Evacuation Order (sequel to "Aquatic Ambassador")

I had heard about urban life back in the States from visiting tourists. Over the years, it sounded worse and worse. More crowded, more traffic, more crime, and more pollution. I don't know how they can stand it. Maybe that's why they try so hard to escape it, if only for a week or two.

Then again, I've spent my entire life on a tropical island devoid of crowds, traffic, crime, and pollution. It's about as close to the Biblical Eden as you're likely to find here on Earth. Why would anyone ever want to leave?

I was lying in my hammock one afternoon, enjoying the smell of salt in the air and the sense of peace. My skirt's hem gently rose and fell as the breeze blew over me. I gave up trying to keep my long blond hair away from my face. I should've braided it this morning, but I got lazy. It's easy to be lazy in paradise.

Through half-closed eyes, I could see a tall man wandering alone among the palm trees near the beach. He must've spotted me because he started walking straight toward me.

He must've been from the huge cruise ship that was anchored just outside the coral reefs. One arrived at this island about once a month. They were nothing more than floating hotels. Not like the sleek, beautiful ocean liners of my grandparents' generation.

From his appearance, he looked old enough to be my grandfather. He had short silver hair, dark eyes, an aloha shirt, pale green Bermuda shorts, and sandals. Oh, you tourists! Can't you ever wear anything that looks less blatantly touristy? Poor things.

“You're lucky, Miss,” he said.

“Indeed I am,” I said, closing my eyes again.

“We have to go back to our ship and eventually back to our urban life, and you get to stay here, doing whatever you want,” he went on.

“Why not jump ship?” I suggested. “What's forcing you to go when you obviously sound as if you'd rather stay?”

“I can't,” he said.

“Can't – or won't?” I asked. “There is a difference between them, you know.”

“It's not that easy,” he said.

I tried not to laugh. “It's easier than you think it is.”

“That depends,” he said. “Were you born here or did you move here?”

“Born and bred here,” I said. “My parents were immigrants from the West Coast of America. They'd had quite enough of it and wanted to live somewhere quieter and more peaceful. A place where they could have a baby who wouldn't have to suffer like they had.”

“And they could afford to leave it all behind and come here?” he asked.

I nodded. “They saved up, and when the time came, they left. Like a cat, they never looked back.”

“No regrets?” he asked.

“None,” I said, and opened my eyes again. “It's been a wonderful life here. Look – if you're that interested in island life, perhaps you could spend some time away from your fellow shipmates. See a side of the island that they'll never see. I don't have any plans.”

“I'd like that,” he said.

I opened my eyes, shading them with one hand. “How much time do you have before you have to be back on board?”

He checked his watch. “The last boarding is at midnight.”

You and Cinderella, I thought.

“Then you have plenty of time,” I said as I climbed out of my hammock. “That is if your wife doesn't mind.” I glanced at his hands but didn't see a wedding ring. Which proved nothing. He could've left it back in his cabin on the cruise ship.

“My wife died several years ago,” he said. “This was one of the islands we used to enjoy visiting when we went on cruises each winter.”

“I'm sorry to hear that,” I said, and I was sorry. I'd never married, but I remembered the sad looks on my father's face after my mother died. He never really stopped missing her and grieving until the day he also died. At least they were together again in heaven. “I think we could both use a distraction,” I said. “Are you up for a little bit of hiking?”

He nodded.

“By the way, my name is Gillian,” I said. “My friends call me Jill.”

“Nice to meet you, Jill,” he said. “My name's Simon.”

“Nice to meet you, Simon,” I said and gave him a friendly smile.

He smiled back.

----------

The island I lived on was basically five areas: the coral reefs that mostly surrounded it; the teardrop-shaped lagoon along the north coast; the solitary town was near the lagoon, roughly southeast of it; the jungle that covered most of the island; and then the mountains that towered along the west coast.

We were headed for the mountains but had to cross some of the jungle first.

As we walked along, Simon picked a hibiscus flower from one of the many hibiscus plants and gave it to me. I wondered if he'd done the same for his wife the first time they came here, years before I was born.

I put it in my hair, just above my right ear. “Thank you. I don't normally wear flowers in my hair.”

“It looks good on you,” he said.

I blushed a little. “And you are one smooth talker.”

Simon laughed softly. “My wife used to say that.”

“What was she like, if you don't mind me asking?” I asked.

“No, it's all right,” he said. “It's easier talking about her now than it was the first year after she died. She was much like you are. Tall, blond hair, blue eyes. Beautiful, lean, strong. If I didn't know any better, I would swear you were our daughter come back to us.” He glanced at me. Maybe a little afraid he'd said too much. He sighed, shrugged his shoulders, and went on. “We met at a beach barbecue in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. It was less crowded back in the early 1940s. I was there on leave before boarding a troopship for North Africa. She was there with some friends. They were all dressed casually, making me feel overdressed in my uniform.”

----------

They were sitting in a circle around a small bonfire. A small group of ladies relaxing together. Somehow, though, she got my attention more than her friends did. I tried not to stare.

“Hey, soldier!” she said and waved at me. “Why don't you join us?”

“If you don't mind?” I asked.

She shook her head. “You look like you could use some company. Shipping out soon?”

I nodded as I walked toward her and her friends. “Tomorrow.”

She looked sad. “That soon?”

“I'm afraid so,” I said.

They made room for me on the sand and I sat down between her and a redhead who reminded me of the actress, Gene Tierney. Introductions were exchanged and by the last one, it almost felt like we were old friends rather than being newly acquainted.

Lou Ann was the only dark-haired one. She was rather pretty and had a sort of gypsy look to her. I saw an acoustic guitar lying behind her. She saw me look at it, picked it up, and laid it in her lap.

“Got any favorites?” she asked me.

“Anything by Glenn Miller would be perfect,” I said.

We all listened as Lou Ann played “Moonlight Cocktail” followed by “When Fools Rush In”. She had a low voice for a woman and it accompanied her guitar-playing quite well. When she finished, we applauded. She thanked us and laid her guitar back on the sand again.

Donna, the blonde who'd first called to me, said “It's a shame you can't stay another day, Simon.”

“I wish I could,” I told her. “I'd love to spend some more time with you.”

She gave me a warm smile. “You are one smooth talker.”

“I meant it,” I said.

“Maybe after the war, then,” Donna said. “Look me up. I'll still be here in Myrtle Beach, waiting for you.”

“I definitely will,” I said.

We exchanged addresses so that we could write while I was on the other side of the Atlantic. She'd even spray a little of her favorite perfume on the envelopes. A reminder of her even though we were so far apart.

The army postman would take a big sniff each time and say, “Simon, I think this is another letter from your girlfriend. It sure smells good. Must be a beauty.”

“She sure is,” I'd say, and go back to my bunk to read each letter as privately as possible.

----------

“When did you get married?” I asked.

“Just after the war ended in Europe,” Simon said. “I was afraid I'd be shipped over to the Pacific, but instead I was transferred back Stateside. The first leave I got, I headed for Myrtle Beach as soon as I could. And Donna was waiting for me. It didn't take long for us to become more than just friends. The day before my leave ended, I knelt and asked her to marry me. For a moment she just stood there, dazed, and my heart hammered like crazy. Then she nodded and said, 'Yes'.”

“Sounds like the beginning of a wonderful life together,” I said.

“It sure was,” he said. I wasn't sure if he was going to cry. “It sure was.”

By now, we'd left the jungle behind and walked across a rope-and-wood footbridge. You could hear the river flowing by underneath us. Up ahead, were the mountains, all green and beautiful.

“This island never ceases to amaze me,” he said. “So much to explore and see. I can't imagine anyone living here ever getting bored.”

“It probably happens once in a blue moon,” I said. “We're only human, after all.”

“Where are we headed for?” Simon asked, looking ahead of us.

I pointed to a waterfall on the mountain nearest us. It looked small from here, like a thread of silver. “There's a trail that climbs up to the top of it. The view from there is amazing.”

“I can't wait,” he said.

----------

At the top of the waterfall, there was an observation deck. The wood under our feet and the railings were all dark and wet. You could feel the spray on your face and arms. From here, the town seemed tiny, dominated by a toy-boat-sized cruise ship.

“I wish I didn't have to go back to it,” Simon said softly.

“I did say you could jump ship,” I said. “I could hide you until the ship left.”

“That's very tempting,” he said.

“But not enough to motivate you?” I asked.

“I don't know yet,” Simon said. “Ask me again when we get back to your hammock. Right now I just want to enjoy being here. You've made this the best visit I've had here in a very long time.”

“What was it when you first arrived here with your wife?” I asked.

“It was different back then,” he said. “The baby boom hadn't yet happened. Ex-soldiers were taking advantage of the G.I. Bill. And they were testing nuclear weapons. Bombs as big as the ones that fell on Japan, and later, some even bigger. The biggest was actually tested by the Russians. The Tsar Bomba.”

“Didn't anyone worry about radioactive fallout?” I asked.

“We were much more innocent about it,” Simon said. “We even thought that dark glasses would be enough protection for your eyes if you watched a bomb test outside the blockhouse.”

“I guess it's a good thing that such tests are illegal now,” I said. “The test ban treaty was signed, after all.”

“They might be illegal,” he said, “but that probably won't stop anyone from finding a place to test one. They tested them at Bikini Atoll, Kwajalein, and Eniwetak. What would stop them from testing one here?”

“Because our island is still inhabited,” I said.

“For now,” Simon said. “But don't think the US government won't stoop to using eminent domain to get what they want.” He looked at me. “Just because I was a soldier doesn't mean that I always agreed with the US government. You might be thousands of miles away from Washington DC, but that doesn't mean they aren't aware of you, your fellow residents, and your island.”

I didn't say anything. It didn't seem real. We were so far away from the West Coast and even further away from Washington DC. What could they possibly do to us here?

“Maybe we should head back,” he suggested.

I nodded in agreement.

----------

We reached where my hammock at sunset. The sun at the end of the day had never looked so vivid to me before. It looked like it was setting both the sky and ocean on fire.

I remembered what Simon had said about the post-war bomb tests here in the Pacific. Entire islands evacuated so that incredibly powerful and destructive bombs could be tested.

“I think I've made my decision,” he said.

As he spoke, the postman arrived. Sometimes there was additional mail delivered several hours after the usual daily delivery time.

“Letter for you, Miss Yeager,” he said, handing an envelope to me. He nodded at me and then at Simon, and then left.

The envelope had a printed government return address in Washington DC.

“Don't you want to open it?” Simon asked me. “It could be important.”

My hands started shaking a little. “I have the unpleasant feeling that it is.”

“Would rather I opened it instead?” he asked.

“Please do,” I said and handed the envelope to him.

He didn't hesitate and opened it. He pulled out a single sheet of paper with a typed message on it and tried not to stare at what he read.

“Oh my God,” Simon said.

“Bad news?” I asked.

He nodded and handed me the sheet of paper. “Evacuation order. Not just for you, but for everyone on this island.”

I read the letter:

Dear Ms. Yeager,

We regret to inform you that you and your fellow islands must leave your island within the next two weeks. The US government will pay for your transport to whichever destination you wish to travel to, as well as your relocation expenses. It is unknown if you will ever be permitted to return to your island. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Sincerely,

Secretary of the Interior

“Did you know?” I asked Simon.

He shook his head. “I suspected that it might happen again. I didn't expect it to happen so soon. Surely the UN and the Atomic Energy Commission already know about it or they wouldn't have approved it.”

“Maybe they don't,” I said. “Maybe this is under their radar.”

“I'm so sorry, Jill,” he said quietly.

I tried not to cry. When you're a woman in her 40s, surely the urge to cry is less than it was when you were a child. I threw the letter away and cried anyway.

“It's not fair!” I complained. “We did nothing wrong! We were minding our own business!”

“I don't think you can file a lawsuit to block it from happening,” Simon said. “Not this sort of action. If the government is that determined, then they're going to get what they want.”

I looked at him. “What would you do, then? Just sit there and let it happen?”

He looked thoughtful. “You have to evacuate. There's no choice in the matter. But they said they would pay for it. Why not leave with me, on the cruise ship?”

“Even if they let me, where would I stay on the ship?” I asked.

“It's a double-berth cabin,” Simon said. “Two beds. I'll sleep in one, you can sleep in the other one.”

I looked around us, at the palm trees, at the beach, at the waves flowing in and out, and at the hammock.

“It's funny how I thought that you would be the one to decide whether to jump ship or not,” I said. “Now it feels like the shoe is on the other foot. I'm the one who has to decide.”

I wiped away the tears as best I could and sighed.

“All right,” I said. “I'll take your offer. But I don't know what I'll do once I get to the States. I've never been away from this island before. This is the only home I've ever known. And now they're just going to tear it away from all of us. As if it meant nothing to us.”

“Jill –” Simon said.

“I know, I know,” I said. “It's a waste of breath and energy. They'll get their island for their stupid bomb test or tests.” I sighed again. “You're welcome to come with me and help me pack. I won't be able to take everything with me, though. I'll take as much as I can.”

“I'll help,” he said. “I promise.”

“Thank you,” I said.

“I should be the one thanking you,” he said. “You showed me your beautiful island. I'll never forget it or your friendship and hospitality.”

I found the thrown-away letter and angrily stuffed it back in its envelope.

“When we return to the States, you're welcome to stay at my home until you find a place of your own,” Simon offered. “You won't be imposing on me. There's plenty of room for two people.”

“Offer accepted,” I said. “We'd better hurry. I don't want to miss the ship's departure.”