They landed on the second floor, turned down the hall past the empty secretary’s desk, and into a boxy office with the blinds drawn. Petty flipped on the light switch, and the overhead fluorescent lights gave off a light hum.
“You still need us, First Sarge?” asked the taller of the two men who accompanied them, standing in the doorway.
“I’ll take it from here.”
Being alone in a deserted office building with Petty was not Ozzie’s idea of a pleasant Sunday evening.
“Please have a seat.” The first sergeant motioned as he lowered himself into his chair.
The grease from the burger had turned sour in Ozzie’s belly.
Petty clasped his hands in front of him on the desk. “Philips. You’ve been promoted to corporal, effective immediately. Congratulations.” He stuck out his hand.
Ozzie’s expression ferried from shock to pride as he reached for Petty’s hand and pumped it.
“Typically, we’d have to wait for the CO to come back from leave to have a promotion ceremony, where we’d pin you your stripes. But since the battalion adjutant has already processed all the paperwork, consider this your ceremony.” Petty clapped his hands together.
Corporal Philips. Ozzie liked the sound of it. And to receive the reward the day after his birthday made it even more special. His mother was going to be so proud. “It’s an honor.”
“You’ve earned it.” Petty pursed his lips. “Now, we have a situation in Auerbach that needs immediate attention.” He slid a file across the table to Ozzie. “You’ll have a small team to manage, and you will leave for Auerbach at nineteen hundred hours.”
The clock hanging from the wall ticked as the pride Ozzie felt in being promoted slipped from his face. “That’s thirty minutes.”
“I realize it’s short notice, but we must be ready to answer the call at any time.”
Uneasiness pressed against Ozzie’s chest as he leaned forward in his seat. “May I ask, where is Auerbach?”
“It’s about four hundred kilometers northeast of here.”
That was a few hours away. What about Jelka and Katja? He wasn’t prepared to leave them at all, certainly not without making arrangements.
“I have a daughter, First Sarge. Can we delay my departure so that I have time to give her a proper goodbye?”
Petty chuckled. “You men are over here spreading seeds like farmers with hoes. You’re a noncommissioned officer now, you have to act like one. Besides, if I gave every soldier a chance for a propergoodbye, we wouldn’t be able to get anything done. Be ready at nineteen hundred hours.” He stood, dismissing Ozzie.
The matter was closed.
Back in the barracks, Ozzie stacked his possessions in a fog. Being ranked as corporal put him closer to seeking the position that he really wanted in Intelligence. It was a pay raise, so he’d have more money to support Katja, but he didn’t want to go without saying goodbye. He hated the idea of being separated from Katja for an indefinite period.
Twenty minutes later, the jeep scheduled to transport him was waiting in front of his building. As Ozzie placed his footlocker in the back, Morgan walked down the path. “Brother, what’s up?”
“I’ve been promoted to corporal.”
Morgan pumped his fist. “But what’s all this? You leaving us?”
“They are transferring me to Auerbach, effective immediately. Can you get a word to Jelka for me and give her this?” Ozzie handed Morgan an envelope.
“It’s time to pull out, Philips,” called the soldier behind the wheel of the jeep.
Ozzie and Morgan embraced. “Look after Katja for me,” Ozzie said, and then stepped in the backseat of the vehicle.
CHAPTER 30West Oak Forest Academy, December 1965
SOPHIA
Sophia skipped lunch in favor of making the telephone calls to locate Ethel Gathers. There was one pay phone in the basement of the girls’ dorm. She had swapped the dollar bill Walter had given her with Miz Peaches for dimes, which afforded her ten calls at a dime apiece. Inside the telephone booth, she pulled the wooden accordion door closed and sat down on the cold steel stool. The torn-out white pages were on her lap, and she quickly counted the number of people with the last name Gathers. There were ninety-two. Where would she get enough money to try them all?
Baby steps,she told herself. There were fourteen Gatherses with names that began with A and only five that began with B. She would start at the beginning. Sophia reached for the receiver, put it to her ear, and dropped in her first coin.
