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":808,"date":"2016-11-11T15:02:01","date_gmt":"2016-11-11T21:02:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/frankdeleon.com\/?p=808"},"modified":"2016-11-11T15:02:01","modified_gmt":"2016-11-11T21:02:01","slug":"kansas-conclusion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/frankdeleon.com\/?p=808","title":{"rendered":"Kansas – Conclusion"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

Conclusion<\/strong><\/p>\n

April 1965-October 1965<\/strong><\/p>\n

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

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

From the viewpoint of a casual observer, my relationship with Joy looked a whole lot different than it really was.\u00a0 Yes, she was one of the most beautiful and highly intelligent women that I\u2019ve ever had the pleasure of knowing, possessed a sharp and inquisitive wit with a special ability to gauge even the most complex ambiguities; but for the most part ours was a nothing more than a very close platonic relationship.<\/p>\n

Born and raised in the small farming town of DeSoto, Kansas, she had always been blessed with high cheekbones, crystal blue eyes, a perfectly oval face and hair the color of bright sunshine.\u00a0 Without even trying, she embodied all the positive attributes that most women would kill for, long legs, flawless complexion, and a natural walk that models had to practice for years before perfecting.<\/p>\n

Tall for women of that era; when wearing high-heeled shoes, she stood scant millimeters short of six feet; but perhaps her most amiable quality was her genuine sense of modesty.\u00a0 She never used her beauty or sharp intellect to attempt to embody who she was; instead, she always projected a relaxed and confident demeanor and preferred to stay in the background.<\/p>\n

She graduated from high school at the age of sixteen, two years early\u2014having been allowed to skip the ninth and eleventh grades\u2014something that is unheard of nowadays.\u00a0 She went on to college and majored in Nursing, completing her studies well ahead of time.\u00a0 Her nursing counselors urged her to switch her major and cross over to instead pursue a Medical degree, but because of her parents\u2019 lack of funds and support, along with a shortage of scholarships in that day and age, she decided to continue with Nursing.<\/p>\n

During her last year of schooling she married the son of her mother\u2019s best friend, a roguish and unscrupulous fellow named Jack.\u00a0 They\u2019d known each other since childhood.\u00a0 His parents owned and lived on about two acres of land just west of Joy\u2019s parents\u2019 property, and ran an auto junkyard on the property.<\/p>\n

Jack was a natural-born bully, known for his short temper and a proclivity for picking on younger and smaller boys to harass and beat.\u00a0 Spending the bulk of his high school years on suspension for fighting or petty thieving, he graduated a year late.\u00a0 For a few years he worked at his parents\u2019 junk yard, as he was unable to successfully hold even the simplest and most menial of jobs.<\/p>\n

Joy\u2019s mother, probably afraid that her only daughter would graduate from college and seek a brighter future far away from DeSoto, did everything she could to encourage a more than neighborly relationship between Joy and Jack, finally eliciting a positive response from Joy.<\/p>\n

As Joy explained to me one day, \u201cIt was hell listening to my mother every day, berating and accusing me of wanting to abandon her and dad and \u2018high-tailing it to California, or God forbid, New York to marry some Yankee and never coming back to DeSoto again.<\/p>\n

Jack had stopped drinking and was on his best behavior for a year or so, while his mother and Joy\u2019s mother plotted to try to get them together.\u00a0 In the end, Joy relented, and although she liked Jack well enough, she confessed that she didn\u2019t love him.\u00a0 The best part of their marriage, she related to me one day, was that after their two-day honeymoon spent at the exotic Olathe Motel (Free TV and Free Long Distance Calls), Jack resumed his ne\u2019er-do-well behavior and disappeared for a couple of weeks.\u00a0 Not long after, he was arrested for car theft and began a long, slow descent into alcoholism and the committing petty crimes.<\/p>\n

After a particularly stupid attempt to burglarize a local drug store, the judge gave Jack a choice of a year in prison or signing up for military service.\u00a0 Of course, he chose the Navy, and after basic training was assigned to NAS Olathe, where he worked as a cook.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo,\u201d Joy said to me one evening over a couple of drinks, \u201cit\u2019s been less than a dream marriage for either of us.\u00a0 I know he suffers from a severe lack of self-esteem mostly because of me, but I can\u2019t help regretting that I ever agreed to marry him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you guys argue a lot?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cSurprisingly, no.\u00a0 In fact, we rarely speak to one another, and that\u2019s the way I like it. The people he hangs around with are mostly losers, hicks and rednecks, and for a while last year he never even came home for a couple of months.\u00a0 Since I didn\u2019t much care if he ever showed up again I didn\u2019t go looking for him, but his mother went crazy wondering where he\u2019d gone.\u00a0 After she followed him home from the base one day she discovered that he\u2019d been living in LaCygne (a small town south of Olathe) with some drug-addicted prostitute.\u00a0 Since then I won\u2019t let him come near me for fear of him infecting me with some dreadful venereal disease.\u201d<\/p>\n

She told me that he forced her to deposit her salary into a joint bank account where he withdrew most of his and her money every month for his own entertainment.\u00a0 She\u2019d kept her job at the Playboy Club secret from him and opened an account for herself at another bank where she eventually saved enough money to pay off the small trailer that they\u2019d been renting-to-own for the past couple of years.\u00a0 The trailer was located on a small plot on his parents\u2019 property.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, at least you drive a nice car.\u201d I joked.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, well that\u2019s another story.\u00a0 I was tired of driving cars that he and his dad had put together from junks that they\u2019d taken in, so one day after seeing a \u2018For Sale\u2019 sign on the Impala that one of the doctors at the hospital was selling, I looked him up and asked how much he wanted for it.\u00a0 After he told me I said that I couldn\u2019t afford to pay that much, but after some negotiating he agreed to finance the car for me at almost no interest.\u00a0 So, I made the deal.<\/p>\n

When I told Jack about it, he insisted that the note be put into his name so that he\u2019d own the title when the car was paid off.\u00a0 After about six months I had enough money saved up to pay it off, so I wrote the doctor a check.\u00a0 I agreed to title the car in Jack\u2019s name as long as I could drive it.\u00a0 If he\u2019d refused to that agreement then I told him I would sell the trailer, since that\u2019s in my name, and he could go back to living with his whore in LaCygne.\u00a0 He reluctantly agreed, so he still drives junks from his dad\u2019s junkyard and I drive the Impala.\u00a0 Besides he can hardly afford to put gas in his junkers, much less my V-8 Impala.\u201d<\/p>\n

After she picked me up from my freezing phone booth in Kansas City, Kansas, we found that we were naturally gravitating closer to one another.\u00a0 I enjoyed her great sense of humor and her endless optimism, but mostly her grace and beauty won me over.\u00a0 Even though we were spending a lot of time together, for some unknown reason, that I still wonder about to this day, we were never romantically or sexually involved.\u00a0 Not that we didn\u2019t try.<\/p>\n

The closest we ever got to actually being intimate was during one evening, a few months after the phone booth incident.\u00a0 We had made some plans to go to Kansas City for a night out with another couple, and because I had left the Dart with Sharon, I caught a ride with one of my friends and his girlfriend and headed to the Anchor Inn where Joy was waiting.\u00a0 The four of us took off in Joy\u2019s Impala, with me driving.<\/p>\n

We club-hopped for a few hours and as the evening wore on I noticed that Joy\u2019s attitude seemed a little off.\u00a0 It turned out she and Jack had had an argument over something trivial and she\u2019d stormed off.\u00a0 He threatened to follow her and find out who she was going out with and \u201cend it forever for both of them\u201d.\u00a0 She wasn\u2019t sure what he meant, but she was sure he hadn\u2019t followed her.\u00a0 However, she was still on edge, thinking that Jack might try to hunt her down at the clubs by trying to find where she\u2019d parked her \u2018hard-to-miss\u2019 car.\u00a0 So deciding to park her car on the street at 10^{th<\/sup> Street, we all walked over to 12^{th<\/sup> Street to hit the clubs.\u00a0 Her plan was to walk by herself back to the car when we were done then drive back to pick us up.<\/p>\n}}

I guess she was more worried than she let on because she was drinking heavier than normal.\u00a0 The more she drank the merrier she got, and to my surprise, the more romantic she seemed.\u00a0 When we were dancing she held me tight and a few times nibbled on my ear and kissed my neck.\u00a0 Since we\u2019d never been intimate, nor even participated in any kind of \u2018make-out\u2019 session, I assumed the alcohol was making her act more forward than usual.\u00a0 Her romantic overtures were turning me on but I was hesitant to follow-up because I was sure she was just a little drunk and acting out.<\/p>\n

When the evening finally came to a close around two in the morning, Joy could hardly stand.\u00a0 Instead of letting her walk back to her car by herself we all insisted that we\u2019d go back as a group.\u00a0 If Jack did show up and wanted to start any trouble, we all agreed that my buddy and I would be able to take care of him.<\/p>\n

Luckily, when we go to the car Jack was nowhere to be seen.\u00a0 Joy suddenly suggested that my buddy drive the car with his girlfriend in the front seat because she, \u201cwasn\u2019t feeling too good, was tired, and wanted to snuggle\u201d in the back seat.\u00a0 I certainly had no intention of vetoing that idea.<\/p>\n

I sat on the right side of the rear seat with my right shoulder up against the right rear window.\u00a0 As promised, Joy got in and slid over on my left side\u2014hugging me tightly with both arms and laying her head on my chest.\u00a0 We drove for a while, and when she didn\u2019t change her position I assumed she\u2019d gone to sleep, or worst case scenario, had passed out.<\/p>\n

Suddenly, she raised her head and looked dreamily at me.\u00a0 \u201cGod, Frank, you are so wonderful.\u00a0 I think I\u2019m really falling in love with you\u2026I want you to kiss me.\u201d\u00a0 She partially opened her lips and moved her head up to kiss me.\u00a0 Not wanting to ruin the moment, I bent my head down and met her lips.\u00a0 She opened her mouth inviting me to French kiss her.\u00a0 Of course, I complied.<\/p>\n

About three seconds into the kiss I thought I heard her make a low moaning sound deep in her throat.\u00a0 The sound excited me, and I pushed down harder on her mouth.\u00a0 I heard another moan, this one a little louder and a little deeper followed by a sudden tightening of her lips.<\/p>\n

Before I knew what happened, a gush of vomit came rushing up from her throat and right into my mouth!\u00a0 She threw her head back and yelled, \u201cOh God!\u201d\u00a0 Then, preceded by a loud and very angry sounding burp, another gush of vomit instantly splashed onto my face as I was trying to pull back and spit out the first volley as fast as I could.<\/p>\n

\u201cHoly shit!\u00a0 What the fuck\u2019s going on back there?\u201d\u00a0 My buddy yelled.\u00a0 \u201cHoly shit!\u00a0 She\u2019s puking all over the back seat!\u201d\u00a0 To say nothing about all over me.<\/p>\n

I pushed Joy off of me and she rolled over to the left side of the seat\u2014depositing another load of puke on the floor.<\/p>\n

\u201cPull the fucking car over, for Christ sake,\u201d I managed to gurgle out\u2014on the verge of generating my own vomit.\u00a0 \u201cJesus, hurry up!\u201d<\/p>\n

Fortunately, we were within a block of a gas station.\u00a0 It was closed but the water hose, located between the two gas pumps, was working.\u00a0 I jumped out and rinsed out my mouth and splashed water all over my head and chest.\u00a0 Meanwhile, Joy was pulled out from the other side of the car and carried over to where I was taking an impromptu fully clothed shower\u2014she, all the while gagging and heaving.<\/p>\n

The rear of her car was a disaster and we did the best we could to wash out as much of the vomit as we could.\u00a0 After doing our best to clean her up we dragged her back to the car and dumped her into the back seat.\u00a0 She curled up and within seconds she fell asleep and began snoring contentedly, her beautiful frilly white sleeveless dress soaked in water and puke.<\/p>\n

We drove with all the windows open back to the Anchor Inn, but the stench was still overwhelming\u00a0 When we got there our friends made haste to get out and all but run to their car to go home.\u00a0 I was left there with a few choices\u2014all bad.<\/p>\n

I could leave Joy in her car to sleep it off while I drove home stinking of puke.\u00a0 Or I could drive Joy home in her car and hope that Jack wasn\u2019t there\u2014but then I\u2019d be stranded.\u00a0 I could drive Joy home in my car, again hoping that Jack wasn\u2019t home, then drag her into her trailer\u2014finally hurrying back to my car to make a quick escape.<\/p>\n

With no clear good choice, I had no idea what to do.<\/p>\n

Finally, as I was pondering our situation, Joy woke up.\u00a0 Hoping she was conscious enough to appreciate our predicament I explained to her our options.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh honey, I\u2019m sorry I got sick.\u00a0 But I feel better now\u2026although I do have a pounding headache.\u201d\u00a0 She straightened up in the seat and yawned widely.<\/p>\n

\u201cOK, but you understand that anything we do, we\u2019re fucked!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLet me think\u2026\u201d she said softly, looking down at her dress, wiping the front of it with her hand and letting out a little groan.\u00a0 \u201cOK, this is what we\u2019re gonna do.\u00a0 Let\u2019s drive up to the hospital.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u00a0 You\u2019re crazy!\u00a0 What\u2019re we gonna do there?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOuch\u2026don\u2019t yell.\u00a0 My head really hurts.\u00a0 Just listen.\u00a0 We\u2019ll drive my car to the hospital, OK?\u00a0 I\u2019ll go in and talk to my night shift supervisor and explain what happened.\u00a0 Then you can come in and we can take a shower to get all this puke off.\u00a0 As far as the car is\u00a0concerned, we got stuff\u2026a powder\u2026that we use when a patient vomits.\u00a0 It neutralizes the acid and deodorizes.\u00a0 Also, it dries the stuff up so it can be vacuumed.\u00a0 Tomorrow I\u2019ll take the car to get it all cleaned up.\u00a0 See?\u00a0 Easy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo I\u2019m supposed to take a shower with you?\u00a0 At the hospital?\u00a0 What, are you crazy?\u00a0 What about my clothes?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll both put our clothes in a plastic bag and I\u2019ll get everything dry cleaned.\u00a0 We always do that with patients\u2019 clothing.\u00a0 Then I\u2019ll get us a set of hospital scrubs to wear.\u00a0 Then you can drive me back to the Anchor and I\u2019ll drive myself home.\u00a0 I\u2019m OK now\u2026and I\u2019ll get us some stuff to take that\u2019ll help with the hangover.\u201d<\/p>\n

I thought about it, and as freaky as her plan sounded it trumped all the ones I\u2019d thought of all to hell.\u00a0 \u201cWell, I guess.\u00a0 But Christ, what are your nurse friends gonna think?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, they all know about Jack and they all know about you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do you mean that they all know about me?!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey know what an asshole Jack is, and they know I\u2019m crazy about you.\u00a0 So, it\u2019ll be fine.\u201d<\/p>\n

She\u2019s crazy about me?<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t feel comfortable taking a shower in your hospital.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSilly boy, it\u2019ll be fine.\u201d<\/p>\n

And so we drove to the Olathe General Hospital.\u00a0 A couple of hours later, as the sun was coming up I drove back to my apartment.\u00a0 Dressed in a set of gray scrubs and dress shoes, I walked in quietly.\u00a0 It was still and when I got upstairs I found Sharon and the boys sound asleep.<\/p>\n

I quickly and quietly retrieved my pajamas and went into the bathroom to take my second shower of the night.\u00a0 I put the scrubs into the dirty clothes hamper where I would retrieve them later that day and dispose of them.<\/p>\n

Joy and I would never speak of this incident again.<\/p>\n

Sharon Gets Her Revenge<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

The communications between Sharon and me had now deteriorated to almost nothing.\u00a0 Sometimes when I spent time at home she would take the car and leave for hours at a time; at times returning with groceries or small items she\u2019d purchased, other times coming home empty-handed.\u00a0 No doubt, we were now at the lowest point ever in our relationship.<\/p>\n

When I left home to go to work or go out I would no longer say goodbye to her or give her a guesstimate on when she could expect me back.\u00a0 I stopped giving her these after she had told me, \u201cLook, please don\u2019t bother telling me anything.\u00a0 I don\u2019t care when, or if, you come home.\u00a0 And don\u2019t think I\u2019m just sitting here hoping you\u2019ll be home at a certain time.\u00a0 So when you\u2019re ready to go do whatever it is you do, just fucking leave.\u201d\u00a0 So, I did.<\/p>\n

During those days I never gave much thought to how often I was gone from home or how long I was gone.\u00a0 In fact, I actually felt relieved when I did leave because when we were together the tension between us was so great it was almost unbearable.\u00a0 We would avoid making eye contact with one another, and actually leave a room when the other entered.\u00a0 So after she\u2019d made the statement that she didn\u2019t care if I left or not, I felt pretty much vindicated.<\/p>\n

When I think back and try to remember what my thoughts were about what I was doing or what I expected Sharon\u2019s reaction to be as a result of my behavior, I come up empty-handed.\u00a0 So I can only assume that I wasn\u2019t doing much thinking about anything other than my own feelings.\u00a0 It was selfish and thoughtless of me, and I just can\u2019t imagine how I expected Sharon to feel about, or react to, my loutish conduct.\u00a0 But I was soon to find out.<\/p>\n

One day while on a break at the Air Force detachment I overheard a couple of guys talking about attending a baseball game in Kansas City that evening.\u00a0 In those days the professional baseball team that played in KC was named the Kansas City Athletics, (They eventually moved to Oakland), and was owned by a glitzy insurance businessman named Charlie Finley.<\/p>\n

The team was usually outfitted in outlandishly bright uniforms and had, as a mascot, a mule named Charlie-O.\u00a0 He made the team play with orange baseballs and bases, and introduced the concept of using a \u201cdesignated hitter\u201d instead of letting the pitcher bat.\u00a0 Of all his crazy ideas, that was the only one that stuck. \u00a0Going to a Kansas City home game was never about watching baseball, it was all about seeing what outrageous innovation Charlie Finley had thought of next.<\/p>\n

It so happened that the guys whose conversation I\u2019d overheard had scored some free tickets for that night\u2019s game, and still had two left.\u00a0 Since I\u2019d never been to a professional baseball game, I jumped at the chance and asked if I could come along.<\/p>\n

\u201cSure,\u201d one of the guys said, \u201cbut we still have one ticket left.\u00a0 Know anybody who might be interested?\u201d<\/p>\n

I immediately thought of my next door neighbor, Samuel.\u00a0 He was a rabid baseball fan, usually rooting for the Brooklyn Dodgers, but I thought he might enjoy going to a local game.\u00a0 Further, if he came along to verify that I had indeed gone to a game that night and not out to some club, it would look better, and maybe Sharon would cut me some slack.\u00a0 I ran to the public phone and called Hilda, asking her to have her husband call me as soon as possible.\u00a0 A few minutes later after Samuel had called me back, we had our five for the game that night.<\/p>\n

When I got home that afternoon I told Sharon about the game, and made sure to mention that Samuel from next door was also going.\u00a0 I stressed that she could have the car that night because one of the Air Force guys was going to pick up me and Samuel.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo what time are you leaving?\u201d\u00a0 She asked, matter-of-factly.<\/p>\n

\u201cAbout five-thirty.\u00a0 The game\u2019s at seven, and it\u2019ll take us about thirty minutes to get there.\u00a0 We\u2019ll want to get there early to get something to eat at the stadium.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd, what time do you think you\u2019ll be home?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, probably around ten or ten-thirty, I guess.\u00a0 They\u2019ll drop me and Sam off first since the guys we\u2019re going with live on the base.\u201d<\/p>\n

She seemed not to take very much interest, and just shrugged.<\/p>\n

About an hour later I saw a car pull up to the front of our apartment and assumed it was the guys.\u00a0 Sam and I came bounding out of our apartments at the same time and jumped into the car.\u00a0 Since there was only the driver I asked where the other two guys were.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, they\u2019re back at the base,\u201d\u00a0 the driver said.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll have to swing back there to get them \u2018cause they had to work late and weren\u2019t ready when I pulled up.\u00a0 I thought I\u2019d just pick you guys up first.\u00a0 It\u2019s no problem though, we have reserved seats anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n

We circled around and went back to the base and pulled up to a bachelor quarters building.\u00a0 We sat there for about fifteen or twenty minutes and still the other two guys didn\u2019t come out.<\/p>\n

\u201cFuck, those assholes are going to make us late for the game,\u201d the driver groused.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you know what floor their rooms are?\u201d Sam asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah.\u00a0 Let me go up and see what the hell the holdup is.\u201d\u00a0 And he got out of the car and hurried up the entrance walkway.<\/p>\n

Sam and I had sat there for what seemed to be at least an hour when we spotted the three come running out of the building.<\/p>\n

\u201cSorry guys, we had an emergency with one of the bombers and he had to land at Richards-Gebaur Air Force Base.\u00a0 We had to wait to fill out all the damn paper-work.\u00a0 Sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat time is it?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cShit, it\u2019s almost seven!\u201d the driver said.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll have to kick-ass to get there at least by the second inning.<\/p>\n

We pulled out of the parking area, careful to stay under the speed limit on the base, then roared on to Interstate 35 north.<\/p>\n

As we drove under the Santa Fe overpass in Olathe, one of the guys asked, \u201cHey Frank, don\u2019t you work at some gas station around here?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d I said. \u201cJust about a mile up look for a green building with a big yellow sign that says, \u2018Quality Oil\u2019.\u00a0 It\u2019s on the right\u2026on the service road.\u201d<\/p>\n

About a minute later, Sam, who was sitting in the front seat said, \u201cYup, there she is right over there!\u201d\u00a0 He stuck his hand out of the door window and pointed to the station.<\/p>\n

All five sets of eyes turned and focused on the green building.<\/p>\n

Before I had a chance to say anything, Sam exclaimed, \u201cHey Frank! \u00a0Ain\u2019t that your car?\u201d<\/p>\n

Parked on the south side of the gas station, facing the highway, was my dark blue Dodge Dart.\u00a0 The hood was up.<\/p>\n

\u201cHoly shit!\u201d\u00a0 Sam said.\u00a0 \u201cLooks like Sharon had some car trouble and pulled into the station.\u00a0 She\u2019s got the hood up.\u00a0 Is Billy working?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2026N-n-no\u2026\u201d I said as I concentrated on my car.\u00a0 \u201cRandall\u2019s working the night shift today.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShit.\u201d Sam said softly.\u00a0 He turned in his seat and said, \u201cYou wanna go back and see what may\u2019ve happened?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell guys,\u201d I said reluctantly, \u201cI hate to make us later than we already are, but I need to see what happened.\u00a0 Obviously, there\u2019s something wrong with the car since the hood is up.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo sweat!\u201d The driver said.\u00a0 \u201cIf it\u2019s serious we\u2019ll just drop you off and we\u2019ll get going.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOK,\u201d I said.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019ll work.\u201d<\/p>\n

We took the next exit off the freeway and turned left taking the overpass.\u00a0 We swung down to the southbound lanes and headed back to the Santa Fe exit to turn back northbound on the service road.<\/p>\n

It was getting dark so we had our headlights on.\u00a0 As we pulled off the service road on to the station\u2019s entrance driveway we turned our high beams on.<\/p>\n

Slowing down to about ten or fifteen miles an hour, my Dart now flooded in light by the high beams, we all saw the same thing at the same time.<\/p>\n

The Dart was parked on the south side of the station pointed toward the freeway with its hood up.\u00a0 Sitting in the driver\u2019s seat was Sharon, with her back to the door, in a full embrace with Randall.\u00a0 Hanging slightly out of the left rear window was Ricky.\u00a0 He was apparently standing on the back seat looking out at the traffic as it drove by.\u00a0 No doubt, Beebe had to be laying down on the back seat.<\/p>\n

The five of us were mesmerized by what we saw.<\/p>\n

\u201cHoly fuck!\u201d The driver said as we drove through the station and by the gas pumps.\u00a0 \u201cWho was that in your car?\u201d<\/p>\n

Before I could say anything, Sam said, \u201cThat was Sharon, Frank\u2019s wife.\u201d\u00a0 Then he quickly put his hand up to his mouth.<\/p>\n

We accelerated out of the opposite side of the station and pulled back on to the service road, northbound again.<\/p>\n

No one said anything.<\/p>\n

As we again approached the turn-around overpass that we\u2019d turned on earlier, someone asked if I still wanted to go to the game.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou fucking idiot!\u201d Sam said angrily.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I thought I\u2019d just ask\u2026\u201d the same voice said meekly.<\/p>\n

Regaining my composure somewhat, I managed to say, \u201cTake me home.\u201d<\/p>\n

We took the overpass and got back on I-35 south.\u00a0 In less than five minutes we were pulling back up to my apartment.\u00a0 The whole trip back, no one said a word.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou want me to come in with you?\u201d\u00a0 Sam asked quietly.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo Sam, you guys go on ahead and enjoy the game.\u00a0 I have some business to take care of.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

Before we left on our drive from Houston to Olathe the year before, my father had taken me aside as if to tell me a secret.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know, it\u2019s gonna be a really long drive up to Kansas, right?\u201d He\u2019d cautioned.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes dad, it is.\u00a0 But not as far as the one we just took from Nevada.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah I know.\u00a0 But you were lucky, you know.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow so?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, nobody tried to attack you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLook,\u201d he said, now putting on his serious face.\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of stuff that can happen on the highway\u2026especially to a couple of young kids like you and Sharon.\u00a0 I oughta know, I used to be a long distance truck driver.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDad, look.\u00a0 Nothing\u2019s gonna happen.\u00a0 We don\u2019t stop for hitchhikers and we\u2019re careful when we stop for gas and bathroom breaks.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEven so, you don\u2019t have any kind of weapon to defend yourself with if something were to occur, do you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWeapon?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, a gun.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course not!\u00a0 Dad, I don\u2019t need a gun, OK?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, you\u2019re gonna take one this time around.\u00a0 I insist on it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Since he was not about to be talked out of this idea, I followed him outside where he popped open the trunk of his car.<\/p>\n

Under a heavy blanket he had a virtual arsenal of rifles, shotguns and pistols.\u00a0 \u201cOK, pick one.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPick one?\u00a0 I don\u2019t know what I need.\u00a0 You\u2019ve got enough guns there for an army!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOK, shhh.\u00a0 I don\u2019t want your mother to hear.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy should she care?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause she didn\u2019t want me to give you a gun.\u00a0 But you gotta have one for the trip.\u00a0 So, pick one.\u201d<\/p>\n

I looked around but couldn\u2019t determine which one I should pick.\u00a0 \u201cLook, I don\u2019t know which one to choose.\u00a0 You pick one out.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOK, let\u2019s see\u2026\u201d He said, pushing rifles and shotguns this way and that.\u00a0 \u201cOK, here\u2019s what I was looking for.\u201d\u00a0 And he pulled out from under the pile what appeared to be a shorter rifle, but it was in a soft leather case.\u00a0 \u201cHere you go.\u201d<\/p>\n

He unzipped the case and pulled out a really nice looking lever-action carbine.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis here\u2019s a 30-30.\u00a0 It\u2019ll stop a buffalo if you hit it square on.\u201d<\/p>\n

I took the rifle and noticed that the action was engraved.\u00a0 It was a \u201cWinchester Buffalo Bill Centennial – Special Edition\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cDad, I can\u2019t take this.\u00a0 It\u2019s brand new\u2026and it looks expensive.\u00a0 Besides, I won\u2019t be running into any pissed off buffalos on my way to Kansas\u201d.<\/p>\n

The joke went right over his head as he dove back into the trunk to find some ammunition.\u00a0 He retrieved a box of twenty-five cartridges.\u00a0 \u201cHere, it takes six in the chamber, so that\u2019ll be more than enough.\u201d<\/p>\n

I took the box and slipped the rifle back into its case.\u00a0 \u201cOK dad, I\u2019ll put it into the trunk of my Chevy\u201d.<\/p>\n

Since the first day we moved into our apartment, the 30-30 carbine rifle had been in the living room closet.\u00a0 I told Sharon that I\u2019d loaded it with six rounds, so if she ever needed to use it all she had to do was to pull the lever all the way down, then back up to the stock.\u00a0 That action would insert a live cartridge into the chamber, then all there was to do was to point it in the direction of the target and pull the trigger.\u00a0 If she missed, or if the target refused to go down, repeat as often as necessary.<\/p>\n

She smiled and said, \u201cI doubt we\u2019ll ever have to take it out of its case.\u201d<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

I opened the back door and walked in to the dark kitchen.\u00a0 I was about to turn on the light but decided that the dark environment matched my mood.\u00a0 Walking straight into the living room I sat down heavily on the couch.\u00a0 I honestly can\u2019t recall even one thought going through my head\u2014just the picture of my son Ricky, looking out of the rear window while his mother made out with Randall in the front seat.\u00a0 They must\u2019ve thought that by having the hood up it would shield them from prying eyes.<\/p>\n

I sat in the dark for a long time.\u00a0 Since I wore no watch I had no idea what time it was or how long I sat there.<\/p>\n

Then, as if in a dream I saw myself get up and walk over to the closet.\u00a0 I felt around the jackets and coats until my fingers touched soft leather.\u00a0 I pulled the heavy case out and laid it gently on the coffee table.<\/p>\n

Sitting back down, my vision, now accustomed to the dark, danced over the dark brown case and my mind began to review the military lessons I learned on sighting down on a target.<\/p>\n

Rifle stock would have to be snugly placed in the space between my shoulder and collarbone.\u00a0 Right cheek hugging the wooden stock, left arm balancing the weapon resting in the palm of my left hand.\u00a0 Right hand lightly gripping the stock right behind the trigger-guard, index finger extended above the trigger-guard but ready to drop onto the trigger to begin the firm squeeze that would release the firing pin.\u00a0 Recognize and acknowledge the lazy 8 motion of the front sight and line it up with the rear sight.\u00a0 Focus on the front sight, leaving the target slightly out of focus, and squeeze gently.\u00a0 Let the explosion surprise you.<\/p>\n

Still sitting, I bent at the waist and unzipped the case.\u00a0 The faint aroma of metal and gun oil floated up into my nostrils as I slowly slid the rifle out.\u00a0 I reached my right hand into the lever-action, quickly pushing it down then back up rapidly\u2014sending a live round into the chamber.\u00a0 I set the rifle on my lap and waited.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

\u00a0It wasn\u2019t that I was angry about her going out and looking for affection.\u00a0 I understood that our relationship had deteriorated to the point where most, if not all, affection for one another had been all but destroyed. To me, the problem was who it was she chose, and who she decided would tag along when she finally perpetrated the act.\u00a0 Our sons.<\/p>\n

Randall.\u00a0 He was a sniveling, whiney, punk coward who hated anything or anyone military.\u00a0 I could understand his reasoning for picking Sharon out of the herd: she was vulnerable, lonely, angry, and probably looking to strike back at her wandering husband.\u00a0 If he ended up fucking her then he\u2019s by proxy, fucking everyone and everything he despised.\u00a0 Understandable.<\/p>\n

All the same, he would have to pay.<\/p>\n

And Sharon.\u00a0 Why take the boys along when you\u2019re planning to fuck somebody?\u00a0 What, Hilda wasn\u2019t available to watch the boys while you go do your thing?\u00a0 No, I know she was, because I had been with Sam, and I\u2019d seen her as he\u2019d left her home alone.<\/p>\n

Well, those issues would be dealt with soon enough, I thought.\u00a0 Randall would be at the station until eleven\u2014and that would be more than enough time for me to take care of business here, then make the ten-minute drive to the station to pay him a quick little visit and settle the score.<\/p>\n

A sudden calm warmness enveloped me when I understood that this had to be my only solution.<\/p>\n

Her, him, then me.\u00a0 So clean.\u00a0 No more problems.\u00a0 No more guilt.<\/p>\n

I closed my eyes and laid my head back on the cushion of the couch.\u00a0 It was so quiet and peaceful I could actually hear my heart beat.\u00a0 Boom.\u00a0 Boom. Boom. The sound of eternal silence.\u00a0 Down deep, I yearned for peace.\u00a0 It would come soon enough.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

The roar of the Dart\u2019s engine as it pulled into our little drive next to the building pulled me up from a shallow slumber.\u00a0 Rolling my head to the left I saw the sharp glare of the headlights as their light penetrated the black kitchen and slid along the wall.<\/p>\n

The lights went off and the engine sound stopped.\u00a0 It was ghostly quiet again.<\/p>\n

I sat up, reached for the rifle, and waited.<\/p>\n

The sound of a key being inserted into the kitchen door lock was my signal.\u00a0 I stood up, cradling the rifle in the crook of my right arm and gently pushed the coffee table away from me with my right leg.<\/p>\n

The door lock clicked and the knob turned.<\/p>\n

I took a step forward and pivoted to my left\u2014bringing the rifle up to my right shoulder and swinging the barrel in the direction of the kitchen door.<\/p>\n

In the darkness, I could see the outline of her body as she entered the kitchen.\u00a0 Slightly hunched over she carefully stepped through the door, turned and very quietly pushed the door shut with her hip.<\/p>\n

I brought the rifle to bear\u2014centering the front sight directly on center mass.\u00a0 My right index finger, extended comfortably just above the trigger guard, would stay there until I was ready to take the shot.<\/p>\n

My legs, perpendicular to the target, were slightly spread\u2014my right leg back, relaxed and ready to absorb the recoil.<\/p>\n

She paused and stood stock still\u2014almost as if she were scenting the air\u2014some sixth sense telling her that danger was imminent.<\/p>\n

I stood motionless, concentrating on the shot.<\/p>\n

She moved slowly forward, taking a step that put her not more than ten feet away from me.<\/p>\n

So easy, I thought\u2026and I felt my lips curl slightly into a smile.<\/p>\n

My index finger dropped into the guard and hugged the trigger snugly.\u00a0 I began to exert a steady pressure, waiting for the surprise.<\/p>\n

I saw her bend down slightly, and I followed the movement with the barrel\u2019s front sight.<\/p>\n

And suddenly!\u00a0 The room was flooded with light!<\/p>\n

Caught slightly off-guard, I squinted to shield my eyes, but continued to concentrate on the trigger-pull and the front sight, now clearly pointed directly at her chest.<\/p>\n

She stopped, frozen in place.<\/p>\n

By the weight of the trigger on my finger I knew the explosion was imminent.<\/p>\n

A cry!<\/p>\n

My eyes, without wanting to, darted just to the right of the front sight!\u00a0 And my son\u2019s face came into sharp focus.\u00a0 Another cry, and a little arm shot up, covering his eyes.<\/p>\n

My tunnel vision expanded, and for the first time I saw that Sharon was standing in the doorway between the living room and the kitchen with both of my boys\u2014one in each arm\u2014both balanced on her hips.\u00a0 Ricky\u2019s screams, caused by his having been awakened by the sudden flash of light had broken my concentration.<\/p>\n

My eyes darted back to Sharon.\u00a0 I saw her eyes open\u2026wide\u2026her mouth agape.\u00a0 I curiously saw that she was trying to say something, but no sound was being generated by her heaving throat.<\/p>\n

A bolt of pain and panic flashed through my chest as I suddenly came to recognize what I was about to do.\u00a0 A wave of heavy sorrow passed through my body and an intense bout of trembling began to rack me from the inside out.<\/p>\n

Time seemed to stand still.\u00a0 The barrel of the rifle began to waver wildly.<\/p>\n

An inner voice shrieked into my brain, screaming and trying to make me understand that I was about to unleash a 30-millimeter lead slug directly into my wife\u2019s chest\u2026while she held my two boys.<\/p>\n

The inner voice shouted, \u201cNO!\u201d NO!\u201d NO!\u201d NO!\u201d\u00a0 And I looked up.<\/p>\n

My index finger reflexively pulled off the trigger and took up its safety position on the side of the trigger guard.\u00a0 Afraid that the rifle\u2019s hammer was about to release\u2014slamming the firing pin into the cartridge\u2019s primer and igniting the propellant\u2014ultimately sending a bullet on its deadly way, I slowly and carefully raised the rifle barrel to the ceiling, and with my right thumb I disengaged the hammer lock and gently rested it back into its slot.<\/p>\n

Separated by a little more than three yards, Sharon and I both stood and stared at one another.<\/p>\n

Far away, I could hear Ricky crying plaintively.<\/p>\n

A wave of nausea suddenly rose from the pit of my stomach.\u00a0 I threw the rifle on the couch and darted by Sharon, racing into the kitchen.\u00a0 I bent over the sink and disgorged a bitter stream of bile.\u00a0 Tears flooded my eyes.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

I rinsed my mouth and washed my face\u2014drying off with a dishcloth.<\/p>\n

Looking around I saw that Sharon and the boys were no longer there.\u00a0 In the relative quiet of the apartment I heard Ricky and Beebe upstairs as Sharon was talking to them, apparently putting them to bed.<\/p>\n

Re-entering the living room, I saw the rifle on the couch where I\u2019d dropped it.\u00a0 I picked it up and unloaded it completely.\u00a0 After storing the cartridges in a small pocket on the side of the leather case, I slid the weapon back into it and carried it over to the closet\u2014slowly returning to sit on the couch.<\/p>\n

I was surprised\u2026no, shocked, when I first heard, then saw, Sharon coming down the stairs a few minutes later in her nightgown.\u00a0 I had been sitting there trying to decide where I was going to spend the rest of the night.<\/p>\n

She quietly padded across the living room and sat down on the recliner across from me.\u00a0 Putting her head down she began picking her nails with her fingers.<\/p>\n

\u201cLook,\u201d I said softly, my voice breaking slightly, \u201cI\u2019m sorry for what I did.\u00a0 I know I scared you and it was stupid.\u00a0 I was just really angry and lost complete control of myself.\u201d<\/p>\n

She looked up, and in an annoyed tone said, \u201cWell, I hope you know how to iron your uniform for your morning shift, \u2018cause I sure as hell ain\u2019t gonna do it!\u201d<\/p>\n

I have to admit that this wasn\u2019t exactly the statement I was expecting, and all I could say was, \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou heard me.\u00a0 Iron your own clothes from now on.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIs that all you can say after what just happened?\u00a0 \u2026what just almost <\/strong>happened?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do you want me to say?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOK, for starters\u2014how long has this thing with Randall been going on?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat thing?\u00a0 What are you talking about?\u201d<\/p>\n

It was then I realized that she, in fact, didn\u2019t have the slightest inkling that I\u2019d seen her in a lovers\u2019 embrace with Randall at the station.<\/p>\n

\u201cOK, let me tell you what I saw.\u201d\u00a0 And, I began to relate to her what I, and four other guys\u2014including Samuel next door\u2014had seen.\u00a0 To my complete surprise she began to deny the whole incident.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re fucking insane.\u00a0 I don\u2019t even know the guy that well.\u00a0 I\u2019ve only seen him a few times when I took you some lunch.\u00a0 I would never do that!\u00a0 Not with him!\u201d<\/p>\n

I sat there in complete disbelief, not knowing what else to say.\u00a0 She was so convincing in her denial that I started to believe that she actually believed what she was saying.<\/p>\n

We talked for about thirty minutes, me, admitting that I\u2019d not been the best of husbands and acknowledging past dalliances.\u00a0 But no amount of mea culpa that I threw out shook her from her state of denial.\u00a0 In the end, I told her that for the sake of the children we both would have to commit to living better lives\u2014if not together as husband and wife, then separate as mom and dad.<\/p>\n

We never again spoke about the almost tragic incident that had occurred that night, but our marriage would forever be changed.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re Not In Kansas Anymore<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

A few weeks later, in a pointless attempt to try to mend our relationship, I invited Sharon to accompany me to a gig at the SPO club.\u00a0 I had arranged for Hilda to watch the boys after explaining to her and Samuel that I was going to do whatever it took to put our marriage back together.\u00a0 After declining my invitation a number of times, Sharon finally agreed to go.<\/p>\n

I made sure she had a table right up front for the evening, and the bartenders at the club promised they\u2019d keep an eye on her and not let her run dry.\u00a0 I laughed and told them not to worry about that because she hardly drank, but she would probably appreciate some snacks.<\/p>\n

During our second set, a middle-aged Senior Petty Officer approached Sharon\u2019s table and asked her to dance.\u00a0 She looked up at him, then at me.\u00a0 After a few words she politely declined and turned her head away.<\/p>\n

The guy obviously did not like taking \u2018no\u2019 for an answer, and he seemed to keep trying get her attention.\u00a0 About that time, our song ended, and instead of walking away he pulled a chair from under her table and sat down next to her.<\/p>\n

When he did that I was instantly angered but helpless as I just couldn\u2019t jump off the stage and confront him.\u00a0 About midway through our next song, Sharon finally decided that the guy was not going to go away so she agreed to one dance.<\/p>\n

The song was a slow dance song and the guy took full advantage of that.\u00a0 He grabbed her and held her tightly against him.\u00a0 As the dance went on he buried his face in her neck and appeared to be trying to kiss her.\u00a0 When the song ended, instead of walking her back to the table he held her on the dance floor, waiting for the next song to play.<\/p>\n

As luck would have it, the next song was going to be the last song of the set.\u00a0 During the song he continued his shenanigans\u2014Sharon vainly trying to pull herself away from his groping hands.<\/p>\n

We finished the song and announced that we would be going on break.\u00a0 The SPO walked off the dance floor leaving Sharon standing there.\u00a0 Once I put my guitar up I got off the stage and went over to Sharon\u2019s table.<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you OK?\u201d\u00a0 I asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, that guy was awful.\u00a0 He was drunk and kept asking me if I wanted to leave with him.\u00a0 He was holding me really tight and wouldn\u2019t let me go.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right, I\u2019ll go talk to one of the bartenders and ask him to keep that guy away from you.\u201d<\/p>\n

I walked up to the bar and spoke to the head bartender.\u00a0 He told me he\u2019d noticed what was going on and promised he would have a talk with the guy.<\/p>\n

About that time the SPO came walking out from the area where the restrooms were.\u00a0 He was weaving as he walked\u2014obviously quite a bit drunk.\u00a0 I was concluding my conversation with the bartender when the drunk SPO noticed me.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey asshole!\u201d He yelled, from about ten feet away.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s the fucking problem, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n

Before I had a chance to answer, one of the other bartenders stepped out from behind the bar and intercepted him.<\/p>\n

\u201cCool it man, don\u2019t be making any trouble.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI ain\u2019t making any trouble.\u00a0 It\u2019s that fucking little weasel that apparently wants to start some shit.\u201d<\/p>\n

The bartender holding him back whispered something in the drunk\u2019s ear.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u00a0 That was his wife?\u00a0 Well, fuck me!\u00a0 Who\u2019d have thought that skinny fuck could keep a woman like that satisfied!\u201d\u00a0 He tried to push the bartender aside, and at that point I\u2019d had enough.<\/p>\n

I started to move in his direction when I was pulled back from behind.\u00a0 The drunk was now being restrained by another couple of passing sailors, but he was still yelling at the top of his lungs and with his struggling knocked a couple of bar stools onto the floor.<\/p>\n

At that point the head bartender stepped behind the bar and pushed the panic button, summoning the Military Police.<\/p>\n

I was pushed back in the direction of the stage as someone quietly said to me, \u201cWalk away or the fucking Marines will haul your ass to the brig too.\u201d\u00a0 I decided at that point that \u2018discretion was the better part of valor\u2019.<\/p>\n

A few days later I was called to my Air Force commander\u2019s office during my shift.<\/p>\n

\u201cWere you involved in an altercation at the SPO club last weekend?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell sir, not really.\u00a0 I was there playing with my band when some Navy guy got fresh with my wife.\u00a0 We just had words, that\u2019s all\u2014no punches were thrown.\u00a0 But I do know he was taken away by the Military Police and may\u2019ve spent the night in the brig.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I don\u2019t know if this is the same guy or not.\u00a0 But the one who called told me he works in the NAS Personnel office, and told me the reason for his call was to request your name and rank.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t give him any information because he didn\u2019t have a good enough reason to ask for it.\u00a0 I told him not to call back, and requested the name of his commanding officer.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy would he want that?\u00a0 I\u2019m in the Air Force, not the Navy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know, but watch your back\u2014he\u2019s an E-10, and that\u2019s a pretty high rank for an enlisted man.\u00a0 And, he may have friends.\u00a0 Just take care when you\u2019re on the base and keep your nose clean.\u00a0 Oh, and if you see him stay out of his way.\u201d<\/p>\n

That incident occurred in late August and I had forgotten all about it by the next time we were scheduled to play at the SPO club.\u00a0 That evening, I was at the bar during a break when a sailor I\u2019d never seen before approached me.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour name Frank?\u201d He asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, it is.\u00a0 Why?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI have a message from a friend.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFor me?\u00a0 What is it?\u201d\u00a0 I asked, looking to see if he had a piece of paper.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s this: My friend says not to get too comfortable because you\u2019re not long for this base.\u00a0 And, oh yeah, brush up on your Japanese.\u201d\u00a0 Having said that, he turned and walked away, going out through the front door.<\/p>\n

I turned and watched him leave, absolutely sure that I\u2019d never seen him before.<\/p>\n

\u201cWho was that?\u201d John, my piano player asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat did he want?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe just gave me some weird message from a supposed \u2018friend\u2019 of his.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, what was the message?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSomething about not getting comfortable and to brush up on my Japanese.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u00a0 That\u2019s fucked up man.\u00a0 People are fucking weird\u2014come on, our break is up.\u201d<\/p>\n

I gave no further thought to this incident, dismissing it as some kind of practical joke.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Around the second week of September I was summoned to my Air Force commander\u2019s office again.\u00a0 Hoping I hadn\u2019t done anything wrong, I walked in with a bit of trepidation.<\/p>\n

\u201cAirman DeLe\u00f3n, reporting as requested.\u201d\u00a0 I said, snapping a sharp salute.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt ease, airman.\u00a0 Have a seat.\u201d<\/p>\n

I pulled a leather-bound arm chair to the front of his desk and sat down.\u00a0 The commander was looking at a small stack of stapled papers.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I\u2019m not sure if this is good news or bad.\u00a0 But let me ask you first.\u00a0 Did you submit a request for overseas duty within the last couple of months?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo sir!\u00a0 Why?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t know\u2026that\u2019s what I was wondering.\u201d\u00a0 He leafed through the stack with a worried look on his face.\u00a0 Finally, he looked at me.\u00a0 \u201cOK, here\u2019s the deal.\u00a0 I got this set of orders from personnel this morning.\u00a0 Because I was sure we hadn\u2019t processed any transfer requests from you, I made some inquiries.\u00a0 See, these are orders reassigning you to Naha Air Force Base, in Okinawa!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut the odd part of all of this is the origin of the orders, and how they\u2019re written.\u00a0 Normally, an overseas assignment request in our career field arrives here in a vacated format\u2014that is, the orders arrive citing a need for a \u2018body\u2019, for lack of a better word, but no particular name, to be assigned to a receiving squadron overseas.\u00a0 Then, as commander I assess my personnel roster to see who\u2019s been here the longest and is ripe for transfer.\u00a0 And then I fill in that name.<\/p>\n

\u201cObviously, you\u2019ve just returned from Alaska about seventeen months ago.\u00a0 I\u2019ve got a couple of airmen here who\u2019ve been at Olathe for over two years; and if the orders had arrived vacated, I would have normally picked one of those and submitted his name to Air Force Headquarters in Washington, as the transferee.\u00a0 But in this case, the orders arrived with your name on them already!\u00a0 I called Washington before I called you in to see if there had been some kind of mistake, but they verified that the orders had gone out with your name and serial number on them.\u00a0 And they originated direct from Air Force Headquarters in Washington, D.C.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, I\u2019m being transferred to Okinawa?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, I\u2019m afraid so.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, since I\u2019m on my second tour of duty, I\u2019ll be able to go accompanied by my family, right?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s the painful part, Frank.\u00a0 I know you came to us after serving twelve months in Alaska, unaccompanied.\u00a0 But, these orders specify that because you\u2019re still an E-3, you don\u2019t have the rank to take your family.\u00a0 You\u2019ll have to go unaccompanied.\u201d<\/p>\n

My heart sank.\u00a0 My mind was spinning in circles and I couldn\u2019t think of what to say.\u00a0 Finally, a question popped into my head.\u00a0 \u201cHow long is the assignment?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEighteen months!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEighteen months?!\u201d\u00a0 My hands began to shake.\u00a0 \u201cI just got back from a year remote and now I\u2019m being sent away for a year and a half without my family?\u00a0 That\u2019s\u2026that\u2019s just unfair!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEasy airman!\u00a0 There is an option.\u00a0 If you serve for six months in Okinawa first, and then if you sign up for an additional twelve-month extension, you will then be eligible to bring your family over to Okinawa.\u00a0 However, that move won\u2019t be approved until there is adequate housing at the location.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, even if I sign up for thirty months after being there for six, there\u2019s still a chance my family won\u2019t be able to come because there may not be any housing available.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s pretty much it.\u00a0 I\u2019m sorry.\u00a0 If you don\u2019t have any further questions, then this meeting is over.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen am I supposed to leave?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDeparture date from NAS Olathe, is NLT 10 October, with a reporting date of, NLT 31 October at Naha.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s less than three weeks away!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know.\u00a0 Strangest thing I\u2019ve ever seen.\u00a0 But those are your orders son.\u00a0 Dismissed!\u201d<\/p>\n

I stood up on weak knees, saluted half-heartedly and turned for the door.\u00a0 As I gripped the doorknob I heard the commander say,\u00a0\u201cRemember, I warned you to watch your back”.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"