Monday, August 25, 2008

End of the Cliffhanger

The telephone rang as soon as I got home that evening and it was the Captain, whom I will call M from now on. He asked if I would go to a baseball game the following day. It was a Saturday afternoon game. He did not have to say any more. I did not know what baseball was except for what I had deduced from headlines in the paper. I had read and cried over Lou Gehrig and I had heard about Babe Ruth. But if he had asked me to go observe how the city cleaned out their garbage trucks, I would have said yes.

It was the New York Yankees we were going to see. The stadium was impressive. The crowds were loud and even booed when the center fielder got up to hit. (I'll remember his name in a sec) We were sitting high up. It was a gorgeous day and poor M had to tell me what the heck was going on. I tried not to be intrusive, for he obviously was so happy to be there. So I slowly leaned about three outs and four balls and all that. I told him I would change the rules and give the hitter some credit for a long ball even if the outfielder caught it. He laughed and it made my stomach hurt. He was so cute when he laughed.

He told me they were not allowed to talk about their orders. But I got the impression their departure was imminent. We had supper in a delicatessen on our way home. He gave me wonderful gift before he left. A kiss.

A week went by.

I was devastated. I knew they must have left USA and I wondered if I would ever see him again. And then the phone rang. It was M. He said he and a few other officers were told they could have leave overnight. Could I meet him for dinner.

We had dinner. He and his chums from Ft Dix were staying at the Biltmore. We joined them. There were a few minutes of dancing. Then M said: Let's go to my room. There we talked into the night. We cuddled. We made love. At five am he put me in a cab and he joined his fellow officers in another cab and that was the end.

Until 1998.. My husband had died earlier in the year. We Friends of the Library were standing waiting for art projects to be delivered. We waited and waited. I looked down to see what section we were more or less leaning on. Turned out to be a bank of Telephone books. My knee was practicly touching the one devoted to the state were M had lived before the War. I said, once I knew someone who came from this area. I took it out. Turned the pages and there in full print was M's full name, address, rank and an md attached.

As soon as I got home I called him. He vaguely remembered me. Didn't know if I came from Switzerland or Sweden. He did say he had saved all the pictures I had sent him while he was overseas. He was in the midst of finishing his memoirs and the book was coming out in a few months. He was a great man and he had accomplished a lot. He had three daughters with his wife whom he had married before he dallied with me.

20 comments:

Barbara said...

What a story! You are so brave and wonderful in sharing it with us, exactly as it happened! You are great! I look forward to hearing many more stories of your life.
Barbara
P.S. To me, you are a more important person than that man who tricked you.

hello haha narf said...

wait! he was married??!??!!!
gasp!

Liz said...

Ditto what barbara said - beautifully told!

Anonymous said...

I am speechless! Your stories are always amazing, always surprising, and so vivid...

Sarah Mattingly Photography, LLC said...

Oh my, that was definitely a surprise ending! Thanks so much for sharing all of your fabulous stories! I can't tell you how much I look forward to them. Thanks so much to Shreve also for pointing her fans in your direction. Now we are all your fans too!!!!!!

thrice said...

Ouch! I'm sorry that he took advantage like that. I have my own, similar stories, but I might have to wait another 40-50 years, before I have the courage to tell them.

Bravo, for you!

kiki said...

men, aren't most of them all the same?

i hope that when i reach your age i'll have as many interesting stories to tell!

Jodie said...

Thanks Grandma Svensto. I've adopted you as another Grandma. I need one! All my people passed away awhile ago when I was younger (less than 30 mostly except my dad in 1999). I'm just 48... too young to have no relatives left except my 37 year old sister who is looney. My baby picture is on my blog... http://bipolarbearsohmy.blogspot.com

Miss Sub said...

Wow! I think it's your turn to get a book deal! This is an amazing story! : )

MJ's doghouse said...

he vaguely remembered you...as if...he remembered you...and he knows he did...men...go figure...lol

Sandra @ The Memory Workshop said...

oh my! That was not the ending I was expecting!

I'm so glad you've chosen to share your stories. My Nana had stories, and I never got tired of hearing them, even the ones she told over and over. I'm pretty sure she had many secrets too.

Ida said...

"memoirs" indeed.
Cheating on his wife is in it, do you think? I think your stories should be published and I would gladly buy the book.

Cedar ... said...

Oh, that cad! What more can I say?

You are such a great story teller,... yes,.. it is YOU that should have a book deal! I would buy a dozen and share with my friends!

Cin said...

Men!
You remember details about a game you didn't even understand and he barely remembers you. His loss I say!

Anonymous said...

I was expecting this to be true love the whole time! I thought at the end, you'd reconnect and be together. Wow. It's funny that you said you'd say yes to seeing how the garbage trucks were cleaned out. I wrote something really similar in a journal of mine when I was in high school, regarding my first love.

Evelyn said...

yes, a surprise ending ... thank you for your honesty and openness

Haphazardkat said...

What a creep!
Not only for cheating on his wife but dallying with you and then saying he didn't remember you!
Ugh.
I wonder how many other women carry your same story about him...

Kat
Vancouver, WA

Georgia Hardstark said...

Another wonderful post! I look forward to seeing your new posts every morning. Definitely one of my favorite blogs!

Anonymous said...

If he's dead now, I want the name of the memoir.

Lisa said...

Oh what a fabulous story! I love your blog so much!