One day a young man said, “This tale about everybody having to die doesn’t sit too well with me. I will go in search of the land where one never dies.” – Italo Calvino, ‘The Land Where One Never Dies’, Italian Folk Tale
The story begins in a small bungalow in the town of Oʻahu of Hawaiian Islands way back in the year 1941. The house belongs to Danny Burton who works as a drill commander of the Pacific fleet’s naval force of United States of America. He lives with his five year old daughter Caitlin Burton. Danny’s younger brother Tez also stays with them. Tez is a novice in the naval force. It’s a happy family, but the picture could not get completed due to the absence of one single lady, Caitlin’s mom, Anna……….
[The clock points at 11:33 pm late at night. And the day we’re talking about is 6th December, 1941.]
- Goodnight Caitlin.
- Goodnight Daddy…..Hey Daddy, do you miss mom?
- Yep, now go to sleep.
- Why don’t you wanna talk about mom? I wanna hear about her all the time.
-No, you don’t want to hear about her.
- Yes, I do. Tell me, please! How was she? Was she beautiful?
- Your mother was an angel….
- I want to become an angel too.
- You are an angel, sweet heart!
- Do you feel me-lan-choly?
-Hey, from where did you learn that word?
- What do you think of me? I am in 2nd grade & know a lot more than you and mom can think of….Anyways, where is she?
- I guess, among the stars.
- I don’t like it. We should all stay out here. Together. So that we can see each other. All the time.
- We have talked a lot. Now it’s bedtime.
- NO. I won’t go to bed. I want to talk to you.
- We’ll do that tomorrow morning.
- No, you’re lying. Every day you head for that stupid drr….ri..ll before the sun comes up.
- Let’s say, if something different happen tomorrow, how would that be?! May be a tour to the Sea Life Park, Hawaii….
- Dolphins?!!! Is it so?!
- Yeah. Uncle Tez will take you to the park. As soon as I get over with my drill, I’ll be joining you guys out there. So tomorrow there is no school, only fun.
- Yippee! So then I’ll go to sleep now. Will wait for you tomorrow.
- My good girl. Love ya. (Danny kisses in Caitlin’s forehead.)
- Love you too dad!
And so the light gets switched off in Caitlin’s bedroom. Danny gives a look at his daughter and silently closes the door…..
…………………….
Uncle Tez rushes to Caitlin’s room and wakes her up to tell her that something nasty is happening in the place where her daddy takes part in the drill, The Pearl Harbor.
[The clock points at 7:53 am in the morning. And the day we’re talking about is 7th December, 1941.]
- (Caitlin) What is happening?
- I….I don’t know.
- (Tez) Listen, I’m heading for back up. You stay out here.
- No. I will go with you.
- Look you little toddler, Japanese bombers are trying to wipe out virtually everything that comes across their sight. I need to be out there because your daddy needs me. And I really don’t have time for this twaddle.
- Whatever…..I’ll go. (And Caitlin rides in their Cadillac without Tez Burton’s consent.)
Tez and Caitlin approaches towards the Ford Island. They can see long black smock hovering all around. Tez knows something terrible is happening as there are only flocks of Japanese B5N’s & D3A’s that can be seen as far as sight can go. Where the hell are the American Air Jets?
Oh yes, here they come! But only two! ........ A B5N is hit. It hits the ground just in front of their car. Tez takes out his gun and scampers towards it.
- Get out, you sonovabitch! I’ll kill you, you Japanese bastard!
- (Caitlin) What are you doing? Have you gone mad? He’s burnt!
- (Tez bashes in his face and looks back towards Caitlin.) These guys are killing us and you’re showing pity! Are you crazy?!
- I need to take him into our house. Otherwise you people will kill him. I’ll go home and call Vesper.
So Tez leaves for Pearl Harbor, Caitlin comes back home with her new Japanese Friend without knowing what her daddy is doing out there. Probably today, they won’t be able to go to see Caitlin’s favorite: Dolphins. Vesper, the nurse of the local public hospital, came and did the necessary healing for the Japanese personnel. Caitlin is told that right now he is unconscious. She waits for her Daddy and Uncle Tez, sitting beside this Japanese fellow……
…………………….
After a long time, the Cadillac grudges at their backyard. Caitlin waits for her Daddy’s call: ‘CAITLIN!’. But it doesn’t happen. Uncle Tez shows up. He doesn’t say a word. Caitlin understands that from tonight onwards, one more star can be seen in the night sky. She also hears a groaning, her new friend has woken up.
Later that night Caitlin hears that their President has called for war against the Empire of Japan. Someone tells her that President Roosevelt has described this day as “A date which will live in infamy.” She also comes to know that her Daddy has been awarded by the ‘Commemorative Congressional Medal of Honor’, whatever that means.
The next morning Caitlin along with Tez Burton reaches for the memorial at Pearl Harbor, which is completely obliterated. She looks towards every corner. There are only coffins. But for them, there is no coffin. Her daddy couldn’t be found anywhere after the war.
[The clock points at 12:31 pm. And the day we’re talking about is 8th December, 1941.]
- (An officer calls Caitlin in the podium) Your father was a brave man. One of the bravest pilots I’ve ever seen. He probably sole handedly has saved battleship USS Nevada and many of his fellow countrymen. We’re proud of him…… Do you wanna say something?
- (Caitlin, after being handed the Honor medal) I don’t know what would I do with this! Thank you all.
…………………….
Four years have passed since then. Caitlin’s friend stays with Caitlin & Tez. He is completely cured. But he could not return to his country because of security reasons. So he has taken a different name. Kido is now a fisherman. Caitlin loves him so much. Tez doesn’t talk to him. But Kido doesn’t mind that. Tez’s rage is very much justified. Kido has decided, once he returns home, he’ll give up his job of flying in the Japanese army. But he has a fear, fear of losing her sweet little friend, Caitlin.
In the meantime, Tez has graduated, now he is also a Hawk pilot, like his brother. Right now, a series of American air raid is going on in various cities of Japan. So U.S army needs more and more new recruits. Tez Burton has been called for. So he leaves for the war. Caitlin has to stay alone with that Japanese freak from now on. But he can’t do anything. An order is an order.
Few days after Tez’s departure, news came in that, he along with some other American soldier has been taken captive in some unknown Japanese base. Kido tries hard to come up with the name of the place where Tez has been kept, using his past Japanese contacts. And he succeeds. He and Caitlin set for Japan avoiding endless American vigilance.
The story resumes on a bright, sunny morning in a calm Japanese city. Caitlin and Kido are slowly drifting by a boat which is steered by Caitlin’s friend in the Ota River.
[The clock points at 8:13 am in the morning. And the day we’re talking about is 6th August, 1945.]
- Are you sure, Uncle Tez is out here? It’s so quiet!
- Yes I am. And I’ll make sure he comes out safe from the prison. And after that I’ll take you & Uncle Tez into my home, there you’ll meet with two of your younger brothers.
- Where is your home?
- It’s in Nagasaki. It’s a city, not quiet far away from here.
- I like this place very much. I have a question, why are we fighting?
- I don’t know. May be we hate each other.
- But I don’t hate anyone. My daddy doesn’t hate anyone. You don’t hate anyone. May be Uncle Tez….
- No, no. He too doesn’t hate anyone. It’s just that, he is angry with the Japanese people. It’s no big deal. But wars will happen. As long as there are different countries, it will go on.
- I don’t buy it. We are all the same. Yes, we look different, we eat different. But I think, we all laugh and cry. And we all love our daddy’s and mom’s.
- But how can we stop war?
- It’s simple. It won’t happen if no one goes to war again……Hey, Uncle Kido, what’s that orange flash in the sky?!............ ……….. …………
- This is Chief in command, Headquarter Tokyo. Do you read me? I repeat, do you read me?
- Yes Chief, we haven’t reached the destination.
- Copy that. Waiting for your reply.
- Roger that.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
- This is Flight B39. Do you read me? I repeat, do you read me?
-Yes, B39. We read you. What’s the message?
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