Stateside & Home
Along with my parents at the airport were my In-Laws. R.B. and my Father-In-Law, Mac B. Since R.B. had already seen J, she didn't feel her sons request applied to her. Mac was here to welcome us home and then, after that brief moment with J, who was too bundled up to see, he stayed away till his son was there with us.
I didn't even go look at the apartment R.B. had found for us, and spent so much time getting ready. Not right away anyhow. Our families lived 50 miles apart and the apartment was in their town, where G's job was waiting for his return from Active Duty. I went home with my parents, where I stayed for a week.
But first, on the way home Dad stopped and took me shopping. J had fallen asleep again and Mom wanted to hold him and wait in the car. The first thing Dad bought was disposable diapers. We picked up a few other baby things I might need right away. Dad asked me what I wanted. I was so tired by then, it was about 13-14 hours since I left Germany, I just wanted to go home. But, on the way to the checkout, there was a cooler with some juices and pop. I saw a bottle of Welches Grape Juice. I hadn't seen or tasted any Welches in two years. That was what I wanted. Dad thought that was hilarious. He had offered me anything in that store, and I wanted grape juice. American Welches Grape Juice. It really was the perfect choice too. I nursed that bottle for the whole hour drive home, savoring every sip. My first taste of Home. Every sign advertising something familiar along the highway, (no more Autobahn,) every chain store that had been there before I left, everywhere was a memory of what I'd been missing. (Even thought some of them I hadn't even thought of while I was gone.) It was all so precious. When we got to the farm where I'd grown up, there were a few changes, but none that showed up in the dark. My first view was pretty much as I'd left it. Even the beautiful German Shepherd, Treasure, was there to welcome me home.
But, I was very different. Grown up, matured quite a bit, and now a mother myself. Relationships were going to need adjustment, and I realized it was going to be a lot easier with this week alone with my family. Before G got back and things got strained. My parents had never liked G, (especially Dad) and his idea of leaving me in an apartment till he got there hadn't helped his cause any. We avoided that subject. I was pretty sure Mom and Dad had guessed some of what it had been like for me with G. It wasn't that I couldn't admit they had been right about him. It was just that I felt it was my problem to solve. One of my Fathers favorite expressions had always been, "You made your bed, now lie in it." That was what I was determined to do. Later. First I had time to see the rest of my family and we could enjoy each other. They made it easy. No questions I didn't want to answer. Everything just went so well and this new mother had no problem at all finding her new nitch with her own parents. I don't remember a single uncomfortable moment. Till Moms own Mother visited. That woman always knew how to make you uncomfortable. The first time she asked me a personnel question, my Mother just handed her J and said something about her great-grandson. That stopped her in her tracks, she didn't think she was old enough to be a Great-Grandmother and the idea always distracted her.
J took his first steps at the farm before his Daddy came home. But, we decided that was a secret we could keep. He was still pretty unsteady, and we didn't think G needed to be upset by this development. Everyone wanted to hold him and fuss over him and get to know him, so he didn't have much chance to practice the new skill. I had also put off giving him his first hair cut till everyone had seen him. He had long, light brown curls and the same rosy cheeks that German babies have. (I wonder why, the rosy cheeks disappeared shortly after we got home.) It gave everyone something to talk about. He was long and filled out chubby, but certainly not what anyone could call a fat baby. He was just down right pretty. (Can you hear him groan? I sure do.) And he was still a very happy, cheerful, easy to please baby. Why do they have to grow up?
My things started arriving in the mail, so after the first week, Mom and I contacted R.B., who still had the keys to our apartment, and she met us at the new apartment. She had worked hard and things were ready. We'd mailed things to both parents and R.B. had been putting things away as she got them and she wanted to show me where. We had my dishes and things from my first apartment before I'd married G, and R.B. had stored things from our first apartment in Wilmington. We put what I'd gotten away and I was given the key. But, I didn't stay yet. I went back to my parents for a few more days. When R.B. got the phone call from G saying when he'd be there, she called me.
J and I were waiting for him at our new home when he arrived. He had promised me things would be different once the Army was behind him. He blamed everything on his hatred of the Service. I guess I was still young enough to be hopeful. There had never been a divorce in my family, and I really didn't want to be the first. I was willing to start over and I really wanted it to work.
I didn't even go look at the apartment R.B. had found for us, and spent so much time getting ready. Not right away anyhow. Our families lived 50 miles apart and the apartment was in their town, where G's job was waiting for his return from Active Duty. I went home with my parents, where I stayed for a week.
But first, on the way home Dad stopped and took me shopping. J had fallen asleep again and Mom wanted to hold him and wait in the car. The first thing Dad bought was disposable diapers. We picked up a few other baby things I might need right away. Dad asked me what I wanted. I was so tired by then, it was about 13-14 hours since I left Germany, I just wanted to go home. But, on the way to the checkout, there was a cooler with some juices and pop. I saw a bottle of Welches Grape Juice. I hadn't seen or tasted any Welches in two years. That was what I wanted. Dad thought that was hilarious. He had offered me anything in that store, and I wanted grape juice. American Welches Grape Juice. It really was the perfect choice too. I nursed that bottle for the whole hour drive home, savoring every sip. My first taste of Home. Every sign advertising something familiar along the highway, (no more Autobahn,) every chain store that had been there before I left, everywhere was a memory of what I'd been missing. (Even thought some of them I hadn't even thought of while I was gone.) It was all so precious. When we got to the farm where I'd grown up, there were a few changes, but none that showed up in the dark. My first view was pretty much as I'd left it. Even the beautiful German Shepherd, Treasure, was there to welcome me home.
But, I was very different. Grown up, matured quite a bit, and now a mother myself. Relationships were going to need adjustment, and I realized it was going to be a lot easier with this week alone with my family. Before G got back and things got strained. My parents had never liked G, (especially Dad) and his idea of leaving me in an apartment till he got there hadn't helped his cause any. We avoided that subject. I was pretty sure Mom and Dad had guessed some of what it had been like for me with G. It wasn't that I couldn't admit they had been right about him. It was just that I felt it was my problem to solve. One of my Fathers favorite expressions had always been, "You made your bed, now lie in it." That was what I was determined to do. Later. First I had time to see the rest of my family and we could enjoy each other. They made it easy. No questions I didn't want to answer. Everything just went so well and this new mother had no problem at all finding her new nitch with her own parents. I don't remember a single uncomfortable moment. Till Moms own Mother visited. That woman always knew how to make you uncomfortable. The first time she asked me a personnel question, my Mother just handed her J and said something about her great-grandson. That stopped her in her tracks, she didn't think she was old enough to be a Great-Grandmother and the idea always distracted her.
J took his first steps at the farm before his Daddy came home. But, we decided that was a secret we could keep. He was still pretty unsteady, and we didn't think G needed to be upset by this development. Everyone wanted to hold him and fuss over him and get to know him, so he didn't have much chance to practice the new skill. I had also put off giving him his first hair cut till everyone had seen him. He had long, light brown curls and the same rosy cheeks that German babies have. (I wonder why, the rosy cheeks disappeared shortly after we got home.) It gave everyone something to talk about. He was long and filled out chubby, but certainly not what anyone could call a fat baby. He was just down right pretty. (Can you hear him groan? I sure do.) And he was still a very happy, cheerful, easy to please baby. Why do they have to grow up?
My things started arriving in the mail, so after the first week, Mom and I contacted R.B., who still had the keys to our apartment, and she met us at the new apartment. She had worked hard and things were ready. We'd mailed things to both parents and R.B. had been putting things away as she got them and she wanted to show me where. We had my dishes and things from my first apartment before I'd married G, and R.B. had stored things from our first apartment in Wilmington. We put what I'd gotten away and I was given the key. But, I didn't stay yet. I went back to my parents for a few more days. When R.B. got the phone call from G saying when he'd be there, she called me.
J and I were waiting for him at our new home when he arrived. He had promised me things would be different once the Army was behind him. He blamed everything on his hatred of the Service. I guess I was still young enough to be hopeful. There had never been a divorce in my family, and I really didn't want to be the first. I was willing to start over and I really wanted it to work.
posted by LeeAnn | 6:16 PM
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