A Place to Stay (Part 2)

“Heading to sleep?” Diana presumed. “If there’s anything I could—.”

"Diana,” Jill interrupted, looking at her directly in the eyes. At the bottom of the staircase, she came closer, almost scaring away Diana’s newfound trust in her.  “Diana, listen to me.  You need to go.  Take yourself and your family and move west, away from the Resistance’s advance.”

“I…”

“Diana, I know you think they’ll be nice to you, but the Resistance isn’t as organized and disciplined as we are.  You know that yourself.  You told Eliza, and she knows that.  It’d take a stroke of luck for your husband to be anywhere nearby, and by the time they get in contact with him again, they’ll already have…”

“Have what?” Diana pressed on.  She was on the verge of tears, and Jill knew she had gone too far.  “H-have what?  Have what, have what!”

“Have…”  Jill struggled to find the right words so as to not worsen Diana’s distress.  She felt a lump in her throat, a lump of guilt blocking her from speaking any further.  She knew that after their brutal campaign thus far, the Resistance would only do the abhorrently worst to her and her family.  Unable to find appropriate euphemisms for all she had seen during her service, Jill simply looked at Diana with an austere face.

“No, God, no!” Diana cried, covering her eyes and turning away.  The baby upstairs began to cry once more, and Jill noticed Eliza peeking from the door, staring at her mother deeply sobbing.  When she herself noticed Jill looking at her, she hurriedly closed the door.  “No, it can’t happen!”

“But Diana, of course it can’t.  You just need to move west.  Diana?  Diana, what is the matter?”

“I-i-it’s not possible,” Diana sniffled.

“Diana, I…I can help.  I told you that I’m a truck driver.  I saw a car in your driveway.  It might not last as long as a sturdy truck, but it’ll last long enough.  Nearly all the roads on this side of the subcontinent are on my map.  We’ll get out of here in no time.”

“You’re…God, you’re too considerate, Jill.  Do you really mean it?  You’ll take us?”

“I can’t go on knowing that you and your family aren’t safe, not when I know that I could have done something about it.”

“And then what will happen?”

“And then…”  By now, the baby’s crying had grown painfully loud.  Diana looked at Jill again with red, swollen eyes and excused herself to her bedroom.  After taking a second to groan and beat herself up again, this time on how inconsiderate she was to keep the family anxious, Jill walked back up the stairs and knocked on Eliza’s bedroom door.  Eliza soon opened the door, her teddy bear Tom in a tighter embrace than before.  “Eliza, I’m sorry you had to see that.  May I come in?”

“It’s okay.  You can come in.”  Eliza stood out of the way and allowed Jill to enter her bedroom again.  She sat on the bed, and Jill knelt down beside her.  Her tea set was still on the floor, the imaginary tea left to cool.  “I’m sorry I was looking.”

“It’s fine.  I’m sorry I made your mother panic.”

“I don’t like it when my mom is scared.  She’s like that a lot sometimes.”

“Did you hear what we were talking about?”

“Not really.”

“I think you, your mother, your…”

“…brother…”

“…and your teddy bear Tom should leave home.”

“Leave home?  Why?”

“It’s safer.”

“Home isn’t safe anymore.”

“I…I know.”

“Do you want to come with us?”

“That’s what I want to do, but I’m not sure if your mother is okay with that.  I don’t even know if your mother wants to leave.”

“Thank you, Jill.  You’re the best friend ever.”  Eliza reached out with her arms, and Jill hugged her.  It was the warmest hug Jill had given in years; it was the warmest hug Jill had received in years.  “I’ll go wherever you go, as long as it’s safe.  We’ll go somewhere safe, right?”

“I have to ask your mother first like I said, Eliza, but if we can go, then yes.  Yes, we’ll go somewhere safe.  Of course we will.”

“Ahem,” Jill heard from the door.  She turned around to see Diana cradling the baby in her arms.  “I need to talk with Jill again, Eliza.  Now would be the best time to go to sleep.”

“Don’t forget to hug Tom tomorrow,” Eliza reminded Jill.

“I won’t,” she chuckled.  “Good night again.”

“Good night, Jill.  Good night, mom.”

“Sweet dreams, dearie,” Diana said, coming into the room to kiss Eliza’s forehead.  Jill then stood back up and followed Diana downstairs to the living room, closing the door on her way out.  They sat down on the sofa, where Diana softly hummed “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.”  When she was sure that the baby would remain asleep, she continued.

“Isn’t he so fragile?  He was born just days after his father left.  Maybe we can run away, but then what can we do?  How will we eat?  Where will we live?”

“Diana, I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s my fault for panicking, really.  I’m afraid that my outbursts are not just scaring Eliza but making her just like me.  Like mother, like daughter.”

“What’s your, um, your baby’s name?”

“His name is Tom.  I know, it’s the same name as Eliza’s teddy.  When I was thinking of his name, well, my husband wasn’t here.  Eliza thought of the name Tom, and I said it was a good name.  I don’t even know where she got it.  I bought her the teddy a couple weeks later, and by then, Eliza had so much love for her brother.  She named her teddy Tom.  She just can’t wait for him to become old enough to join us for tea time.  Yes, us.  Sometimes, she and I have actual tea, though not with her toy tea set, of course.  When will her father, my husband….  Oh, I shouldn’t keep thinking drearily.”

Jill then stood from her seat, and it was in that moment that Diana noticed her skirt, tucked into and worn over her trousers.  It was dull brown like the rest of her uniform and was more reminiscent of a cotton sack than a proper skirt.  Sticking her thumbs into the waist of her trousers, Jill untucked her skirt and stepped out of it.  She folded it along the midline and set it next to Diana, who gazed at her confusedly.

“It’s not a required piece of my uniform,” Jill explained.  “It might help me keep my legs warm when it gets windy, but Tom will need it more than I do out there.  You could treat it as a blanket.”

“Jill, I must ask you, really.  Why do you care about us so much?”

“I’m resigning from the Union, Diana.  I know, I should’ve told you earlier.  My resignation isn’t confirmed until I turn in my arms and uniform at a Union center that is, thankfully, near my hometown.  I’m out here on my feet because the Union won’t spare a vehicle for a random soldier when they need all they have to defend against the Resistance’s advance, and every civilian is fleeing.  I know what you must be thinking.  Why would I abandon a great cause, a fight for peace and stability all over this subcontinent?  It’s a good cause, but it’s not my fight anymore.  I made a mistake years ago when I joined the Union, Diana.  I didn’t know I would be so far away from my family.  Even now, I’m thinking more about how I left them than the fact that I am coming back to them.”

“So that is why, isn’t it?”

“Yes, that’s why.  I suppose that being here reminded me of who I left behind.”

“I don’t even know what my husband is doing out there for the Resistance.  I know the politics of all this are much more complicated than stability and instability, but I just don’t understand why he wants to help them.  Now look at me.  I’m a grown woman making outbursts in front of my daughter, making her just like me.  I keep my baby awake.  I can’t keep a job for a week, Jill.  Without my husband, I’m just a bothersome excuse for a mother.”

“Diana, you’re a great mother.  Maybe it’s just a little thing, but the fact that you somehow find the time to have tea with Eliza tells me that you try.  Nobody can blame you for this war and the circumstances we’re in, Diana.  And just look at how much she cares for her teddy and how much she cares for her brother.  She learned that compassion from you, Diana.”

“Thank you, Jill.  That…really means a lot to me.  As for your ‘mistake,’ I’m sure your family understands.  Don’t be so hard on yourself.”  Diana rose from her seat, leaving Jill’s gift on the sofa and rocking Tom as he began to stir.  “You’re a saint, Jill.  Tom will love his new blanket.  I’ll get it after I bring him to his crib.  You should catch some shut-eye right now yourself.”

“Of course.  If you don’t see me tomorrow, you’ll know I’ve already left.”  The two then stood there, looking at each other.  Jill could not bring herself to say good night, and she could not help but feel that Diana could not either.  To say good night would close the conversation, and Jill would have to leave in the morning along with her daring plan to bring the Feldams to safety.

“Give me a moment.”  Jill nodded and took a seat on the sofa again, and Diana slowly made her way back to her bedroom.  In the few minutes with which Jill was alone again, she pondered what Diana must have had to say.  What else was there for her to say?  Jill drew absolute certainty from her last shred of hope that Diana would agree to her plan.  It was denial from the very real possibility that Diana would simply thank her and bid her good night and good luck, a possibility that Jill forced into the back of her mind.  When Diana returned and sat next to her, Jill’s denial suddenly faltered, and tears pooled in her eyes.

“Please say yes,” she pleaded.

“Yes, Jill,” Diana agreed, clasping Jill’s hand from her lap.  “Yes, you can take us.”  Tears of joy and relief trickled from Jill’s eyes as she and Diana tightly hugged each other.

“I swear you’ll stay safe,” Jill promised.  “I swear, I swear you’ll stay safe.”

“I know.  I know.”

---

After bringing Tom his new blanket and checking Eliza to ensure she had fallen asleep, Diana returned to the living room to find Jill swiftly recuperated from an emotional rollercoaster.  She sat on the sofa with her helmet on her lap, eager to hear Diana’s word.

“Are you ready to start planning?” Diana asked her.  “I know you must be awfully tired.  We can wait until first thing in the morning.”

“You don’t have to worry about me.  I’m ready.”  Jill took her map out of a metal tube container and unrolled it on the table, holding it down with her helmet on one side and her anglehead flashlight on the other.  Diana stood behind her against the backrest, observing the map.  “We need a place to get to, first of all.  Do you have any ideas?”

“I heard what Eliza said earlier.  I’m on the very same page.  We’ll follow you wherever you go as long as it is safe.  You’re going back to your hometown, aren’t you?  Do you think they have any room left for us?”

“You just keep telling me all the things I want to hear.”  The two lightly laughed, taking care not to wake up the children.  Jill scanned the map and pointed at a city just miles off the west coast.  “That’s my hometown far into the west, far away from the war.  It’s a city, and I could imagine that life would be very different there than in a village.  Ah, the outskirts are less bustling, but I don’t know if there’s a place you could stay.  There is always somewhere in the heart of the city, I can tell you that much.  By somewhere, I mean a small apartment, probably no bigger than this living room.  Are you sure there’s nowhere else you could go?”

“No, unfortunately.  It’s been hard getting the phone numbers and addresses of friends and family.  It’s as if they move residence every few months.  The war really does make things unpredictable.  No worries, we’ll make do.  Now, when should we leave?”

“If the Resistance arrives tomorrow evening—again, the worst possible scenario—it’ll slow them down as they take the time to go through every building in the village.  As long as we leave by the late afternoon, we’ll be far away from them.”

“In that case, I think we should start collecting our things tonight, and we’ll pack everything into the car tomorrow morning.  You wouldn’t mind helping me, would you?”

“Not at all!”

After determining the car’s maximum load based on estimates, Jill and Diana worked into the night.  They measured every item they intended to carry, making hard decisions between essential supplies and prized possessions.  When the electricity would fail, Jill switched on her handy anglehead flashlight.  As Jill began to show signs of exhaustion, Diana urged her to go to sleep in preparation for the long trip.  By midnight, Diana finished the work that they began three hours ago, and she went to bed with her alarm clock set for six in the morning.

---

“Rise and shine!” Jill said, waking up Eliza.  “I hope you had a good sleep.”

“Good morning, Jill,” Eliza yawned.  “You’re still here!”

“I am!  Can you guess what we’ll be doing today?”

“Is it true?  Are we leaving home?  Are we going with you?”  Jill smiled and nodded, sending Eliza right out of bed in excitement, scurrying down the stairs and running out the front door.  Outside, her mother was packing their things into the car, and her brother sat in his baby carriage beside her.

“It’s true!” she exclaimed.  “We’re going, we’re going!  And Jill is going with us too!”

“Did you forget something?” Jill teased when she caught up with Eliza, hiding something behind her back.

“It’s my teddy Tom!”  Jill rolled her eyes and laughed, admitting to herself that Eliza would guess correctly any day.  Before giving it to Eliza, Jill gave the teddy bear a quick hug.  “It looks like you didn’t forget to give Tom a hug!”

“Of course I wouldn’t!”

“Jill, where are we going?”

“We’ll be going to my hometown.”

“We get to live with you too!”

“Oh gosh, Eliza, I’m afraid things won’t be like that!  But if we’re lucky, you’ll be living very close to me for a little while.”

“Are we going to be there forever?”

“Not forever, I don’t think.  It’s only for a little while.  When the war is over and everything is safe again, you can come back here.”  Eliza pouted.  “Don’t worry, Eliza, I’ll make sure to visit!”

“Okay!”

“Jill!” Diana called, unfastening her son Tom’s seatbelt and carrying him.  “Jill, can you fold the carriage and put it in the trunk?  That’s the last thing!”  Jill promptly ran over to pack in the carriage as the family situated themselves in the back seats.  When she was done, she hopped into the driver’s seat and started the engine.

“Alright, are we all ready?”  Jill turned to face the family.  “Say goodbye to your home while you still can!”

“I’ve already left a note for my husband, and I have left a note for the village head so that buffoon knows that the house is still ours,” Diana said, keeping Tom amused by tickling his chin.

“Bye!” Eliza said, waving at her house from behind the window.  She mimicked her teddy Tom’s voice and made him wave as well.  Only adding to the delight of the situation, baby Tom then copied his sister and waved his home goodbye with his small hand.

“I think we’re all set now, Jill!” Diana confirmed.  Shifting the car into reverse, Jill backed out of the driveway.  After navigating through the winding roads of the village, she entered the main highway, and the car was due west.

It was a car driven by a homebound soldier who went above and beyond the call of duty even in the final days of her service.  It was because of the longing for her own family that she would give this one a place to stay, somewhere for a tireless mother to rest more easily, somewhere for a young daughter to live more freely, somewhere for a baby boy to sleep more soundly.

It was a car driven by the love of a hero.