The Day It Happened

The Day it Happened

           Lisandra Bergey

     October 30th, 1938

The day it happened, Tony Zambelli was spending another unsuccessful Sunday night trying to get somewhere with Victoria Carlson down at Love’s Cove along California coastline. After kissing for several minutes, Victoria wriggled to sit up a little straighter. She smoothed the skirt Tony came nowhere close to shuffling and check the perfectly buttoned blouse. Tony sighed and clasped her hand. “You know, the preacher made a good point. Jesus may be coming back any day. We may not be here tomorrow.”

Victoria smiled and gave him a gentle push toward the driver s side door. “Then I want Him to know that did things right.” She took a swig of his beer and brushed her hair. “Most things anyway,” she winked and reapplied her lipstick. Tony shook his head with a smirk and turned on the radio, adjusting stations.

At the sound of big band orchestra, Victoria felt an inspiration. “Let’s dance by the shore,” she suggested, hopping out of the seat.

Tony shook his head again as Victoria opened the driver side door and tried to coax him out. She didn’t have to try hard.

He put his hand on the ignition when the first news bulletin came in. “Hang on.” Tony turned up the radio. Victoria rushed to the other side and climbed into passenger side. Interspersed with the orchestra were reports of explosions on mars and a report from a certain Dr. Pearson in New Jersey.

A reporter was on location in Grover's Mill, New Jersey. On a farm, a meteor or some cylinder object had fallen from the sky, creating a crater.

“Grover's Mill? That’s not far from my aunt and uncle’s farm,” Victoria said with a slight nerve to her voice.

Static interfered with the signal, but it sounded like something had reportedly crawled out of the crater. The field reporter’s interview cut out after a scream.

“What the heck?” Tony said, half amused. The radio cut briefly to orchestra music and back again. More static. Tony got under the dash to fix some wires. The sound cut out for a couple of minutes. When it came on, the voice of the announcer was grave. Forty people were dead in Grover's Mill and Marshall law had been declared.

“We’re already in the Cold War,” Victoria said with her face in serious contemplation. “Japan went to war with China. Japan and the US relations are tense. Now it’s ‘war with the Martians.’ Do you think we’ll go to war with Hitler too?”

“Hitler is Europe’s problem.”

“You wouldn’t sign up would you?”

“Why would I miss a second with you?” Tony smiled and played with a loose curl of her hair.

“I’m serious,” Victoria said. “FDR’s been saying we might want to prepare for war. Promise me you won’t sign up.”

“I promise. I won’t sign up.”

Tony pulled out of the ocean side parking lot and drove down the highway. Victoria sighed and fidgeted from the passenger seat. Tony tried readjusting the signal. By the time they got midway down the highway, the story had reached ridiculous proportions before Orson Welles broke in with a station call number and reminded listeners of the Mercury Theater's War of the Worlds broadcast. By the time they reached the driveway, regular news updates and music returned to the airwaves.

“Your family is safe from the Martians at least,” Tony said as they parked in her driveway. He walked Victoria to the door.

“Goodnight Tony. I love you,” Victoria said.

“I love you,” Tony responded, a little worried about how affected she was by silly program.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

While the major newspaper headlines the next day alleged that Orson Welles had incited mass panic and hysteria, Victoria was still contemplating.

“What if it had been the end of the world after all?” she asked.

“It’s like your dad says, a better kingdom is waiting,” Tony said as they held hands and walked down the neighborhood street. They parted to let a group of trick-or-treaters pass. By the time they were standing in his yard, Victoria spoke again.

“True, but between all this and senior year, I’ve been thinking about us.”

“And?”

“And?” Victoria demanded. “Well, what kind of future do we have?”

“We have the fall dance in a few hours, unless you want to skip it and go back to the ocean side. I’d be fine with that. I’ll dance with you on the shore all night if you want,” Tony said.

“And after that? I mean, okay, the Martians were ridiculous but life is short, ya know?”

“Well we may have differing ideas. You never really let me find out what happens after that, Victoria.”

“Are you going to marry me or not?” she demanded.

“You askin’? I always wanted to do that someday."

“You’re impossible! I’m trying to be serious about our future.” Victoria turned the opposite direction and stomped down the sidewalk to her house.

Around midnight, Victoria heard a tap on her bedroom window. She turned on the light, put on a robe and rubbed her eyes as she went to investigate.

Tony had climbed up the tree. He was sitting on the roof outside the window.

“What are you doing?” she whispered.

Tony took her hand and led her onto the roof. He’d spread out a blanket and a small picnic. “A moonlight proposal. I’m the one who’s supposed to ask, remember? You kinda stormed off without hearing me.”

“I must be dreaming,” Victoria said.

“Victoria, I thought of what you said. I can’t imagine any future that doesn’t include you. So do you want to marry me after graduation or what?” He opened a tiny box and pulled out a ring. “My mom was holding on to this for the day I proposed. My grandmother gave it to her. It was her engagement ring.”

“Yes!” she exclaimed as the ring slipped onto her finger.

“Here’s our future,” he said as they snuggled together staring at the moon. “I’m already helping to run the family mechanic business and gas station my dad left me. My uncle is giving me the other half when I graduate and he’s going to Florida. You are going to be the best teacher any kid ever had.”

“Including kids of our own someday,” Victoria said. “I mean someone has to inherit the family business when we’re old.”

“That’s right.”

“I already know what house we should get…”

________________________________________________________________________________

Two years after it didn’t happen, Victoria and Tony were back in their favorite diner. Everything that was anything to them happened here, in this booth. The day Victoria found out she had a crush on Tony. The day she found out he had a crush on her. The day that the he asked her to go steady. The celebration dinner with their families day they got engaged. The day they came back from their honeymoon. The days they came for something to eat because they were remodeling the house to feel more like home and they didn’t have a kitchen, And today, sitting in her usual spot, Victoria twisted the straw in the soda hoping that the bubbles would calm her stomach. Some it was the baby, most of it was the nerves she had trying to tell him.

“Feeling any better?” Tony asked.

“Not really. It will though,” Victoria said, taking his hand.

“I think I know what it is.”

“You do?” Victoria began to relax a little. Of course he’d know. He knew her better than anybody. They’d wanted kids forever, so what made her so nervous? She smiled. “So you know I went to the doctor today?”

Tony evidently didn’t hear her, at least at first. “Yeah, you must have talked to grace and known that Harry and I signed up,” Tony said, giving her hand a squeeze. “No wonder your stomach’s all in knots. But it’s going to be okay, Victoria.”

Before she could stop herself, the soda was splashing across Tony’s face and the glass was thudding on the table. While Tony sat in dumbfounded shock for a second, Victoria’s nerves spilled over. “YOU JERK! YOU PROMISED ME!”

“What’s with you? What do you mean you went to the doctor?” Tony demanded.

Victoria stormed out of diner and slammed the door with so much force that the bell clanged to the floor.

Old man Grover tossed Tony a towel. “Go talk to her,” he said with a sympathetic glance. “It’s on the house. And don’t worry about the bell.”

Victoria meanwhile stormed down the street. Catching a patriotic poster of FDR in her eye, she stopped. “I thought we weren’t going to war! What gives?!” she fumed. She took off a shoe and threw it at the poster. The hole wasn’t enough so she yanked it off the wall. The fury didn’t cool, so wadded it up and tossed it into a trash can, then she kicked the can. She grabbed her shoe, then slumped onto a bench and started to sob.

“He had it comin’” Tony said. He knelt in front of her and wiped a tear off of her cheek.

Victoria brushed him off. “Don’t you dare,” she snapped. “You always said you’d never sign up or at least we’d talk about it if you thought you’d wanna go. You promised me!”

“Victoria, I had to sign up.”

“What are you talking about?”

“It’s a draft, Victoria. I had no choice. You were right a long time ago. Things between the US and Japan keep going from bad to worse. They’re saying we need to be ready,” he said softly. “Come on, do you think I wanted to leave you? And I’m guessing by what you said, the baby?”

Victoria sighed and started to cry. “Yes, Tony. The baby and I both need you here.” She melted into his embrace.

“The baby,” he repeated with a happy laugh.

Victoria’s anger moved to happiness then embarrassment. “I’m sorry tony.”

“Hey, it’s gonna be fine,” he assured her. He helped her put the shoe on and stand up. He hugged her and kissed the top of her head as they strolled back to the car. “Who knows? Maybe I won’t even have to go.”

_____________________________________________________________________________________

“Thanks for stopping by,” Victoria greeted cheerfully. “Ya’ll remember us on your way back through, and be sure to tell your friends and family about Tony if you need a mechanic.

Tony stood in the door frame of his office smiling at her. “Come in here for a sec.”

“What do you need?” Victoria inquired following him.

“I’m really proud of you, you know? You’re a natural.”

“I’m glad. This business is really important to us.”          

“Yeah it is,” Tony said, pulling in a chair for her. “I want you to learn more about the business side, how to run the place.”

“No,” Victoria said quickly.

“What do you mean ‘no?’”

“A wife shouldn’t get involved in her husband’s business. It’s not my place. It’s yours. Your work, your business. I stopped teaching so I could stay home with our baby and help you when I could.”

“What are you talking about? Where did you get that idea or lousy marital advice?” Tony demanded.

“I’m doing what I should be doing. You said it yourself a second ago.”

Tony sighed. “You don’t sound like yourself. You’re my wife. It’s a family business. We’re partners Victoria. In everything. I need you to know this stuff while Harry and I are gone. Lenny will pump the gas and do the mechanics…”

“And Lenny can run the books and the business. I’ll take care of the front, just like now. You’ll just have no choice but to come back and run it yourself. Or better yet, don’t go so your business will stay in good hands.” Victoria put her hands on her hips determined that the matter was settled.

“Why are you being so stubborn?”

Victoria closed the door and gave him an even look. “Tell me the truth. Are you wanting me to pitch in and help because it’s a family business or are you preparing me in case you don’t come back at all?”

Tony softened and embraced her. “Honey…”

“I’m so stupid! As if refusing to do it is going to keep you here.”

“There’s nothing stupid about you. Victoria.”

“I try so hard to be the brave wife, but I can’t. I think about it everyday and I hate it. I don’t want to think about it but I do.” Victoria’s voice was muffled against his shirt and she tried not to cry.

“Me too,” Tony admitted softly.

“You do?”

“Yeah, I do. Of course. Look, there are no guarantees but I’m planning to come back. I need to know and the baby are provided for, that we have our business when I come back. I have no doubt you can take care of it and yourself and our family. I know that’s a lot.”

“What you’re doing is a lot too,” Victoria said. “More than a lot. So yeah. I’ll help you. Hand me the stupid books.”

Tony kissed her.

“Don’t charm me now or I’ll never learn.”

“You can do anything, you know that? Remember that, Victoria.”

“Don’t say stuff like that to me or I’ll never be able to see you when I have to.” Victoria said.

Tony grinned and walked out to the front. He flipped the closed sign and locked the door. “On the other hand, it is just about time to get off. In fact, let’s take a couple of days off. Harry and Grace can take care of the place.”

____________________________________________________________________________________

The days before their world started to collapse, Tony and Victoria were blissfully unaware. With things a bit uncertain in terms of his deployment, the families celebrated Christmas a bit early. Tony loved playing with baby Jack. He’d spent months making a little rocking chair and rocking horse among the toys. Victoria gave him part of his gift when she surprised him with a teddy bear from baby two.

Tony gave Victoria a locket with the family’s picture inside and he led her to the nursery.

Victoria took in the sight of a new cradle with a little stuffed dog propped in the corner. “What’s this?”

“The cradle is mine from when I was a baby. And the little dog was my favorite as a kid. I would’ve made one like I made for Jack, but we were a little surprised by this one and I didn’t have time.”

“This is perfect, Tony.”

 “I bet this one is going to be a little girl,” he predicted.

Victoria laughed. “We always said we wanted one of each at least.”

Tony and Victoria cuddled in front of the fireplace on that last night of normal, debating names. They finally came to a consensus before they fell asleep.

Victoria awoke the next morning to find Tony rocking Jack in the nursery. She paused just as he was finishing a prayer and placing his son in the crib. “I made some breakfast for you. I gave him a bottle. You’ve done so much for all of us, we wanted you to sleep in and relax a little. Didn’t we, Jack?”

Victoria didn’t want to move. She took in everything so she wouldn’t forget. Time passes quickly when no one realizes how soon normal will fade away. Tony and Victoria, even with trying to make the most of the seconds, fell into a normal routine. Victoria and the women sat down to knit blankets and clothes for the baby. Tony and Victoria’s father turned on the radio to listen to Giants football game.

“We interrupt to bring you a special bulletin from Washington. Flash: White House announces Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Stay tuned for further updates.”

America was officially at war with both Japan and Germany within twenty-four hours. With so many damaged necessities to fix, Tony’s mechanical skills were essential.

The day he was deployed, Victoria and Tony prayed together and she found a calm and resolve she didn’t know she had. It was Tony who couldn’t let go. He stared at his family and broke down. “You know what? Forget it. Let’s just get in the car and keep driving.”

“Drive where? Tony, you have to do this. It’s a little late to back out now,” Victoria said., drying his face. “Going AWOL will catch up to you one day.” She shielded him from the view of his commanding officer until he was ready.

“See? there’s my brave woman,” he tried to joke.

“You did say everything was going to be okay.”

She finally got Tony on the train and clutched her locket until the train the disappeared from view.

 She sent Tony letters daily, wondering how many he got at once. You were right about our daughter and that Jenny Marianne is the perfect name for our angel. She’s so sweet and peaceful. I’ve read your letters and found the stash you wrote for each of them before you left. I tell them every day how much you love them and what a wonderful father you are. We can’t wait until you are home. We know you are praying with us in spirit each day and night. The business is good, we have all we need. The victory garden is a work in progress. The baby is crying. Be safe. Fight hard.

All our love,

Victoria

Victoria pulled a letter from Tony out of the mail and slid her latest letter in as a black military car with a chaplain and officer drove down the street. Her heart stopped as it slowed to pull into the driveway.

                                                              To Be Continued.