Nineteen

Imogene was in no mood for a movie. Of course she’d also be missing the Japanese travelogue and propaganda film that always preceded the show. A loss she did not regret.

She lay back on her cot in the empty dorm, locked her hands behind her head, and closed her eyes. Not to sleep but to ponder what her father had said. Why was she plagued with so many doubts when she’d been brought up by a man with such profound faith? Why did she always need concrete proof for everything, have to touch, see, smell everything, to believe it existed?

Some things couldn’t be seen or felt, and yet they were just as real. Those qualities Daddy had talked about, like love and generosity, kindness. She believed in those.

And if she did, didn’t the rest of what he’d said make sense? How else would they have known that Pedro, the foreman of their plantation, would be willing to sacrifice his life for theirs; or how the doctors here in the camp kept trying even without the supplies and equipment they needed; or about folks like Denice Diller, who’d found her purpose—God’s purpose—in working with the children? And Miss Goldie and Daddy, who, despite all they had suffered and lost, harbored no hate for the sinner, only the sin. And her sister, Becky. Especially Becky.

Grudgingly, she had to admit that through this experience, she might even have discovered a different Imogene. Perhaps a little less self-centered, with a bit more courage than she’d expected, and certainly more resourceful than the girl who had sailed into the harbor at Dumaguete.

Was that less than a year ago? It seemed a lifetime.

She thought of the island where she’d grown up and her plantation home. She remembered those last weeks surrounded by the beauty of the jungle. If she needed the proof of touch, sight, and smell, it was certainly there. What was it Miss Goldie had said? “It’s like waking in a cathedral.”

Maybe she was trying too hard to explain God. Maybe God was beyond what words could describe.

“Imo, Imo, wake up.”

“I’m awake.” Imogene opened her eyes to see her sister and Miss Goldie. “What’s the matter?”

Miss Goldie sat down on the cot next to her. “Denice Diller got sick in the middle of the movie. Fortunately, Gloria—”

“—who is a nurse, it seems,” Becky inserted.

“—was there to help her back to the dorm.”

“Gloria says it looks as if she has a case of the measles.” Becky clasped her hands over her stomach. “If that’s what it is, I’m really worried, Imo. If I were to catch them, it could seriously harm the baby.”

Imogene sat up. “Three children were missing from my music class today. Did you have any, Miss Goldie?” The two of them had started teaching at the camp school soon after they arrived.

“Come to think of it—Sofia Rose wasn’t there, nor was little Jack Bane.”

“Oh, Miss Goldie, I hope we’re not seeing the start of an epidemic,” Imogene said.

Becky’s eyes widened with concern.

“Now, girls,” Miss Goldie said. “We don’t know for sure that’s what it is. Let’s not think the worst just yet.”

Footsteps down the hall and shrill laughter signaled the return of their roommates.

With their usual teenage exuberance, Mavis and Maude raced into the room in midconversation and bounded onto Maude’s bed.

“Spare me that Deanna Durbin opera stuff,” Mavis said.

“Me, too. Give me ‘Chattanooga Choo Choo’ any day,” her sister replied.

“Stop bouncing on the cot, girls—you’ll break the legs,” said their mother, Betty.

Cluny strolled in a minute later and looked over at Imogene and Becky. “What are you two looking so glum about?”

“We think Denice Diller might have the measles,” Becky said.

“So?” Cluny plopped down on her cot and picked up the magazine lying open beside her.

“So it can be very dangerous for the baby if a pregnant woman gets the measles,” Imogene said, annoyed by Cluny’s nonchalance.

“Oh, yeah?” Cluny looked up from her magazine. “I didn’t know that. I’m sorry.” Her apology sounded genuine enough.

At that moment Gloria stuck her head in the room. “Bad news, ladies. Denice has a rash. I’m afraid it is the measles. Turns out hers isn’t the only case that’s been reported.” Gloria pointed her lighted cigarette at Becky. “You better be real careful, Lady. Well, gotta get back to my patient.”

“Even if it isn’t an epidemic, we’ve spent so much time with Denice, I’m sure I’ve been exposed,” Becky said.

“That doesn’t mean you’re going to get them.” What Imogene didn’t tell her sister was that she was hatching another plan. First thing in the morning, she would give Jimmy one more try.

❧

Jimmy happened to glance out his office window as Imogene came marching across the quad.

What was she doing?

He jumped up from his desk.

Was she crazy? What if the commandant happened to be looking out his window as Jimmy was?

Rushing out into the hall, he noticed, to his relief, that the commandant’s door was closed. He hurried out the front entrance as Imogene came barreling up the steps, head down, and bumped into him.

“Jimmy!”

“Are you crazy? What are you doing here, Imogene?” His voice was low and angry.

“Oh, Jimmy, something terrible has happened, and you’re the only one I can turn to. Becky—”

As she spoke, he took her by the arm and half-dragged, half-carried her around to the back of the building.

“What are you doing? Get your hands off me!”

He glared down at her. “You’re such a naive, impossible woman, Imogene. Do you know how dangerous it is for you to be here?”

She tried to pull away, but he wouldn’t let go.

“Do you?” They were nose to nose.

He could smell the sweetness of her, see the fine lines around the pupil of her eyes. Each curling lash was in his sights. It was hard to stay angry when he stood that close.

Imogene yanked free. She rubbed her arm as she spoke. “Please hear me out.”

He could see this was not easy on her pride. “Very well. But be quick about it.”

“There may be a measles epidemic. Some of the children have them, and last night Denice Diller came down with them.”

“I’m sorry to hear that, but what do you expect me to do about it?” Jimmy asked impatiently. “I’m not a doctor.” He just wanted Imogene out of there.

“I’m not finished. As you can probably tell, my sister is quite pregnant. If she were to get the measles, it could be very dangerous for her baby.”

“Imogene—”

“If you don’t believe me, ask your pal, Nurse Gloria.”

“Will you please keep your voice down?” Jimmy muttered. “And I don’t need to talk to Gloria. I believe you.”

“You’ve got to get Becky out of here, Jimmy.”

He could hear the desperation in her voice and see it in the reckless beauty of her violet eyes.

“I can’t, Imogene. Don’t you understand? I tried, and I can’t.”

“Then I’ll go to the commandant myself.”

Before she could make a move, Jimmy grabbed her arm again.

Imogene flinched, then struggled.

This time he wasn’t about to let her go. “You can’t do that.”

“I can, and I will. You leave me no other choice.”

“Imogene, I cannot tell you how dangerous that would be for you. Once you’re involved with this man, there’s no way to get away from him. You will endanger not only yourself but your entire family. He is ruthless. Do you understand me?”

She nodded.

She may have understood, but did she believe him? He couldn’t hold on to her like this forever. He took a deep breath. “Look. Give me a little bit of time. A day or two. Maybe I can come up with something.”

“You have to.”

“I know.”

She let out a great breath of air, as if she’d been holding strong for as long as she could, and now all the strength poured out of her with that one long breath. She sagged against him.

He wrapped his arms around her, felt her softness—but for no more than a heartbeat.

He pushed her away. “I’ll get word to you through Gloria. Now go! And avoid the quad. The commandant’s office overlooks it, too. If he’d seen you, he might have been out here, not me.”

He didn’t wait for her response. He couldn’t bear to be near her another minute, to see the anguish in her eyes or smell her fragrance or be near enough to touch her and not do so.

There was just so much a person could take.

He turned and bounded up the steps without looking back.