later I was bleeding heavily and filled with infection. My parents took me to the emergency room and my secret was out." She looked steadily at Miguel as tears streamed down her face. "You'll never know how it felt to see the pain in their faces when they found out what I'd done."
"Do you want to know why I hate you?" Dani asked Miguel, the pain of her past now replacing the anger. "Because of you, I will never have a child of my own." With that, she turned and ran out of the room and into her bedroom, slamming the door. Michael stared after her, speechless for the first time in his life.
Chapter Twelve
Miguel sat at the bar of a small, crowded saloon in Saigon. He was on a three-day pass and spent it trying to forget why he was in this country to begin with.
He ordered another drink and turned a quick glance at his friend Billy, who was sitting at a table near the door with a young Vietnamese girl. Billy was an oversized, clumsy farm boy from the Midwest who thought himself a charmer with the ladies. But he was also tough, honest and brave, good qualities a man needed in this place and a friend needed in a buddy. Miguel and he had stuck close since being sent to the same unit in Nam.
Smiling and shaking his head at his friend, Miguel turned back to his fresh drink and took a swig. Something brushed against his leg and he looked down from the tall barstool to see a small beggar boy, one arm missing, his face grotesquely disfigured, carrying a small bag looking up at him. Miguel just turned away from the boy and he continued on his way looking for handouts. Young children, deformed and missing limbs, were all over Saigon; one of the cruelties of this damn war. Miguel, like everyone else who had been there too long, had learned to look through them and past them since he was unable to help them all.
Once again Miguel glanced at his friend, now leaning forward head-to-head with the girl. He noticed the beggar boy stopping only a second at Billy's table, then being brushed away by Billy, the boy headed out the door into the daylight. Through the light from the door opening, Miguel noticed that the bag the boy had been carrying lay under Billy's table and it took him only a second to realize what was in it.
"Billy, bomb!" Miguel yelled as he jumped over the bar for protection in one smooth motion. Other military men in the bar took cover under tables and behind the bar. So engrossed in his new lady friend, Billy only looked up, confused by all the commotion before the realization of what was happening crossed his face. He pushed the girl away from the table, but before he could move an inch, the plastic, homemade bomb below him exploded. Miguel screamed his name as he watched his friend tear into pieces before his eyes.
"Billy, no!"
Dani shot up in bed at the sound of a man screaming. Not even awake yet, she instinctively jumped out of bed and ran through the darkened apartment to the open sofa bed where Miguel was sleeping.
"Billy!" he screamed again, loud and anguished, and in the moonlight through the patio doors Dani could see the horror in Miguel's face.
Quickly she crawled into bed and held him tight, softly cooing, "Miguel, it's okay. You're home. You're safe. I'm here Miguel, I'm here." Over and over she said this until he finally stopped struggling and grew quiet in her arms.
Dani cradled his head on her chest, rocking him back and forth like a frightened child. Still assuring him he was okay, she was there for him. She ran her fingers through his damp hair, brushing it away from his face, rocking him gently, assuring him he was home and safe. And even as he came to his senses, Michael continued to let her hold him. She was the only woman who could soothe his pain of remembering. It felt warm and comforting to be in her arms, so easy to allow her to soothe and comfort him.
After a time, still holding him, Dani softly asked Miguel, "It was the bar dream again, wasn't it?" She knew
"Do you want to know why I hate you?" Dani asked Miguel, the pain of her past now replacing the anger. "Because of you, I will never have a child of my own." With that, she turned and ran out of the room and into her bedroom, slamming the door. Michael stared after her, speechless for the first time in his life.
Chapter Twelve
Miguel sat at the bar of a small, crowded saloon in Saigon. He was on a three-day pass and spent it trying to forget why he was in this country to begin with.
He ordered another drink and turned a quick glance at his friend Billy, who was sitting at a table near the door with a young Vietnamese girl. Billy was an oversized, clumsy farm boy from the Midwest who thought himself a charmer with the ladies. But he was also tough, honest and brave, good qualities a man needed in this place and a friend needed in a buddy. Miguel and he had stuck close since being sent to the same unit in Nam.
Smiling and shaking his head at his friend, Miguel turned back to his fresh drink and took a swig. Something brushed against his leg and he looked down from the tall barstool to see a small beggar boy, one arm missing, his face grotesquely disfigured, carrying a small bag looking up at him. Miguel just turned away from the boy and he continued on his way looking for handouts. Young children, deformed and missing limbs, were all over Saigon; one of the cruelties of this damn war. Miguel, like everyone else who had been there too long, had learned to look through them and past them since he was unable to help them all.
Once again Miguel glanced at his friend, now leaning forward head-to-head with the girl. He noticed the beggar boy stopping only a second at Billy's table, then being brushed away by Billy, the boy headed out the door into the daylight. Through the light from the door opening, Miguel noticed that the bag the boy had been carrying lay under Billy's table and it took him only a second to realize what was in it.
"Billy, bomb!" Miguel yelled as he jumped over the bar for protection in one smooth motion. Other military men in the bar took cover under tables and behind the bar. So engrossed in his new lady friend, Billy only looked up, confused by all the commotion before the realization of what was happening crossed his face. He pushed the girl away from the table, but before he could move an inch, the plastic, homemade bomb below him exploded. Miguel screamed his name as he watched his friend tear into pieces before his eyes.
"Billy, no!"
Dani shot up in bed at the sound of a man screaming. Not even awake yet, she instinctively jumped out of bed and ran through the darkened apartment to the open sofa bed where Miguel was sleeping.
"Billy!" he screamed again, loud and anguished, and in the moonlight through the patio doors Dani could see the horror in Miguel's face.
Quickly she crawled into bed and held him tight, softly cooing, "Miguel, it's okay. You're home. You're safe. I'm here Miguel, I'm here." Over and over she said this until he finally stopped struggling and grew quiet in her arms.
Dani cradled his head on her chest, rocking him back and forth like a frightened child. Still assuring him he was okay, she was there for him. She ran her fingers through his damp hair, brushing it away from his face, rocking him gently, assuring him he was home and safe. And even as he came to his senses, Michael continued to let her hold him. She was the only woman who could soothe his pain of remembering. It felt warm and comforting to be in her arms, so easy to allow her to soothe and comfort him.
After a time, still holding him, Dani softly asked Miguel, "It was the bar dream again, wasn't it?" She knew
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