Prints in the Sand: My Journey with Nanea

The next morning finds us back on Lily’s porch, where Lily is busy polishing a little red wagon. Tommy comes out and shrieks that it’s his. Lily asks if we can borrow it for the book drive. Tommy crosses his arms. I lean down and tell him that it’s nice of him to let us borrow it. He’s helping with the war. His face melts into a grin and he nods and runs inside, probably to brag to Mrs. Suda about how he’s helping with the war effort.

Before long, the rest of the Honolulu Helpers show up. Audrey lugs a bag crammed with books and magazines, while a girl named Bernice pushes a wagon already loaded with donations pulled from her own family’s shelves. A few of the girls have hauled along their bulky gas masks. Gas masks?

Lily tells them to put theirs on the porch. Then, she turns to me and asks where my gas mask is. Did I leave it at the hotel? Before I can answer, Judy says I shouldn’t worry. Her dad doesn’t think we need them anymore, since we won the Battle of Midway. Though Lily seems unconvinced. Hopefully, she gives my arm a pat and says she’s sure there won’t be any gas-attack drills today. I reach up and touch the puka shells around my neck, reminding myself that I can go home any time I need to.

Splitting into two groups to cover more ground, Nanea, Lily, Audrey, and I spend the whole morning knocking on doors. Neighbor after neighbor donates generously, handing over books, magazines, and even games like chess sets meant for wounded soldiers. Each time Lily’s wagon fills, we race it home to unload before heading back out, and by late morning the stacks teeter dangerously high on her porch. I’m sure we’ve collected a couple hundred books.

Scanning the towering piles, I spot a familiar spine near the bottom and freeze. Sure enough, it’s a Nancy Drew mystery, somehow tucked in among books meant for adults. When I tug it loose, wobbling the stack above it, Nanea springs up, delighted to discover I love these mysteries as much as she does. She reaches over to take a closer look. These donated books are meant for adults, but this is a kid’s book. She’s sure the owner will want the Nancy Drew book back. The moment she opens the cover, a photograph slides out.

The photograph shows a man cradling a little girl. Nanea guesses the girl might be the book’s original owner, possibly grown up by now, and I chime in that she would probably want the photograph returned to her, too. Thinking of my own dad, so far from here, makes my stomach clench. I worry sometimes that I will forget his face, which is exactly why pictures of him cover every wall of my room.

Nanea notices a signature tucked inside the front cover: Anzu Sato. Lily says it’s a Japanese name, but she doesn’t know anyone named that. With her eyes suddenly bright, Nanea wonders aloud whether we should chase down this mystery girl ourselves. Lily breaks into a grin and agrees instantly, and a little thrill runs through me at the promise of a fresh adventure.

Gene pulls up shortly after to load the donations into his car for the hospital run, though Nanea keeps the Nancy Drew book back, setting it safely by the front door. Before driving off, Gene mentions the new Sherlock Holmes movie is playing later and asks if the girls want to tag along when he returns. Lily starts to say yes, then catches herself, remembering we might have our own mystery on our hands this afternoon.

Once Gene’s car pulls away, Lily turns to Nanea and me, caught between the movie and the pull of tracking down the mysterious Anzu Sato.