MINI-STORIES FOR THE YOUNG AND NOT SO YOUNG

4. Andrews on Tour of Duty
Anna M. Furdyna and Steven Hiller

Andrews shivered from the cold and from eager anticipation on the cargo plane headed for the relief mission in North Kornea . He was bringing, among other things, high-protein porridge and biscuits, powdered milk, rice, vitamins and mittens. This was his second visit to the mission . He had been there with the first famine-relief shipment allowed by the authorities, when he got to meet "his" children. That was six months ago. He hoped against hope that the woman he called Water Lily in his mind would be there. She was the translator detailed to him first time out and he had, against all propriety and good judgment, fallen in love with her, madly and irrevocably. She was a widow, but there was no possibility that he could make her his own.

The plane landed and he had to suffer through all the formalities before he was at last free to go straight to the mission compound. The children came out to greet him, reticent and shy as usual, with Water Lily in tow. His first words to her were "Did we lose any more of them?" Water Lily nodded. "Two died." she said with tears in her eyes. Andrews felt a constriction in his throat. Then his tears came. Before he could contain himself he blurted out "Don't cry, dearest." Panic came into Water Lily's eyes. She quickly looked around, then whispered " You must not weep, Dr. Andrews, love." As if by mutual consent they turned to the children. Andrews examined them for kwashiorkor and marasmus. They were much improved from the last time he saw them. To him they were the dearest, most beautiful children on earth.

After the examination came the official distribution of mittens. The children grew more lively. They looked at the mittens on their hands, clapped them, smiled and turned around, looking at each other. Then they came up to Andrews at Water Lily's urging and thanked him in Kornean. He wanted to hug every one of them, but refrained. Instead he patted each of them on the head. Soon it was time for the evening meal, where everything proceeded under official supervision. Andrews was filled with wonder at the moments he had spent with Water Lily and the children alone. He found the Kornean staff of the mission withdrawn and aloof. Maybe, however, some vestigial spark of humanity had allowed them to accept the silent love that grew between him and Water Lily. He knew that her official posture was otherwise impeccable. If it were not she would no doubt be forbidden to serve in the mission.

After supper, eaten silently and avidly, the children came to show him their toys. All the boys had small plastic bears with movable front and hind legs. The girls had small plastic dolls with colorful dresses and movable limbs.

Later, Andrews asked Water Lily if he could visit the graves of the two children that died. She said she would have to ask the supervisor. In the end he was given an escort of three men, two native and one American, a colleague who knew some Kornean. They took him in an ancient land rover to another part of town, and entered the cemetery. There they indicated two small graves scantily overgrown by weeds, each one with a largish natural stone at its head. The stones were marked with numbers. There was no mention of names or ages. He would have to ask Water Lily when he got back. For now he took off his parka hood, knelt down, and prayed that they know the bliss of God and that other children be spared their unspeakable ordeal. His Kornean companions looked askance at him and shrugged pointedly.

When they were back, he asked Water Lily which two children they had been. She said it was a boy of two he had particularly liked and pitied, and very small, timorous girl of five. Both of them, Water Lily and Andrews again had to fight down tears. He said to her, "I prayed for all of them. I know that you don't pray, but I thought you'd like to know." Taking a quick look around once more, she whispered, "Thank you. You are a good man, Dr. Andrews." He began to feel the strength of his spirit returning. He was grateful to be back.

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