The Soldier and the Chemist

Chapter One

Mid 1941; Lansing, Mi.

"ANTHONY... NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!" Jacinta "Jacey" Rhodes called out; springing up out of her bed; alarmed by the nightmare that had jolted her awake.
"Jacey? What's wrong?" Jacinta's 14 year old sister, Dahlia, mumbled, rubbing her eyes. "Did something happen to Tony?"
"No, Dahlia, just a nightmare; go back to bed."
As her sister drifted back to sleep, 21 year old Jacinta couldn't set her mind at ease.
Haunted by the images the nightmare had conjured; Jacey turned to the letters her older brother, Anthony, had sent from Germany. Stationed with the 107th; Anthony was fighting for what's right, a trait Jacinta admired her big brother for. An adventurer from day one; Jacey longed to see the distant land her brother described in his letters
"Dear Jacey,
Everything is quiet here on the front....." Jacey read letter after letter until she finally drifted off to sleep; with the unmistakeable feeling that something big was on the horizon.
~The Next Day~
"JACINTA CHERISE RHODES!!!!!!! YOU BETTER GET YOUR HINDER DOWN THESE STAIRS FOR BREAKFAST!!!" Kathryn Rhodes yelled up to her eldest daughter. Jacey rushed down the stairs, buttoning her overalls and fixing her bandanna as she prepared to go to her job at the bomber plant. Kissing her father William on the cheek and tickling her 4 year old brother, Frederick; Jacey laughed at the giggles that filled the small yet cozy kitchen.
"Jacinta, leave Freddy alone and sit down for your breakfast before you have to leave for work."
"yes, mama"
As the Rhodes family sat down for their meagre but love filled meal; a knock sounded at the front door.
"well, what in the world..." William quipped as he got up to answer.
Standing on the porch was a uniformed soldier.
"William Rhodes?"
"That would be me, son. How can I help you?"
"Here sir, it's from the war department." As the soldier took his leave, Jacey felt a chill wash over her mocha coloured skin.
As her father read through the letter, he paled.
"Will... What's wrong?" Her mother asked; tears already rimming her deep brown eyes
"It's.... Its.... Anthony..... The 107th was ambushed..... He's been reported missing...... OH MY BOY!" William crashed to his knees in tears as Kathryn crumbled over her husband.
Jacey's stomach curdled. "Anthony...." She whispered as she observed her parents mourn their eldest. It was as if the world was moving in slow motion; until she felt a tug on her overall pants.
"Jacey, why is daddy crying?" 4 year old Freddy asked
"Because, baby, something's happened to Tony....
Dahlia, can you take Freddy to the park? He shouldn't have to deal with this just yet. I'll come fetch you in a bit."
Dahlia escorted her brother out, but he stopped; wriggled his way in between his parents; wrapped his little arms around his daddy and said "It's gonna be okay, daddy. Tony will come home; I just know it!"  With that Freddy turned, kissed his mother on the cheek and followed Dahlia out the front door.
Jacey thought about what Freddy had said.
"You know, I get the strangest feeling, he's right..." She heard herself say.
"Jacey, it says he's missing in action, it's pretty well given that he's not coming home" her mother said, tears still streaming down her beautiful face.
"Mama something in my gut tells me he's out there somewhere! Someone has to go find him!"
"JACINTA!!!!" Her father roared "please.... Not now... Just let us mourn..."Jacey looked at her father; she had never seen her father this broken. She couldn't even remember seeing him cry before.
"Daddy, he's out there somewhere; I know it's still fresh, but I know he's out there.....I have to find him."
In that moment, Jacey had an epiphany.... She owed it to Anthony to find him.
"I'm gonna go get him."
"Jacey, you can't. It's a death sentence.... We just lost our boy, we wouldn't survive losing you too" her father said, voice cracking.
"But daddy, I owe it to Tony... He saved my life."
What do you mean "saved your life" Kathryn asked her daughter...
Jacey squirmed in her seat....
"Jacey, what do you mean he saved your life!" Her mother repeated her question
"I never told you this... I was too ashamed..... Right befor Tony left for NYC, He and I snuck down town to celebrate. He ran off with Leona, left me and Maxine alone in the Jukebox joint. Maxine met some soldier and ran off with him leaving me alone. Some white man kept approaching me and wouldn't leave me alone; so I left. He followed me, he cornered me in an alley just outside the joint,and started pawing at me" Jacinta was bawling freely at this point "I finally got the nerve to kick him, but I wasn't strong enough, he called me a "black whore" and back handed me... I screamed... The next thing I know, he's flat on the ground and Tony is hugging me.... I know if Tony hadn't heard me, I would have been raped. I. Owe. It. To. Him."
"baby why didn't you tell us?" "Is that why you were so low?" Kathryn thought back to the previous few months. She had watched her daughter go from a brilliant, loving, well spoken chemist to a sullen, withdrawn shut in.
Kathryn had a feeling something bad happened to her daughter, but she figured Jacey would tell her when she was ready.
"Jacinta, I want to talk to you alone for a moment; William, could you please give us sometime alone?"
Her shocked father nodded and left the house to go get Freddy and Dahlia.
"baby girl, you had to know we wouldn't have judged you, or blamed you right?
"Mama, I was ashamed,... I felt like I couldn't even look you in the eye...." Jacey squeaked out
"I couldn't see an end to it.... Tony was gone; Maxine ran off and married that soldier.... You were busy running after Freddy; daddy was busy working.... It didn't seem important."
"Jacey girl.... That's where you're wrong....
We would never judge you for something you didn't do... You're not to blame; you're not at fault.. We just want you to be safe...you're out first baby girl... We just lost our son and now you're talking about going after him.."

"Mama.... I got a letter from Maxine yesterday.... She's invited me out to Flushing for the Stark Expo.... I was gonna tell you at breakfast... But Tony..."
"Do you want to go? Honestly baby, you've earned a vacation from this life."
"Mama, it's frivolous... Plus you saw how daddy reacted to the news... Plus he hates Maxine... He calls her 'that girl' and I highly doubt my little revelation will help his impression of her... Besides... I don't have the money... All I have goes to helping you out..."

"Now Jacey, don't you worry about that! Your father and I did just fine when you were in school... And we will be fine if you take a trip to clear your head.... Truth be told.. We've been saving a little for your wedding someday... So it's yours... I'm going to see to it that you go... Baby; you've had to grow up way too fast and it's high time you get a chance to be a young girl and travel a little bit.  Don't you worry about your father; I'll handle him."
"Really mama, it will be okay?"
"Young Lady, how the hell do you think I made it with out you? Besides, I have Dahlia in a pinch..."
"Thank you mama... Truly... I'm gonna go write Maxine...."

Kathryn saw her daughter truly smile in the face of tragedy in that moment. It was there that she knew she had made the right choice.... She knew Jacey would be okay; and it was then that she knew Jacinta was in for a wild ride.....