The Widow
Note and Disclaimer: I'll always say that I never own M*A*S*H. Enjoy the next part in "By the Graveside"…
Theirs wasn't always a happy marriage, but that was always the way with all of them. There were always good times and bad. Life was always interesting with your best friend beside you, even one as silly as Henry Blake.
The widow kneeled before the grave of her husband and sighed. Yes, it was a wonderful life with Henry. They had met by accident in Chicago, when he was in medical school and she was a teacher. The widow recalled that Henry simply fell into her arms by accident. He tripped over something and miraculously managed to keep her upright. He also stuttered so many apologies that the widow giggled.
From that moment onward, they had been inseparable, to the point of scandalous. The widow had another suitor who paled in comparison to Henry…in her mind anyway. He didn't have the charisma, grace and style Henry did. Besides, there was no way that he could have married her anyway, the way Henry begged the widow. On his knees on their park date, tripping over their picnic basket and landing face-first into the egg salad, Henry proposed to her.
Six months later, they married and immediately began plans for a family and Henry finishing medical school. A year later, he graduated and a daughter was born. The next, Henry set up a practice and another daughter came along. By then, the Army was interested in Henry and drafted him, only as a medical consultant near home. This pleased the widow greatly. She did not have to worry about him being transferred to the war in Europe or Asia.
But then, Korea happened almost a decade later after their nuptials. By then, Henry was a lieutenant colonel and had gone through command school in order to head up a unit in that faraway country. The widow was wild with grief. It was going to be a long separation and a difficult one too. They were expecting their third child and she was going to have to hold the fort alone.
She hardly knew what to do after Henry departed for that unknown land. Everyday, the widow bombarded him with letters and packages, especially after their son was born. A lot of them demanded that he come home. Others were piles of bills she could not make heads or tails of. Henry had handled their finances until he left for Korea. The widow was not prepared to handle it alone.
It was mostly anger that always dictated her pen. Oh, she was livid that Henry and the Army schemed to keep her in this state. Other times, she accepted it as an act of fate. She would add in words of endearment, telling Henry that they all miss him. The widow even sent reminders from home, like a film of the children's birthday parties. It was heartbreaking.
Mostly, the widow was weighed down by deep sadness. She felt self-pity and sheer loneliness more than anything else. Every night, when the children were asleep or when her youngest child cuddled against her, she thought back to her situation. She had no family nearby, his or her, and would have to drive to Chicago if she wanted it. There was hardly any support. She and Henry had settled in Bloomington for its stability and warmness. Cities were not their style.
Finally, after over a year, Henry was coming home. The widow was elated. She cried and prepared everything. She counted the days. Henry would be a week in coming. She would see him at the airport, embrace a loving homecoming, and surprise everyone with his arrival. Everything will be set to rights. The widow was sure of it at the time, imagining Henry back at the helm.
And now, she would have to live all alone. Lorraine Blake vowed that she would never marry again. Henry had been the love of her life. Despite all of their difficulties, from starting out with little financial means to becoming a family with an absent husband, she had gone through this marriage with no thought that her husband would be killed on his way home. It was a bittersweet blow. Without that discharge, Henry would not have gotten on that plane. He would possibly still be alive today and enjoying their remaining years together.
So many possibilities whirled around Lorraine's head. All of her old emotions from when Henry was in Korea overwhelmed her. But she had to be strong. While she had little financial means until now, she still held her head high and dealt with the hard blow handed to her. There was no other choice.
Eventually, she learned how to better manage everything and all on her own too. The household ran like clockwork and with fewer instances of tears. They didn't have a foreclosure hanging over their heads. The pets did not have expensive operations anymore. The girls didn't beg for ponies and swing sets either. It was a wonderful life, even though Henry was forever absent.
Yes, life was better…but it would have been best with Henry.
Rest in peace, my love. Rest in peace. I'll join you soon enough…