Brad stretched, realized he had slept in his jeans and tee shirt. When he turned to Tomako he saw that she had on a nemaki and her hair was still damp from a shower. She was holding her skirt and the blouse that she had slept in all night. He watched a faint pink blush creep up her neck and onto her cheeks.
"I woke early so I took a shower while you slept. I forgot to take one last night and I slept in these." Lifting her hands which were holding her clothes. Tomi turned towards the small kitchen dropping her clothes next to the bathroom door. "Do you want coffee, Brad."
"Please, Tomako. I slept good also. I always sleep deep on your tatamis." He slide out from under the futon and headed for the bathroom.
"Brad?" Tomi started to speak then stopped until he came out of the bathroom after washing the sleep out of his eyes.
"What, Tomi?"
"Coffee will be ready in just a minute or two. Are you hungry?"
"Just coffee right now thanks."
"Last night what happened is what I tried to explain when we were talking. I needed and wanted, to be held and sleep together. But I'm not sure that I care for you in the right way to do seiai." She blushed a real blush of deep embarrassment.
"I understand that. Last night was nice. I liked holding you and I'm glad that it was good for you."
I heard what you said before you went to sleep. And I love you also. Brad thought and decided to keep it to himself for now.
"You are not mad or upset that we did not have sei?"
"No, I'm not. Like I just said, I understand what you need and maybe love you enough to want to find out what is going to be good for us together."
"Kohi is done, dozo. Will you come stay with me again? Maybe not tonight, but soon?"
Brad sipped being careful not to burn his lips or tongue. "I would like that very much."
"I can prepare dinners for us to share after work. Would you get me at the coffee house, then come to my home with me?"
He met her eyes and realized that she was a small step from crying. Reaching for her hand Brad drew her to him. She came up onto his knees next to the table. She sank down against him and let him hold her tightly.
"Relax, okay? We'll work it out and as long as we talk about what we have going on in our heads and hearts, we will be alright and good for each other."
"You really think so, Brad?" I'm not asking too much of you as a man? Not making love, maybe for quite a while."
"We don't know that. Let's not count days or weeks. Just take it easy and enjoy being us."
"I trust you. I always have and do more now."
"Well I'll do my best. Some weekends, Sundays, I have to work. Like today. I promised to work to do a job that needs to be finished. I took yesterday off because I knew you would be at the coffee house and I could see you, so today I work."
"You took yesterday off to see me?"
"Yes. That's what you mean to me. I was afraid to come to your house without being asked. So I went to the coffee house."
Tomi lifted her face to him and kissed him lightly on the lips. "Arigato goziemashita, Brad-san. I do love you and from now on you can come here anytime that you want."
Tomi jumped up and went to a drawer in the kitchen and came back with a key. "This is yours" Handing the door key to him. "You are the only man who has a key to my home. There are only two keys, yours and mine. I want you to come whenever you want. Even when I'm at work. If you want you can bring some clothes and uniforms to leave here. If you do, then you won't have to go to the barracks, neh? You can leave later in the morning and go directly to work?"
"I'm not sure how to do all that right now. We have a house mama-san who washes and irons our clothes. I'll figure it out because I don't want you to worry about my clothes."
"I wouldn't mind doing your clothes."
"Tomi, you are too busy to do my clothes. And sometimes at work I get takusan dirty. Thank you anyway. Some day you can come to see me at work."
"I've got to get to the base. I'll grab breakfast in the mess hall this morning since I have to go to the barracks to change anyway. What are you going to do today?"
"I want to go shopping for some clothes and food so I can feed my new friend. You will come here tonight?"
"Yes, if you want me to."
"Oh, yes I do. I want you here whenever you can put up with a confused sukoshi nesan."
"I've got to go. I'll be here about half after 6. Alright?"
"That will be good. I'll fix supper for us. Okinawan food, Neh?"
"That will be good." Brad stood and took her hand to give her a kiss on the cheek, but she stepped into his arms and gave him a big hug before kissing him fully and long on the lips.
Laughing softly and hanging onto his hand she said, "that is all you get for now. Have a good day, my special tomodachi."
THIRTY
It was just before 0900 when Brad fired up the Army's D8 dozer and started working on the chief's club road. He had not taken time to go to the barracks to change clothes. Instead he was working in blue jeans and tee shirt. He decided not to go to the chow hall and took the jeep to the flightline snack bar for coffee and a roll. He knew that he had a long day ahead of him, but thoughts of going to have dinner with Tomako would lighten his day. The morning went quickly and he felt that he was accomplishing a lot and had worked his way most of the way up the hill towards the clubhouse. There would be a double curve at the very top which would not be within sight of the main road leading to the Navy administration area, but he would be still a half day or so from starting to develop the shape of the curves and grading the parking lot. He swung the dozer sideways to look back down the hill to be sure it was shaping up as he wanted it to.
At the intersection of the new road and older paved road he watched a nesan walking slowly towards the intersection. Being too far away to tell who it was, but he was wondering why she was walking around there on a Sunday morning. Well I'm not getting much done sitting here watching girls. I'm getting hungry. He looked at his watch and decided by the time he ran the dozer down to the bottom of the hill where he had parked the jeep he could go eat some lunch.
After he idled the dozer down he glanced across the road and saw the the nesan was still there watching him. She looks familiar. She wouldn't be here. But she does have a base pass. Leaving the dozer running, Brad jumped down from the dozer track he was standing on and started to walk towards Tomako. He smiled when she realized what he was doing and had started to smile and run across the street towards him.
"What are you doing here." Brad almost shouted since Tomi was still some distance from him and the dozer's heavy engine was still running in the background.
They met at the entrance to the new road. Tomi reached out and took his hand smiling and quite happy to be there. "I wanted to see you work and knew that not many people would be around to see me."
"How did you find me?"
"I got on the bus at the gate and when we got to the NCO Club I stayed in back until everybody was off. Then I asked Uehara if he knew where you were. He told me and then let me off the bus up there before we came to the motor pool bus stop. He was very nice. I don't think he will say anything. Do you?"
"Do you know all the Navy bus drivers? I'm afraid the motor pool niisans like to gossip."
"Hai. I have been working on base for a long time and riding the Navy bus. What do you mean gossip? What is that?"
"Tell stories about people. But don't worry about it. It's really okay.
Have you had lunch? I was just going to run down to the flightline snack bar and get a Coke and sandwich. We can go to the NCO Club if you want.
"The snack bar would be good. I just wanted to see you work and eat lunch with you."
"I'll shut down the dozer and we'll go. You can get in the jeep if you want."
"You won't get in trouble for taking me in the jeep?"
"Not as long as you have a base pass."
&
nbsp; They came out of the snack bar each with a burger, fries and a large Coke. "Jump in. I know a nice place to eat that has great scenery and isn't far from here."
Brad headed back down the flightline, past the admin building and the turnoff to the motor pool. Turning onto what was more of a trail than road, he slowed the jeep down and shifted into four wheel drive. "The hill is really steep, but the view is great."
The little jeep scramble on the loose coral and with a jolt, crested the hill coming onto a flat built on the top off the largest hill around. "This was a gun emplacement. The Navy took it down when they built the base." Brad swung them around so the jeep was pointed towards the East China Sea. Spread out below them was the Naha base runways and taxiways. Straight out was a wide sandy beach and beyond that a barrier reef which held the beach in place. The tide was coming in and breaking across the coral reef with foamy white breakers and a muffled roar.
"This is nice, Brad. Do you come up here a lot?"
"I eat lunch up here almost everyday that I'm on base. Some times at night when I have the duty and need a break I'll come up here and watch the planes and the ships like the one on the right. It's coming out of Naha Bay."
"What is that big hole in front of us?"
"That's a typhoon pit. We can put lots of trucks and trailers in there if a typhoon is coming. See the road on the right going into it?"
"Hai. What do you do when we have a typhoon? Do you have to stay in the barracks?'
"No. I stay at the motor pool in the dispatch office. I have to make sure that sickbay and the mess hall have generators and water trailers. If somebody needs an ambulance I have to be sure the Corpsmen can get to where they have to go."
They had finished their burgers and were sitting quietly sipping on their Cokes. "I have to get back to work. Do you want to stay with me for a while? I'll let you run the bulldozer."
"Iie. No. I don't think that I want to run? You call it? The bullzer."
Brad laughed as he put the jeep in gear and drove it off the hill taking a shortcut to the road below.
"It has a wide seat. You can sit on it with me if you want."
"That’s all right. As long as you are there with me I won't be afraid."
You know that I wouldn't do anything to scare you or get you hurt?"
"Tomako reached for his arm squeezing it then pulled his hand onto her thigh.
Brad took her hand and helped her climb up onto the track then onto the deck in front of the seat. "Sit here while I start the engine, then I have to sit on the right side of the seat. You okay?"
She nodded, but he could see some apprehension on her face.
"Are you sure you want to do this? It won't hurt my feelings if you don't want to."
"It's okay. I want to see and feel what you do."
When the big diesel engine roared to life, Tomako covered her ears and made a face. "It is so much noise."
Brad made several passes shaping the lower shoulders of the road. Staying away from the steeper shoulders up higher on the hill. Tomi sat quietly beside him with her hand on his thigh which she tightened slightly when he ran along a bit of side hill. Sensing that she had enough, he parked the dozer at the bottom of the hill.
"Come on. I'll take you up to the gate so you can catch a taxi."
"I can ride the Navy bus to the gate, Brad."
Taking her hand, they walked to the jeep before speaking. "The Navy admin bus stop is right there across the street. I'll be at your place about half after 6. Do you want to take some of my things with you?" Brad reached into the back seat of the jeep for his brown leather AWOL bag. "It isn't very heavy. I packed this a couple of days ago and left it in my shop. I hoped you were going to ask me to live with you."
With a smile, she took the bag from him and stepped close to kiss him quickly on the lips. "I am really glad you want to do this, Brad. You can bring anything that you want home." She turned and walked to the bus stop.
He was making himself as comfortable as anyone could on the dozer seat and looked to where Tomako had gone. She had stopped and turned before crossing the road. She seemed to be waiting for him to do just that. Even from that distance he could see her smile and her shy wave.
For the second time in an hour Brad felt the flutter in his chest and stomach as he watched her walk away.
Sensing, rather than hearing or seeing something, Brad looked up and to his right. The big Chrysler New Yorker had stopped on the newly graded section of road next to where he was shaping some more of the road's shoulder. The smile and wave made him smile as he dropped the blade onto the ground and set the brakes on the dozer.
Walking up to the car he started to salute when he realized that he didn't have his hat on. But then he wasn't in uniform really. Blue jeans, a tee shirt and jump boots.
"Hello Commander, are you out slumming?"
Lieutenant Commander Tole got out of his car and he was also in civilian clothes. "Hey, Brad. Just checking up on how the road is coming. I'm glad that's an Army bulldozer. Wouldn't want a civilian running a Navy dozer on a Navy job." He laughed, walked around to open the car's back door and pulled out two icy cans of Budweiser. He handed one to Brad and popped the top of the second. "I'm sure this is going to taste very good. You've put in a long day. Isn't it about time you knocked off and went home to that operator you were giving OJT to earlier."
"You saw her, huh?"
"No sweat, Brad. Is it serious?"
"Can I tell you later? Like in a couple of months?"
"Don't wait too long, I'm getting short. So short in fact that Mrs. Tole is thinking about packing for stateside duty."
"Have your orders yet?"
"No, but we're hoping for the East coast and since it will be our last tour there's a good chance that's where we'll end up.
Anyway Brad, why don't you park that thing and head for the barn. Can I hang around and give you a ride off base?"
"I'd appreciate that Sir, but I've got to stick around until 1800. That's the deal I made with the chief to work on the road instead of being duty dispatcher all weekend."
"Sound to me like we got the best of the deal. You accomplished a lot since you got the dozer here. When are you going to lay asphalt?"
"I'm not sure. By Tuesday or Wednesday the road will be ready, but I have to bum an asphalt spreader and operator from the Army at Sukiran. That's the iffy part."
"I won't ask if I can help with the iffy part. I'm sure that you have better connections with the Army than I do. But speak-up if I can help anyway."
"Yes Sir, I will. And thanks for the beer."
"Here." The Commander handed Brad another Bud and popped open another for himself. "I have to pick-up the Mrs. at the Officer's Club. Some kind of wives get-together.
Take care, Brad."
Just after 1800 Brad parked the jeep at the heavy equipment shop, locked up the keys and trudged up the hill to the dispatch office. I'll never get off base dressed like this and I don't want to take the time to go to the barracks for a shower. I believe that it’s time for an illegal wrecker run.
"Hey Tom, I need a ride out the gate."
"The Chief thought that you might want one. I can drop you at Tomari Port. Is that close enough to where you want to go?"
"That would be just hunky-dory, thank you."
He picked up his pace as the pink apartment building came into sight. O'Brien had dropped him off on Highway #1 at the entrance to Tomari Port since that was the easiest place to turn the wrecker around. It was less than four blocks from there to Tomi's apartment. He had a feeling of well being and was comfortable with life knowing that Tomako was waiting for him.
He hurried up the stairs covering the three flights in what he was sure was record time. Should I knock, or just open the door and walk in? Damn. This is new to me. It's her house and home, but also mine.
It wasn't the problem that he was conjuring up in his he
ad. Tomako heard him coming up the wooden stairs in his heavy jump boots. Before he reached the top landing he saw the door open and Tomi step out onto the landing. She had changed out of the blue jeans that she had on when she was on base. Now she had on a blue and yellow floral print yukata which was tied snug on her tiny waist. Her feminine hips and small breasts hadn't disappeared in the layers of soft cotton. Her welcoming smile warmed him and he felt his stomach and heart give a jolt and flutter out of sync for a couple of heart beats. Answering her smile with one of his own before reaching for her hand when he stepped up onto the landing.
"Hi, Brad-san. Come into your home." She tugged easily on his hand leading him into the house.
"Hi. I'm dirty and..."
But before he could finish Tomako put her arms around his neck and hugged him ending with a light kiss on his lips. "You taste funny. I think you need a shower and brush your teeth."
"You are so right. It tastes funny to me also. I have to get off my boots." He stepped back out on the landing leaning against the rail to take off his boots.
"Would you want a biru? Or mizu kohl?"
"Mizu kohi, dozo. I had two beers before I left the base. My boss, big boss, Commander Tole came by to see how the road looked and brought me two ice cold beers. He also kidded me about my sukoshi helper who was with me on the dozer after lunch."
Tomi looked up from stirring sugar into Brad's coffee with a hint of alarm on her face. "Are you in trouble because of me?
She hurried across the room from the kitchen forgetting his coffee on the counter. "Brad, is it alright?"
Realizing that what he had told her, which he knew was alright, was upsetting her he answered quickly. "No, there's no problem. He's a very nice guy and didn't mind that you came around to see me. I wouldn't have done it if I thought anybody would care.
Can I have my kohi? Dozo? Domo." As he took the offered glass of ice coffee.
"Your yukata is in the bathroom. If you want there is also a pair of shorts, Okinawan shorts that I found in Black Market Alley for you as I was coming home from the base after lunch. They look better than the chopped off jeans that you wear. And a clean tee shirt. Go take a shower. Hayaku! I want a takusan hug before I become an oba-san." Laughing she pushed him towards the bathroom then turned and went to the kitchen. "I made some tempura sauce and have shrimp, fish and vegetables. That is wrong, neh?" She spoke loud enough so he could hear her through the closed door.