Renee - A Story based on Pearl Harbor

Renee

Sunday, 7th December, 1941 . . .

This is me, Leah and this is my story. I can still remember the shackles of smoke that whirled around me, the day that changed my entire life.

My mom called me from behind and I stormed downstairs wearing my brand new t-shirt and there she was, my mom, as graceful as ever.She was making those delicious pancakes of hers. I had always loved her cooking, in fact sometimes I even wonder if she mixed a secret potion or something in them. I would have some tomorrow too, just like today . . .  would I?

Just then, my father entered the kitchen in his lab coat and scrubs. He gave an approving smile towards my mother and withdrew a small, shiny red package and handed it to mom. Was I missing something here? My mom opened it, a smile I had never seen, on her face and there it was, a shiny locket with diamonds. How could I forget? My very own parents' 25th anniversary!

I moved forward to hug them when a loud crashing sound filled the house and pierced through my ears. I stared at the house in shock and saw the windows shatter, doors break and the house tearing apart, right in front of my very eyes. I shouted for my brother, sleeping in his room, totally unaware of what was happening, no different than us, I thought. We all ran out in despair, choking back sobs. I waited for my brother as I realized that my dad had tightly gripped my wrist, to stop me from going in, when he, himself was fighting the urge to do so. I stared fixedly at the door where James was struggling to get out, choking on the flames and dust.

I was helpless, what with knowing it was too late and my dad holding me back as I saw the shadow of my brother's silhouette for the last time, as it disappeared behind the smoke.

As I gazed towards the sky, I saw an army of F-16's crowding the sky. The whole town and by the looks of it, the whole city was filled with panic. And then my father turned gravely towards my mother, tears in both their eyes, I knew what was coming.

My father held my mum's hand and said " Just remember, I love you" and he turned toward me, hugged me, I never wanted to let go, because I knew this was the last time I would ever get that hug, the last time I would see him alive.He left without a word, without turning back, so it wouldn't be harder for him to do this. 

He ran towards the hospital where he worked, not caring if he would be able to escape or not, he just had to save the others. He wanted the hospital evacuated, he wanted to save the others, not himself.

People were coming out, their faces drained of all the color and full of sheer horror. As the last person got out, in a split second, three things happened all at once, there was a deafening bang, a puff of smoke and flames rising out of the spot where my dad had been, and my dad fell, fell, never to get back up again.

Tears welled up inside me, I felt like ripping my hair out, the pain was excruciating. I couldn't believe this was happening, neither could my mum. She ran forward to my father's corpse, crying silently over his body, her face in her hands and hiccuping terribly.

The big T.V. screen on the only building left around for miles, showed a reporter saying that Japan had attacked the harbor of Hawaii, here where I was right now, where I lost everything, and was attacking with fully equipped navy.

I went over to my mum and helped her stand up, she didn't protest, her eyes red and swollen. I knew where to go, we took refuge in an old cellar, just under a shop where I had been to, countless times with my friends, where we used to play and laugh, the truth sunk, that the laugh was never going to come back. As we waited, two more families joined us, their clothes ripped, their bodies covered with ash and dust.

The war was over, leaving Hawaii being wiped out with no people, and nothing but pain and misery everywhere.

My life moved on, even though it was never the same again, me and my mum moved to Alaska, with the images of that horrible day still flashing through my mind, my brother's cry of pain, my dad's crippled, lifeless, broken corpse. My mum lived, although she never smiled that smile again, and she never will, but she survived, survived due to the last reminder of the wonderful time my mum had with dad, the locket. And she was born again..... she was Renee.



NOTE: Renee means to be born again.