So Far From Home

So, This is Real

Dawn was just breaking as I woke up the next morning. The room I was in looked stark and gray, the only splashes of color the olive drab blankets covering the bunks scattered around the room.

Sitting up, I tried to see if anyone else was stirring, but my eyes were bleary and it took awhile for them to adjust.

“Good morning,” a soft voice called out from the bunk to my right. Startled, I jumped a bit before turning in the direction of the sound.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to surprise you.”

“No need to apologize,” I whispered back, rubbing my hands over my eyes and swinging my feet to the cool wooden floor.

“Good morning to you, too.”

“I’m Laura Smith,” the young woman said, rustling the bedclothes as she did.

“I’m Mae North, pleased to meet you,” was my automatic reply.

Laura nodded and smiled.

“I’m nervous. You?”

“Yes, very,” I replied, letting out a breath I didn’t even know I was holding.

“I’ve never even been on a boat before,” she murmured.

“I have, but only on the pond back home,” I said with a smile.

“The other girls should be waking up soon. I look forward to meeting them. I had wanted to stay up and greet each one that came in last night but I fell asleep before I realized it,” Laura said sheepishly.

“Yes, I look forward to meeting them also. We’ll be spending a lot of time together, might as well get to know each other sooner rather than later,” I said lightly.

“Very true. I’m going to get dressed, I’m too edgy to sit here any longer. Nerves, I guess.”

“Not a bad idea,” was my reply as I smoothed my uniform jacket from yesterday, attempting to work out any little wrinkles that may have formed on the long flight here.

“You know, yesterday morning I couldn’t wait to leave home and get going. Now I wish I could hug my parents one more time, tell them I’ll miss them.”

“Me too.”

“I guess it didn’t seem real until now,” Laura whispered as she headed to the partitioned area serving as a makeshift washroom.

“No. No it didn’t.” My words fell on sleeping ears as I sighed and pulled off my nightdress and began searching for my other stocking I just knew was around here somewhere.



~samile~