December 1963
The celebration was subdued in spite of the fact that Danny was home with his family.
He was happy to be spending two weeks at home in the sun and warmth of Hawaii because it was better than the cold and snow of Colorado where he was in the middle of his senior year at the United States Air Force Academy.
He had been in the top ten percent of his senior class of Pearl Harbor High School and given his Academy admission in the award presentation before the diplomas were given to the students from the Class of 1960.
His departure to the Academy that fall was the first time he left Hawaii for any extended period of time since he and Sarah came back from Tennessee in 1951. It was hard to say goodbye to his sister and brother Joseph, but saying goodbye to his parents was doubly difficult. He knew how proud of him they were because he achieved a lifelong dream to train to be an Air Force pilot like his father. But he also knew it was hard for them to watch him go.
The nation was still in shock and in mourning because the president had died the month before after being shot. President John Kennedy was only forty-six and Danny wondered at the time as he watched the funeral unfold on television what was going to happen.
He sat with his parents, his sister and brother in front of the tree on Christmas morning and opened presents. Bob Hope was on the radio as his show was broadcast from Vietnam where he was entertaining the troops. The United States was headed into another war and Danny knew that as the escalation of troops continued it was only a matter of time that he would have to join in the fray.
It wasn't something he gave much thought to when he entered the Academy but his dad felt the same way when he'd joined the Air Corps in 1939. He only wanted to fly.
His mother sighed as she stood up with her coffee cup in her hand and headed toward the kitchen. "It can't be much of a Christmas for Mrs. Kennedy or her children."
Danny looked at his father and for the first time noticed the gray which had crept into his sandy hair and suddenly he looked older.
"Your mama took it real hard." He said quietly. "I think it was harder than President Roosevelt dyin' because he was an old man worn down by a long war."
"And President Kennedy was the same age as you." Joseph observed.
"That he was son."
"Maybe she's thinking about you and how she almost lost you twice." Sarah added.
"It's not the same thing." Danny frowned at his sister.
His father looked at him and stood up. "No, it ain't the same thing Danny. But your sister has a point so I'd better go talk to your mama." And he walked to the kitchen.
"What was that about?" Danny asked his brother.
"Think about it." Joseph answered him. "The first time Dad was shot down Mama thought he was dead and the second time she was all alone here with me. I agree that it's not the same thing as what happened to Mrs. Kennedy, but she knows what it's like to be without her husband."
"It's too bad the bastard who killed him was killed himself. Now we'll never know why he did it." Danny said.
"You know what Gramps says; 'He'll have to answer to the Almighty for what he did.' " Sarah told them.
"You really think he'll be headed in that direction?" Joseph asked them. "If it were up to me, he'd be headed the other way."
"That's not for us to say Joseph." Their mother said as she and their father walked back into the living room.
"Yes, Ma'am." He said and Danny saw his brother's face flush.
They sat back down on the sofa and his father sighed. "What happened last month was a terrible thing. And as hard as it's been for all of us, we've got Danny home for two weeks. We don't get to see him the way we want to so I'd like it if we don't talk about this for the duration. Justice has been done, maybe not the way we would have liked but it's been done."
"Yes, Sir." Danny, Sarah and Joseph answered.
It seemed an eternity as the McCawley's sat and didn't talk. It was a hard thing to accept that the president was gone, but Dad was right and Danny decided to try and lighten the mood. "So what are the plans for later?" He asked to no one in particular.
His mother looked relieved at the question and smiled. "The same thing we do every year, Danny. Your godfather and his family will be coming over, Red and his family and Barbara and hers. Everyone brings something for potluck and leftovers go home."
"We do it that way so that your Mama won't feel like she has to spend her whole Christmas day in the kitchen." His dad added.
"Well, that's only fair Dad." Sarah smiled. "She always spends her Thanksgiving Day in the kitchen."
He grinned back at his only daughter. "Your mama don't spend all day in that kitchen by herself young lady. Someone has to keep an eye on that bird."
His mama laughed softly and looked at him. "I remember one Thanksgiving when you were just over a year old and Sarah was almost two months old. We were living in the other house and it was the first Thanksgiving where all the boys were home. Dad and I had everyone here for dinner and he and your godfather were in the kitchen making faces at you and your sister. And all the while he was supposed to be keeping an eye on the turkey."
"And as I recall, that bird turned out just fine."
She smiled. "Yes it did."
"You missed a lot of holidays, didn't you Dad?" Danny asked.
"I missed a few, but I always felt lucky that I was able to be home as much as I was. I had a few conversations with Mama about that and how so many of the boys were overseas and didn't get to come home at all. I always appreciated the fact that I could."
"I wonder if I'll be that lucky." He wondered out loud.
"Son, if you're lucky this thing in Vietnam will settle down soon and you won't have to find out." His dad answered him. "War ain't a pretty thing and I went through two of them."
"And I went through them with you, don't forget. I certainly don't want to watch my son go as well." His mother frowned.
"We may not have much to say about that Evelyn."
She nodded. "I know that Rafe, so we'll just have to wait and see what happens."
"Ain't much more we can do." He agreed.
"You're right about that."
"Well, ya'll it looks as though Santa was real good to us this year." Danny smiled at his father's mention of the Jolly Old Elf. "So now why not be good to your mama and pick up your cups and dishes and take them into the kitchen."
"Yes Sir." They answered and after picking up their dishes, walked into the kitchen. Danny directed his sister and brother to put them in the sink. He turned on the tap and began to wash them up. He felt it was the least he could do because he knew in spite of the potluck later that afternoon, Mama would be in the kitchen anyway.
"Danny." He turned to see Sarah motioning him toward the kitchen door.
He stood back with them and watched as his parents stood in front of the tree and held each other. He'd never really seen them kiss before and the passion of it surprised him. He knew that they loved each other but always thought that when people got to be their age, they didn't kiss like newlyweds.
But what did he know? His long distance relationship with Caroline Harris was rarely passionate when they were together and on those particular occasions, it was always on her terms. She'd never been to see him at the Academy and he'd never been invited to New York. She'd bolted for the Big Apple the day after graduation and except for the obligatory trips back to Hawaii to see her parents she didn't look back.
He had to admit that he didn't miss her much. But he chalked it up to his class schedule and flight training that didn't leave him much time for brooding. His academy classmate always gave him a hard time about the lack of mail from her but he didn't really notice that either because he got so much from home.
He supposed it should bother him but it didn't because he held no illusions about the kind of girl that Caroline was.
What did cross his mind on the rare occasion that he had some time to himself was his future with her. He didn't have any real idea of what her life was like in New York because she didn't tell him much in her rare letters. And while she'd never made any noise about ending their relationship, she'd never asked for an accounting of where they were going.
He shook himself out of his musing to touch his sister and brother on their shoulders and motion them back into the kitchen. "Come on you two, they don't need an audience." He said before he walked back to the sink to finish the dishes and give some more thought as to what he was going to do about Caroline.