Early Marriage to G
Continued from the last post.
Actually, when I stood up to him and made sure he got to K.P. Duty on time, it wasn't the first serious incident. That happened just weeks after the wedding and almost ended the marriage before it began.
It started as some small spat whose origin doesn't even matter. I was still so new in Wilmington, I wasn't yet working the night shift. We were both working that evening and it was time to go to work. We'd been grumbling at each other awhile and were still bickering on the way to work. G was driving through a residential neighborhood and we came upon a group of kids playing ball in the street. About a dozen 9 to 12 year olds. G slowed down to a crawl, but didn't stop, forcing the kids to move a little faster to get out of the way. About half way through, one of the smaller boys threw the ball at the side of our car. It hit hard in G's door. He slammed on the brakes and was out of the car so fast, I was still confused as to what had happened. I saw G grab a small boy by the shoulder and start to shake him while yelling obsenities. The other kids were screeming and scattering, except for one or two older boys who were yelling at G, but afraid to approach. I scrambled out of the car and went after G. I was trying to get him to let go of the sobbing child, when parents started coming out of the houses. I heard a man tell someone to call the police and I started begging them not to and kept tugging on G who had let go of the child. I just wanted to get him into the car and get out of there before the police were involved. But, he was yelling at the man about the ball the kid had thrown and who was going to pay for the damage to his car. The man was threatening jail for touching his son. It was starting to look like a riot with neighbors coming from all over. I had never been so scared in my life. I'd never seen anyone act like that in my life. G finally realized a crowd had gathered and he wasn't going to win this one. I was able to drag him to the car and I hurried around to get in and we left. I kept expecting to be stopped by the police. I was shaken to my soul. We didn't speak a word. I didn't know what to say and he was still too mad to talk. He pulled up in front of G.T.E. and I got out, still without a word and went straight inside.
I certainly wasn't thinking of confroning him, I was very frightened. I spent most of that shift expecting some policeman to show up. Eight hours later, when he picked me up, I was prepared to tell him this was a mistake and I was going back to Marion. But the man who picked me up was very contrite and kept apologizing and promising nothing like that would ever happen again. I still hadn't said anything, and I didn't say anything. Once again, I just let it slide and took the easy way out. That is one promise he kept. Nothing like that ever did happen again. There was never another threat of police being involved or any show of that kind of loss of control. I wonder if it scared him as much as it did me, or did the police talk to him after I left? I never asked.
I was beginning to wonder if G had lied to me about the orders to Germany. Christmas came and went and we were still in Wilmington. I was wondering if it had been a trick to move up our wedding date. It's true what they say about the service. Hurry up and wait. The orders came down and within two weeks he was on his way to Germany and I was back with my parents waiting for him to send for me. Hurry up and wait.
Going home again after a few months of marriage was strange. Where did I fit in now. I had quit my job because G said it would only be a few weeks for him to settle and send for me. I was only home a couple of days when C.K.F.'s Mother phoned me. She was the Manager of a Motel/Restaurant. There was a big Oil Boom in the next county and every hotel and motel room in several counties was full of oilmen and wildcatters. She needed help with her P.B.X. switchboard and wanted me to train some girls for her. There were so many men that they were using the rooms in shifts. One group slept while the other worked. Then they ate while the rooms were made ready for the next group to use the rooms. Motel and restaurant were both full and busy every hour. I started just helping train everyone on the P.B.X. Then I helped cover the desk where both the motel and diners paid. Soon I was going in at 5 A.M. to do the wake up calls at 5 and 5:30 and 6 a.m. so the maids could get the rooms cleaned for the next group. Now I was having the time of my life. Instead of the usual, "This is your 5 a.m. (or 5:30 or 6 a.m.) wake up call. I started singing to the tune of Reveille, "You gotta get up. You gotta get up. You gotta get up; It's Morning." Over and over for an hour. Pretty soon the girls in the office were joining in and we sang every morning till our throats hurt. This meant we could be heard in the dinning room too. It was like starting every day with a party. By helping my best friends Mother, it wasn't like a real job. I did get paid, but we all knew it was temporary. Soon the men we were waking up were coming to the dinning room through the office to see the "voices." And the other shift was upset because no one woke them up with a song.
After wake up calls I was making sure everyone knew how to work the P.B.X. because everyone in the office had to be able to cover everything. They were so busy and it was hard to find enough people to work. I took Mom with me one morning, just to hear the wake up calls, and L hired her on the spot. It was the first job outside the home Mom had ever had. Mom didn't have to go in as early as I did, but she went in with me anyway. We were having so much fun working together. And, L was very happy to have the extra help, even with my silliness.
I was almost disappointed when G sent me my airline ticket and it was time to leave for Germany. That job was the most fun a job could ever be. It only lasted two months.
Actually, when I stood up to him and made sure he got to K.P. Duty on time, it wasn't the first serious incident. That happened just weeks after the wedding and almost ended the marriage before it began.
It started as some small spat whose origin doesn't even matter. I was still so new in Wilmington, I wasn't yet working the night shift. We were both working that evening and it was time to go to work. We'd been grumbling at each other awhile and were still bickering on the way to work. G was driving through a residential neighborhood and we came upon a group of kids playing ball in the street. About a dozen 9 to 12 year olds. G slowed down to a crawl, but didn't stop, forcing the kids to move a little faster to get out of the way. About half way through, one of the smaller boys threw the ball at the side of our car. It hit hard in G's door. He slammed on the brakes and was out of the car so fast, I was still confused as to what had happened. I saw G grab a small boy by the shoulder and start to shake him while yelling obsenities. The other kids were screeming and scattering, except for one or two older boys who were yelling at G, but afraid to approach. I scrambled out of the car and went after G. I was trying to get him to let go of the sobbing child, when parents started coming out of the houses. I heard a man tell someone to call the police and I started begging them not to and kept tugging on G who had let go of the child. I just wanted to get him into the car and get out of there before the police were involved. But, he was yelling at the man about the ball the kid had thrown and who was going to pay for the damage to his car. The man was threatening jail for touching his son. It was starting to look like a riot with neighbors coming from all over. I had never been so scared in my life. I'd never seen anyone act like that in my life. G finally realized a crowd had gathered and he wasn't going to win this one. I was able to drag him to the car and I hurried around to get in and we left. I kept expecting to be stopped by the police. I was shaken to my soul. We didn't speak a word. I didn't know what to say and he was still too mad to talk. He pulled up in front of G.T.E. and I got out, still without a word and went straight inside.
I certainly wasn't thinking of confroning him, I was very frightened. I spent most of that shift expecting some policeman to show up. Eight hours later, when he picked me up, I was prepared to tell him this was a mistake and I was going back to Marion. But the man who picked me up was very contrite and kept apologizing and promising nothing like that would ever happen again. I still hadn't said anything, and I didn't say anything. Once again, I just let it slide and took the easy way out. That is one promise he kept. Nothing like that ever did happen again. There was never another threat of police being involved or any show of that kind of loss of control. I wonder if it scared him as much as it did me, or did the police talk to him after I left? I never asked.
I was beginning to wonder if G had lied to me about the orders to Germany. Christmas came and went and we were still in Wilmington. I was wondering if it had been a trick to move up our wedding date. It's true what they say about the service. Hurry up and wait. The orders came down and within two weeks he was on his way to Germany and I was back with my parents waiting for him to send for me. Hurry up and wait.
Going home again after a few months of marriage was strange. Where did I fit in now. I had quit my job because G said it would only be a few weeks for him to settle and send for me. I was only home a couple of days when C.K.F.'s Mother phoned me. She was the Manager of a Motel/Restaurant. There was a big Oil Boom in the next county and every hotel and motel room in several counties was full of oilmen and wildcatters. She needed help with her P.B.X. switchboard and wanted me to train some girls for her. There were so many men that they were using the rooms in shifts. One group slept while the other worked. Then they ate while the rooms were made ready for the next group to use the rooms. Motel and restaurant were both full and busy every hour. I started just helping train everyone on the P.B.X. Then I helped cover the desk where both the motel and diners paid. Soon I was going in at 5 A.M. to do the wake up calls at 5 and 5:30 and 6 a.m. so the maids could get the rooms cleaned for the next group. Now I was having the time of my life. Instead of the usual, "This is your 5 a.m. (or 5:30 or 6 a.m.) wake up call. I started singing to the tune of Reveille, "You gotta get up. You gotta get up. You gotta get up; It's Morning." Over and over for an hour. Pretty soon the girls in the office were joining in and we sang every morning till our throats hurt. This meant we could be heard in the dinning room too. It was like starting every day with a party. By helping my best friends Mother, it wasn't like a real job. I did get paid, but we all knew it was temporary. Soon the men we were waking up were coming to the dinning room through the office to see the "voices." And the other shift was upset because no one woke them up with a song.
After wake up calls I was making sure everyone knew how to work the P.B.X. because everyone in the office had to be able to cover everything. They were so busy and it was hard to find enough people to work. I took Mom with me one morning, just to hear the wake up calls, and L hired her on the spot. It was the first job outside the home Mom had ever had. Mom didn't have to go in as early as I did, but she went in with me anyway. We were having so much fun working together. And, L was very happy to have the extra help, even with my silliness.
I was almost disappointed when G sent me my airline ticket and it was time to leave for Germany. That job was the most fun a job could ever be. It only lasted two months.
posted by LeeAnn | 9:38 PM
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