Notice: Function _load_textdomain_just_in_time was called incorrectly. Translation loading for the twentyfifteen domain was triggered too early. This is usually an indicator for some code in the plugin or theme running too early. Translations should be loaded at the init action or later. Please see Debugging in WordPress for more information. (This message was added in version 6.7.0.) in /chroot/home/a6f7779a/9d7429a5d9.nxcli.io/html/wp-includes/functions.php on line 6170 {"id":773,"date":"2016-10-13T18:42:17","date_gmt":"2016-10-13T23:42:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/frankdeleon.com\/?p=773"},"modified":"2016-10-13T18:42:17","modified_gmt":"2016-10-13T23:42:17","slug":"kansas-part-one","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/frankdeleon.com\/?p=773","title":{"rendered":"Kansas – Part One"},"content":{"rendered":"

Kansas<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

Part One<\/strong><\/p>\n

March-December 1964<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

A New Start<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

I had accrued well over a month of home leave during my year-long assignment in Alaska, so Sharon and I decided that we\u2019d use the majority of that time acclimating ourselves to our new environment rather than spend any more time in Houston.\u00a0 Since I\u2019d been awarded two days travel time to my hometown I was not officially on leave until February 14^{th<\/sup>, making my official check-in at the Olathe NAS around March 15^{th.<\/sup><\/p>\n}}

I spent the first few days at home getting reacquainted with Ricky and getting to know Frank, Jr.\u00a0 Ricky had been Frank\u2019s age when I\u2019d left for Alaska.\u00a0 And although they were only eleven months apart and still very young, it was amazing to already see their differing and widely distinct personalities.<\/p>\n

Whereas Ricky had been, and still was, a very fussy baby\u2014prone to extended bouts of colic and other painful digestive ailments resulting in hours of crying and irritable behavior, little Frank was quiet, calm, and almost oblivious to whatever was going on around him.\u00a0 Whenever it came time to change his diaper or give him a bath he would just watch with intense interest at the activity going on around him and hardly make a sound.\u00a0 He would occasionally smile but did so for no particular reason.<\/p>\n

Ricky, even from a very early age and when not in pain, was quick to flash a winning smile\u2014and when shown little trinkets, or when the little mobile suspended over his crib caught his attention, he would often break out into a wide-eyed arm-waving, and leg-kicking frenzy.<\/p>\n

On the other hand, nothing appeared to impress little Frank.\u00a0 He seemed to be able to lay in his crib for hours on end quietly cooing to himself\u2014his eyes darting back and forth in a seemingly constant quest to absorb the new environment around him.<\/p>\n

We had to almost guess when he might be hungry, finally just warming up and feeding him bottles on a time-scheduled basis.\u00a0 He took his meals without much emotion, and when sated he\u2019d just close his eyes and go to sleep\u2014the nipple eventually just falling out of his mouth.<\/p>\n

There was no guesswork on when Ricky wanted to be fed.\u00a0 His eyes would suddenly almost pop out in their wideness, and the arm-waving and leg-kicking would almost always precede a high-pitched howl of distinct displeasure.\u00a0 As he was already walking, he would suddenly stop in mid-step, throw himself on the floor and go into a wild crying jag until Sharon or I picked him up and sat him in his high chair.\u00a0 Once there he would continue to express his discontent until a bottle was either shoved into his mouth or a mushy bowl of Pablum was placed on the high chair\u2019s table.<\/p>\n

Hearing all the commotion, little Frank, either in his bassinette or in his crib, would turn his head, focusing on his brother\u2014his face a mask of curiosity.\u00a0 Then he would almost always search around the room trying to find me or his mother, and once found would stare at us with an expression on his face that almost plaintively asked, \u2018could you guys please shut that kid up?\u2019<\/p>\n

Those first days in Houston, as I reacquainted myself with my wife and my two sons, were probably the happiest that I had experienced up to that point in my young life.\u00a0 I loved being around the boys and literally spent hours just gazing at my beautiful wife as she went about the business of being a mom.\u00a0 As an adult I had not often experienced many instances that had brought me to tears, but just watching Sharon and my precious little sons would cause my throat to tighten up and my eyes to well up with tears of happiness.\u00a0 On several occasions Sharon caught me looking, pushed her glasses high up on her nose, and asked if I was all right.\u00a0 All I could do then was nod my head and hug her with all my might.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Two days before we were to leave Houston on our way north to Kansas, we took time out to pay a visit to my parents.\u00a0 I had called them the day after I\u2019d arrived and, of course, my mother wanted me to immediately drop everything and come over to their house.\u00a0 I politely declined her invitation saying that we had a lot of catching up to do\u2014and then there was all this packing that had to be completed.\u00a0 I promised that we\u2019d pay them a visit before we left on our trip north.<\/p>\n

When we finally did get over to their house the visit was almost uneventful, with mom strutting around like some proud mother hen, and being on her very best behavior.\u00a0 She fussed over the boys and told no one in particular how she was going to miss them, and especially Sharon, so much when they were gone.\u00a0 She had ordered a little cake and gave the boys some farewell gifts.\u00a0 It seemed like a semi-formal birthday party instead of a farewell get-together.<\/p>\n

Dad was his normal stoic self, asking if I wanted him to give the Chevy another good looking over.\u00a0 I thanked him for his checking the car out for Sharon while I was gone, and assured him that everything was in tip-top shape.\u00a0 He then offered me some money for the trip, \u2018just in case you run short, or something unexpected comes up\u2019, but again I declined, telling him that the Air Force had given us plenty of travel money.<\/p>\n

We didn\u2019t stay too long, and when we finally piled back in the car and said our farewells out on the driveway, mom really broke down and started crying bitterly.\u00a0 As she pulled me close and hugged me tightly, she whispered that she was so sorry that things hadn\u2019t worked out between her and Sharon and asked for my forgiveness.\u00a0 I tried to assure her that all that was in the past and that I was sure there were no hard feelings, but I could feel that her remorse was deep if not sincere.\u00a0 I kind of thought that maybe her appeal for forgiveness should\u2019ve been delivered to Sharon instead of me.<\/p>\n

Even Dad got a little misty-eyed, and when he hugged Sharon he told her that he loved her and was really going to miss her.\u00a0 I was deeply touched, but wondered why those feelings and emotions hadn\u2019t been expressed to Sharon when it really mattered.\u00a0 I know it would\u2019ve meant the world to her to have felt loved and accepted by people she didn\u2019t even know and hadn\u2019t ever seen, before after being dumped in a strange house with a young and sickly child and another one on the way.\u00a0 But, then again, that behavior was typical of my parents\u2014fucking things up, then plunging headlong into a long and regretful damage control mode.<\/p>\n

A couple of days later, after renting a U-Haul trailer and hitching it up to the back of the Chevy, we made the final preparations for our trip.\u00a0 While I was away, Sharon had bought some furniture for the house so we were now the proper little family, disassembling cribs, beds, small appliances and clothing, and stowing them into the car and trailer before setting off to discover our new future.<\/p>\n

There was definitely a sense of excitement as we worked together, as we\u2019d never done before, to prepare the boys and ourselves for the long drive to Olathe. This time, there would be no intrusive and useless passenger\u2026just Frank and Sharon and the two boys.\u00a0 For the first time in my life I felt the heavy and strange accountability that comes from having to be responsible for and taking care of someone other than oneself.<\/p>\n

As we drove north out of the bustling city and settled onto the long dark, freeway, I began to see that the year I had just spent away had not only exposed me to my own weaknesses and fears, it had also forced me to mature and actually forced me to learn to be productive and self-sufficient.\u00a0 I also came to the realization that my life was now irrevocably linked to the other three lives in the car.\u00a0 And for us to achieve happiness and success as a family, I would have to be not only a good husband and a father, but a leader and a role model for my boys.<\/p>\n

As the miles passed under us and my wife and children dozed peacefully, I promised myself that from this moment on I would do everything within my power to provide for and protect my little family.\u00a0 I was never going to leave them again, and I was going to do everything in my power to make up for the time that was lost while I was gone.<\/p>\n

But what I couldn\u2019t see then, and what I failed to understand and appreciate, were the circumstances of our unique situation.\u00a0 Young and inexperienced in life, we had suddenly found ourselves having to deal with the rigors and expenses of raising a child within months of having been married.\u00a0 Right after getting married we found it necessary for me to get a part time job to make ends meet.\u00a0 While that may have alleviated our financial situation somewhat, it took precious time away from us\u2014time that would\u2019ve been better spent getting to know one another.<\/p>\n

Worse, before we even knew who we were as individuals, we had been ripped apart and forced to spend a year away from each other\u2014during which time a second child had been added to our already bulging equation.<\/p>\n

Given those conditions, any relationship would have long or even no odds of turning out successfully.\u00a0 But even though I knew we had many problems to overcome, I truly believed that with the love we had for each other and our children we could bridge those obstacles and make ours a solid and lasting marriage.\u00a0 I know that once I returned from Alaska I had committed to spending each day, and for as long as it took, working at making life better for us and for our children.<\/p>\n

A few minutes after driving out of Dallas, Sharon woke from her long nap.\u00a0 The boys were still sleeping in the back seat so we began to talk.<\/p>\n

It was the first time that I could remember ever having so much to say to her.\u00a0 We\u2019d never really had the time to spend, just her and I, discussing such mundane subjects as how she used to wait for me to ask her to dance at the old dance hall, and my telling her that I loved the way she laughed when I first met her.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

And, all too soon it seemed, the boys woke up and it was time to take care of their needs.\u00a0 But for just those few moments I felt a closeness to her that I\u2019d never felt for anyone else before.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

I couldn\u2019t wait to spend the rest of my life with her.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

While I was in Alaska it seemed that every time someone complained about being so far away from home and their loved ones, there would always be someone else who\u2019d pipe up and say: \u201cWell you know, absence makes the heart grow fonder\u201d.<\/p>\n

For a long time, I actually believed that.<\/p>\n

Olathe NAS, and Hints of Things to Come<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

As we crossed over from Oklahoma to Kansas, a little spark of excitement seemed to pass through our car.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, honey,\u201d I said to Sharon, \u201cwe\u2019re now in Kansas!\u00a0 Imagine that!\u201d<\/p>\n

She gazed out the passenger side window at the passing prairie land.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou said it snows here in the winter, right?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m pretty sure.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I hope so.\u00a0 At least I hope we have colder weather here than down in Houston.\u00a0 That was miserable.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, well I don\u2019t know that I\u2019m ready for any more snow.\u00a0 I saw plenty of that cold crap to last me for years!\u201d<\/p>\n

She turned and gave me a naughty look.\u00a0 \u201cYeah?\u00a0 Well as I see it one of the problems you had up there was that you didn\u2019t have my naked body under the covers to warm you up!\u201d\u00a0 Then she blushed terribly.\u00a0 \u201cOh my God, I can\u2019t believe I just said that!\u201d\u00a0 She threw a quick look at the back seat where little Frank was sleeping in his bassinette and Ricky was curled up sucking on a pacifier.\u00a0 Satisfied that the boys hadn\u2019t heard anything, she looked at me and pursed her lips tightly.\u00a0 She opened the glove compartment where we\u2019d shoved a small box of Kleenex and ripped a couple out.\u00a0 Taking her glasses off, she wiped her eyes and forehead; then balled the tissues up and brought them up to her mouth.<\/p>\n

\u201cGod\u2026\u201d she whispered into the tissues and shook her head slightly.<\/p>\n

I reached over and touched her shoulder gently.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, that was funny, and kinda sexy.\u201d\u00a0 I said.<\/p>\n

She twisted her head to the right and made believe there was something of interest passing by our car.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou think?\u201d\u00a0 She said to the window.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, and OK, a little slutty too!\u201d<\/p>\n

She turned back to her left and held me with her eyes. She scrunched her shoulders up almost to her ears, and broke out into a partially-stifled laugh.<\/p>\n

Then, at the same time we both broke out in a deep and hearty laugh.\u00a0 She tried to hold her amusement in, but a chortle just popped out of her mouth and then she was out of control.<\/p>\n

We enjoyed this brief moment of hilarity, finally winding down as we both looked back to check on the boys.<\/p>\n

This seemingly innocuous moment went deeper than intended, but served to demonstrate something very personal in Sharon\u2019s personality.\u00a0 To a lot of people, she could seem cold and disaffected most of the time\u2014sometimes even rude.\u00a0 The truth was that she was painfully shy and exceedingly modest.<\/p>\n

She was a highly intelligent and deeply emotional woman, but she hid all of this under a thick veil of quietness and bashfulness.\u00a0 She never bragged\u2014not about herself, any of her accomplishments, our children, or her beauty.\u00a0 When around other people she preferred to remain in the background and listen, rather than add to or even initiate a line of conversation.\u00a0 Even when having her picture taken, she would struggle to manufacture even the slightest smile, fearing that she\u2019d come across as showy.<\/p>\n

Nothing I can say about her shyness can elucidate the point better than to relate a short conversation that we\u2019d had right after we were first married.\u00a0 She had just returned home from doing some maternity clothes shopping in downtown Winnemucca when she told me about a conversation that she\u2019d had with a saleslady at the local JC Penney department store.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d picked out a few things and had just come out of the dressing room to look at myself in the full length mirror when the girl who\u2019d been helping me came up.\u201d\u00a0 She said.\u00a0 \u201cShe commented on how well everything fit, but maybe I should consider getting a size larger.\u00a0 I told her that the pants were already a little loose so they should be OK, and the top was just fine.\u00a0 That\u2019s when she said, \u2018Honey, that top is not going to work for you in a few weeks\u2014take my word for it.\u00a0 Your boobs are gonna need some growing room, so you may want to change out that top for a larger one.\u2019\u00a0 I turned blood red from embarrassment and didn\u2019t know what to say to her.\u00a0 So the next thing she said was, \u2018You also need to pick out a couple of maternity bras\u2014you know the kind that will accommodate your larger boobs and help soak up any leaking milk.\u2019\u00a0 Then she asked what size my boobs were.\u00a0 I was so embarrassed that I just blurted out that I didn\u2019t know.\u00a0 She then said, \u2018No problem, sweetie, let\u2019s go back inside the dressing room and let me take a look at them and the bra you\u2019re wearing.\u00a0 Looks to me like you\u2019re a 32A, or so, but I\u2019ll know better when I see them.\u00a0 Then I\u2019ll be able to gauge just how much more they\u2019ll be growing and I can pick you out a bra or two.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

At this point, Sharon\u2019s face had turned a deep red and she was chewing her lower lip.\u00a0 I wasn\u2019t sure whether to laugh or to just cross my arms and continue to listen with a serious look on my face.\u00a0 I chose the latter.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo then,\u201d she continued, \u201cI just told her to bring me a couple of different bras and I\u2019d pick out the one I thought would work.\u00a0 Hell, there was no way I was gonna let her into the dressing room to look at my boobs!\u00a0 So I just ran back in and locked the door.\u00a0 She had to knock, then I just opened the door wide enough for her to hand me the bras.\u201d<\/p>\n

She paused, and I thought this was the end of the story.\u00a0 \u201cWell, I think she was just trying to help, you know.\u00a0 I don\u2019t think she meant anything else by it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell Frank!\u00a0 I\u2019m telling you now.\u00a0 That besides you and my mom, no one\u2019s had a look at my boobs, and no one is ever going to!\u00a0 I would just die.\u00a0 I wouldn\u2019t even let my sisters get close when I was changing clothes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh Sharon.\u00a0 That\u2019s crazy.\u00a0 What about your gynecologist?\u00a0 Surely he\u2019s had a look\u2026and not only at your boobs.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh God, I thought I was gonna die when I found out what he had to do.\u00a0 But I decided that that was necessary and I almost cried.\u00a0 It took all I had to force myself to get my legs into those hideous steel stirrups.\u00a0 Ugh!\u00a0 But to have some stranger look at and squeeze my boobs?\u00a0 No!\u00a0 Never!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think you\u2019re overreacting.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOK, let me tell you this: I just hope I never discover that I have a cancerous lump, or something, in one of my boobs, because, I\u2019m telling you, I guess I\u2019ll just have to die of breast cancer.\u00a0 I could never stand having some doctor, or even some nurse, touching and squeezing my boobs.\u00a0 I\u2019m serious!\u00a0 I would just rather die!\u201d<\/p>\n

I took that comment as an overreaction as I did the rest of our conversation that day.\u00a0 I knew she was shy and very withdrawn around strangers, but I took, with the proverbial grain of salt, her comment about discovering a lump in one of her breasts.<\/p>\n

It would be fourteen years later when a late night phone call to my home in Guam would force me to heartbreakingly recollect that conversation.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

The large green highway sign on the side of the freeway announced that Gardner and the Olathe NAS exit was coming up in five miles.\u00a0 Just under that, it said that Olathe was still fifteen miles away.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, we get to Gardner and the naval air station before we go through Olathe?\u201d\u00a0 Sharon asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, it looks that way.\u00a0 Check the map to make sure we\u2019re still heading in the right direction.\u201d<\/p>\n

She dug the roadmap out of the glove compartment and after adjusting her glasses stared intently at the multi-folded green and beige map.<\/p>\n

\u201cYup, Gardner comes first, then Olathe about ten miles north.\u201d<\/p>\n

The last sign we\u2019d seen had directed that all naval air station traffic take the Gardner exit, then follow the signs to the Olathe NAS.\u00a0 I couldn\u2019t see anything that would qualify as a town as all the land on either side of the freeway looked to be rolling farmland or pastures.\u00a0 White patches, scattered here and there in the beige-colored grasses told us that it had snowed not too long before.<\/p>\n

A few minutes later we were diverging off the freeway and turning left under the overpass.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey honey, dig my orders out of the glove box too.\u00a0 I\u2019ll need to show them at the gate when we get there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOK.\u201d She said as she jammed the map back in and pulled my transfer orders out.\u00a0 \u201cI wonder what base housing will look like.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u00a0 I just hope they don\u2019t try to jam us into a one-bedroom apartment.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGod!\u00a0 I hope not!\u00a0 You don\u2019t think they\u2019ll do that, do you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know how my luck runs.\u00a0 Who knows?\u201d<\/p>\n

We followed the signs and took a diverging road to the right, leading us off the main road into Gardner.\u00a0 About a mile later, I spotted the familiar block house-type building that marked the entrance to the base.\u00a0 As I slowed down, I saw that the gate was manned by a sharp-looking navy guard, resplendent in his white top and bell-bottoms.\u00a0 He had a chrome helmet that brought back memories of my arrival to Keesler Air Force Base, in Mississippi, three years earlier.<\/p>\n

After inspecting my orders and checking our military IDs he asked us to open the trunk to inspect its contents.\u00a0 By then Rick was starting to get cranky and little Frank was cooing loudly.<\/p>\n

\u201cI hope he hurries,\u201d Sharon said, looking out the back window, watching as the guard moved a couple of boxes around, \u201cthe boys need to be changed and fed pretty soon.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt shouldn\u2019t take too much longer.\u201d I said, not having the slightest idea how long all this was going to take.<\/p>\n

Satisfied that we weren\u2019t carrying any dangerous contraband, the guard gave us directions to the administrative building where I was to check in.<\/p>\n

\u201cWill they assign us base housing there?\u201d\u00a0 I asked, innocently.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo sir!\u201d the guard barked.\u00a0 Since you\u2019re Air Force, you\u2019ll be issued a voucher for temporary quarters.\u00a0 Once you report to your permanent duty station your squadron commander will determine where you\u2019ll be living.\u00a0 Now, move along please!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAsk him if he knows where we\u2019ll be living.\u201d Sharon suddenly asked, leaning over to her left and trying to catch the guard\u2019s eye.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t know, ma\u2019am!\u00a0 Now, move along!\u201d\u00a0 The guard said, now very impatiently.<\/p>\n

\u201cOK, thanks.\u201d I said, as the guard took a step back and popped his right arm up to his chest, signifying that we should move along.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

We found the administrative building after driving around for what seemed to be hours.\u00a0 The base was huge, and it was strange to see the personnel walking around all dressed in Navy blues and whites.\u00a0 There was an occasional Marine, but not any Air Force or Army troops to be seen.<\/p>\n

After asking directions from a couple of sailors, we finally ended up finding the large white building, almost at the center of the base.\u00a0 It was definitely an air station as the noise of departing fighter jets was almost overwhelming, and I didn\u2019t even know where the runways were!<\/p>\n

I left Sharon and the boys in the car because carrying them and trying to figure out where to go inside the building would\u2019ve been a real chore.\u00a0 After speaking to a naval clerk, I was directed to a section of the building where I found a counter with a placard that said, \u201cNew Arrivals\u201d.\u00a0 Well, that would certainly be me.<\/p>\n

After having my ID checked, and my travel orders checked and rechecked against a master list, it was determined by the Navy that I was, in fact, me.<\/p>\n

I was told that I would be given a temporary housing voucher that could be used at any motel in Gardner or Olathe for the next thirty days.\u00a0 The voucher specified a two-bedroom suite and I was told it would be honored by any lodging facility in either town.\u00a0 \u201cJust make sure you get a suite.\u201d The sailor waiting on me said, and he handed me a sheet of paper with the names and addresses of recommended hotels and motels in the area that would accept the military vouchers.<\/p>\n

He also said that in about two weeks, and after checking into my Air Force squadron, I should receive my housing assignment: probably in a six apartment unit located in Gardner.\u00a0 The housing there was service integrated\u2014that is, your neighbor may be Air Force, Army, Navy, or Marine.<\/p>\n

I was assured that it would be a two-bedroom unit: living room and kitchen downstairs and two-bedrooms and one-bathroom upstairs.\u00a0 The units had been constructed within the last two years so they were in excellent shape.\u00a0 The sailor said he would recommend to my commanding officer to put us in one of the newer units.\u00a0 (He said it so robotically that I assumed he told everyone he checked in the very same thing).<\/p>\n

Once I was processed, I was told to report to another section of the building to receive my temporary housing allotment.\u00a0 It turned out to be a little over two-hundred dollars\u2014and those funds were to be used for living expenses until my pay caught up with me and we got settled in to our permanent housing unit.\u00a0 \u201cAnd no,\u201d the paymaster said, \u201cyou don\u2019t have to pay it back.\u201d\u00a0 I walked out and back out to the car feeling like I\u2019d just won the lottery.<\/p>\n

As I got back into the car, Ricky was in full blown crisis mode and even little Frank was acting cranky.\u00a0 I was in such a good mood I hardly even noticed.<\/p>\n

After leaving the base we looked for, and quickly found a nice looking motel whose name was on the list.\u00a0 The sign outside said, \u201cVACANCY\u201d, so we drove up and checked in.\u00a0 The lady at the desk was cheerful and had us accommodated in record time.\u00a0 She had a gentleman, who I assumed was her husband, help with unpacking our car and getting us set up in the room.\u00a0 In just under an hour we here all settled in, and Sharon was in the bathroom giving the boys a bath.<\/p>\n

I finally sat down on a comfy-looking chaise lounge and fiddled with the television sitting on the dresser.\u00a0 It was the first time that I\u2019d actually relaxed since leaving Houston, so I just stretched out and tried to relax.\u00a0 I felt really overheated and started to sweat just a bit.\u00a0 An odd feeling of heavy thirst overtook me so I quickly got up and walked into the kitchen to get a glass of water.<\/p>\n

As I drained the large tumbler in huge gulps, I suddenly felt as if my heart had stopped.\u00a0 I pulled the glass from my lips and dropped my chin down to my chest, breathing a little hard.<\/p>\n

My heart felt like it was doing flip-flops in my chest and I began to get very light-headed.\u00a0 I looked around and found a kitchen chair close by.\u00a0 I grabbed it and pulled it under me before my legs gave out on me.<\/p>\n

After sitting for a while, my eyes closed and my head between my legs, I suddenly felt my heart fall back into rhythm and I instantly felt better.\u00a0 I opened my eyes and noticed that my hands were as cold as ice.\u00a0 I looked at them and saw that my nails were a light purple color.<\/p>\n

Within a few minutes I was almost back to normal\u2014my body warming up and my head clearing.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey honey!\u201d\u00a0 I heard Sharon calling from the bathroom.\u00a0 \u201cCould you come in here and help me with the boys?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cS-s-sure.\u00a0 I\u2019m on my way.\u201d And I got up, still a little shaky.<\/p>\n

That night, just before falling asleep for the first time in Kansas, I thought about what had happened to me earlier while drinking that glass of water.\u00a0 I thought back and remembered something very similar that had happened to me when I was about eight or nine years old.<\/p>\n

It was a typically hot Houston summer and I\u2019d been doing my usual running around outside when my mother called me in for lunch. I remember that I was very thirsty and I asked her for a glass of cold water.\u00a0 She took some chunks of ice, put them in a jelly jar glass, and filled it full of tap water.\u00a0 She stirred the water and ice around and tested its coolness with her pinky.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere,\u201d she said, \u201cnice and icy cold.\u00a0 Be sure to drink it all down.\u00a0 You\u2019re really hot and sweaty.\u201d<\/p>\n

I did my best to chug the entire glass down when I suddenly felt something in my chest go \u2018thump\u2019.\u00a0 I stopped drinking in mid-swallow.\u00a0 Abruptly, I felt as if a frog had been let loose inside my chest and was fighting like crazy to get out.\u00a0 My legs got very weak and I fell to the floor on my butt.<\/p>\n

My mother, thinking that I was pulling one of my dramatic acts, looked annoyed and yelled at me to get up.\u00a0 I tried, but all that happened was the glass slipped out of my quickly weakening hand and fell to the floor spilling the remaining water and ice.\u00a0 I tried to breathe but found that I\u2019d somehow forgotten how to inhale.\u00a0 I fell back onto my back and the room began to slowly get dark.\u00a0 The frog in my chest was frantically trying to pound its way out.<\/p>\n

The next thing I remember is hearing my mother repeating, \u201cmijito, mijito, mijito\u201d, over and over again.\u00a0 She was squeezing me so tight I thought I was going to break in half.<\/p>\n

I took a very long and deep breath and broke into a loud sob, half scared to death.<\/p>\n

\u201cAy, gracias a Dios\u2026\u201d I heard her say.<\/p>\n

Later, either that day, or maybe some other day, I recalled asking her why I had felt that way.\u00a0 Ever simplistic and believing that whatever explanation she made up, or popped into her head at that moment had to be pure gospel, she said, \u201cOh, OK, here\u2019s what happened.\u00a0 See, we all have blood clots floating around our veins all the time.\u00a0 So when one of the big ones tries to go through your heart they sometimes get stuck.\u00a0 Then the heart has to squeeze very hard and very fast to try to push it back out so the clot can continue to float around your body.\u00a0 That\u2019s all.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh good,\u201d I remember thinking, \u201cnothing too serious then.\u201d<\/p>\n

Furniture, Car Hops and Cars<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

After almost a month at the \u201cDeluxe Motel\u201d in Gardner I was notified that I had been granted military housing.\u00a0 It was located on the north side of the little town and just south of the naval base.\u00a0 The units were all six-plexes\u2014that is, one large unit housing six two-story apartments side by side.\u00a0 We were fortunate to have gotten one on the end of the building, giving us only one next door neighbor to contend with.<\/p>\n

As it had been previously described to me, the front door opened onto a small living room that was co-joined by a small kitchen and kitchen nook.\u00a0 The back door opened directly into the kitchen.\u00a0 One straight flight of stairs just to the right of the front door led to a small bathroom, with two bedrooms off to the left.<\/p>\n

The place wasn\u2019t roomy, but we hardly had any furniture anyway.\u00a0 The first thing on our agenda was to head into Kansas City and do some furniture shopping for the living room.\u00a0 By our second week we had purchased a sofa, two chairs, and coffee table\u2014all in Danish modern.\u00a0 We also decided to get the boys a twin-size bunk bed set as we figured they would eventually need to upgrade from the crib and bassinette.<\/p>\n

Before we knew it, we\u2019d spent over six hundred dollars, and even after we\u2019d put as a down payment most of our housing allotment, we had accumulated a monthly furniture payment that ended up taking a good portion of my monthly paycheck.<\/p>\n

After doing the figures, we came to the conclusion that without my getting a part-time job we\u2019d never be able to make it month to month.<\/p>\n

I asked around work to see if anyone knew of any part-time work, but no one had any suggestions.\u00a0 One evening, after tiring of the usual rice or potato casserole we seemed to have for dinner every night, I told Sharon to skip making dinner and to get the kids ready to go out.<\/p>\n

Without knowing where we were really going, I decided to spend what was left of the weekly food budget money on something different.\u00a0 We hadn\u2019t had a lot of time to really get acquainted with the area, so we just jumped into the car and got on the freeway heading north to Olathe.<\/p>\n

We took the \u201cSanta Fe Drive\u201d exit and headed west\u2014where the local population seemed to have all settled.\u00a0 We passed a couple of gas stations and a restaurant or two that appeared to be way out of our class, when Sharon pointed to a garish-looking drive-in restaurant on the left side of the road.<\/p>\n

It was made up of a flat frame building, with a large roofed extension with marked slots for cars to pull up under.\u00a0 Each slot had a set of brightly-lit menu boxes where one would yell in their food order to someone inside the main building.\u00a0 It could\u2019ve easily been the precursor to today\u2019s modern \u201cSonic Drive-Ins\u201d, except for one huge difference.<\/p>\n

The entire structure was dominated by a colossal red and white, neon-trimmed, arrow that looked like it had been launched by some giant Indian high into the sky from miles away, and had landed diagonally in the dirt, right smack in front of the restaurant.\u00a0 Along the white shaft of the enormous arrow, in bold red flashing neon print was the name of the establishment:\u00a0 \u201cCuster\u2019s Last Stand!\u201d<\/p>\n

I found it impossible to drive by this place without at least checking the menu out, so we pulled in and looked for an empty slot.\u00a0 Even Ricky was excited at the enormity and brightness of the display.<\/p>\n

After pushing a radio button on the illuminated combined speaker device and menu, we put our food order in.\u00a0 There was stuff like, \u201cBroasted Chicken (what the hell was that?), a Big Chief burger, French fries\u2014Squaw and Papoose sized, and Pinto Pony dogs (my imagination ran wild on that one).<\/p>\n

Our order was brought out by car hops who attached a tray to the driver\u2019s side window.\u00a0 They wore red cowboy hats and were dressed in tight white jeans with bright red aprons tied to their waists.\u00a0 They each had a coin changer strapped to a leather belt slung low to one side as if it were instead meant to hold a pistol.<\/p>\n

While we were eating, Sharon noticed something on the window of the main building.<\/p>\n

\u201cLook, there\u2019s a sign saying they need a fry cook.\u00a0 You oughta go in and submit an application.\u201d\u00a0 Then she started laughing.\u00a0 \u201cI think you\u2019d look cute in a nice red apron.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think the cooks dress like the car hops.\u00a0 They\u2019re probably outfitted in leather chaps and stirrups.\u201d<\/p>\n

We both laughed at that one.<\/p>\n

As I finished my burger, I thought that maybe I should go in and at least ask if an applicant needed experience as a fry cook.\u00a0 If nothing else, I could brag about the great dish-washing experience that I\u2019d gotten as a teenager at the Mexican restaurant and at the Hilton Hotel in Houston.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know,\u201d I said to Sharon, \u201cI think I\u2019ll go in and check it out.\u00a0 What harm would it do?\u00a0 All they can say is no.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSeriously?\u00a0 What do you know about cooking?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, how hard could it be?\u00a0 Slap a pattie on a grill and flip it a couple of times.\u00a0 I saw enough of that when I was going through the chow line in basic training.\u201d<\/p>\n

I flashed my lights, signaling the carhop that she needed to remove the tray from our window so we could leave.\u00a0 With the tray gone I opened the door and slid out.<\/p>\n

\u201cWish me luck, Pocahontas!\u00a0 Me go try to earn us some wampum.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYour dad\u2019s an idiot!\u201d Sharon said to Ricky.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

I was hired on the spot by the drive-in restaurant\u2019s owner, Dale Custer.\u00a0 Yes, that was his real name.\u00a0 He took my employment information and gave me a couple of schedules to mull over at home.\u00a0 He asked me to let him know which one would work best for me and my family as soon as I could, and would keep the position open until I got back to him.<\/p>\n

The pay was a dollar-fifty an hour, meals included, and each shift was six hours long.\u00a0 The hours for the fry-cook position were from 5pm until 10pm, when they closed; and the extra hour was for cleaning and shutting everything down.\u00a0 He would train me on the broaster (?) and the grill.\u00a0 He insisted that I would catch on in no time.<\/p>\n

After discussing the job with Sharon, I drove back a couple of days later and told Dale I would accept the position.\u00a0 The shift we had decided on was Monday through Thursday evenings, with the option of working a day shift (11am-5pm) on Saturdays if I wanted to make extra money.\u00a0 Since my Air Force job was Monday through Friday, from 7am until 4pm, I would be able to fit the part time work in just fine.\u00a0 For sure, the extra money would go a long way toward bringing us back into near solvency.<\/p>\n

What I didn\u2019t count on was the time I was going to lose not seeing my family.<\/p>\n

And it would only get worse.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

When I bought the 1950 Chevy Bel Air body from the junkyard back in Winnemucca, I received a Nevada State Salvage Title.\u00a0 When the car was rebuilt I applied for a Nevada State Auto Title and got it, but was only able to get temporary paper plates before we left the state on our way to Texas.\u00a0 While Sharon had the car in Texas she was finally able to get permanent Texas plates in late April 1963.<\/p>\n

Now, having just arrived in Kansas, we had just one month left before our Texas plates expired.\u00a0 Both in Nevada and Texas, auto registration and licensing consisted of only paying a registration fee and a small surcharge for the actual plate.\u00a0 In Nevada the total was less than five dollars, and Texas came out to less than ten dollars.\u00a0 However, in Kansas auto license plates were based on the value of the car, plus you were charged personal property tax on the auto.<\/p>\n

A few weeks after we\u2019d arrived in Kansas, I did some checking with the DMV and found that in addition to the registration fee and property tax, the car would have to be inspected\u2014and that would cost an additional five dollars.\u00a0 Altogether, we were looking at over eighty dollars to register, inspect and license the car.\u00a0 This was money that we didn\u2019t have, especially after having bought furniture and some new clothes for the boys.<\/p>\n

One day while I was at work at our radar detachment, I was having lunch in the break room and complaining about the cost of licensing my car in Kansas.\u00a0 A staff sergeant that worked on my crew overheard my grousing and came over to my table.\u00a0 He was tall and lanky, and had the reddest head full of hair that I\u2019d ever seen on one man\u2019s head.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey,\u201d he said, \u201cyou\u2019re one of the new guys that just came in, aren\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u201d I said, wondering if I\u2019d stepped on some toes by complaining about Kansas.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, you and that guy S\u00e1nchez checked in about the same time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRight, but he\u2019s on another crew.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOK, yeah.\u00a0 Hey, I\u2019m Bob,\u201d he said, extending his hand, \u201cbut everyone calls me \u2018Red\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

I stood up and shook hands.\u00a0 \u201cNice to meet you.\u00a0 Call me Frank.\u201d<\/p>\n

He pulled up a chair.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo,\u201d he said, \u201cI overheard that the DMV\u2019s trying to get into your wallet.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWow, I guess!\u201d I replied.\u00a0 \u201cAlmost a hundred dollars to get my Kansas plates and inspection sticker.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, you know you can keep your old Texas plates on your car until they expire.\u00a0 You don\u2019t have to change them out as soon as you get here.\u00a0 Then, there\u2019s a thirty day grace period after they expire.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, that doesn\u2019t help me much.\u00a0 Mine expire at the end of April.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOK, that means you have until June first to switch over to Kansas plates.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s not much help.\u00a0 I won\u2019t be able to scrape up that kind of money for at least six months.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo,\u201d he said\u2014pulling his chair up close and lowering his voice.\u00a0 \u201cI think I may have a solution.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSee, I bought a used car last year from this dealer guy in Missouri, and\u2026well, things got a little tough on the payments, and I\u2019m going to have to give it back.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, my old lady and I are splitting up, and, you know, she\u2019s kicking my ass pretty good\u2026financially.\u00a0 I just can\u2019t afford the payments so the car\u2019s going to be repossessed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat sucks.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut\u2026the thing is\u2026I got Kansas plates on it that I just renewed in February.\u00a0 And since in Kansas, a car\u2019s license plates stay with the taxpayer and not the car, I will soon find myself with a set of plates and no car.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUh\u2026OK.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou just moved into one of our units in Gardner, right?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, you\u2019re the guy with the cool-looking light-green Chevy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s right.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo here\u2019s my offer.\u00a0 I will be needing transportation to and from work when my car is repossessed\u2014and I just live down the street from you.\u00a0 So, how about when I lose my car and your Texas plates expire, I slap my Kansas plates on your car and you let me ride back and forth to work with you.\u00a0 What\u2019dya think?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell\u2026.\u201d\u00a0 The thing was, he\u2019d talked so fast that I was having a little trouble sorting out the pros and cons of his offer.\u00a0 \u201cOK, wait.\u00a0 So, I\u2019m driving my car with your plates\u2026and you\u2019ll let me use them as long as I give you a ride to and from work?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou got it!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut what are you gonna do when you\u2019re home?\u00a0 I can\u2019t let you have my car because I need it for my part-time job.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo sweat!\u00a0 I got a couple of civilian buddies that\u2019ll be there for me, and besides I\u2019ll be staying at my girlfriend\u2019s house most nights anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, I thought you said you were married.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI am\u2014for the time being.\u201d<\/p>\n

I suddenly understood why his wife was probably leaving him.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, why can\u2019t you use your girl\u2019s car to go to work?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTwo reasons.\u00a0 First, she needs the car for her job in Kansas City.\u00a0 Second, her car doesn\u2019t have an NAS bumper sticker that allows the car to enter the base.\u00a0 Yours does.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was all coming too fast for me and I was not sure if what he was suggesting would help me at all.\u00a0 Although, I could see where it would help him.<\/p>\n

\u201cOK look, let me think about this and I\u2019ll get back to you.\u00a0 We still have some time anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure thing, man.\u00a0 Just let me know.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, one other thing.\u00a0 I don\u2019t have a Kansas inspection sticker on my windshield.\u00a0 You get those before they license the car.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAgain, no sweat!\u00a0 I\u2019ll just scrape mine off and transfer it to yours.\u00a0 Unless you\u2019re stopped by the cops, no one will be able to read the back of that thing anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n

Well, everything sure sounded OK, and the temporary plate switch would certainly alleviate, at least temporarily, my problem in registering the car.\u00a0 That evening I discussed the offer with Sharon, and we both finally agreed that even though we knew we were bending the law somewhat, the deal would help us out financially.<\/p>\n

But like all deals that look too good to be true, this one would prove to be a real doozy.<\/p>\n

Two Lives, Separate Ways<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

By June 1964, I was working my normal day shifts as an Intercept Control Technician at the Air Force squadron I was assigned to, and four nights a week I was now the head fry cook at Custer\u2019s Last Stand.<\/p>\n

My Air Force job required me to direct fighter jets (interceptors) on my radar to intercept and shoot down invading enemy bombers.\u00a0 Using closing speeds and calculating intercept trajectories, I would be in direct contact with the fighter pilots, vectoring them to a position 3-5 miles behind the bomber, allowing them to fire their missiles and shoot the intruder down.<\/p>\n

Of course, the bombers were usually B-52s or B-58 Hustlers, flying out of Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska, and sent on simulated bombing runs to theoretically blow Kansas City off the face of the earth.\u00a0 Our fighters were F-104s, and a few F-101 Voodoos, and it was their job to blow the bombers out of the sky before they reached Kansas City\u2014and my job to put the fighters in the proper position in order for them to do that.\u00a0 Sometimes we won, and sometimes they won\u2014but it was all in fun, as the bombs and missiles were all simulated.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, over at the drive-in:\u00a0 I had mastered the art of frying ten to twelve hamburger patties on a hot steel grill at the same time, and when done slapping them on buns to create the Custer Burgers as noted on the little green order slips hung with clothes pins on a wire over my head.<\/p>\n

The broaster proved to be less of a challenge than I thought it would be.\u00a0 Basically a huge deep fryer with a securely locked lid, I would put frozen, breaded pieces of chicken on a metal screen basket suspended over boiling hot oil.\u00a0 Then I would close and securely lock the broaster\u2019s heavy lid, set the timer and wait for the chime to tell me the chicken was done.\u00a0 The chicken was basically deep fried under extreme pressure\u2014allowing it to be fully cooked in a matter of minutes.<\/p>\n

With the broaster it was not the cooking that was difficult, it was the weekly cleaning and changing of oil that was complicated and very hazardous.<\/p>\n

After I finished my shifts at the naval air station, I would drive home and Sharon would then drive me to the hamburger joint.\u00a0 That way she could have the car the rest of the evening in order to do the shopping and run the errands she needed to.\u00a0 She would then drive back and pick me up when I finished at Custer\u2019s.\u00a0 If she needed the car in the daytime, say for a doctor\u2019s appointment, she would have to drive me to, and pick me up from, the naval air station.<\/p>\n

Once I got home in the evenings on Mondays through Thursdays, I would literally crash into bed completely exhausted, having worked four 15 to 16 hour days.\u00a0 Although the money was coming in handy, I didn\u2019t realize how much I was missing seeing my boys grow up or how much Sharon and I had stopped communicating. \u00a0The boys would be asleep when I left in the morning and sleeping when I got home at night.\u00a0 The only times I had a chance to interact with them and my wife was on Friday evening and on the weekends.<\/p>\n

That however, was soon to change\u2026but not for the better.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

I had been asked by Dale Custer one week if I would be able to come in on a Friday night to work.\u00a0 There was a big sporting event taking place in Olathe, and he anticipated a large crowd.\u00a0 He offered to pay me time-and-a-half, and said he planned to keep the drive-in open until midnight.<\/p>\n

After checking with Sharon, I agreed to work the extra shift, being that it would bring me a fairly large paycheck at the end of the following week.<\/p>\n

As promised, business was brisk in the early evening, then got absolutely out of control around nine o\u2019clock.\u00a0 My finished orders were piling up and getting cold on the counter and I began to complain about the how slow the waitresses were.<\/p>\n

The cashier on the register agreed with me and said that she was seeing that some of the girls were spending an inordinate amount of time on a couple of cars full of boys.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re out there flirting instead of running the orders out.\u201d\u00a0 She finally said, after taking a look out the door.<\/p>\n

I scolded a couple of them for wasting time when they finally came in to take my orders out, and one of them went crying to Dale, who had just driven in to see how things were going.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey Frank,\u201d Dale said, coming around the corner into the cooking area.\u00a0 \u201cOne of the girls said you gave her a bunch of crap because you thought she was too slow in taking out the orders.\u201d<\/p>\n

I pushed my little paper hat back on my head and vented my frustrations at Dale.\u00a0 I mentioned that if the girls weren\u2019t spending so much time flirting with the guys in their cars, we could probably double our output.<\/p>\n

Another one of the girls, picking up an order, overheard my comment and said sarcastically, \u201cWell, if you think you can do better why don\u2019t you tie an apron on and get your ass out here and run some orders?\u201d<\/p>\n

Dale doubled up laughing and pointing at me said, \u201cNow wouldn\u2019t that be something\u2026you\u2019d look awful cute carhopping.\u201d<\/p>\n

Not to be outdone, I said, \u201cYou know Dale, I could probably do a much better job out there than they are.\u00a0 At least I wouldn\u2019t be out there flirting with the boys!\u201d<\/p>\n

To my amazement, Dale said, \u201cYou know, you may be right.\u00a0 Let me take over the grill and go find yourself an apron and a money changer.\u00a0 You\u2019re gonna carhop for me the rest of the night.\u201d<\/p>\n

And that\u2019s how I became the first male carhop at Custer\u2019s Last Stand, in Olathe, Kansas, in 1964!<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

After working for a couple of weeks as a carhop, I found that I enjoyed doing this much better than being a fry cook.\u00a0 Although my hourly pay was less (Dale said he had to pay me at the same hourly rate as the girls\u2014anything more wouldn\u2019t be fair) the tips that I made helped me far exceeded my previous weekly salary.\u00a0 Within a few days of carhopping, I guess word spread around Olathe and the business began to increase.\u00a0 Orders would come into the cashier with the stipulation that they be run out by that \u201cguy carhop\u201d.\u00a0 I was a mini-celebrity.<\/p>\n

To keep up with the increase in orders, I began to run out the orders by literally\u2026well, running.\u00a0 As soon as I picked up the order from the warming counter I would arrange it on a car window tray and run out of the building.\u00a0 After delivering the order and getting paid, I would run back to pick up the next order.\u00a0 The girls thought I was just being silly and made comments to each other, and whoever else would listen that if Dale made them run their orders they\u2019d quit on the spot.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

One evening after I\u2019d served an order to a man and his wife and was picking up the empty tray, he gave me a dollar.\u00a0 I asked him if he wanted change back\u2014as most of my tips were in the twenty-five to thirty cent range, and he said no.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat time do you get off work tonight?\u201d\u00a0 He asked.<\/p>\n

That stopped me cold.\u00a0 I glanced over at his wife, a very attractive blond, and wondered if I\u2019d heard him correctly.<\/p>\n

\u201cSorry,\u201d I said, \u201cI didn\u2019t catch that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat time do you get off work tonight?\u201d\u00a0 He repeated, with a little grin.\u00a0 \u201cHey,\u201d he said, suddenly getting it. \u201cI\u2019m not trying to pick you up.\u201d He said, laughing.\u00a0 \u201cI just want to discuss a business proposition.<\/p>\n

\u201cBusiness proposition?\u201d I asked, a little mystified.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah.\u00a0 I\u2019ll tell you all about it later.\u00a0 So what time do you finish?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, tonight we close at ten\u2026so my wife will be here about ten-fifteen to drive me home.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOK, ten-fifteen it is.\u00a0 Oh, and my name is Billy and this here\u2019s my wife Donna.\u201d\u00a0 And off he drove.<\/p>\n

When Sharon drove up I told her about the guy.\u00a0 \u201cAnd what does he want?\u201d She asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d And just then Billy pulled in, in his nice new black Dodge Charger.<\/p>\n

I introduced him (his wife did not accompany him back) to Sharon, and he asked us if we wanted to go to the local all-night diner for some coffee.\u00a0 \u201cWell, we\u2019ve got the kids in the car.\u00a0 We don\u2019t like to leave them home alone when Sharon comes to pick me up.\u201d<\/p>\n

He peeked into the back seat of our Chevy and saw Ricky and little Frank sleeping.<\/p>\n

\u201cOK, we can just discuss this here then.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOK.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBilly Williams is my name.\u201d And he shook Sharon\u2019s and my hand.\u00a0 \u201cAnd my wife and I come here quite often for a burger and a malt.\u00a0 And we were just amazed when you showed up as a car hop.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I worked inside as a fry cook until the girls pissed me off one night by not running my orders out fast enough.\u00a0 They dared me to do better, so here I am.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCool!\u00a0 All right, so here\u2019s the deal.\u00a0 Have you seen the gas station on the east access road of I35 northbound to Kansas City?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUm no, I don\u2019t think so.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnyway, that\u2019s my station.\u00a0 \u201cQuality Oil\u201d is her name.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOK.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, it just so happens that I need a night attendant\u2026 but the last two guys I hired turned out to be duds.\u00a0 They just wanted to sit around and read magazines.\u00a0 Plus, we get a lot of large semi traffic\u2014that\u2019s where the money is, you know\u2014fifty to sixty gallons at a pop\u2014sometimes more if both saddle tanks are empty.\u00a0 Anyway, they didn\u2019t want to get up on top and clean the windshields, and such, so I let them go.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOK.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, I\u2019m offering you the job.\u00a0 And I\u2019m doing that because my wife and I noticed how you bust your ass running around delivering your orders.\u00a0 Fastest carhop in Olathe.\u00a0 I figure that\u2019s the way you like to work.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I\u2019m not really looking for another job right now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDidn\u2019t think you were.\u00a0 But I\u2019ll make it worth your while.\u00a0 Whatever they\u2019re paying you here I\u2019ll add a dollar an hour, plus you can fill your gas tank whenever you need, for free.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWow, that\u2019s pretty generous.\u201d I said to Sharon, shaking my head.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd,\u201d Billy continued, \u201cIt ain\u2019t nothing learning how to pump gas and take the pump readings at the end of the day.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, I know how to do all that\u2026I worked at a Chevron station in Nevada.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, there you go!\u00a0 Experience and everything!\u00a0 Plus, I\u2019d want you to work every evening, and sometimes on Saturday or Sunday.\u00a0 That way I\u2019m home with Donna and she\u2019ll be off my ass for working too much.\u00a0 Plus, look at the extra money you\u2019ll be making.\u00a0 What do you say?\u00a0 Deal?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI need to talk to Sharon about this.\u00a0 How about I let you know in a couple of days?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFair enough!\u00a0 Here\u2019s my card with my number at the station.\u00a0 Let me know as soon as you can.\u201d<\/p>\n

And\u2026that was that!<\/p>\n

After Sharon and I talked it over, we decided that it was too good a deal to let pass.\u00a0 So I gave my notice to Dale and started working evenings at the Quality Oil gas station two weeks later.\u00a0 The evening shifts started at 4PM, and after closing and cleaning up, I left the station every evening at 11PM.<\/p>\n

Sharon and I had high hopes that the extra money would help us get out of debt quicker, but alas, we were too young and inexperienced to realize that there are things that are much more important than money. And, albeit too late, we both would discover that too much time away from each other would eventually do irreparable harm to our marriage.<\/p>\n

That lesson, though, would come later, and cause us both much pain and anguish.<\/p>\n

To be continued\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"