AUTHOR: Cindy Wylie (RkieFan1960@AOL.com)
It was the second week of September 1971 -- an overcast Sunday morning in more ways than one, in Jill’s book. Sunday mornings were usually reserved for sleeping late and reading the newspaper in bed together. That had all changed when Jill had awoke with fierce cramps knifing through her. Since sleeping late was now officially out, Jill decided to get up. After showering and taking something for pain, she made the decision to try to clean the small house before Mike woke up. She was in the living room picking things up when something caught her eye across the street. Walking over to the window, her heart began to pound as she saw the two men emerge from the dark blue sedan. She was unable to pull herself away as they walked up to the front door and knocked firmly on it. For several seconds Jill thought no one was home, thenshe saw the door finally open. The men removed their caps as they gave the woman the news Jill knew she didn’t want to hear. Jill wondered why no one ever slammed the door shut in their faces. That would’ve been her first reaction.
She was still standing there transfixed long after the men had entered the house. She was barely able to breathe when Mike padded into the room a short time later. He stood there watching her before finally looking past her out the window to see what had her so transfixed. He sighed as he walked over and enfolded her in his arms.
“I know it sounds harsh, but its just part of the life when you’re in the military, babe. There’s nothing we can do to change it,” he whispered as he felt her shivering against him. “I missed you when I woke up and you weren’t there. I thought Sundays were ours.”
“I got a visitor this morning,” she replied, pulling away from him and resuming her cleaning.
“Okay, so staying in bed all day is out. Why don’t we get dressed and go to the movies or something?” He suggested innocently.
Jill gave him a furious glare.
“What?” He asked in confusion, not sure what brought this on.
“Mike, you just don’t get it and I’m not about to explain it to you. Right now there are about twelve gremlins with knives stabbing me in the stomach. And, this is after Midol and three cups of coffee! All I want to do right now is finish my cleaning and forget about that car that’s parked across the street from our house!” She shouted as she stormed past him to the kitchen.
Mike sighed as he sat down. He knew that following her and trying to continue this conversation was futile. Maybe telling her that the blue cars were part of life was a stupid thing to say. He knew seeing them upset her. They didn’t exactly make his day, either. He finally decided that maybe the best thing he could do was get out of the house by himself for a while. It would give them both time to think. He went into the other room to change into his running clothes. Jill was scrubbing the stove when he walked into the kitchen “Hey, I’m going to go run some laps. I’ll be back in a couple of hours,” he told her.
She glanced up at him and nodded, not trusting her voice. After he walked out of the door, she sat down at the kitchen table and began to cry. She didn’t know what was wrong with her. Well, she did know what part of it was, but the rest was a confusing mess. After all, she’d seen the cars at least once a day every day since living on base with Mike. She’d known some of the women better than others. Most of them were just nodding acquaintances at the commissary or the B/X. The funerals were always frightening affairs with the 21-gun salute and the jets flying overhead. Jill sometimes thought she hated the funerals more than the sight of the cars. Every time she saw the cars on their street and after every funeral, the nightmares started. The nightmares were one more thing she wasn’t sure she was going to be able to handle once Mike left. She looked over at the calendar spitefully. She had 15 more days alone with Mike before he left her for thirteen months and 15 days. He had told her that after this coming week, his calendar was completely free until the 27th of September at 1800 hours or as she’d learned to translate, 6 p.m.
She got up and went to the bathroom to wash her face before finishing tackling the kitchen. By the time she got done the kitchen was going to be clean enough to eat off of the floor and every other available surface. After she was done, she took a hot soaking bubble bath and lay back in the bubbles to cry some more.
<><><><><><>
Mike ran around the track at the high school until his legs were begging for mercy. He stopped and hauled his weary body onto the bleachers, where he sat there trying to catch his breath and think about the enigma that was his wife. The last two weeks had been stressful for both of them. Most mornings he was leaving the house early and not coming back until after it was dark. When he did get home, all he wanted to do was take a hot shower, eat, make an attempt at conversation with Jill and go to sleep, to begin the cycle all over again the next morning. Their sex life had even taken a backseat to everything else lately, which was very unusual for both of them. Mike had been hoping that they could play catch-up this morning, but he’d lost count of the days, which meant they were going to lose at least another five days.
He hadn’t told Jill, but his father had called earlier in the week. Mike hadn’t wanted to talk to him, but he finally reasoned that it was his father and he was going to be leaving soon. So he’d tried to mend fences, only to end up in another screaming match with him when his father had asked if they were using any kind of birth control.
“Not that it’s any of your business, but no. Besides, I thought the Church frowned on that sort of thing,” Mike had shouted at his father.
“I just want you to know right now, Michael, that if she does get pregnant with your baby and, God forbid, something happens to you, we’ll do everything in our power to take the child away from her and raise it ourselves,” his father told him pointedly.
“What has Jill ever done to either of you? She married me, not the whole family! I think you would be more concerned over the so-called ‘woman’ that your other son married! She’s the one who left her small children out in the cold while she was entertaining her lover in hers’ and her husband’s bed!” Mike shouted.
“Lisette is not our concern here, Michael. I had your wife investigated. Are you aware that she spent time in a psychiatric ward?” His father asked.
“She spent two days locked up. I know about that. Jill’snever hidden anything from me. If you wanted to know anything, all you had to do was ask her,” Mike raged, getting madder by the minute. He wanted nothing more at that moment than to get off of the telephone.
“So, you know about the drugs?” His father continued to press.
“Yes, Pop, I know about the drugs and the drinking and more than you ever hope to learn. Get rid of the investigator, Pop. I love my wife and nothing that you or any stupid P.I. has to say is going to change my mind.” Mike swallowed hard as he tried to control his fury. “ I have to go. I’ll see you when I get back to the states,” he said, quickly hanging up before his father could say anything else.
Mike glanced at his watch and saw that he’d been out here for over three hours. He figured that maybe the storm had blown over and it was safe to go home, but he figured walking back toward his car that a peace offering probably wouldn’t hurt. Since the commissary was closed on Sundays, he had to drive into Anniston to go to the market. He was looking through the ice cream section when he bumped into Jimmy and his wife, Dee. He knew he must look a sight in his running shorts and sweat soaked t-shirt.
“Where’s Jill?” Jimmy asked curiously as he glanced around.
“Back at the house. She wasn’t feeling very well, so I thought she might like some ice cream,” Mike contended, grabbing a carton of strawberry from the freezer.
“Hey, Dee and I were talking about throwing you a barbecue the Sunday before you have to leave. We could invite Trap [I knew he’d be showing up sooner or later…]and Jill’s grandfather and some other people. Would that be okay with you and Jill?” Jimmy asked.
“I’ll run it by her but it sounds great to me. Look, I need to get back home. Let me check with her and if everything’s cool I’ll have her call you this week to finalize everything,” Mike rambled as he walked back down the aisle.
He pulled up in the driveway a few minutes later and smiled as he walked up the steps. Through the closed door, he could hear James Taylor, which meant Jill was playing ‘Sweet Baby James’ full blast. Lately, it was the only album she listened to except for the occasions when she still threw on her beloved Van Morrison or her new favorite, Elton John. She was painting her toenails when he walked in, carrying the bag with the ice cream.
“Hi,” he greeted, walking over and kissing her.
“Go take a shower, Danko!” She complained, her nose wrinkling. “You’re all sweaty”
“Yes, ma’am,” he grinned, removing his shirt as he walked toward the bathroom. “Hey, do you think you can turn down JT before our neighbors call the MP’s?”
“You’re just upset because I’m not playing Joni Mitchell,” she shot back in a good natured voice as she got up to turn the stereo down. “Hey, what’s in the bag?”
“What bag?” He yelled from the bedroom.
“The bag you put on the coffee table. I have an excuse for my absentmindedness, Danko! What’s yours?”
“I brought you a peace offering,” he smiled at her from the doorway.
“I didn’t know we were at war,” she contended, cautiously opening the bag and peering at the contents.
“I’m taking a shower,” Mike informed her as she smiled back at him.
Jill was sitting on the sofa eating her ice cream when Mike came out of the shower. “Thanks for the peace offering,” she grinned, offering the spoon to him.
“I ran into Jimmy and Dee at the store. They want to throw me a going away barbecue the day before I leave. I told them that I’d run it by you first but it sounds good to me. It might be the last decent American food I get before Saigon,” he explained, handing the spoon back to Jill. [When he’d get the spoon?]
“What do you mean, the last decent American food you’ll get before Saigon? If you’re real sweet and play your cards right, I might be convinced to cook for you that Monday,” she remarked, swatting at him.
“Okay, let me rephrase that,” he chuckled as he ducked out of her reach. “The last decent barbecue I’ll get before Saigon. Face it, babe, we won’t starve on your cooking, but you can’t barbecue,” he grinned, taking the spoon back from her.
“So, where did you go this morning?” She asked in a quiet voice, grabbing the spoon.
“I told you, I went to run laps. Then I sat and thought for a while,” he answered honestly.
“Thought about what?” She asked, her mouth full of ice cream.
“You. You’re all I ever think about,” he whispered, kissing her. “Telling you what I did about the cars was stupid. But when my father was in the Army, they sent telegrams. Somehow, I don’t think of the cars as being as frightening as receiving a piece of paper from Western Union.”
“Mike, you’re still not getting it. I don’t want to be one of those women. When I see those men walk up to the front door, I want for just one woman to slam the door shut in their faces. I know that’s what I would do,” she informed him. She put the ice cream on the table, no longer hungry.
“It wouldn’t do any good. They’d just come back or send someone else,” Mike told her gently as he took her hand and kissed it tenderly. “I know you’re afraid. You have to have faith, baby. I’ll be back before you know it.”
“There are times when I never want you to leave and other times when I wish you were gone, so it’d be that much sooner until you get back. Did any of that make any sense?” She asked softly as she buried her face in his chest.
“Yeah, it made perfect sense. I think that way, too. The times before when I’ve left, I haven’t had to leave anybody behind. This time I feel like I have to cut my right arm off.” He tightened his grip on her protectively. After a few seconds he said, “Babe, I was thinking. If I decide to re-up and do another four years, where would you like to go? I get to choose three places and I might not get my first pick, but I usually get one of the ones I ask for.”
“Anywhere?” She asked as she pulled away from him slightly to stare into his eyes.
Mike nodded.
“I’d like to go as far away from Alabama as I can get and still be in the United States.”
“Well, that leaves two places that I can think of and neither of them appeals to me. Alaska’s too cold and I’ve been to Hawaii and didn’t care for it, either,” he admitted.
“Well, that’s because you’ve never been to Hawaii with your wife,” she smiled as she kissed him once again.
“Jill, Hawaii is a very romantic place, but, believe me, when I tell you that you don’t want to live there. We can talk about new places later. But, I will keep in mind that you want to live far away from Alabama.”
“I don’t care where we go as long as we’re together,” she whispered.
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Jill walked into their bedroom several mornings later. Mike was lying on his stomach, his face buried into his pillow, still sound asleep. She smiled as she climbed on the bed and slowly pulled the sheet away from his body. She knew there was one spot on Mike’s lower back that turned him into putty in her hands. She had discovered it by accident one day and had used it to her advantage ever since. She began planting kisses down his spine until she reached her destination. By now he was awake. He rolled over and pulled her close to him.
“You’re sneaky,” he smiled, kissing her.
“Well, I was awake and I didn’t want to be awake by myself,” she grinned at him mischievously as she began caressing him, smiling at his groan of pleasure.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” He groaned as he removed her hand.
“I wouldn’t have started anything if I didn’t want to do this,” she assured him as she sat up and pulled her gown over her head.
Mike smiled as he reached up to caress her bare skin before pulling her closer to him. Jill cried out as Mike’s hands seemed to be everywhere at once.
“I thought this was my idea,” she gasped in eager anticipation as Mike kissed his way down her collar bone to her breast.
“Yeah, and it’s definitely one of your better ones,” Mike grinned as he teased her breasts with his fingers and tongue.
They made love for hours, losing themselves in blissful sensation. They lay in each other’s arms afterwards, each listening to the beating of the other ones heart.
“I’m going to miss this most of all,” Jill whispered, lying against Mike’s chest.
“What? Making love?” He whispered into her hair.
“That and lying here like this with no other sound but your heartbeat in my ear. Time’s going by too fast,” she complained.
“I know,” he sighed, slowly stroking her back. “I have an idea. Why don’t we go to Mobile this weekend? Hang around the beach and eat ungodly amounts of shrimp and lobster, make love and sleep late. Does that sound good to you?”
“That sounds wonderful,” she sighed, drifting off to sleep.
They spent that weekend in Mobile and the whole next week was spent being by themselves. It was a wonderful week…even with the clock still ticking. The day before Mike was scheduled to leave, they had the barbecue at Jimmy and Dee’s to attend. It was a great day of laughing, drinking beer and telling stories. It was a nice feeling to be among family and friends and not have to think about the next day. Mike cornered Trap in the backyard later that afternoon while Jill was in the restroom.
“Hey, I want you to do me a favor while I’m gone. Make sure Jill’s okay. You know, make sure she doesn’t need anything,” Mike explained.
“Mike, you should know you don’t even have to ask me to take care of her. You just take care of yourself and make sure you duck,” Trap smiled.
“Well, it’s a little hard to duck inside a chopper, but I’ll keep that in mind,” Mike clapped Trap on the shoulder as Jill came back out of the house.
After they ate dinner and the dishes were washed, everybody sat around the backyard and swapped stories. They all laughed until their sides hurt. Some time after midnight Mike looked over just in time to see Jill try to stifle a huge yawn.
“I hate to break this party up, but I think I’d like to get milady home before she falls asleep on me,” Mike said as he gently pulled Jill to her feet.
“Mike, I’ll try to call you tomorrow before you leave, but if I don’t, take it easy and try not to get too attached to the food,” Jimmy joked as he shook Mike’s hand.
“Are you kidding? I’m hooked on pizza and Southern barbecue. There ain’t no way I’m going to start enjoying fish sauce and rice,” Mike grinned as Jill made a face.
After saying goodbye to everybody else, they got in the car and drove home. Mike went to take a shower while Jill waited for him in the living room. After several minutes she couldn’t stand waiting to get out any longer. She kicked off her shoes and began shedding her clothes as she made her way to the bathroom. The room was filled with steam when she walked in and closed the door behind her. Mike grinned when she pulled the shower curtain back and stepped into the tub.
“I got tired of waiting and you never leave me any hot water,” she explained in a soft voice, moving closer and wrapping her arms around him as he kissed her, lightly at first, then more hungrily.
Jill stepped back slightly when she felt his immediate response. Stepping under the shower, she wet her hair before grabbing the shampoo bottle and handing it to Mike. “Wash my hair for me, but don’t get clever with the roamin’ hands and rushin’ fingers,” she warned him.
“Yes, ma’am,” he smiled as he poured shampoo on his hand and massaged it into her long, dark hair.
Mike lay in bed a little while later watching Jill comb the tangles out of her hair. He was going to make himself crazy thinking of all of the little things he was going to miss. The little rituals were what he was going to miss the most. She turned around and smiled at him before joining him in bed and curling up tightly against him.
“My mother used to tell us never to go to bed with a wet head. Weren’t you ever told that?” He whispered in the darkness.
“Yeah, but when my hair needs to be washed, I don’t care,” she mumbled sleepily, as she lazily stroked his chest.
She fell asleep only to wake Mike up a few hours later crying out in her sleep. He gently shook her awake. “You were dreaming,” he told her as she buried her face in his chest. “Do you want to talk about it?”
She shook her head as she pressed closer to him and tightly wrapped her arms around him.
Mike lightly stroked her back before tilting her chin up to lightly kiss her, trying to ease her fears. “It’ll be okay. I’m going to be home before you know it,” he assured her.
The next day was spent mostly in preparation for Mike’s departure. The car was coming to pick him up at 6 p.m. sharp for his 8 p.m. flight. He’d be on planes all night and most of the next day, arriving in Saigon late the next afternoon. Jill walked into their bedroom that afternoon as he putting the last of his clothes in his large Army issue suitcase. His Class A uniform was hanging on the back of the bedroom door and his shoes were sitting on the bed waiting to be shined. “If I could, I’d put you in my suitcase, too,” he smiled, leaning over to kiss her.
“I know you don’t write letters, but will you at least try to drop me a line once in a while?” She begged.
“Jill, we’ve been over this a million times. I don’t know what you want me to tell you in a letter. Look, I don’t want to argue about this now. I have to leave in a few hours,” he added, closing his suitcase and locking it.
“Well, if I write to you, will you at least read my letters?” She asked.
“Of course. I want to know that you’re okay,” he told her.
“I’ll be okay, but I’ll be better once you’re back here with me,” she smiled sadly, getting up so he could take a shower and get dressed.
He came out of the bedroom a little while later, dressed in his dress uniform. Jill smiled, seeing how handsome he looked. “You look nice,” she breathed.
"Thank you,” he smiled.
“Do you want something to eat before the car gets here?” She offered, getting up.
“No, I’m too nervous to eat. How about a glass of tea, though?” He suggested.
Jill fixed two glasses to tea and walked back into the living room, sitting down beside Mike on the sofa.
“If you need anything, call Jimmy or Trap. I’ve already asked them to make sure you’re okay,” he informed her as she made a face.
“Mike, I can take care of myself,” she insisted.
“Just the same, call them if you need anything,” he told her again.
They sat there in silence drinking their tea when they heard a horn honk out in front of the house. Mike glanced at his watch and grimaced.
“I lost track of the time. That must be my carriage,” he joked as Jill’s eyes misted over. He pulled her up and walked over to the door with her. She ran a hand over his forehead before wrapping both arms around his neck and holding him tightly.
“Please be careful. I need you back here in one piece,” she whispered as they held each other.
“I’ll be fine. I love you,” he kissed her before clinging to her one more time.
“I love you, too,” she said in a tight voice.
“I’ll see you before you know it,” he told her as he started walking out of the door.
Jill kept a tight lid on her emotions until she watched the car drive off. Crying as she sat down on the sofa, she wondered how she was going to survive the next year without Mike. Little did she know the surprises Mike had in mind for her when she did see him again.