rick back to the door of his house alive.

"Oh thank god you're here. I'm glad your alive! Evy's been all emotional ever since she heard about the 5 Plane crashes that have been happening since the war." Jonathan gave Rick a firm hand shake with his good arm, he was still a little sore from being shot.

"I don't want you to tell Evy that I'm here. I want to surprise her for our anniversary."

"What are you talking about? You just got married over 7 days ago, you don't have an anniversary."

"Not all anniversaries are about marriage, Jonathan. It's our 1 year anniversary since we met. I'm going to be taking her out to the restaurant where we had our first dinner tonight."

"You mean London Café?" said a voice from behind him. He knew the voice and missed it every day since he left.

"I guess my surprise is ruined now. Hi my beautiful wife." Rick walked to Evy and kissed her for at least 30 minutes before pulling away.

"Wow. I have been longing for that for a long time now. I was so worried that your Plane was one that had fallen from all this war and anti-aircraft rounds but some how I knew you would come back to me alive." Evy kissed Rick again but pulled away and stood there in his arms. She wanted to stay there for the rest of her life.

"So do you want to go to the café or would your rather stay home for our anniversary?"

"I want more than anything to just stand here but if I had to choose between café and staying home I would have to say stay home. I know it's our anniversary but you've been gone for so long I don't know what it's like to sit beside you watching T.V."

"I'm ok with that if you want to stay home. It would be a good change of pace for me after all that flying and the walking through Korea that I did. By the way I brought something home for each of you." Rick pulled out his sack and opened it to retrieve various object that he had bought in Korea. He gave Jenny a Korean made dress that had a golden flower sown in the stomach area. Jonathan received a gold box that Rick had stolen from an enemy camp to return to a village but the Elder of the village refused to take it back because Rick had done so much to get it back from the enemy that the Elder gave it to him for his bravery. Evy was given the most expensive gift of all. It was a necklace made from 24k. gold and a pendent that had a Korean inscription on it with a diamond in the center. The inscription, translated into English, said "love is forever".

After everyone had received their gift from Rick and had thanked him, Jenny pulled Jonathan away to give Rick and Evy some time alone.

"How was Korea? I know it must have been pretty bad, what with getting shot at and all but when you were out in the villages." Evy asked trying to bring a good subject up.

"Korea is a nice place if you don't make anyone mad. Half the villages that we went to had people that kicked us out because we were American and they didn't want anyone to know that they had Americans in their camp. Most because they didn't want to get shot or killed for it." Rick wasn't really in the mood to talk about Korea. He wanted to talk about how Evy did without him but the subject never came up.

"Did you know anyone that were in the Plane crashes in the Pacific?" Evy knew this was a bold move seeing that if he had know them she was probably bringing up bad memories.

"Of course I knew some of them. Most of them were American and were in my battalion. There was this 18 year old guy that I got along with easily because he had a good since of humor but when I found out that he was on the 2nd Plane that had crashed I told them that I wanted to tell his folks about it because he was like a brother to me."

"I'm so sorry Rick. I didn't know you knew anybody. I thought that they had all of you scattered everywhere around Korea. I hope you…" Evy was cut off when Rick kissed her. This is all he wanted. He wanted to sit there on the couch and make out with his wife. He kissed her for 5 minutes before she pulled away and got up. She smiled and pulled him up from the couch and led him to their bed room.