I Will Love You Forever Pt. 2 Ch. 06

Kenji didn't study that night, they didn't even make love in the physical sense but made love in the emotional sense. They spent the evening and a majority of the night talking about the hardest time of their lives and eased the emotional pain of that one horrible day. It wasn't until that night that they realized how deeply that one day affected them and would continue to affect them for the rest of their lives.

The next morning, Kenji offered to stay home from school. His emotions were still raw and he knew that hers had to be as well.

"I'll be alright." she assured him, "Just be safe and hurry home."

They held each other a little longer than usual and the good-bye kiss was longer and more tender than usual as well.

"Kirei...."

"Get going." Patricia said as she reluctantly pulled away, "then you can be home sooner."

That day was the longest day that either of them could remember having.

***********

Finals were over and the knowledge that classes were over gave the campus a festive feel to it. Everywhere people were promising to write or call and arranging for visits. Some of the students in their happiness spoke to Patricia.

"Have a good summer!" A few of them called out.

"You too!" Patricia replied even though she knew that the same people would probably go back to not speaking to her in the fall but for now the impromptu greetings were nice. It was yet another "normal" moment for her to remember when things got hard. She looked around for Kenji smiling when she saw him heading her way from the building where their classes where held.

She could see the relief on his face as he got closer to her. He was as glad that school was over for the summer as she was but he had something to tell her but it could wait. As soon as he reached her, he bent down and kissed her on the forehead.

"Kenji?" she asked surprised because he had never kissed her at school before.

"I am fine Kirei, I am just happy to see you. Where is Joel?" he asked looking around.

"He'll be back; he said something about paying for the next semester." Patricia replied.

"Kirei, I was presented with an opportunity and I wanted to talk to you about it."

"Alright, what is it?" Patricia asked.

"There is an accelerated summer program, if I do this, I will have one less semester of school."

"What did you tell them?"

"That I wanted to discuss it with you first. I know how much you have been looking forward to the summer with ...."

"Do it." Patricia said cutting him off.

"Kirei you must understand that I will be here at school three days a week and our summer plans will be put on hold."

"Kenji, do you want to do this?" she asked.

"Yes but you and the children are more important than anything that I might want."

"This isn't a want." Patricia said, "It's a need. You are so far ahead of the others that you're bored. You need this so I'm saying yes. So who do you need to talk to?"

"I don't know what to say." Kenji replied.

"How about Kirei, I love you and thank you?" Patricia teased.

"Thank you and Kirei? I do love you." Kenji said hugging her.

"That will do, so when does this start?" She asked.

"Two weeks but I can register now since we are here." Kenji replied.

"Let's go then." Patricia said taking his hand.

"Hey! Wait up!" Joel called. "Where are you headed? The car's that way."

Kenji explained the summer program to Joel who was excited for him.

"That's great! I'm happy for you! Mind if I tag along?"

***********

Andrew watched the entire exchange between Patricia and Kenji with a mixture of disgust and curiosity. That the Jew had become part of their happy family added to that curiosity, he just didn't get it.

He had heard about the summer program that could cut off a semester and had hoped for a spot even though he knew that his grades weren't near good enough. The fact was he was hoping that the fact that his father was a war hero would guarantee him a spot and he was disappointed when it didn't happen. It seemed to Andrew that the fact that his father was a war hero was beginning to matter less and less. It was also clear that if he wanted to graduate and get into a good residency program that he had to get his ass in gear.

When he heard that Kenji was given a spot and the Jew was on the waiting list, jealousy reared its ugly head. It didn't matter that he knew that there was no way he could have succeeded in the program. He deliberately overlooked the fact that Kenji had passed every test with excellence and that he was near if not at the top of their class. It galled him that a man whose country had attacked this one had taken his spot.

Now as he watched the three of them walk away, his anger grew. He threw down his cigarette, gave the trio one last scorching glare and walked away. It was time to make some concrete plans beginning with finding out where they lived and anything else that he could find out.

**********

Patricia, Kenji and Joel went to the registrar's office so that Kenji could register for the summer program. The young woman behind the desk looked up at them and gave them a sincere smile.

"Hello, can I help you?"

Kenji explained to her what he wanted.

"Oh yes, Dr. Nichols said that you might be stopping by or calling in the next few days. He'll be excited to know that you're signing up. Is this your wife?"

"Yes this is Patricia and this is our friend Joel."

"It's nice to meet you all. My name is Penny short for Penelope."

The three of them stared at her. It had been a while since they had been spoken to in what they considered normal and it was refreshing.

"It's nice to meet you too." Patricia said recovering first.

"So, here's the class schedule and as you know it starts in two weeks. The week before Dr. Nichols wants to have a cook out at his house for the people in the class and of course all of you are invited." Penny said her eyes on Joel who had turned beet red under her gaze.

"How many others are there?" Kenji asked.

"Six counting you and me." Penny replied turning her gaze onto Kenji. "The cookout is a week from Saturday and bring a dish to share. The address and time is written in the schedule and the books are already at the book store."

Patricia looked back at Joel and smiled, he was flustered and Penny was very obviously interested in him.

"My phone number is on the schedule too, I'm the contact person for the class. Any questions?" Penny asked her dark eyes fastened onto Joel's face.

"When does this need to be paid for?" Kenji asked.

"The day of class is fine unless you want to do it now."

"I will take care of it now and then will go to get the books." Kenji said, "I have an account with the school so if you will give me the paperwork, I will sign for it."

"Great!" Penny said as she reached into the drawer and pulled out a stack of papers for Kenji to read and sign. "You can use that desk over there if you want."

Patricia liked Penny, she liked her bubbly personality that she sensed wasn't fake. She had the sense that had they all been rainbow colored that she wouldn't have cared.

"Why don't you grab a chair?" she asked Patricia, "I have a feeling that we're going to get to know each other rather well. You too Joel." Penny added with a warm smile.

Joel almost tripped over his feet in his haste to get chairs for him and Patricia.

"So Joel," Penny said when they were sitting, "what specialty will you be going into?"

"I .... I... I don't know yet." he stammered.

"That's alright, you have some time yet. What about you Patricia?"

"Obstetrics so that Kenji and I can practice together when I'm done. What about you?"

"Well, like Joel, I'm not sure but I'm thinking pediatrics."

"Isn't that what you were thinking about too?" Patricia asked Joel trying to help him out a little.

"Y.... yes but I don't know yet."

"I wonder....." Penny said more to herself than them. "I'll be right back."

"She's pretty isn't she?" Patricia asked.

"Very." Joel replied absently as he looked in the direction that Penny had gone.

Kenji looked up from his paper work and smiled, Joel was going be all right.

Penny swept back into the office and handed Joel a stack of papers.

"What's this?" he asked.

"Paperwork, I just talked to Dr. Nichols and he agreed that there's room for one more."

"I... I can't, I mean I..."

"Relax, you were one of the ones that he was considering but he had to make the cutoff somewhere so are you in?" Penny asked.

Joel couldn't speak but bobbed his head up and down.

"Great!" Penny exclaimed with a smile that made her already deep dimples deeper.

That she wasn't fashion model thin didn't bother Joel in the least, what mattered was that he liked the warm sunshiny dark haired woman who treated them as people and with respect. He wondered if she would consider going on a date with him.

*********

Becca got ready for her date with Robbie. She didn't feel bad about it, after all, she had warned Nancy that if she wasn't going to go after him she was and gave her a week to think about it. When Nancy made no moves, Becca took things into her own hands and approached him. He was unprepared for her forthright manner but he adjusted. Tonight was their third date and much to Becca's chagrin, he hadn't so much as touched her although she made it clear to him that she wouldn't reject any advances that he might want to make. Instead of taking her up on the offer, he smiled at her and acted as if she hadn't said anything forward.

She could feel Nancy's glare on her back but ignored it. They had already discussed the subject as much as Becca had intended to. She had finally accepted the fact that her hair would be limp because of the humidity and pulled it back into a ponytail tied with a blue scarf. Although it was early evening, she was sweating and the cotton sundress clung to her prompting Nancy to make a comment about her virtue. Oddly, the comment stung but Becca brushed it off attributing it to jealousy.

She was ready just as Robbie knocked on the door. Becca didn't speak to her cousin as she left the room that they shared and she had no doubt that when she came back that Nancy wouldn't talk to her. "Oh well" she muttered as she ran down the stairs.

***********

The new warden arrived three weeks after Lawrence found out about him. Duke tried to find out information that could be useful but for the most part was unsuccessful. The guard who had been his source was transferred out as well as a number of other guards who came to see some of the prisoners as friends often bringing them food from home. There were other changes coming as well and none of them in Lawrence's favor.

"Goodman! The new warden wants to see you!" a guard that Lawrence had never seen before snapped.

Lawrence's stomach clenched with nerves, he had allowed himself to get too comfortable. It hadn't occurred to him that things could drastically change. As he stepped out of his cell, a guard flanked him on either side while the one who summoned him put handcuffs on him.

"There's no need for that." Lawrence said.

"This here is a maximum security prison in case you've forgotten." the guard said, "and this is what we call protocol which seems to have been forgotten amongst other things." He added.

"But...."

"Quiet! And keep your eyes forward."

***********

Warden Theodore Elliot stood in front of the window of his new office. He had one hell of a mess to clean up. Simmons had let the prison go to hell and the prisoners both black and white had forgotten that they were prisoners and nothing more. However, the prisoner who held his interest was on his way to his office. That he held some of the same beliefs that Lawrence did was of no consequence. Lawrence had crossed the line when he had Doc killed, and now Little and there were others, he was sure of it. To Elliot, certain people were off limits and that included elected and government officials including agents of the government, women and children with the exception of those that threatened the survival of the white race. He could have cared less about the eight blacks that Lawrence killed or ordered killed but he had a prison to run and personal politics weren't a part of it.

What he was going to do with Goodman he hadn't decided, but one thing was for sure, this prison was going to be run as it should have been. If he did find a way to prove Lawrence's' guilt in the murder of Doc and several other members of the Klan... then he would be dealt with. There were ways of getting rid of troublemakers that looked legal. Elliot either deliberately or really didn't see the contradiction in his thinking.

A tap on the door told him that they had come with Lawrence.

"Come in!" he boomed his bass voice resonating off the walls.

Lawrence soon found himself standing in front of one of the biggest white men that he had ever seen. He had to look up to see the new warden's face. He swallowed hard as he looked into slate gray eyes that held no warmth in them whatsoever.

Elliot didn't speak for several minutes and then decided to lay the cards on the table.

"I know who and what you are you murdering son of a bitch and I'm not talking about the eight darkies that you were convicted of killing. I'm talking about Doc and Little just to name two and for the record, I know that you can't be directly linked to either of those murders but let me tell you something, when I find the proof you will face justice."

Lawrence waited, there was more to come.

"From now on, this place will be run as a maximum security prison is supposed to be run, there will be no unscheduled meetings, there will be no fraternizing with the guards and all curfew hours are to be observed by everyone and that includes you and your group of whatever in the hell you call yourselves.

While you are here, it is separate but equal do you understand me? That means if you or any of your men break the rules, then you will be disciplined like any other prisoner. Questions?" Elliot asked.

"Why do you have it in for me?" Lawrence asked, "We're supposed to be on the same side."

"Let me explain something to you." Elliot said as if he was speaking to a small child. "The Klan isn't going to get anywhere if idiots like you go around killing people haphazardly. As I mentioned, I don't give a fuck about the murders you're in here for but I do care about the murders of fellow Klansmen. You're helping the other side and not us but not only that, there are people that I consider to be off limits and that includes white women and children, government officials including the FBI and other Klansmen. It's time that we become more than men wearing sheets at night and burning crosses, it we are to control things, it has to be in politics where we can legally make a difference and not guerrilla warfare although that does have its place.

Now, go back to your cell and if another body turns up white or black, I'll kill you myself and I'll get away with it. From this moment on, we are not to talk about our politics, you are nothing more than a prisoner, now get the hell out of my office!"

On the way back to his cell, Lawrence replayed the meeting with the warden in his head. No matter what the man said, this was personal, it had to be but what had he done to anger the man? He wondered. There was more to it than the deaths of Doc and Little.

As they passed the building that housed the black prisoners, a voice that Lawrence recognized and hated called out.

"What's the matter Lawrence? Trouble in paradise?"

Lawrence tensed but kept walking, ignoring the sounds of laughter at the remark. He had just made two decisions, one, Jacob Lincoln was going to die and two, and he was going to escape.

Elliot watched Lawrence walk flanked by the guards walking back to his cell. "Go ahead you murdering bastard, try and escape... I dare you."

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By the end of June 1946, six prisoners make an unsuccessful attempt to escape Alcatraz prison, a 14-meter high tsunami hits Hilo and Laupahoehoe on the Big Island of Hawaii, thousands are injured, 173 die. The Basketball Association of America is formed in New York City, Lawrence Olivier's "Henry V" opens in the U.S., it is the first Shakespeare film shown in color and the War Relocation Authority is abolished.

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