For Malice and Mercy, page 4
“Yes sir,” the roar of voices thundered, echoing through the classroom and spilling into the hallway.
Stephenson bounded up the platform and stepped around a podium to the chalkboard, reaching for a piece of chalk. “Let’s get started.”
As Stephenson spoke, Billie scribbled down everything he said. She copied the board filled with his diagrams and notes, never tiring of taking it all in. Before she realized it, it was nine o’clock, and class was over. She sat in her seat while most of the students filed out of the room. With apprehension in her step, she approached Mr. Stephenson.
“I was told by Art Andrews that I could sit in on this class. I hope that’s okay?”
“No!” his words jumped from his mouth with emphasis. “You cannot sit in on this class.”
Billie took a step back.
Merlon winked and then smiled. “I didn’t mean to startle you. I was joking. I’ve had a young man cancel because of a family emergency. Instead of trying to recruit another student, I’m willing to offer you the seat, if you can pay by tomorrow.”
“I sure can!” Billie shot back. “I’ll take care of it in the morning, first thing.”
Merlon gave her a warm smile. “Art called me this afternoon. He’s got high hopes for you.”
“Oh really,” Billie cocked her head in curiosity. “Why is that?”
“If all goes as planned, you’ll be ahead of everyone because you’ll have most of the flight-time you’ll need by the time the class ends. Art hopes you can then pass the written test to earn your license,” he said.
Billie grinned with delight.
As she drove home, her mind raced as she wondered whether to tell her grandmother about her new adventure. Her parents would be thrilled, but her grandma, not so much. Billie’s parents were not expected to return for several weeks. Rather than risk having her grandmother put a stop to everything, she decided to tell her only about her new job at the airport. What her grandma didn’t know wouldn’t hurt her.
Chapter 6
October 1, 1941
Huntsville, Utah
The door of Grandma Russell’s house flew open and Billie dashed across the yard to the Meyer’s back door. It was left open to let the afternoon breeze cool the house. Ella sat at the table gazing out the kitchen window. Her books and notes lay open, pen resting idly in her hand. The flurry of motion caught her eye. As Billie ran into the kitchen, her shoes pounded the floor, her cheeks flushed red from exertion.
“Ella!” She exhaled breathlessly. “You won’t believe it!”
Papa and Hank walked into the kitchen just as Billie walked in the back door. Papa joked as Billie closed the door. “Knocking is old-fashioned; just valk in.”
“Don’t mind if I do,” Billie shot back, smiling.
Hank ignored Billie and took an apple from the bowl on the kitchen table. He sat in a chair as he took a bite, appearing to be listening in on the conversation.
“What’s going on?” Ella asked with eagerness in her voice.
“Ella! You won’t believe it. My father just got us four tickets to go to see Glenn Miller and his Orchestra at the White City Ballroom. Tonight!”
“You’re joking. Those tickets have been sold out for over a month.”
“I know. I don’t know how Dad did it. I’ve already talked to Chester, and he can go, so do you want to come?”
“Not if I have to go alone. That’s embarrassing.” Ella recoiled at the thought.
“Ella. This is Glenn Miller, for heaven’s sake. Just come,” Billie pleaded.
“You may feel comfortable going alone, but…” Ella’s voice trailed off.
Billie leaned one arm on the counter and scratched her head with the other hand. “Okay, who can we get to be your date? In an hour?” Then she slapped her hand on the table.
“Why don’t you just go with Hank?” Billie looked at Hank with a threat in her eyes.
Hank sunk in his chair, trying to hide from Billie’s penetrating stare.
Ella tilted her head in thought. “That’s not a bad idea. That way I won’t walk in alone, and if anyone recognizes us, we’ll just say we had tickets that we didn’t want to go to waste.”
Hank cringed, trying to hide himself. “Oh, no! Count me out.”
“Oh, please come, Hank,” Ella begged. “It’s the Glenn Miller Band, and they may never come to Ogden again!”
Hank crossed his arms, saying nothing.
“I can’t go alone,” Ella said. “How embarrassing would that be?”
“And who in his right mind would go dancing with his sister?”
“You don’t have to dance with me,” Ella argued. “Just walk in with me.”
Hank looked at the floor. He appeared to be deep in thought but didn’t reply. Billie watched as Hank’s mind churned away for a rational response. She waited, keeping her intense stare leveled on him as she leaned back against the table.
“You’ve always said you wanted to see Glenn Miller! Come on, Hank!” Ella blurted.
Hank protested, but it lacked conviction. “Nope. I’ve got homework.”
Papa spoke up in protest, his deep voice penetrated all of them. “Hank, I sink you haf some different reason. Vat’s going on?”
“Nothing. I really do have homework,” Hank said, avoiding his papa’s scrutiny.
“But you luf Glenn Meeller. So is it about homevork, or is it your pride?”
Hank shuffled his feet uncomfortably and was about to speak when Billie stepped closer to him. She whispered, “Hank, please. Your sister wants to go, and the only thing stopping her from going is you. This is a chance of a lifetime. What do you say? Be a sport and go with us.”
Hank paused, uncomfortable as all eyes were on him. Not wanting to give Billie another reason to turn on him, he blurted, “Okay. Just to get you guys off my back. But promise me you and Chester won’t start arguing again on the way home. You always do that after a dance, and it drives me nuts.”
“We don’t argue every time after a dance,” Billie protested. “Sometimes you’re just so annoying…” Ella jabbed Billie in the ribs. Billie nodded and gave Hank a phony smile.
“Be ready at seven sharp. Chester will pick us up,” Billie insisted. “Don’t be late.”
As Chester drove his Chrysler sedan through the winding roads of Ogden Canyon, Billie, Hank, and Ella chatted with each other during the forty-five-minute drive to Ogden.
“How many people do you think they’ll cram into White City Ballroom?” Chester asked anyone who would listen.
“At least a thousand.” Hank spoke with authority. “They say it can hold that many. That’s why they call it Utah’s largest ballroom.”
“What’s the most they’ve had in there?” he asked.
“At least that many for Jimmy Dorsey. The same for Duke Ellington. It was packed,” Billie replied.
Chester smiled, and their excited banter continued until they arrived. After parking a few blocks from the venue, Billie and Chester rushed toward the front door. Hank and Ella lagged behind.
The ticket line forming at the door was abuzz with excitement. Couples smiled and laughed as they waited to get in. Some strained to see inside the door, wondering what was holding up the line. Billie stopped in her tracks. “Look at the sign.” She pointed to a small handwritten sign attached to one of the doors.
Chester read it under his breath. “No one under eighteen will be admitted. Oh, no!” He scanned the entryway, anywhere, for a solution. “I hope Hank doesn’t see that. He’ll spill the beans that he’s only seventeen.”
“Are they checking anyone for identification?” Billie asked.
Chester peered over the shoulder of the tall man in front of them toward the entrance, watching as guests were ushered in. “It doesn’t look like it. Maybe they just didn’t want teenagers to try to sneak in?”
“Just don’t let Hank see the sign. He’ll go on for days about how he doesn’t want to break the rules,” Billie whispered to Chester, and he agreed.
He looked around and noticed the other door didn’t have the same sign. “How about you go and block his view of the sign. I’ll guide Ella and Hank toward the other door.”
“Do you think it will work?”
“There’s enough chaos that I think we’ll be fine. You go in.”
As the crowd outside waited their turn to enter, Chester watched, biting his lip until Hank and Ella approached the line.
“Come on over to this door; the line is moving faster,” Chester suggested.
One by one, they moved toward the ticket taker. Billie was up ahead turning her back to them, hoping Hank wouldn’t recognize her as she positioned herself to block the sign.
“Where did Billie go?” Ella asked.
Chester shrugged. “She had to go the bathroom,” he lied, then tipped his head in the direction of the restroom.
Inch by inch, they approached the door, and Chester handed the man their three tickets. He looked at each one carefully, assessing the age of Ella, Chester, and then Hank. Chester held his breath. With an approving nod, the man ripped up their tickets and let them enter. Chester waited until they were a few steps away from the man before letting out an audible sigh.
They picked up their pace and stepped through the double doors, Billie joining them on the other side. As they entered the ballroom, a dull roar came from the mass of people inside. A wall of music exploded from the bandstand. Chester turned to Billie with a mischievous grin, “Let’s go give ‘em a show, Billie, shall we?” They took each other by the hand and Chester shouted to Hank just before they disappeared into a sea of dancers. “We’ll meet you right here when it’s over, okay?” Hank smiled, put two fingers to his eyebrow and saluted.
“That’s him,” Ella shrieked with delight. “That’s Glenn Miller!”
She smiled as Hank stood on his toes. “It sure is!” he said, beaming with excitement, yet anxious about being spotted with his sister as his date. Hank shoved his hands deep in his front pockets, his arms stiff as he moved through the crowd, Ella close behind him. With trepidation, he walked around the perimeter of the dance floor, trying to avoid eye contact with everyone. People stood shoulder-to-shoulder. Most couples tried to stake out a small spot they could call their own. As the tide of people filled the massive dance floor, many couples gave up hope of dancing and just stood on the sidelines to watch the bandleader, his trombone glistening in the bright lights.
When the band played just a note or two of a familiar song, the crowd cheered. Like a swarm of bees the crowd flew to their feet, buzzing around the dance floor for songs like “American Patrol” and “Chattanooga Choo Choo.”
Hank and Ella looked at each other in amazement at the gigantic crowd that filled the ballroom beyond its capacity. Both were getting knocked and bounced around like bumper cars, but the music filled their ears, and they tapped their feet, grinning. Between songs, Ella picked her way through the brief snatches of stillness, moving closer to the stage. Hank followed closely, but someone shouted his name.
“Hank? Hank …is that you?”
He looked around to see his high-school friend, Muriel Davis.
“Hi Muriel!” Hank yelled over the din. “Funny seeing you here. Have you been stepped on or crushed yet?”
She laughed and replied, “No. Not yet. But isn’t this a killer-diller? I’ve never seen so many people in here before, but it’s Glenn Miller. Can you believe he’s really here? In Ogden, Utah?”
“I know,” Hank said. “We’re just lucky to be here. My sister and I found out we had tickets this afternoon. She couldn’t get a date, so she brought me along,” he offered sheepishly, pointing to Ella standing near a column about ten feet away.
Muriel’s eyes widened with excitement, “Well if you’re both here without a date, let me introduce your sister to my cousin, Tom. They’d make a great couple.” She pointed toward the crowd, where the people on the dance floor hopped with excitement.
Hank narrowed his eyes at Muriel and asked, “Have you met my sister before?”
“Sure, I knew her from school. She’s two years older than we are, right?”
“And she’s very shy, and really…” he trailed off.
Muriel looked at Hank, dipping her head waiting for him to finish.
“Speak up,” she shouted over the clamor. “I can’t hear you.”
Hank cleared his throat. “She’s been more and more self-conscious lately about her weight.” Hank looked at the floor. “I just don’t want her to get hurt, you understand?”
Hank searched Muriel’s face looking for some indication that she understood what he meant.
“Hank, how long have I known you?” Muriel raised an eyebrow and gazed into Hank’s eyes.
“Forever,” he smiled.
“I know who she is. I wouldn’t suggest they meet up unless I thought they would hit it off.”
“So, he’s not going to hurt her, is he?”
“He’s an angel,” she said. “They’ll have a great time. All I’ve got to do is find him in the crowd. I know he’s in there somewhere.”
Hank watched with a helpless grin as Muriel stood on her toes, scanning the crowd for her cousin. Waving as she spotted him, Hank felt her grab his hand and pull him in Tom’s general direction through a sea of bouncing couples. They barged past couple after couple, shouting apologies, “excuse me” and “pardon me,” several times until she could reach out for Tom’s hand.
Hank watched Muriel snatch Tom’s hand. He jumped, startled.
“Come with me, Tom,” Muriel said. “I want you to meet someone.” With Tom in one hand and Hank in the other, she dragged them in Ella’s direction. She was leaning against a pillar, lost in the music.
Muriel stopped in front of Ella. Hearing someone shouting her name, Ella straightened, her eyes widening as she looked at the nice young man who stood in front of her.
Hank could see Ella admiring Tom’s broad-shoulders. He had a solid, yet thin build, not quite six feet tall, with dark wavy hair receding a bit around his temples. His rugged chin outlined a handsome face. Even Hank noticed the kindness in his eyes that deepened when he smiled.
Hank strained to hear Muriel as she leaned over to Tom and almost had to shout over the din. “This is my high school friend, Hank Meyer, and his sister, Ella. They’re here just like we are.” She covered her mouth, faking a whisper, “None of us have real dates, but we wanted to see Glenn Miller. So, we won’t tell anyone that we came with family, will we?”
Hank laughed, and said, “Your secret is safe.” Tom tipped his head to Hank and offered his hand. Both gave each other a firm grip and replied simultaneously, “Pleasure to meet you.”
Hank stepped aside and pulled Ella into the circle. Tom extended his hand to Ella and have her a good-natured shake. “How nice to meet you, Ella. Where you from?”
“Huntsville,” Hank and Ella answered in unison. The song ended, and after the cheers erupted and subsided, the voices of their small group felt loud in the sudden silence.
“Wow.” Tom’s eyes widened. “I love it up in the Valley.” This brought a nervous, yet kind smile from Ella. Hank watched his sister’s face blush. He grinned at seeing her flirt with him.
“I didn’t think I would dance at all tonight,” Tom admitted.
“Me either,” Ella said. “I’d love to, if you’re up to it?”
From the stage came the sound of snapping fingers, the opening rhythm of “Little Brown Jug” filling the air. The crowd roared with approval. Hank watched as Tom and Ella found an opening on the dance floor. Within minutes they were swinging and twirling each other as if they’d been dance partners for years.
“I suppose they’ll be just fine.” Muriel looked at Hank and smiled.
“I guess so.”
Hank reached out his hand to Muriel. “Would you like to dance?”
“I thought you’d never ask.” Muriel gave him a bright smile.
He took her hand and they slipped into a small opening, joining the music.
After the show ended, Hank and Muriel thanked each other and stepped outside into the cool air, waiting for Tom and Ella. Hank spotted them as they sauntered out of the large double doors. Ella’s flushed face glowed as she clung to Tom’s arm, chattering away.
“Looks like you two had fun.” Hank tipped his head and pointed to their clasped hands.
“We sure did,” Ella glowed. “We had a grand time, didn’t we?” She tilted her chin, catching his gaze in hers.
Tom smiled and agreed, “Your sister’s a great dancer.”
Hank shot him an approving glance, then announced, “Well folks, I’m sorry to put the brakes on you little love-birds, but we have a bit of a drive to make it home.” Hank smiled and teased.
Tom winked at Ella. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”
They gave each other a quick hug and Ella thanked him.
“I had the time of my life,” she whispered, glowing with affection. “We’ll talk soon.”
As Tom and Muriel walked away, Hank turned to Ella and said, “What was all that about? You act like newlyweds.”
Ella said nothing, but gave him a coy smile, shrugged, and nodded in agreement.
“He’s gentle and polite, a voracious reader, handsome as the devil, and he’s not a bad dancer,” Ella responded analytically, as if she was reviewing one of her library books. “Not quite the dancers that you and Chester are,” she added. “But not bad at all.”
Hank knew his sister well enough to recognize her tone. Exhilaration bubbled beneath the surface of her cool composure, struggling to show itself. She couldn’t catch her breath, and a smile kept breaking through despite her conscious efforts to stifle it.
“There you are!” an indignant voice called out. “We’ve been looking all over for you.”
