Alright children! You don't wanna talk to papa? Thats alright! I will write it anyway. Here's the letter Papa Pierce wrote to Sonny Pierce. And its follow-up. I will try to write something tonight but I am bushed so it maybe a few days before I can post more. Or maybe not? Who knows? But then, from looks of it, I am the only one enjoying it.
So there!
Chapter 15
My dear Hawkeye,
How are you? How is life in Korea? I have been watching news on television. Yes, I finally bought one. Paid in full. I heard on the radio that they were doing a program on a MASH unit on CBS and I just knew it had to be your unit. What other MASH unit could be this distinguished, right? The fighting is getting rather severe as they tell us but Big Mac is still going strong. I wish they decide to end it soon and I get to see you again. I still cannot believe that I was lucky enough to escape getting drafted in two wars. I wish you had my luck. But hell...
I watched the show on TV and saw you again. It made me so happy to see you smile and talk. It has been such a long while. I am glad I bought the TV well in time. I liked your friend too. He seems like a nice guy. Quite unlike Trapper, I must say, but just as friendly. And your CO seemes like the reasonable guy you tell me about. I still have problem picturing him painting though. The guy would be at home in trenches or farms or even rodeos but painting? Army is sure full of weirdness! And I could not believe Klinger. I figured he would never let go of this opportunity to earn his section eight but he was wearing a uniform. The man isn't half as smart as I had pegged him to be. And that kid with glasses, Radar. I could see his dirty glasses even through the TV screen. Your unit chaplain seems very unorthodox. I think I might like him. You have one hell of an interesting group around you,Ben. Now, I can picture every word of your letters. I owe Clete Roberts a thank you.
You seem to have lost weight. And I could see you were exhausted. Please take care of yourself. I will need you to take care of me when I grow old, say in forty years time?
Autumn is here and the leaves have all turned into the beautiful fiery shades of what makes Maine, Maine! Anyday now, and the trees will be bare and soon enough, snow and winter will be here. I need to get the boiler fixed before it gets cold here. And the storm windows. I could use your help right now. Let me know if you want me to send you something warm. I remember how unprepared you were last winter and the time you got the package, it was already spring.
Last week, I was out raking fallen leaves from front yard when I saw this new neighbor. She has moved into the house the Stuarts used to live in. You remember Stuarts? Their son always followed you around and you followed their daughter? Well, they moved out last spring. I think I told you about that in one of my letters. They had decided to move to Florida. Who wants to leave Maine for Florida? There's not even a comparison! But then, the world is full of stupid people and now, Florida is richer by two.
Anyway, so, as I was telling you, I was raking the leaves and she passed by. Nice looking girl. Her husband died in world war two and she has no children of her own. Her husband was from Maine and wanted to move back here after they retired. Poor fella, never made it. He was from Muscongus Bay area. You know the place I think. So she was driving there and saw our town and fell in love, just like your mama. Not with me, mind you. I don't seem to share your luck with women. But she did fall in love with the town. The town is looking pretty pretty right now. No wonder she fell for it. I have seen her a couple of times. She seems like a nice girl. We talked about wars and her husband and your mother and then, you. She saw you on TV as well. She does not have a TV so I had invited her. She had heard a lot about you from me and other people she has met in town. And I wanted to show her my son. I think she likes you.
Boy, this letter has gone rather long. Let me know what's new and everything you wanna say. I miss you everyday and cannot wait to see you again, and in person, God willing.
Please take care and keep your father free of worries. I am growing old and need you more than you know.
Take care, Ben!
Love,
Dad.
He had written this letter too tentatively. And he had lied. No way he could have seen this lady only twice. But then, he just may have. But introducing your son on a second date? Thats advanced even by my standards! And a son like me? I hoped I did not disappoint him. Or scare her! That warranted a chuckle but I just smiled since BJ was nodding off.
I reread the letter again. I missed dad. I missed the time we spent together. The jokes, the fun. I also remembered when it really started for me. That was also, incidentally, the first time he told me about a nice lady who might have liked me.
Mom had been gone for two years. Dad was busy with work. I had school. Billy was home for his last summer before he left for college and kept regaling me with the possibilities that opened up for a man after high school, girl-wise. I was probably in seventh or eighth grade. I was growing older, smarter. I was entering manhood! Under Billy's watchful guidance of course. Girls looked cuter. Getting taller was a huge priority considering Billy had already touched the six foot mark. He kept annoying me by messing my hair and calling me kid and shorty. He did not appreciate my beard or the fact that I was ready to shave in a few days time. He called it fuzz and made baby noises around me. Good thing he was going to college. Now I could use things I learned from him over a period of a lifetime. Everynight I went to bed hoping not to have a pimple on my face in the morning.
Me and dad kinda slipped into this routine of avoiding each other and staying out of each others way. Sure we talked and went fishing over weekends but with mom gone, there were quieter dinners and he would go to his books and journals and me to mine. It was never uncomfortable between us. That was a fact. But it wasn't like before either.
Things changed during that fall!
One day dad dropped a bombshell.
It was not even a drop.
I saw him!
That was not possible. Old men did not date women. They were not supposed to do that! And what about mom? Had he already forgotten her? How could he do that to her? And to me? She would take him away from me. She was pretty. I just knew it. And then what? What would I do?
I did not fight. I did not scream. I did not yell. Nothing like that. I did not do anything. I did not have to do anything. I just went to the pond where me and mom used to walk and throw stones. I just sat there for hours on everyday. There was no point talking to him. He and I were not close anymore. And he never knew that I knew.
He missed mom and home reminded him of her. I knew it. That fall, his routine changed suddenly. He started coming home a little late once or twice a week. He seemed to be happy. I investigated! Small town, I saw his car parked outside the only restaurant we had. And I rode on my bike past the window everyday he was not home at his usual time. It was the same lady everytime. That same pretty, blonde lady. She was not from the town. Would she make him leave Crabapple Cove? I thought so. Not everybody was like mom. Not everybody loved this place like she did.
And then he came home early one day. It was his usual day out. I was glad he was home early. It meant she had gone away. And he won't embarrass me anymore by dating again. And he would not leave Crabapple Cove! But that was not the case.
"Hawkeye, I have a guest coming over tonight. I am going to make dinner and you get washed up and cleaned up. Alright?"
"Guest? That blonde lady from restaurant?" I asked him. And his expression changed. Now that I remember that night, I think it was more of guilt and sadness. At that time, I figured it to be anger and something else that I could not put in words. Something like defiance. Against me! And mom!
"Yes. The same. You seem to know about her, I gather. Now be a good kid and wash up. I have told her a lot about you. We don't want to disappoint her, right?"
"I am not a kid! And I have to go for basketball practice today. I did not know you would be here so soon." And with that, I left.
And that was that. That dinner never happened. Neither did she find out what kinda boy I really was.
That was the day dad tried to speak his mind for the first time. And that was the day he stopped doing it altogether. And that was the day he made me talk about what I thought. It was strange. And I liked it. I had finally reclaimed one parent. He was always there to hear me out after that. And now, again, it was like it had been nineteen years ago. He wanted to know what I thought. He wanted to know what a lonely twelve year old boy thought about his father dating another woman. Nothing had changed for him from that day onwards.
I wished it had!