After several false starts on the WW2 story Return to Me, I’m going to shelve it. I’m just not feeling it. Instead, I’m going to work on something else. I’m just not sure what it is. Whatever it is, it has to have some kind of redeeming value. I’m currently reading a book called Take Me With You by Catherine Ryan Hyde that has inspired me to head in that direction, story wise.
I’ve been thinking about changing genres for a while. Boo Walker’s Red Mountain was another book that got me thinking I need to write something different. So for the time being I’m off to brainstorm something new and hopefully better.
Someday if I ever do write Return to Me, this is how it would start:
“Never was so much owed by so many to so few” Winston Churchill, 20 August 1940.
Camp Tarawa, Waimea Hawaii, December 1944
Forgive me father, for I have sinned.
Yeah, no, I’m not going there, Nick thought as he sipped a cup of coffee in the Camp Tarawa chow hall. He’d declined the invite from staff sergeant Brower to go to confession at St. Mike’s in Kona. After the battle of Tarawa in the Gilbert Islands, Nick decided it was best to keep some things just between him and God. And besides, he wasn’t too worried about going to hell since he’d already been there and was certain he could take over if he had enough ammunition.
Nick continued to sip coffee while grasping the cup with both hands. He enjoyed the warmth of the cup, in contrast to the early morning chill in the air. Camp Tarawa sat at the base of the Kohala Mountains flanked by Mauna Kea, the tallest mountain on the island and the world, as if measured from the bottom of the sea floor. The wind blowing down from the mountains produced chilly mornings and pleasant afternoons compared to Tarawa.
Nick was daydreaming of life after the war when his younger brother James tapped him on the shoulder from behind.
“Good morning,” James said as he scooted around to the other side of Nick and sat down at the table.
“Well, it was, what’s up?” Nick smiled as he took another sip of coffee.
“I heard there’s going to be a bunch of nurses at the beach today and thought you and I should provide a proper military escort. What do you think?”
Nick smiled. “Hmmm. It sounds like risky duty, but, I think I’m up to the challenge.”
“I’ve got the weapons all ready to go.”
Nick looked perplexed for a moment. “Weapons?”
James smiled. “I got a bottle of wine, and other assorted nurse bait.”
Nick laughed.
“Okay Romeo, what time do we move out, and do these nurses know we’re coming along?”
James cut his eyes left and right quickly scanning the room, shhh, “It’s a covert operation.”
“Great,” Nick said sarcastically as he rolled his eyes.
Leave a Reply