did God give her, or any of the other prisoners, a
sign that He loved them. She had been a firm believer and was deceived by His
absence. She could believe again if He would give her a sign explaining why the
women were allowed to suffer for so long. What lesson was there to learn from
such brutality? Answers were still wanting!
Lisa leaned against the rail watching the blue water being
parted by the passage of the ship. Two smaller coast guard ships maintained a
course and speed abreast of the ponderous hospital ship. She had been told that
there was a danger of enemy submarines. It seemed to her that the smaller ships
had intentionally positioned themselves to intercept a torpedo if one was
launched at the hospital ship. The willingness of the coast guardsmen to place
themselves in danger to protect others was an act of courage that brought tears
to her swollen eyes. She thought of the young Ranger, Lieutenant Wright and his
men who had placed themselves in harm’s way to free and protect them. Were such
acts an instrument of God’s plan? She believed it could be so, and found
comfort with that knowledge.
The sound of a piano being played somewhere on the ship
broke her reverie. She followed the sound and arrived at a recreational room
with several wounded soldiers in it. The piano held her transfixed. She had not
played or heard a note of music for three years. A wounded soldier with one arm
missing was picking out the melody of a song popular before the war, September
Song .
An urgent desire to play the piano grasped her. She stood
beside the soldier and listened carefully. He noticed her presence and stared
at her stark appearance.
“It’s a beautiful song isn’t it?” asked the soldier. “I used
to play quite well they told me. Now I’ll never be able to again…” He looked at
his empty sleeve with sad eyes.
“I remember the song,” said Lisa. “You do it well with one
hand.”
“Do you play?” he asked.
“I used to. I haven’t seen or heard a piano for three
years,” she confessed.
“Please, take my seat, lady. You never forget if it’s in your
blood.”
“You’re kind. I had no intention of interrupting you,”
replied Lisa.
“I was just killing time. Please try it out,” the soldier
vacated the seat and motioned for her to take it.
Lisa was nervous and shook all over. She flexed her fingers
and ran them over the keyboard doing the scale several times. The soldier
watched with interest. She closed her eyes and concentrated on a song she had
loved to play, Clair de Lune . The melodies came to her as soon as she
touched the keys. Small thin fingers ran up and down the keyboard giving the
song life and heart. The song touched the soldiers and others in the room, and
moved her to tears. She didn’t know how much she missed music until this moment
of discovery, three years hence. She played September Song for the
soldier. He turned away from the piano to hide his own tears.
Lisa played several of her favorite classical pieces, such
as Chopin’s Polonaise . Everyone in the room now flocked around the
piano. Some were in wheelchairs. Loud whistles and cheers erupted when she
stopped. Opening her eyes, Lisa saw the people around her and smiled. The power
of music was limitless. The soldier with one arm listened in awe to her
performance.
“Lady, I’ll give up the piano anytime to you. You were
magnificent. Thank you for playing.”
Lisa nodded her head in acknowledgment and suddenly felt hot
and weak. She was burning up and began to shiver. She got up from the piano and
fainted. Perspiration streamed down her forehead. She was having another
malaria attack.
Chapter Nine
The cavernous hospital ship dropped its anchors in Apra
Harbor off the coast of Guam, an island west of the Philippines and part of the
Mariana Islands. Lisa sat in a wheelchair on the top deck of the ship with
several of her women companions. She had suffered a relapse when the malaria
attack seized her two
sign that He loved them. She had been a firm believer and was deceived by His
absence. She could believe again if He would give her a sign explaining why the
women were allowed to suffer for so long. What lesson was there to learn from
such brutality? Answers were still wanting!
Lisa leaned against the rail watching the blue water being
parted by the passage of the ship. Two smaller coast guard ships maintained a
course and speed abreast of the ponderous hospital ship. She had been told that
there was a danger of enemy submarines. It seemed to her that the smaller ships
had intentionally positioned themselves to intercept a torpedo if one was
launched at the hospital ship. The willingness of the coast guardsmen to place
themselves in danger to protect others was an act of courage that brought tears
to her swollen eyes. She thought of the young Ranger, Lieutenant Wright and his
men who had placed themselves in harm’s way to free and protect them. Were such
acts an instrument of God’s plan? She believed it could be so, and found
comfort with that knowledge.
The sound of a piano being played somewhere on the ship
broke her reverie. She followed the sound and arrived at a recreational room
with several wounded soldiers in it. The piano held her transfixed. She had not
played or heard a note of music for three years. A wounded soldier with one arm
missing was picking out the melody of a song popular before the war, September
Song .
An urgent desire to play the piano grasped her. She stood
beside the soldier and listened carefully. He noticed her presence and stared
at her stark appearance.
“It’s a beautiful song isn’t it?” asked the soldier. “I used
to play quite well they told me. Now I’ll never be able to again…” He looked at
his empty sleeve with sad eyes.
“I remember the song,” said Lisa. “You do it well with one
hand.”
“Do you play?” he asked.
“I used to. I haven’t seen or heard a piano for three
years,” she confessed.
“Please, take my seat, lady. You never forget if it’s in your
blood.”
“You’re kind. I had no intention of interrupting you,”
replied Lisa.
“I was just killing time. Please try it out,” the soldier
vacated the seat and motioned for her to take it.
Lisa was nervous and shook all over. She flexed her fingers
and ran them over the keyboard doing the scale several times. The soldier
watched with interest. She closed her eyes and concentrated on a song she had
loved to play, Clair de Lune . The melodies came to her as soon as she
touched the keys. Small thin fingers ran up and down the keyboard giving the
song life and heart. The song touched the soldiers and others in the room, and
moved her to tears. She didn’t know how much she missed music until this moment
of discovery, three years hence. She played September Song for the
soldier. He turned away from the piano to hide his own tears.
Lisa played several of her favorite classical pieces, such
as Chopin’s Polonaise . Everyone in the room now flocked around the
piano. Some were in wheelchairs. Loud whistles and cheers erupted when she
stopped. Opening her eyes, Lisa saw the people around her and smiled. The power
of music was limitless. The soldier with one arm listened in awe to her
performance.
“Lady, I’ll give up the piano anytime to you. You were
magnificent. Thank you for playing.”
Lisa nodded her head in acknowledgment and suddenly felt hot
and weak. She was burning up and began to shiver. She got up from the piano and
fainted. Perspiration streamed down her forehead. She was having another
malaria attack.
Chapter Nine
The cavernous hospital ship dropped its anchors in Apra
Harbor off the coast of Guam, an island west of the Philippines and part of the
Mariana Islands. Lisa sat in a wheelchair on the top deck of the ship with
several of her women companions. She had suffered a relapse when the malaria
attack seized her two
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