Chapter 24 *
Monique successfully, FINALLY, got Nicole into bed. Man, what a war. "Next time remind me to dig a foxhole before going in." Dad and Kirsten had retired to their rooms so Moni went downstairs to the living room. She turned on the t.v. and flipped through the channels a couple times. She couldn't find anything that suited her mood so she started pacing the floor. Her thoughts and the consequent discussion of Allen had her missing him something fierce. She could really use his ear right about now. This is ridiculous-she had no way to reach him. The last time she had called the base his number had been disconnected and the time before that, he had not returned the message she left on his machine. Calling the brig didn't help either. All they would tell her was that he had been given orders elsewhere and she wasn't entitled to the information. She went to her office and turned on the computer. Tapping her fingers on the table in nervous anticipation, she impatiently waited for it to boot. As soon as it connected to the internet she went straight to the various search engines trying to figure out which people search would get her the closest to finding him. He had to have an email address somewhere. For the next two hours she gave herself a headache, practically willing the cursed machine to produce somersaults. At the end, all she had to show for it was frustration and no more closure than when she had started. Tears came to her eyes as she wished with all her heart she knew what had gone wrong between them. Damn him! I gave him my heart and it wasn't even good enough for him to take it before breaking it.
Still obsessed with her quest, she shut down the computer and retreated to her room. She dug the boxes out of the back of her closet that contained the all the military paperwork she had ever saved. Training folders, MCI's, counseling sheets, military knowledge, old LES's, anything and everything. She looked through it all. It was 04:00 am and she was about to fall asleep in the huge pile that had collected on her floor when the telephone jarred her out of her fog. Not knowing who the hell would be calling at this hour- shit it could be Mom or someone-please don't let anyone be hurt. She jumped to answer it- "Hello." She quietly answered it-she was emotionally drained.
"Hi" It was Jeff. "What are you doing? Did I wake you?"
"Oh, no I was up. You scared me though-I thought maybe it was Mom and someone was hurt."
If that didn't make him feel like a heel. He hadn't thought of that. "Dumbass" he inwardly swore at himself.
"What are you doing up so late?" he asked "You weren't waiting for me to call were you? Didn't Kirsten tell you we were going out?" He was baiting her and was unprepared for what was about to come.
"Yes, she told me. I'm glad you arrived safely. Did you have a good time?"
"Yeah I guess so, same old scene. You still haven't told me why you're up? Is it Nicole?" "No, she's fine. Sleeping soundly. I was just looking for something."
"It's taking you this long to find it? Must be important."
"Well, yeah it is sort of."
She was being very vague with him and after this afternoon he had expected her to be disappointed or accusatory at him not having phoned earlier. Boy was he in for a surprise. "Well, I hope you have a good night's sleep. You need it for your match tomorrow."
"Is that a signal that you want me to let you go?" Jeff was getting curious and worried in the same breath.
"Yes, please. I really need to finish this."
Bewildered, Jeff could only say "Ok, good luck in your search."
"Good night." Was her only reply and he heard the phone click the connection dead.
Jeff was dumbstruck. What in the hell was going on? That afternoon he had gotten her to open up-he saw a little bit of her that he knew he'd enjoy more of and now she was colder than ice. Something was on her mind, something painful-he could hear it in her voice. Was it Nicole's father? Was he giving her a hard time again? This was not the way he had expected the conversation to go. Reluctantly he kicked off his shoes and tugged at his socks until his feet were bare. Crossing his arms, he lifted his shirt off his body and threw it in the corner with everything else that was dirty. He unzipped his pants and let them fall to the floor. Stepping out of them he rolled back the covers on the bed and pulled his notebook from his bag. He had the feeling he wasn't going to be able to sleep, so he began to put down his thoughts to paper in the way that only he could do. For some reason, he discarded his thoughts from earlier about this being another barrage from Nicole's father. From what she said-she had no emotion for that man anymore. This has to do with someone else-someone she cares for. That damn Marine-but she had told him off, hadn't she?
Tossing the phone to the side, Moni continued her search among the pile of papers left in the last box. It was getting late and she was afraid she was growing careless. She was about to go downstairs and grab a bottle of hard cider to jar her senses when she came across what she had been so desperately and diligently searching for. The tiny slip of paper had his social security number on it and an address for his parents. She had copied it off a box that his mother had sent him for Easter the year she had worked in the unit mailroom. It wasn't something she was proud of and she knew at the time she shouldn't have done it, but she was immediately non repentant for it!
"Wonderful, now comes the hard part, what do I say?" Monique knew she had to write to him-seek him out. How did that old saying go? If you love something set it free-if it comes back to you, it's yours?
"What if his parents don't live here anymore?" Damn, she hadn't thought of that. No bother-she had his SSN anyway. "Maybe I do need that drink after all," she thought to herself. It would certainly relieve her tension and maybe it would help her words flow when she sat down with pen and paper.
Monique successfully, FINALLY, got Nicole into bed. Man, what a war. "Next time remind me to dig a foxhole before going in." Dad and Kirsten had retired to their rooms so Moni went downstairs to the living room. She turned on the t.v. and flipped through the channels a couple times. She couldn't find anything that suited her mood so she started pacing the floor. Her thoughts and the consequent discussion of Allen had her missing him something fierce. She could really use his ear right about now. This is ridiculous-she had no way to reach him. The last time she had called the base his number had been disconnected and the time before that, he had not returned the message she left on his machine. Calling the brig didn't help either. All they would tell her was that he had been given orders elsewhere and she wasn't entitled to the information. She went to her office and turned on the computer. Tapping her fingers on the table in nervous anticipation, she impatiently waited for it to boot. As soon as it connected to the internet she went straight to the various search engines trying to figure out which people search would get her the closest to finding him. He had to have an email address somewhere. For the next two hours she gave herself a headache, practically willing the cursed machine to produce somersaults. At the end, all she had to show for it was frustration and no more closure than when she had started. Tears came to her eyes as she wished with all her heart she knew what had gone wrong between them. Damn him! I gave him my heart and it wasn't even good enough for him to take it before breaking it.
Still obsessed with her quest, she shut down the computer and retreated to her room. She dug the boxes out of the back of her closet that contained the all the military paperwork she had ever saved. Training folders, MCI's, counseling sheets, military knowledge, old LES's, anything and everything. She looked through it all. It was 04:00 am and she was about to fall asleep in the huge pile that had collected on her floor when the telephone jarred her out of her fog. Not knowing who the hell would be calling at this hour- shit it could be Mom or someone-please don't let anyone be hurt. She jumped to answer it- "Hello." She quietly answered it-she was emotionally drained.
"Hi" It was Jeff. "What are you doing? Did I wake you?"
"Oh, no I was up. You scared me though-I thought maybe it was Mom and someone was hurt."
If that didn't make him feel like a heel. He hadn't thought of that. "Dumbass" he inwardly swore at himself.
"What are you doing up so late?" he asked "You weren't waiting for me to call were you? Didn't Kirsten tell you we were going out?" He was baiting her and was unprepared for what was about to come.
"Yes, she told me. I'm glad you arrived safely. Did you have a good time?"
"Yeah I guess so, same old scene. You still haven't told me why you're up? Is it Nicole?" "No, she's fine. Sleeping soundly. I was just looking for something."
"It's taking you this long to find it? Must be important."
"Well, yeah it is sort of."
She was being very vague with him and after this afternoon he had expected her to be disappointed or accusatory at him not having phoned earlier. Boy was he in for a surprise. "Well, I hope you have a good night's sleep. You need it for your match tomorrow."
"Is that a signal that you want me to let you go?" Jeff was getting curious and worried in the same breath.
"Yes, please. I really need to finish this."
Bewildered, Jeff could only say "Ok, good luck in your search."
"Good night." Was her only reply and he heard the phone click the connection dead.
Jeff was dumbstruck. What in the hell was going on? That afternoon he had gotten her to open up-he saw a little bit of her that he knew he'd enjoy more of and now she was colder than ice. Something was on her mind, something painful-he could hear it in her voice. Was it Nicole's father? Was he giving her a hard time again? This was not the way he had expected the conversation to go. Reluctantly he kicked off his shoes and tugged at his socks until his feet were bare. Crossing his arms, he lifted his shirt off his body and threw it in the corner with everything else that was dirty. He unzipped his pants and let them fall to the floor. Stepping out of them he rolled back the covers on the bed and pulled his notebook from his bag. He had the feeling he wasn't going to be able to sleep, so he began to put down his thoughts to paper in the way that only he could do. For some reason, he discarded his thoughts from earlier about this being another barrage from Nicole's father. From what she said-she had no emotion for that man anymore. This has to do with someone else-someone she cares for. That damn Marine-but she had told him off, hadn't she?
Tossing the phone to the side, Moni continued her search among the pile of papers left in the last box. It was getting late and she was afraid she was growing careless. She was about to go downstairs and grab a bottle of hard cider to jar her senses when she came across what she had been so desperately and diligently searching for. The tiny slip of paper had his social security number on it and an address for his parents. She had copied it off a box that his mother had sent him for Easter the year she had worked in the unit mailroom. It wasn't something she was proud of and she knew at the time she shouldn't have done it, but she was immediately non repentant for it!
"Wonderful, now comes the hard part, what do I say?" Monique knew she had to write to him-seek him out. How did that old saying go? If you love something set it free-if it comes back to you, it's yours?
"What if his parents don't live here anymore?" Damn, she hadn't thought of that. No bother-she had his SSN anyway. "Maybe I do need that drink after all," she thought to herself. It would certainly relieve her tension and maybe it would help her words flow when she sat down with pen and paper.