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":801,"date":"2016-11-04T16:56:28","date_gmt":"2016-11-04T21:56:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/frankdeleon.com\/?p=801"},"modified":"2016-11-04T16:56:28","modified_gmt":"2016-11-04T21:56:28","slug":"kansas-part-three","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/frankdeleon.com\/?p=801","title":{"rendered":"Kansas – Part Three"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

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

December 1964-March 1965<\/strong><\/p>\n

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

Dead Man Walking<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

What had started as a run-up to a joyous Christmas had ended up as flat as the Kansas plains.\u00a0 After paying for the new transmission for the Dart, taking all our gifts out of layaway, and making payments on the furniture, we were all but broke again.<\/p>\n

Since we\u2019d expected to be flush with cash after my reenlistment bonus we\u2019d made plans to throw a little pre-New Year\u2019s party for the guys in the band and Samuel and Hilda from next door.\u00a0 Now, we would be lucky to be able to afford hamburgers from Custer\u2019s Last Stand.\u00a0 Still, we decided to go ahead and have a little get-together on Sunday afternoon\u2014a couple of days after Christmas.\u00a0 Our guests would have to make do with some chips and dip, and soft drinks.\u00a0 The party was not a complete failure, but close.\u00a0 Everyone ended up leaving a couple of hours after arriving, having spent the last hour staring at their watches.<\/p>\n

I was off from the Air Force until the 4^{th<\/sup> of January, but had been scheduled to work at the gas station from 9AM until close every day except New Year\u2019s Day to make up for the time I\u2019d taken off.\u00a0 When I got up for work Monday morning Sharon didn\u2019t even bother to get up.\u00a0 After I showered and dressed I left without saying goodbye.\u00a0 This was the first time I\u2019d done this since my return from Alaska.<\/p>\n}

There wasn\u2019t much traffic at the station, except for the occasional long-haul semi making a mid-Kansas pit stop for gas and a bathroom break.\u00a0 I worked the day in a black mood\u2014angry and frustrated and looking for someone or something to blame for my bad luck.<\/p>\n

Usually when I worked these fourteen hour shifts Sharon would call to tell me she missed me and would usually ask me to take a break and come home to pick up a packed up meal that she\u2019d cooked.\u00a0 Either that, or she\u2019d get up with me and drive me to the station\u2014then come back a couple of times during the day between errands to drop off lunch and\/or dinner.\u00a0 This day, I had taken the car without asking if she needed it, and I got no call from her at all.\u00a0 At around four that afternoon I called a trucker\u2019s restaurant about a mile south of the station and ordered a takeout meal.<\/p>\n

As I ate my greasy hamburger and limp fries I secretly hoped Sharon would call, asking me to come home to pick up something she\u2019d packed for me.\u00a0 But that call never came; and, in my angry pride I decided that not only would I not call her, I would stop by the Anchor Inn after work for a drink or two. \u00a0What the hell, <\/em>I though indignantly, she doesn\u2019t give a fuck about me or how hard I\u2019m working to support her and the kids anyway.\u00a0 Why shouldn\u2019t I go out and have some fun.\u00a0 <\/em>Then I wondered if, by chance, I might run into a couple of our crazy groupies.<\/p>\n

The rest of that week went about the same\u2014me, working all day and part of the night, then spending a couple of hours drinking at the Anchor Inn.\u00a0 I was getting back home around two in the morning and not even bothering to take a shower before I went to bed.\u00a0 After a few hours of sleep I would do it all over again.\u00a0 This went on right up to New Year\u2019s Eve.<\/p>\n

Billy had mercifully altered the station\u2019s operating hours on December 31^{st<\/sup>, opening up at 7AM and closing at 1PM.\u00a0 With a booming hangover I stumbled in and opened a few minutes late that morning.\u00a0 As usual for that week, Sharon had not even acknowledged my presence when I\u2019d come in late the night before or when I got up and left a few hours later.\u00a0 The cold standoff between us was getting worse by the minute, with not a word spoken between us in over three days.<\/p>\n}

Just before leaving the house I wrote her a note, telling her that I\u2019d be home around 1:30PM that day, and asking if she wanted to do anything special that evening.\u00a0 I left the note on the kitchen table as I walked out.<\/p>\n

The morning passed fairly quickly that day, my time taken up by an unusual influx of cross-country heavy rigs stopping to top off their tanks in order to continue their lonely voyages to faraway destinations at all points of the compass.\u00a0 After tallying and securing the pumps I locked the doors and completed the cash accounting\u2014making sure that each dollar taken in matched each dollar of fuel sold that day.\u00a0 By 1:30PM I was on my way home.<\/p>\n

Because we parked our car behind the apartment complex we rarely used the front door\u2014preferring to enter and exit through the apartment\u2019s kitchen door.\u00a0 When I walked in Ricky was in the kitchen sitting in his high chair finishing off what was left of his macaroni and cheese lunch.\u00a0 Beebe was a few feet away in his bassinette, comfortably napping\u2014a near empty bottle near his mouth.<\/p>\n

Sharon was nowhere to be seen, but when I heard the toilet flush I assumed she was upstairs.\u00a0 I stopped momentarily to play with Ricky then walked into the small living room and sat on the couch.<\/p>\n

A few minutes later I heard her walking down the steps and I stood up to greet her.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey!\u201d I said, as she came into sight.<\/p>\n

She quickly glanced at me and walked through the living room and into the kitchen without saying a word.\u00a0 I heard her in the kitchen saying a few words to Ricky, then heard the high chair\u2019s legs squeal on the floor\u2019s tiles as she lifted him out and put him on the floor.<\/p>\n

I got up and stepped into the kitchen.\u00a0 She was rinsing out a dish cloth, and for the first time I noticed she was wearing one of her nicest dresses and a pair of mid-heeled pumps.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey!\u201d I said again.\u00a0 \u201cYou look nice.\u00a0 You wanna go somewhere?\u00a0 I can get changed in a couple of minutes, then get the boys ready.\u201d<\/p>\n

She looked over her shoulder at me and gave me an ice-cold stare.\u00a0 \u201cCan I have the car key please?\u201d She asked flatly.<\/p>\n

\u201cUh, sure.\u00a0 You wanna drive?\u201d<\/p>\n

She ignored my question, and after squeezing the dishcloth dry began to wipe down Ricky\u2019s high chair.\u00a0 I took the key out of my pocket and handed it to her.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust put it on the table.\u201d\u00a0 She said dryly.<\/p>\n

\u201cOK.\u201d I set the key down and stood uncomfortably as she finished cleaning up.<\/p>\n

She picked Ricky up and carried him into the living room, putting him down on the floor next to Beebe\u2019s bassinette.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs you can see,\u201d she finally said, turning to face me, \u201cboth of the boys have been fed, and Ricky needs to go up for his nap in about thirty minutes.\u00a0 I just changed Beebe, but when he wakes up he\u2019ll need another change.\u00a0 He may need to be fed again.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWait\u2026\u201d I said, a little confused.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know how long I\u2019ll be gone, but I should be back in time for their dinner.\u201d\u00a0 She said curtly, as she walked by me on her way to the kitchen.<\/p>\n

\u201cWait, where are you going?\u201d\u00a0 I finally asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you don\u2019t know what to do, call Hilda and she\u2019ll come over and help you.\u00a0 I\u2019ve already told her you might call since you don\u2019t know too much about your boys.\u201d<\/p>\n

And with that she picked up the car key from the table and marched out the back door.\u00a0 I stood there in virtual shock as she walked across our back yard and got into the car.<\/p>\n

As she slammed the door and bent down to slip the key into the ignition my brain finally started working.\u00a0 \u201cWait!\u201d I yelled, and started walking toward the car.\u00a0 \u201cWhat are you doing?\u00a0 What\u2019s going on?\u201d<\/p>\n

The car came to life with its familiar roar and she punched the \u201cReverse\u201d button on the dash.\u00a0 I had just about reached the right side of the car when it lurched backward.\u00a0 I froze, suddenly thinking that she may be considering slamming the car into \u201cDrive\u201d and running me down.\u00a0 I stopped awkwardly.<\/p>\n

The car\u2019s rear wheels bit into the soft dirt of our yard and spun rapidly, throwing bits of dirt and grass under the wheel wells.\u00a0 I could see Sharon fighting the steering wheel as she tried to maneuver out onto the small drive leading out to our front street.\u00a0 Her face had a fierce determined look that I\u2019d never seen before.\u00a0 I confess that I was a little terrified.<\/p>\n

Once out onto the asphalt drive I heard the transmission pop into \u201cDrive\u201d, then the high pitched squeal of the oversized tires spinning as the Dart accelerated wildly toward the intersection.\u00a0 She jammed the brakes on\u2014paused a millisecond\u2014and spun the tires again as she turned left and sped away from our neighborhood.<\/p>\n

I was left standing there with not even one thought floating through my totally confused mind.<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t remember how long I stood there but something finally clicked in my head and I decided that maybe I should just go back inside to tend to the boys.\u00a0 As I walked back toward the kitchen door I thought I thought I saw a slight movement coming from the curtains on Sam and Hilda\u2019s upstairs bedroom window.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

She\u2019d been gone for over six hours.\u00a0 I had no idea where she was or how long she was going to be gone.\u00a0 My mood had gone from confused to fearful and back.\u00a0 Now I was completely angry.\u00a0 In fact, I don\u2019t recall being that angry ever.\u00a0 I was livid.<\/p>\n

Thoughts of remorse, then forgiveness, and finally revenge, spun wildly around inside my brain.\u00a0 There was a bitter taste in my mouth and a severe tightening in the pit of my stomach.\u00a0 The palms of my hands ached where my fingernails had been digging into them in an effort to relieve my deep state of fury and frustration.<\/p>\n

Had she left me and the kids for good?\u00a0 No, surely not!\u00a0 <\/em>I thought.\u00a0 But if not, how long was she going to be gone?\u00a0 Was this her way of teaching me a lesson?\u00a0 If so, then I got it!!<\/em>\u00a0 But, what else was I supposed to do to keep us financially afloat?\u00a0 I had to work, right?\u00a0 Down deep inside of my muddled brain a thought kept trying to find its way into my consciousness: It\u2019s not the work she objects to\u2014it\u2019s your drinking and carousing and staying out until all hours of the night.\u00a0 It\u2019s the long empty days and nights she has to spend by herself.\u00a0 Those are the things she\u2019s mourning.\u00a0 And this is the only way she can show you how it feels.\u00a0 See?<\/em><\/p>\n

But I rejected that thought and its logic; I wouldn\u2019t let that painful thought rise to the surface so that I could study it and listen to its pleadings.\u00a0 It was a ridiculous thought anyway, with no real basis\u2014and it had to stay buried because there just wasn\u2019t any justification for its existence.\u00a0 I pushed it away and covered it with rage and anger, and thoughts of sweet revenge.<\/p>\n

Then the phone rang.<\/p>\n

I literally jumped up from the couch where I\u2019d been sitting and my heart leaped into my throat.\u00a0 As I moved toward the phone I tried to think of what I would, or should, say to her.\u00a0 Should I sound relieved?\u00a0 Angry?\u00a0 Hurt?\u00a0 Should I tell her how much I missed her and how sorry I was that I\u2019d been so thoughtless?\u00a0 Should I yell at her and demand that she come home immediately?<\/p>\n

The phone rang again.<\/p>\n

\u201cHello?\u201d\u00a0 I said in as normal a voice as I could produce.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey!\u00a0 What the fuck you doing, buddy?\u201d\u00a0 The voice asked.<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t her.\u00a0 But who was it?\u00a0 And, why are they calling?\u00a0 \u201cUh, who is this?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cReally?\u00a0 Are you shitting me? You\u2019re asking me who the fuck I am?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s Craig, you dipshit!\u00a0 Who the fuck did you think it was?\u00a0 Jesus!\u00a0 We only see each other every fucking weekend!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh\u2026Craig!\u00a0 Of course.\u201d\u00a0 It was my bassist.\u00a0 \u201cSorry, what\u2019s up?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNothing!\u00a0 That\u2019s why I was calling you!\u201d<\/p>\n

My heart sunk.\u00a0 This is not who I wanted to be speaking to.\u00a0 I wanted to hear my wife\u2019s voice.\u00a0 I wanted to tell her so many things\u2026but mostly, I wanted to tell her to come home because I loved her and missed her so.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, nothing\u2019s going on here.\u201d\u00a0 I said absently.\u00a0 Then, Ricky began to cry.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, I hear one of your rug rats screaming in the background.\u00a0 So you\u2019re fucking babysitting?\u00a0 Is that the best you can think of to do on New Year\u2019s Eve?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo\u2026I mean, yes\u2026no\u2026my wife\u2019s not here right now.\u00a0 She\u2019s\u2026gone.\u00a0 I mean, she\u2019s gone to run an errand, that\u2019s all.\u00a0 She should be back any minute now.\u201d\u00a0 Those words almost brought my tears out from where they\u2019d been hiding.<\/p>\n

\u201cCool!\u00a0 So what\u2019cha doing tonight for New Year\u2019s?\u00a0 Staying home like a good little hubby?\u00a0 Maybe having a little hot cocoa to ring in the New Year?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUh\u2026no.\u00a0 I\u2026we don\u2019t have any plans.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOK, look.\u00a0 As you can probably tell I\u2019m over here at the Anchor Inn with a bunch of guys and gals.\u00a0 And guess what?\u00a0 They\u2019re all wondering where you\u2019re at.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was then I noticed the noise in the background: Elvis was wondering, \u2018Are You Lonesome, Tonight?\u2019\u00a0 <\/em>\u201cWell, I\u2019m at home watching my kids until my wife comes home.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGroovy!\u00a0 That sounds real special.\u00a0 Anyway, you think you can cut the apron strings and come out and play later?\u00a0 A bunch of us are planning on going to a private club over off of State Line and bring in the New Year the right way.\u00a0 Wanna come?\u00a0 We already got the booze so all we need to buy when we get there are the set-ups.\u00a0 What do you say?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I can\u2019t do anything right now.\u00a0 My wife\u2019s out.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, so she\u2019s out diddling some cool cat on New Year\u2019s Eve while you play the good but dumb hubby?\u00a0 That\u2019s aces, man!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo!\u00a0 That\u2019s not it at all.\u00a0 She\u2019s visiting one of her friends who\u2019s sick here at the housing.\u201d I lied.\u00a0 \u201cShe should be home any time now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOK man, whatever.\u00a0 So anyhow, we\u2019re planning on leaving here in about an hour because there\u2019s a cool rocker over at that club and he starts at eight.\u00a0 Try to make it!\u00a0 If you\u2019re not here by then, we\u2019re gone man!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUh, OK.\u00a0 I\u2019ll be there if I can.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLater, kitty cat!\u201d<\/p>\n

I hung up the phone and walked up the stairs to tend to Ricky.\u00a0 As I was leaving his bedroom on my way back downstairs I thought I saw the flash of headlights illuminate the dark windows on our bedroom and bathroom.\u00a0 I hurried down the stairs and quickly sat down on the couch.<\/p>\n

The seconds oozed slowly by as I forced my hearing to try to pick up any sound that could turn out to be a car door slamming.\u00a0 Suddenly, the kitchen door flew open and Sharon swept into the dark kitchen.<\/p>\n

Although I was so relieved to see her, and I really wanted to jump up and run to her, smothering her in kisses, I steeled myself and sat perfectly still\u2014my right leg casually crossed over my left and my arms crossed over my chest.<\/p>\n

The fresh sweet aroma of perfume, riding on the breeze created when the kitchen door swung open, preceded her entrance into the living room.\u00a0 I turned my head slightly to my left and watched her walk softly into the dimly lamp-lit room.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh!\u00a0 God, you scared me!\u201d She said.\u00a0 \u201cI thought you\u2019d be upstairs in bed, or with the boys.\u201d<\/p>\n

She looked radiant\u2014beautiful\u2014fresh lipstick still shining crimson on her lips.<\/p>\n

Then my inner anger rose with a fury.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know what?\u201d I asked as I rose rapidly from the couch and the angry words just flew out of my mouth.\u00a0 \u201cFuck you!\u00a0 Who do you fucking think you are walking out without a word and leaving me here for hours wondering where the fuck you are?\u201d<\/p>\n

Her face turned pale and her eyes widened.\u00a0 \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou heard me!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t believe you\u2019re saying that after leaving me here alone day after day by myself!\u00a0 You\u2019re despicable!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI leave you here because I\u2019m out working my ass off trying to make our lives better; that\u2019s where the fuck I am!\u00a0 And, by the way\u2014where in the hell have you been all day?\u00a0 I would guess you weren\u2019t out there earning money to feed our kids or pay the damn rent!!\u201d<\/p>\n

She stared at me with hatred in her eyes, but I could detect a grain of fear in there also.\u00a0 \u201cWouldn\u2019t you like to know!\u201d<\/p>\n

I was so angry. \u00a0My teeth were clenched and I felt my hands ball up into fists.\u00a0 For a fleeting moment I felt like smacking the look she was giving me right off her face.\u00a0 Instead, I took a step back.\u00a0 \u201cGive me the fucking car key!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy?\u201d She spit the word out.\u00a0 \u201cSo you can go out and drink and spend time and our money with your whores?\u00a0 Don\u2019t think I don\u2019t know what you\u2019re doing and what\u2019s going on!\u201d<\/p>\n

I can\u2019t remember what was running through my head right then, but a sixth sense told me that I needed to get out of there before I lost control of myself.<\/p>\n

\u201cGive me the fucking car key!\u201d<\/p>\n

She reached into her purse, still hanging by the strap off her left shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cHere!\u201d And she threw the key directly into my face.\u00a0 I stepped to the side quickly, the key missing me and banging into the wall behind me.\u00a0 I turned and picked up the key.\u00a0 As I turned back to her, she said, \u201cBastard!\u201d And then, she literally flew up the stairs.<\/p>\n

I hurried out of the apartment and headed out to the car.\u00a0 I had no idea where I was going but I knew I had to get far away from her and that volatile situation for the time being.<\/p>\n

And then I remembered Craig\u2019s phone call.\u00a0 I turned the car onto Highway 56 and headed for the Anchor Inn.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

After a couple of illegal glasses of scotch Bubba had produced from under the bar, I felt a bit better.\u00a0 But I was still angry and very frustrated.\u00a0 Craig had set up the excursion to the private club that he\u2019d mentioned earlier and I readily agreed that I\u2019d join the group.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t want to drive because I was not in a good mood, so Craig told me that he\u2019d already set up a caravan of three cars with a total of about fifteen people.\u00a0 Some I knew, others I didn\u2019t, but there was an equal mix of males and females.<\/p>\n

Leaving my car in the parking lot, I got into another car with four people that I\u2019d seen at the club before but didn\u2019t really know.\u00a0 It didn\u2019t matter that much because everyone was pretty well drunk anyway.\u00a0 By the time we got to the club we were all very good buddies.<\/p>\n

The club consisted of a very large one-story wood-frame building with a double steel door in the front and boarded-over windows on either side.\u00a0 It looked like it may have been built to be a church some time back, but the steeple had been taken down.\u00a0 The parking lot was packed, and even before we found a parking space we could hear the sound of rock music and people yelling and applauding coming through the thin walls.<\/p>\n

As we walked up the three steps onto a small porch, I saw that on one of the doors a smaller \u201cpeep door\u201d had been installed.\u00a0 The little door squeaked open and a voice demanded IDs and one dollar cover charge from each one of us.\u00a0 We produced the required documents and money and were let into the building when the other metal door was opened.\u00a0 As we filed in, a burly Italian-looking man, who could\u2019ve passed for a professional wrestler, roughly took each of our hands and stamped our wrists with a rubber ink stamp.\u00a0 I squinted in the low light and could barely make out the word, \u201cPassed\u201d.<\/p>\n

Another man, dressed in a tuxedo, asked if we wanted to remain together as a group.\u00a0 We said yes, and he said he\u2019d be a little bit as he had to set up a couple of tables.\u00a0 In no time he was back, and we were escorted to a large table covered in a white linen table cloth.\u00a0 Padded folding chairs were arranged around the table and we all picked one out.<\/p>\n

As we waited for the waitress, I looked around the club.\u00a0 It was large, with wooden columns supporting the very high ceiling.\u00a0 Where one would describe as the back of the building (or where the pulpit would\u2019ve been had this still been a church) there was a stage approximately five feet off the floor.\u00a0 There was a five-man band playing some fairly good rock music and there were twenty, or so, couples dancing on a shiny wooden dance floor that had been laid between where the tables ended and the stage started.<\/p>\n

There were tables set everywhere and there must\u2019ve been over two hundred people there.\u00a0 Streamers with \u201c1965\u201d stencils on them were strung from the ceiling and the walls, and the atmosphere was electric.<\/p>\n

A bored looking waitress finally showed up and asked us how many set-ups we wanted.\u00a0 For those of you who haven\u2019t had the pleasure of drinking in a \u2018dry\u2019 state, a set-up could be water and ice, coke, 7Up, or whatever you wanted to mix with the bottle that you carried into the club.\u00a0 No liquor was allowed to be sold, but patrons would bring in liquor in bottles that had been bought at a licensed liquor store.\u00a0 The set-ups, even water, were outrageously priced so as to make money on the booze the customer was consuming.<\/p>\n

At the appointed hour the emcee, the guy who\u2019d escorted us to our table, took over the microphone and went into an extended introduction of the singer who was going to carry the show right up to midnight.\u00a0 I was amazed to see a middle-aged man roll on to the stage on a shiny silver wheel-chair.<\/p>\n

He had shoulder-length wavy silver-gray hair, and was wearing a glittering burgundy western suit.\u00a0 His cowboy boots, stuck on the end of his skinny atrophied legs were white patent leather with silver toe-guards and heel-caps.\u00a0 I almost burst out laughing when he first came out, but quickly became a believer when he opened his mouth to sing his first song.<\/p>\n

His voice was a mix of Randy Travis, Glen Campbell, and Roy Orbison\u2014a deep booming baritone that he commanded at will right up to the highest and sweetest falsetto tones.\u00a0 After a few songs, and more importantly, a few scotches, my mood had mellowed and I had all but forgotten about the ugly scene that I\u2019d had back home.<\/p>\n

I drank and I danced, and I drank and danced some more.\u00a0 I sang along with the hits I was familiar with and faked the words to those I didn\u2019t know.\u00a0 The night turned into a swirling mass of watered-down scotch, sweaty bodies dancing on the well-worn wooden floor, and hilarious half-heard jokes.\u00a0 I was suddenly very tired.<\/p>\n

Just before midnight I recall urgently having to find a men\u2019s room to take a pee.\u00a0 Fighting my way across the dance floor I found it and I finally and gratefully relieved myself into what appeared to be a metal water-trough.\u00a0 Weaving my way back to our table I saw an empty chair close to the stage and thought that this would be a splendid place to relax, listen to the music, and usher the New Year in.<\/p>\n

That is the last thing I remember.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

I was shivering and it was cold and dark.\u00a0 I opened my eyes and immediately wished I hadn\u2019t as a beam of light triggered a sledgehammer to start beating the inside of my head.\u00a0 I squeezed them shut again hoping the wave of nausea rising up from my stomach would stop before reaching my throat.<\/p>\n

My mouth felt like it was full of cotton and my tongue felt dry and swollen.\u00a0 A sudden violent shiver racked my body and forced me to pull my legs up closer to my chest to generate some body heat.\u00a0 I had no idea where I was but I knew enough to understand that I was laying on my side.<\/p>\n

Reopening my eyes I began to take stock of where I was.\u00a0 Wherever it was, it was dark, dusty and cold.\u00a0 I rolled over on my back and noticed that I seemed to be in some type of enclosure\u2014but a rather large one.\u00a0 I could stretch out my legs but the ceiling was just a couple of feet over my head.<\/p>\n

The source of the light was what looked to be a window that I could see through an opening in the enclosure I was in.\u00a0 As much as I hated moving I knew I had to get out of whatever box or enclosure I was in.\u00a0 I scooted towards the opening that I saw and rolled out through the opening.\u00a0 I looked around and realized that I was still in the club that we gone to last night, and that the \u201cenclosure\u201d that I was in was an opening that led underneath the stage.\u00a0 The opening was secured by a small door through which I must\u2019ve crawled through to get under the stage.<\/p>\n

So\u2014the question began to roll around in my head\u2014why was I under the stage?\u00a0 And worse, where the hell were all the people?<\/p>\n

Having crawled out, I stood unsteadily\u2014first getting on my knees and finally pushing myself upright with my arms.\u00a0 I looked around and was aghast at what I saw.<\/p>\n

The cavernous club was empty!\u00a0 And it was dark inside; the only light in the structure was whatever morning daylight was leaking through the boarded up windows.\u00a0 The hundred or so tables had been stripped of their white tablecloths and the chairs had been piled up on top of them to allow whomever had swept and mopped full access to the floor.<\/p>\n

I started to panic and had to lean on the side of the stage to maintain my balance.<\/p>\n

The sobering realization finally reached my brain.\u00a0 Somehow, during last night\u2019s celebration I had decided to crawl through the access door leading to the crawl space under the stage and gone to sleep.\u00a0 Since I didn\u2019t remember anything about that I would have to say that \u2018passing out\u2019 was probably more accurate than \u2018falling asleep\u2019.<\/p>\n

My friends had left without me, the club had been emptied and cleaned, then locked up\u2014all with me passed out under the stage and no one knowing I was there.<\/p>\n

Further, I had no idea where this club was located (other than somewhere on State Avenue in Kansas), and no earthly idea how I was going to get home.\u00a0 I stumbled towards the front doors to face whatever the day\u2019s light had in store for me and quickly discovered that they were locked.\u00a0 I walked over to one of the side windows and found it was completely sealed shut.\u00a0 Close to near panic I hurried to find where a back door may be, and found that it was also closed and locked.\u00a0 MY GOD!\u00a0 <\/em>I thought, precariously close to losing all semblance of control, I\u2019M LOCKED IN!!<\/em><\/p>\n

I rechecked the doors and found that there was no way I could open them from the inside.\u00a0 They all seemed to be somehow locked from the outside\u2014maybe with an exterior Master Lock.<\/p>\n

Now totally panic stricken, I went from window to window testing each to see if I could at least find one that I could force open.<\/p>\n

Finally, I was able to open one of the side windows and saw that the outside boarding was loose.\u00a0 I was able to push it out with enough force for me to wiggle through.\u00a0 As I pushed myself out I saw that it was going to be about a four-foot drop to the dirt below.\u00a0 I had no choice, so I maneuvered myself halfway out and clumsily jumped out.<\/p>\n

I landed on my feet but quickly lost my balance and fell, rolling onto my side.\u00a0 The ground was hard, partially frozen from the less than 20-degree temperature, and I banged my knee painfully.<\/p>\n

Standing back up I took stock of where I was.\u00a0 The club appeared to be located in a lower-income neighborhood, as it was surrounded on both sides by small, older-style frame homes.\u00a0 This reinforced my earlier thought that the club looked like a church when I first saw it last night.<\/p>\n

Suddenly, I realized that I was shivering almost uncontrollably.\u00a0 I was wearing dress pants, a thin dress shirt, and a light sport coat.\u00a0 Not the kind of clothing that this particular day, cloudy gray skies, and freezing with a nasty north wind, required.<\/p>\n

I began to walk towards the front of the club, and after crossing the parking lot saw the street that ran perpendicular to the property.\u00a0 I wasn\u2019t sure where I was walking to but thought that if I kept moving I would delay freezing to death a bit.<\/p>\n

After a couple of blocks, I spied a glass Southwestern Bell telephone booth.\u00a0 I quickened my pace.\u00a0 Reaching the booth, I pushed the door open and stepped in.\u00a0 Pulling the door behind me I succeeded in gaining some protection from the wind but the temperature was still punishingly cold.<\/p>\n

Now, <\/em>I thought, I need to call Sharon to have her come pick me up.\u00a0 I hope to God I have at least a dime in my pocket.\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n

Finding one solitary dime in my front left-hand pocket, I retrieved it with quickly numbing fingers and started to drop it in the slot.\u00a0 Then, common sense kicked in.\u00a0 So calling my wife would accomplish\u2026what?\u00a0 What was I going to tell her?\u00a0 That I just woke up in an empty club with a giant hangover after I passed out, and my friends abandoned me; so could you please take a taxi over to the Anchor Inn, hot-wire my car since you don\u2019t have the key, and drive over to somewhere in Kansas City, Kansas and find me in a phone booth somewhere on the corner of State Avenue?<\/p>\n

Even in my mentally diminished state that didn\u2019t sound like a good plan at all.\u00a0 I needed to sort this out a bit more.\u00a0 But the problem was that every minute that I stood in that booth a little bit more of me froze.\u00a0 I was shaking and shivering and doubted that I could even talk legibly on the phone.<\/p>\n

Then I saw a partial solution came trotting down the sidewalk!\u00a0 A large shaggy dog, maybe a Shepard\/Collie mix, was bouncing down the sidewalk, nose to the ground probably looking for a bit of breakfast.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t look too cold and seemed fairly friendly, so I pulled open the door and called to him.<\/p>\n

\u201cHere boy, here boy\u2026\u201d My jaw shivering so badly I had trouble forming the word, \u201cboy\u201d.<\/p>\n

The dog stopped and eyed me warily.\u00a0 I kept calling him and augmenting my pleading with some soft hand-clapping.\u00a0 He took a step toward me and cocked his head.\u00a0 He sniffed the air between me and him.<\/p>\n

My pleading intensified, and finally he began to step forward.\u00a0 I reached out and patted him on the head.\u00a0 Once he and I realized that we weren\u2019t going to harm each other I was able to pull him into the booth with me.<\/p>\n

Once the door was closed I slid down onto the floor and snuggled up to him.\u00a0 After a couple of minutes, he must\u2019ve understood that if we stayed in body contact we could generate and share body heat.\u00a0 He made himself comfy and promptly fell asleep.<\/p>\n

After a few minutes I began to feel better and stopped shaking.\u00a0 Now I could think, and I suddenly knew who I would call for help.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Of course calling Sharon was out of the question.\u00a0 Besides facing a firestorm of anger for staying out all night, I would be putting her in an impossible situation regarding the kids.\u00a0 No, I thought, I would have to call a friend\u2014my nurse friend.<\/p>\n

A few months back, while working an evening shift at the station, I\u2019d serviced a customer who\u2019d come in driving a really sexy white 1958 Chevrolet Impala.\u00a0 Although six years old, the car was a beauty.\u00a0 Fully loaded, with turquoise and white leather upholstery, it was a real dream.\u00a0 What was really surprising was that it was driven in by a long-legged knockout blonde.<\/p>\n

Since we were a full service station, I was required to clean all the glass and check the oil while the car was being fueled.\u00a0 While I was doing this she left the car to pay a visit to the lady\u2019s room.\u00a0 I couldn\u2019t help but notice her obvious beauty and the odd fact that she was dressed in what appeared to be a nurse\u2019s uniform.<\/p>\n

When she returned I complimented her on her choice of wheels.\u00a0 She smiled and told me that it really belonged to her husband, a sailor who\u2019d recently been assigned to a naval base in Greece.\u00a0 She was very friendly and actually introduced herself.\u00a0 Her name was Joy, she was a nurse, and worked the graveyard shift at the Olathe General Hospital.<\/p>\n

Several weeks later as we were setting up to play a gig at the Anchor Inn I saw, but mostly heard, a group of girls sitting in a booth obviously celebrating something.\u00a0 To my surprise I saw that Joy was part of the group, and the activity seemed to be centered on her.\u00a0 Since I\u2019d only briefly spoken to her once I decided that it would not be appropriate for me to intrude on their party.<\/p>\n

I was sitting at the end of the bar while taking our first fifteen-minute break when I felt someone tap me on the shoulder.\u00a0 I turned, and Joy was standing there holding a drink and smiling widely.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey!\u00a0 I thought you worked at the gas station!\u201d She said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I do.\u00a0 But then again, I also work at the Naval Air Station when I\u2019m not doing this or that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d She exclaimed, bring her left hand up to her neck.\u00a0 Her wedding rings were nice and shiny.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re just full of talent aren\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I wouldn\u2019t call pumping gas and working a radar at an Air Force station having talent, but I am versatile.\u201d<\/p>\n

She let out a loud laugh.\u00a0 \u201cOh, you\u2019re funny!\u201d She cried out.\u00a0 \u201cYou play here often?\u00a0 A couple of my girlfriends said they\u2019ve seen you here before.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, we play here and also at a couple of military clubs.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWow!\u00a0 Talented, and rich too!\u201d<\/p>\n

It was my turn to laugh.\u00a0 \u201cOh yeah,\u201d I said, \u201cIf only.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell thank you for playing on my birthday!\u201d She said, lifting her drink as a toast.<\/p>\n

\u201cReally?\u201d I asked.\u00a0 \u201cI just had a birthday a couple of days ago!\u00a0 August 20^{th<\/sup>!\u201d<\/p>\n}

\u201cNo!!\u201d She exclaimed. \u201cI can\u2019t believe it!\u00a0 That\u2019s the same day my birthday is!\u00a0 We\u2019re just celebrating it now because I can\u2019t drink during my duty week at the hospital!\u00a0 That is so cool!\u00a0 Hey, will you sing something and dedicate it for me for my birthday?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure, what song would you like?\u00a0 If we don\u2019t know it, we\u2019ll have to substitute something else.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, play whatever you like.\u00a0 Just make sure you tell the audience you\u2019re dedicating the song to me.\u00a0 It\u2019s Joy!\u00a0 Don\u2019t forget.\u201d<\/p>\n

Soon, our break was over and I had to excuse myself.\u00a0 A few songs into our second set I paused to dedicate, \u201cLove Potion Number Nine\u201d to my friend Joy.\u00a0 She jumped up from the booth, screamed and ran out onto the dance floor with her girlfriends to dance and jump around.<\/p>\n

I didn\u2019t get to see her every weekend because shortly after that we had signed contracts to play at the other clubs, but whenever we were at the Anchor Inn she was almost sure to be there.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

I dug back into my pocket with my half frozen hand and found the solitary dime.\u00a0 But that would be just enough to make a call.\u00a0 The problem was that I didn\u2019t know the number to the Olathe Hospital and the phone book in the booth had been stolen.\u00a0 So I dialed \u201cInformation\u201d and hoped I\u2019d get my dime back.<\/p>\n

Since I didn\u2019t have anything to write on or with, I asked the operator if she could dial the number for me.\u00a0 In a few seconds the phone was ringing.\u00a0 As I was waiting for the switchboard at the hospital to answer I realized that I didn\u2019t even know what time it was.\u00a0 I assumed it was early, since there wasn\u2019t much traffic on the street nor any foot traffic on the sidewalk.\u00a0 Then I remembered that this was New Year\u2019s Day!\u00a0 No wonder there were no people around.\u00a0 My heart jumped when I thought that maybe Joy hadn\u2019t worked the midnight shift because it was a holiday\u2014or that maybe she\u2019d already finished her shift and gone home.\u00a0 Before I had a chance to think another depressing thought the call was answered.<\/p>\n

\u201cOlathe General, how may I direct your call?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, I would like to speak to Joy\u2026ah, she\u2019s one of your nurses\u2026an RN.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you have a last name sir?\u201d<\/p>\n

The question shot me into instant panic mode.\u00a0 As many times as I\u2019d seen her, I\u2019d never bothered to ask for her last name.\u00a0 Whenever I saw her at the club or at the station, we would just say hi and have very short conversations.\u00a0 We never exchanged last names.<\/p>\n

\u201cUh\u2026no, I don\u2019t.\u00a0 Sorry.\u00a0 She\u2019s a friend of my wife\u2019s (I lied) and I need to get a message to her.\u00a0 It\u2019s kinda urgent.\u00a0 Tell her it\u2019s Frank.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you know in what department she works?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo ma\u2019am, I\u2019m sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJust a moment please.\u201d And the line went silent.\u00a0 I hoped she\u2019d put me on hold because I didn\u2019t have any more money for another call.<\/p>\n

The wait was excruciating, but finally, \u201cSir?\u201d<\/p>\n

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

\u201cJust a second, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n

A couple of soft pops and a click.\u00a0 Then, \u201cHello?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHi, Joy?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes\u2026\u201d She said cautiously.<\/p>\n

\u201cHi, this is Frank.\u201d<\/p>\n

A long pause.\u00a0 \u201cFrank?\u00a0 Frank, who?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDeLe\u00f3n!\u00a0 Oh, but you probably don\u2019t know that.\u00a0 I\u2019m the guy from the Goldtones.\u00a0 You know, I play the guitar\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh!\u00a0 Frank!!\u00a0 My God, what are you doing calling me here?\u201d\u00a0 She didn\u2019t sound angry, just pleasantly surprised.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I\u2019m in a little bind and I was wondering if you could help me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I don\u2019t know.\u00a0 Are you hurt?\u201d\u00a0 Of course.\u00a0 She was a nurse and when someone asked her for help it was probably because they weren\u2019t well.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh no!\u00a0 I\u2019m fine.\u00a0 Well, actually I\u2019m a little cold right now, but other than that I\u2019m OK.\u00a0 I just need to ask you a real big favor.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure, anything.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOK, you\u2019re gonna think this is weird, but I need a ride home\u2026or actually, I need a ride to my car.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, OK.\u00a0 But I don\u2019t get off work for another half hour.\u00a0 Would that be OK?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure, that\u2019ll be fine.\u00a0 Uh, what time is it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTime?\u00a0 Oh, it\u2019s seven-thirty.\u00a0 I get off at eight.\u00a0 Where are you?\u201d<\/p>\n

Eight?\u00a0 <\/em>\u201cOK, this is embarrassing.\u00a0 But I really don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOK, Frank.\u00a0 Is this a joke?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, no!\u00a0 It\u2019s not!\u00a0 It\u2019s a little hard to explain and kind of a long story.\u00a0 I know you have to get back to work, but could you call me back?\u00a0 I\u2019m in a phone booth and I can give you this number to call when you\u2019re ready to come.\u00a0 Is that OK?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWow that really sounds mysterious! OK, I\u2019ll bite.\u00a0 I\u2019ll call you back in about a half hour\u2026OK?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh that would be great!\u00a0 I\u2019ll be here.\u00a0 Ready for the number?\u201d<\/p>\n

I read her the number off the center of the rotary dial and hoped to God it was right, and that the ringer was working.\u00a0 After hanging up I hunkered down with my furry friend to warm back up.<\/p>\n

The booth that the dog and I were in was all glass, but the lower panel, about two feet off the ground, was painted solid blue.\u00a0 If I scrunched down enough, the dog and I were pretty much out of sight of any casual onlookers.\u00a0 As luck would have it a few minutes later I felt, rather than heard, the door push in.\u00a0 I looked up and saw an elderly black man pushing at the door, obviously wanting to get in to make a call.<\/p>\n

He didn\u2019t see us, as he kept pushing harder on the door while staring directly at the black phone unit hanging on the inside corner of the booth.\u00a0 I couldn\u2019t think of what to do right away but my dog buddy didn\u2019t take the interruption very calmly and began to growl loudly.\u00a0 So in my most official voice I said, \u201cSorry sir, this booth is occupied!\u201d\u00a0 The dog punctuated the end of my sentence by issuing a loud bark\u2026tailing off into a low growl.<\/p>\n

The black gentlemen\u2019s eyes bulged out and he stepped rapidly away from the door, pulling his hand back as if the door had suddenly bit him.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat the fuck?\u201d Was his frightened response as he looked at his hand curiously, probably making sure all of his fingers were still attached.<\/p>\n

\u201cSorry sir, but I\u2019m waiting for a call.\u201d I said, in a calmer but louder voice\u2014but still sitting on the floor holding back the now snarling dog.<\/p>\n

The man, having stepped back a couple of feet, looked up and down the booth trying to find where the shadowy voice and vicious bark were coming from, finally spied us sitting on the floor.<\/p>\n

I smiled and waved my free hand.<\/p>\n

The look on his face went from confused to angry.\u00a0 \u201cWhat the fuck are you doing down there? And\u2026what the fuck are you doing to that dog?\u201d He asked indignantly.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re waiting for a call, sir.\u201d\u00a0 I said, as I began to try to get my cold numb legs under me so I could stand up.\u00a0 The dog, sensing that we were about to launch an attack on the intruder, jumped up and let loose with a barrage of angry barks while leaping onto his hind legs and scratching the booth\u2019s glass door violently with his front paws.<\/p>\n

The black man jumped back again and put his hands in the air.\u00a0 \u201cKeep that dog away from me!\u00a0 I ain\u2019t gonna make no call.\u00a0 Just keep him away!\u201d\u00a0 And he quickly turned and walked away at a very fast clip.<\/p>\n

The dog, satisfied that we\u2019d scared off the enemy sat back down, mostly on top of my feet, and looked up giving me a victorious, wide-eyed, tongue-lolling smile.\u00a0 Then the phone rang.<\/p>\n

It took a while to explain to Joy where I thought I was\u2014giving her some prominent landmarks that I could see in the immediate vicinity. \u00a0The most noticeable was a large brick church just across the street from the booth I was in.\u00a0 It was named, \u201cSt. Emmanuel Christian Church\u201d.<\/p>\n

It took a while but she eventually rolled up in the cool Impala and I happily exited the booth.\u00a0 The dog followed me and actually tried to get into the car with me.<\/p>\n

\u201cFriend of yours?\u201d Joy asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, we were keeping each other warm while I was waiting for you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I hope your friend didn\u2019t have fleas, or I\u2019m throwing you out.\u201d\u00a0 She smiled.<\/p>\n

On the way to my car I did my best to explain to her what had happened to me.\u00a0 It was especially hard to do that since I wasn\u2019t sure myself what had happened.<\/p>\n

\u201cDid you call your wife?\u201d She asked, with a bit of concern in her voice.<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you kidding me?\u00a0 And tell her what?\u00a0 No, I\u2019ll face that fate when I see her later today.\u00a0 We didn\u2019t part on the best of terms last night anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, that\u2019s a shame.\u00a0 Starting the New Year off with a disagreement.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, well I\u2019m not proud of what I\u2019ve done.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAt least she cares\u2026or I think she cares.\u00a0 My husband is an asshole and doesn\u2019t give a crap about me.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t even bother telling me he was leaving to go overseas until the day before he left.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh you can\u2019t be serious.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSerious as a heart attack.\u00a0 He came home one day, threw the car keys on the bed and told me to leave him alone for the rest of the night because he was packing his bags.\u00a0 \u2018Go out and learn to have a good time by yourself because I\u2019ll be gone for eighteen months\u2019.\u00a0 That was it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShit\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, that\u2019s what I said.\u00a0 I hope he gets killed over there, or just never comes home.\u201d<\/p>\n

I didn\u2019t know what to say to that, so I didn\u2019t say anything.\u00a0 Her story was odder than mine.<\/p>\n

As we pulled up to the empty parking lot (empty except for my Dart) at the Anchor Inn I thanked her and apologized for the inconvenience.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, don\u2019t mention it.\u00a0 That\u2019s what friends are for, you know.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know, but you must be tired though\u2026working all night then having to pick me up.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo sweat.\u00a0 I\u2019m gonna sleep for a few hours then I have to go back to work.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh really?\u00a0 You\u2019re working the afternoon shift at the hospital?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHospital?\u00a0 No, not at the hospital.\u00a0 I guess I haven\u2019t told you but I work part-time at the Playboy Club in Kansas City.\u201d<\/p>\n

I thought I heard correctly, but just wanted to make sure.\u00a0 \u201cWhere?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHa, I knew I\u2019d get your attention on that one.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re kidding, OK\u2026that\u2019s funny.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, I\u2019m not kidding.\u00a0 I work a couple of evenings a week at the Playboy Club.\u00a0 I\u2019m not full-time because you have to put in a lot more hours than what I\u2019m willing to put in.\u00a0 But for the time I work there I make twice the money than I make at the hospital.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now I really didn\u2019t know what to say.<\/p>\n

\u201cCat got your tongue?\u201d She said playfully.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo\u2026no, I just\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u00a0 You don\u2019t think I\u2019m pretty enough?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo!\u00a0 No!\u00a0 You\u2019re pretty enough all right.\u00a0 I just never thought I\u2019d meet, much less be in the same car with, a Playboy Bunny.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, well it ain\u2019t so glamorous.\u00a0 But I do enjoy the money.\u00a0 OK, out with you, mister.\u00a0 You have to go home to face the music!\u201d<\/p>\n

Boy, she wasn\u2019t wrong there.<\/p>\n

The Music Played, But There Weren\u2019t No Dancin\u2019<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

By the time I got home it was close to nine in the morning.\u00a0 I actually sat in the car for a few minutes trying to figure out just what I was going to say to Sharon when I finally screwed up the courage to face her.<\/p>\n

Walking in quietly through the kitchen I saw Ricky and Beebe playing in the living room, but Sharon was not in sight.\u00a0 I went up the stairs, knowing that I\u2019d probably find her in the bedroom or in the boys\u2019 room.\u00a0 Opening the bedroom door, I saw her sitting on the edge of the bed facing the window.<\/p>\n

The curtain was open so she\u2019d had a clear view of me pulling the car into the back yard and sitting in the car.\u00a0 She didn\u2019t acknowledge my presence.<\/p>\n

\u201cHi\u2026\u201d I said softly.\u00a0 She didn\u2019t respond but continued to stare out of the window.\u00a0 \u201cLook, I\u2019m sorry for everything\u2026particularly staying out all night.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t my intention to do that, but I guess that isn\u2019t much of an excuse.\u201d<\/p>\n

She suddenly stood up and walked right by me on her way out of the bedroom.\u00a0 As she was going out the door she said, \u201cI don\u2019t care.\u201d\u00a0 And she went down the stairs.<\/p>\n

Not knowing what else to do, I turned and followed her.\u00a0 \u201cLook\u2026\u201d I said, trying to keep up with her, \u201cI don\u2019t want to keep this war going between us, OK?\u00a0 I screwed up, I know that.\u00a0 And I know I hurt you, so can we just do a reset?\u201d<\/p>\n

By now she had reached the living room floor.\u00a0 She turned, crossed her arms and kind of cocked her head to one side.\u00a0 \u201cLook, Frank!\u00a0 There\u2019s nothing you can say or do that\u2019s going to make things any better!\u00a0 Day after day I\u2019m left here alone with nothing to do but take care of the boys while you\u2019re out working and fucking around to all hours of the night!\u00a0 I\u2019m tired of it\u2014but I don\u2019t have much of an alternative.\u00a0 What am I supposed to do, just sit around here and wait until you decide to come home, so I can wait on you hand and foot?\u00a0 Sorry, but that\u2019s not going to happen anymore!\u00a0 What\u2019s good for the goose is good for the gander.\u00a0 So, just can it already!\u00a0 I don\u2019t want to hear any more of your promises and your lies.\u00a0 You think I don\u2019t know what\u2019s going on?\u00a0 You think people don\u2019t tell me what you\u2019re up to when you\u2019re out supposedly \u201cworking\u201d?\u00a0 You\u2019re not as sneaky as you think you are, and those people who you think are your friends are the ones filling me in on your little nighttime dalliances.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d\u00a0 And that was all I could come up with.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t insult my intelligence by trying to deny anything.\u00a0 I\u2019m done!\u00a0 You hear me?\u00a0 I\u2019m so done with you!\u00a0 So you can just go and do whatever it is that you\u2019re doing with whoever you\u2019re doing it with.\u00a0 I don\u2019t care anymore!\u00a0 Just leave me alone!\u201d\u00a0 And with that she turned and walked into the kitchen.<\/p>\n

I followed her and tried to put up some kind of defense but it was to no avail.\u00a0 She shut down and wouldn\u2019t even acknowledge that I was in the same room with her, much less respond to me.\u00a0 I finally gave up and went upstairs to shower and try to get some sleep before going into work at the station later that afternoon.<\/p>\n

That day, January 1^{st<\/sup>, 1965, would mark the beginning of the end of our marriage.\u00a0 And, although I would be in denial for many years, always refusing to accept responsibility for the root cause of our tragic and painful separation, it was me and my thoughtless and selfish behavior that struck the mortal blow that ended up killing my wife\u2019s love and all but ending our relationship.\u00a0 We would end up staying married for almost two more years, but essentially the energy was gone and our hopes and dreams of a future together was dead.<\/p>\n}

***<\/p>\n

Little by little, my life began to change.\u00a0 By March, a little over a year since I\u2019d returned from Alaska, I was still playing in the band, working at the gas station, and doing my duty with the Air Force; but my outlook on life had taken a drastic turn.\u00a0 I no longer felt bad or thought very much about spending time away from home.\u00a0 I missed seeing the boys, but when I spent time at home it would be a matter of minutes before either Sharon or me found something to complain about one another.<\/p>\n

At a much later time and a much older age, I realized that what I was doing then was the cowardly thing to do and totally counterproductive for our relationship.\u00a0 But the way I saw it then, I was tired of coming home after work or my gigs to sour looks and catty remarks.\u00a0 What I didn\u2019t see then was that without realizing it, I had mutated into a modern version of my father\u2014coming home without saying a word to my wife, leaving her some money for provisions, then disappearing until late that night or sometime the next day.<\/p>\n

When I was with my friends I felt happy and comfortable.\u00a0 Many times, after getting off work at the station or finishing up a gig, I began to initiate trips to Kansas City instead of just tagging along as I had been doing.\u00a0 And whereas, many of the people with whom I\u2019d been associating had started out as fleeting acquaintances, they began to take a more prominent place in my life.\u00a0 Two of those people would become central and contributory to the slow but steady and deadly decline in what was left of the relationship between Sharon and myself.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

I met Donald during one of my many late night trips to jazz clubs in Kansas City.\u00a0 One particular night I was out with Joy, Craig and Brian at a club we\u2019d never visited.\u00a0 I had volunteered to go up to the bar to replenish our drinks when the waitress didn\u2019t show up as quickly as we wanted her too.\u00a0 I walked up and found myself next to this young black man who was sitting on a stool quietly sipping his drink and smoking a cigarette.<\/p>\n

While waiting for the bartender to notice me and take my order, the young man turned to me and said, \u201cThey ain\u2019t too fast around here so you may be in for a wait.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, that\u2019s OK,\u201d I answered.\u00a0 \u201cThe waitress is even slower.\u00a0 I got impatient with her flirting with a bunch of guys at another table, so I decided to get our own drinks and save a tip.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, that\u2019s one way to do it\u2026what\u2019re you drinking?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMe?\u00a0 I\u2019m drinking Cutty Sark and water.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHmm, a man\u2019s drink, for sure.\u201d He said, taking a long drag off his Winston.<\/p>\n

\u201cHa, well I guess it is.\u00a0 I\u2019ve tried other scotch whiskeys before but this is my favorite.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou come here often? \u2018Cause I\u2019m here all the time and I don\u2019t remember seeing you before.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been here just a couple of times before\u2026mostly we go to bigger clubs where some of my other friends know some of the musicians.\u201d<\/p>\n

He glanced over to the table where Joy and the rest of us were sitting.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I see that.\u00a0 Well buddy, you got yourself one hell of a woman over there.\u00a0 Does that hot blonde belong to you?\u201d<\/p>\n

I smiled.\u00a0 \u201cWell, we\u2019re good friends\u2014but she likes to tag along with me sometimes when she\u2019s not working.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe can tag along with me anytime she wants.\u201d\u00a0 And he gave me a big toothy smile.\u00a0 \u201cDonald\u2019s the name.\u201d\u00a0 He stuck out his hand.<\/p>\n

\u201cFrank!\u201d \u00a0I said, and shook his hand. \u00a0Then the bartender finally saw me and started heading my way.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do you do, Frank?\u00a0 I mean besides having gorgeous blondes tagging along after you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI work at the Olathe Naval Air Station.\u201d<\/p>\n

His eyes widened.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t tell me you\u2019re a fellow squid?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh no.\u00a0 I\u2019m Air Force.\u00a0 You in the Navy?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure am!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd you work at the NAS in Olathe?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYep, sure do!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWow, small world!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you\u2019re in the Air Force, then you must be one of the flyboys that works with the Army at that blockhouse of a building on the east side of the station.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, that\u2019s right.\u201d<\/p>\n

And with those few words Donald and I began a close friendship that would last until I left Olathe.\u00a0 After I got the drinks I asked him to join us at the table, and he was more than happy to oblige (probably because he wanted to get a better look at Joy).<\/p>\n

I instantly liked Donald, and for a while I didn\u2019t know exactly why.\u00a0 For sure he was funny and had a very pleasing personality, but it wasn\u2019t until the second time that we ran into each other that I realized what it was.\u00a0 He could\u2019ve passed as a brother of my old Air Force friend, Michael, back at the Winnemucca AFS.\u00a0 He even drove a Ford that was just a couple of years newer than Michael\u2019s had been.\u00a0 I couldn\u2019t resist, so one night I asked him, \u201cYou don\u2019t have a nickname for your car do you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI might, why?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI had a friend in Nevada who drove a car very much like yours and he called her \u2018Screamin\u2019 Betty\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, that\u2019s funny.\u00a0 I call mine \u2018Don\u2019s Bomb\u2019!\u201d<\/p>\n

When we parted company with Donald that first evening we promised to stay in touch.\u00a0 He gave me his number and asked me to call him anytime I planned to go jazz clubbing in KC.<\/p>\n

As we walked out to Joy\u2019s car she asked him which club in KC was his favorite.\u00a0 He smiled and said, \u201cWell see, I like to listen to my jazz without a lot of distractions.\u00a0 So if I spend the night at a club and later on can go home and say, \u2018the music played but there weren\u2019t no dancin\u2019, then that\u2019s a jazz club I\u2019ll probably go back to.\u201d<\/p>\n

We all looked at each other and burst out laughing.<\/p>\n

To be continued\u2026<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

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

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"