Poston

Chapter eleven : Love and Homecoming

"And there you are, Samantha! All your measurements are done!"

Samantha smiled as Mai took back her tape measure. "Do you really think you'll have the swimsuit ready soon?"

"Well, you're a small person," Mai told her. "If I can have mine done in less than a day and a half, yours should be done in no time."

As Mai stood up, Jun smiled. "Thank you for doing this, Mai-chan," he said. "Samantha's been begging for a swimsuit so she can go swimming with everyone down at the river, but with everything going on lately, I haven't had a lot of time to look into it."

"Oh, don't worry about it," she waved her hand. "That will be one dollar and fifty cents, Jun-san. Since you didn't have any fabric on hand for us to use, it'll be fifty cents more."

Jun gave her the money. "Next time, I'll have to look at fabric."

Nino looked up from his songbook. "Mama used to use old clothes we weren't using to make something new," he answered.

"I remember my mother doing the same—"

"THEY'RE HERE! THEY'RE HERE!" A voice suddenly yelled through the camp. "OUR SONS AND HUSBANDS ARE BACK FROM TRAINING!"

Everyone's ears perked up, and Mai all but ran out of the barrack heading towards the front of the camp. A few minutes later, everyone else who had someone in the army had gathered around, looking for their loved ones. "Where is he?" Nino asked Mai when he caught up with her.

"I don't—" Suddenly, Mai stopped as she saw a certain man get off the bus. She could hardly contain her excitement. "Masaki!" she called running towards him.

The man turned around in her direction and caught her just in time, holding her as close to him as possible. By his smile, Nino knew without a doubt that it was his cousin.

A few seconds later, Yusuke joined him off the bus and embraced his parents tightly. "Mama, Papa," Yusuke said standing proud. "I'm home for only a short while."

"But home nonetheless," Mrs. Aiba beamed. "Come, get out of the crowds. Masaki!" Masaki let go of Mai for a second and now it was his turn to hug his parents. "Oh, Masaki, why did you have to follow your brother?"

Masaki laughed. It was a sound Nino had missed more than he realized. "Mama, I'm doing my duty," Masaki explained again. "Besides, anything I can do to keep you and everyone I love safe." It was then that he noticed Nino and pulled him into a big bear hug. "Kazu! I've missed you!"

"You big oaf!" Kazu laughed, finally able to get to his cousin. "God, why did you have to leave?"

Masaki let go of him. "Sorry," he smiled. "But I have to go again soon." He looked over at Mai and took her hand gently. "But for a short time, I am back here with everyone."

"We shall celebrate!" Mr. Aiba exclaimed. "My sons are home! And we shall celebrate!"

Everyone smiled. "I hope the mess hall has a fan," Masaki commented. "It's only April, and it's like an oven out here!"

--

Everybody in the camp was more excited than usual that the boys were home from training. The kids were ecstatic to hear all about army life, and Masaki was more than willing to share what he could. Yusuke stayed unusually quiet during the night, even when they were alone in their barracks.

Mai never left Masaki's side for a moment. It was very strange to see how in love they both looked, but whenever Nino looked over at Satoshi, he was certain that they probably looked the same way without meaning to.

"Where are they sending you?" Sho asked that night.

Masaki and Yusuke looked at each other. "We were told we were going to join the 100th Battalion in Hawaii and fight with them for a while," Yusuke answered. "They haven't told us where we will be shipped out to yet though."

"Hawaii?" Satoshi asked. "Why are you joining them?"

"We don't ask questions," Masaki said. "We just do what we are told."

"I wish you didn't have to go back," Mai told her boyfriend. "I hate the thought of you going and fighting."

"I'll be okay," Masaki assured her. "I'll be back here before you know it."

"So when are you getting married?" Jun asked.

Mai hid her face in embarrassment. Masaki couldn't help but laugh at her. "Mai said something about asking the new preacher here to do it, so in a few days probably."

Yusuke shook his head. "I cannot believe you are still thinking of marriage," he commented, earning looks from everyone. "What happens if you marry her and you get killed? You'll be leaving her as a widow! Do you really want to do that?"

Masaki's demeanor suddenly changed. He sat up straighter and looked his brother straight in the eyes. "Yes, I do," he answered. "If I die, I want to die knowing that I was married to the woman I loved instead of dying alone."

"You are a fool, nii-chan. You could die."

"Why do you think I should be so terrified of that fact?"

"Because I am!" Yusuke ran his hands through his short hair desperately. "And you should be! If you die, she will become a widow! She will have a hard time getting married to another if you do that! How can you not be so concerned about her?!"

Mai spoke up. "We have already talked this through," she told Yusuke. "Me and Masaki have talked it over, and I am not afraid. I know I should be, but I am not. I love Masaki, and I will not hold him back from serving his country, and when he tells me that he will come home, I believe him completely. The one you should be worrying about, Yusuke, is yourself. We are fine."

It was amazing to see how troubled and fidgety Yusuke was about the entire situation. Nino understood that Yusuke was worried about Masaki's well-being, but why was Yusuke fighting so hard for him?

--

"Mm!" Masaki smiled the next morning. "Bacon? At Poston? And biscuits? They've really gotten better at cooking here, haven't they?"

Everyone laughed. "They haven't rationed our supply yet," Ayumi answered him. "And our chefs are very good at improvising with what they have."

"I can tell!" Masaki said taking a bite of a biscuit. He slumped as he took in the goodness. "I wish they had this back in basic training."

"What did they feed you?" Charlie asked him excitedly.

Masaki frowned. "Oatmeal," he told him. "Then we would go into our runs and climbing and everything we need to know about being a soldier. Although, shooting was my favorite. I wasn't good at first, but once I got the hang of it I did pretty good. Although, with biscuits this good, I may never want to go back to the army!"

"Private Aiba."

Both Masaki and Yusuke turned around before scrambling to stand up from their seats to stand at attention and to salute the captain in front of them. "Sir!" they both said.

The man saluted them as well. "As you were, men," he said as they put their arms down. However, they continued to stand as still and as straight as they could. "Which one of you is Masaki Aiba?"

"I am, sir."

The captain held up a brown, leather notebook to Masaki's face. "I want you to explain to me the contents of this, Private."

Masaki looked up at the notebook before looking back at his superior. "That's my personal journal, sir."

"And this is written in what language?"

"Japanese, sir."

Everyone felt a wave of scared nerves run through them. This man stuck out because he was the only white man in the entire mess hall, but he was obviously one of the men in charge of the camp. Finding a book in Japanese at a time when the U.S. was at war with Japan could be considered dangerous.

The sergeant opened up the journal, browsing through the pages. "Why did you write in Japanese?" he asked.

"Sir, my mother and father taught me at a young age to read, write, and speak in Japanese. The journal was a way for me to practice those skills."

"Why would you ever need a skill like that?"

"In case I ever went to Japan, sir. I still have family residing there and if I ever decided that I were to visit them, I did not want to get lost, sir."

The man chuckled before closing the journal and handing it back to Masaki. He then took out a piece of paper and handed it to him as well. "I want you to read this and tell me what it says, Private."

Masaki took the paper and quickly read the scribbled Japanese letter. "Sir, this is a translated personal correspondence letter from President Roosevelt to Emperor Hirohito marked December 6th, 1941. President Roosevelt is asking for peace and for the Japanese navy and their men to leave Indo-China as to not disturb the people and governments already in that area."

"Good job," the captain nodded taking the paper back. "I have read this letter myself personally, in English of course, and without even taking all that long, you were able to read that letter and tell me exactly what it had inside of it." He folded up the letter and put it back into his jacket before looking at Masaki again. "Consider yourself promoted to Corporal, Mr. Aiba, and your assignment has now changed."

By now, everybody within earshot of the conversation had stopped talking and was listening in. Nino found himself holding onto Satoshi's hand tightly in nerves, and the rest of the table couldn't seem to breathe out of fear and now confusion. Masaki was just as confused. "Sir?" he asked. "I thought I was to leave with my squad to Hawaii on Friday."

"I am transferring you to Camp Savage, Minnesota, as a new member of the Army Military Intelligence Service," the captain answered. "We are looking for fine, dedicated, young Nisei men like yourself to become our linguists. There, you will brush up on your Japanese language skills and have the opportunity to help interpret and translate any piece of Japanese military intelligence we acquire. You are one of the few Nisei men I have been able to find that can both speak and read Japanese fluently, and we need you. With your help, we could win this god-forsaken war."

Masaki seemed to have lost the ability to speak for a few seconds as the man explained himself. Nino could tell Masaki was dumbfounded by this before he finally smiled and bowed his head. "Yes, sir! Anything I do to help my country!"

"Good!" the captains' booming voice exclaimed. "You will leave on Friday like scheduled, but then as soon as you get to Los Angeles, your flight will change from Honolulu to Minneapolis. Someone will be there to pick you up. Thank you, Corporal Aiba."

Masaki could barely contain his assignment as he saluted his superior again. "Thank you very much, sir!"

--

Later that afternoon, Nino pulled Yusuke outside to talk to him. "How could you have done that?" he demanded as soon as they were alone.

"Do what?" Yusuke asked, trying to feign innocence.

"You know damn well what I am talking about!" Nino hissed. "How the hell would that man have gotten Masaki's journal? How the hell did he know that Masaki could read, write, and speak Japanese fluently enough to get him a job stateside?"

"I did it for him!" Yusuke argued. "Masaki is so hell-bent on getting married to this girl, so I did what I could to make sure he was safe from any sort of danger!"

"Do you realize what could have happened instead? Masaki could have gotten in a lot of trouble! There's no doubt that man cannot read or speak Japanese, and he could have been a big asshole about it! Masaki could have been thrown in jail! Masaki could have been dishonorably discharged! He could have been charged with treason even if he had written nothing harmful!"

"Do you think I didn't consider that?" Yusuke ran a hand through his hair. "Of course I took that into consideration! But at least that way he wouldn't have to die the second he gets onto the battlefield! I was at Pearl Harbor, remember? I've seen death, and the last thing I want is for Masaki to see it too."

Nino couldn't help but bite his tongue. He understood why his younger cousin did it, but he still didn't seem to understand what could have happened instead. "Masaki is getting married in two days," he told him instead. "You two are leaving in three. Sometime between now and then, you better explain to him what you did. He will be pissed at you for doing this! He is not a little kid, Yusuke! Stop treating him like it!"

--

Mr. Inoue agreed to hold the wedding ceremony for Mai and Masaki that Thursday. Friends and family were invited inside of the small church to celebrate, and Mai wore a beautiful white and red kimono that had once been Sho's wife's wedding kimono. Masaki wore his Army browns, and together the couple looked as lovely as any other.

"Isn't she beautiful?" Natsumi asked her brother. "See? That could be you one day."

"What makes you think I'm the girl in this relationship?" Nino asked.

Nino looked over at Satoshi, who was sitting next to him, and he felt like if Satoshi had asked him to marry him there was no way Nino could say no. Satoshi seemed to know what he was thinking and took Nino's hand and squeezed gently. Indiscreetly, of course. They were still in public.

"Love is never ending," Pastor Inoue said. "It never dies, never falters, and although it may fade sometimes, it never truly goes away completely. As long as you two are able to keep your love alive so you can pass it on for generations, even if you never accomplish anything in life, your love will be your lasting legacy."

Nino watched as Masaki seemed to squeeze Mai's hands just a little tighter, as if afraid she would slip away.

"Do you, Masaki Aiba, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, for better and for worse, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?"

"I do."

"Do you, Mai Sakurai, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, for better and for worse, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?"

"I do."

"I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride."

Masaki leaned forward and gently captured Mai's lips in a sweet kiss as everyone stood up and applauded. Nino felt happy for his cousin, but now he seemed to understand what Yusuke had been talking about before.

This happy moment could be ruined in a second, and Mai would never see anything but pain if Masaki were to die.

Thank God he's not going to the frontlines, Nino thought. As unpatriotic as it was, he didn't care. He never wanted this sad moment to end.

--

"Aww Papa! Why do we have to sleep in someone else's barrack tonight?" Charlie moaned as he packed up a small bag of nightclothes and clothes for the next day.

Jun sighed. "Charlie, we are leaving this barrack for the night so that Mai and Masaki can have a night to themselves on their wedding night."

"It would have been better if they had a barrack all to themselves," Nino complained along with the six year old. "Why didn't the army give them their own room?"

"Probably because they don't have an extra barrack," Yusuke groaned, annoyed with the entire situation. "God, don't you ever think?"

Nino stopped packing and looked at him. "You want to run that by me again, smartass?"

"Everyone," Sho spoke up, silencing everyone. "Please. Let's just go."

Satoshi frowned and walked over to Sho. "What is wrong?" he asked. "I would think you would be happy for your sister. It's her wedding night."

"Yes, it is her wedding night," Sho answered as he closed his suitcase. "And I know perfectly well what happens on wedding nights. I'm her older brother, and I cannot help but worry about her."

"Worry about what?"

Sho froze, as if he was thinking something over in his head before he picked up his suitcase and Yuki's suitcase. "Come on. Ninomiya-san and Inoue-san are expecting us."

That night, everyone squeezed together in Barrack 2B with Nino's family and Mao's family. It was a tight squeeze, but it worked. All the men slept on one side of the room while the women slept on the other. Samantha immediately snuggled into Mao's arms before falling asleep, and Nino noticed the deep blush that came from both her and Jun. Yuki, who had formed a pretty recent bond with Ayumi, spent her night cuddled next to her, while Charlie slept by his father's side. Nino and Satoshi slept side by side like they usually did, not causing any suspicion, but they made sure that everyone was asleep before whispering their usuals.

"I love you," Satoshi whispered, so quiet that Nino could hardly hear him.

Nino smiled, huddling into Satoshi's side for a second before he kissed his neck. "I love you too," he breathed. "Good night, Satoshi."

"Good night, Kazu."

--

It was hard for the Aibas to say their farewells to their sons again, but Nino suspected that it was probably easier this time around now that Masaki was staying stateside. Still, saying goodbye was hard for everyone.

"Stay safe," Mrs. Aiba told Yusuke. "Be careful of enemy fire, duck for cover, and always always do what you know in your heart to be right."

Yusuke nodded. "I will Mama."

Yuki, Charlie, and Samantha stepped forward and handed him a hand sewn blanket. "We made with Mai-chan and Miss Mao's help!" Yuki explained. "So you can stay warm at night."

Nino thought he saw tears in Yusuke's eyes as he thanked everyone. "Thank you for everything," he told them. "I will be home before you know it. I promise."

"Just..." Nino stopped, trying to find the right words to tell him. To him, Yusuke was still a little kid that Nino used to tease and pick on out of boyish adoration and love. Yusuke was always the stronger one. Nino and Masaki taught him how to be. "Come home."

Yusuke could see Nino was having a hard time finding words, so he only smiled. "I will."

Masaki, on the other hand, could hardly stay away from his new bride. For at least five minutes, they stood there, forehead against forehead, talking and whispering who knows what to each other. Then, Masaki leaned forward, kissing Mai one last time before he turned to his family. "I hope to see you all soon," he said.

"Be good," Nino said. "No fights, no arguments, and—"

"And no letting my mind wander to wherever I want it go to," Masaki smiled. "I know." His smile faded a bit before pulling Nino into a bone crushing hug. "Look after everyone, okay? Mama and Papa and... and Mai. If they send me somewhere and I don't—"

Nino held onto him harder, not wanting to let go. "Don't talk such nonsense," he warned. "You're staying stateside, remember. You'll be fine." Nino wanted to believe his words, but he tried to forget that Masaki was going into white man's territory. He was going to be discriminated on, judged, and everything in between. It scared Nino to death of all of the pain his cousin would have to face. But Masaki was strong, he knew. He could do this. "You will be fine."

Masaki finally let Nino go before nodding. He smiled one more time before wiping away a tear and boarding the bus to leave with his brother. Immediately, everyone started to wave to the pair, wishing them safe travels despite their sinking feelings in their stomachs.

All the other army men in the camp were leaving at the same time, so it was a large crowd as they all waved and prayed, knowing full well that some of the smiling men that they saw now were never come home again.