Chapter 3

I was so anxious to be coming home that it had worn me out. Sitting in the comfortable back seat of the big Lincoln lulled me to sleep in an instant. I sensed the car had stopped and woke up and saw Connie’s and Colette’s faces looking at me. I smiled and said, “I’m just like a kid. Make me comfortable in a car and I go right to sleep.”

I looked out at what I knew was home, and the only thing I could see that had changed was some of the landscaping. A short, heavy set Cuban lady came hurrying toward the car as I opened the car door. I had barely gotten out of the car when Juanita hugged me to her and almost sobbed because she was so happy to have me home. I said, “I missed you too, Nita. It is good to be home,” to the lady who had watched after me for so many years.

Colette had also got out and gave me a hug before saying, “I have to leave because I have a pickup to do. I’m happy to meet you and look forward to seeing more of you, Chuck. I might see you later.”

We watched Colette drive the Lincoln around the brick drive and out to the street before I turned toward the house. The place looked well cared for with all the hedges trimmed, and flowers in the beds around the sidewalk and house.

A very short, dark-eyed, dark-haired girl who looked to be about thirteen was standing at the doorway with a smile that made you feel welcome. Juanita had hold of my arm and stopped to tell me, “Meet my helper, Isabel. She looks like a teenager, but she’s almost your age. She still doesn’t speak good English, but she’s learning.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Isabel. I’m sure we will have plenty of time to get to know each other.”

Juanita asked me, “Are you hungry? Can I make you something, or would just some fruit be enough?”

Connie told Juanita, “Chuck is used to three heavy snacks a day between his meals. Just look at how skinny he is. We need to put some weight on him.”

I said, “It’s already past noon, so I’ve missed my morning snack and it’s past time for lunch; how about some soup and a sandwich?”

The older Cuban lady said, “Ah, you’re still the always hungry growing boy. I always wondered how you could eat so much and stay so slim. Isabel and I will get some lunch ready. Come sit in the kitchen with us while we fix lunch.”

Connie asked, “You need some clothes. Didn’t you have anything except your Army clothes? Oh yes, not Army clothes, Marine clothes.”

“I didn’t need civilian clothes where I was, and never really needed them when I was back in the States. I was usually busy with training, so I wore uniforms. I didn’t have a lot to schlep around when I moved from place to place that way.”

“You sure don’t sound very exciting. Didn’t you want to go into the local towns to meet girls or to go to the bars?” Connie was just staring at me like I had really missed something.

“You know most bases have enlisted men’s and NCO clubs that you can go to for a drink or get a nice steak. There are also a lot of military women who go to the clubs as well. You didn’t have to go to town where all the skuzzy women were. I know too many guys who picked up some bad stuff by fooling around with the townies. I used to go to the clubs for a beer and often a steak about once a week. I was usually busy studying or resting for training the rest of the time.”

Connie asked, “What were you studying? Is there that much stuff to learn as a soldier?”

“There is, Connie, but I’ve been taking courses from the American Military University and have almost finished my Bachelor’s program. I have to finish the two classes I’m taking now and I’ll have fulfilled the requirements. I can transfer my credits if I want to get a Masters since they’re recognized by all major universities.”

My aunt acted stunned, and said, “And I thought you military guys were probably slow. I guess there’s more to being a soldier than crawling around in mud and shooting.”

That had me laughing as I wondered how many people had the same attitude. I told Connie, “The men in uniform are some of the sharpest there are. Many just didn’t have the option of going on to a major college or university. I don’t know about the other services, but I can tell you that the Marine Corps doesn’t have a bunch of dumb robots to do what they do. A Marine has been through months and possibly years of training to do their duty. I’ll miss that level of dedication.”

Juanita slid a bowl of black bean soup in front of me and then brought a pressed Cuban sandwich the way I liked it. A meal fit for a king, or at least for me.

“Thank you, Juanita and Isabel. This is perfect and just what I have really missed. There aren’t many places to get a real Cuban sandwich, and they don’t press it to give that last little bit of goodness when you do get one.”

The four of us ate and chatted about their day to day activities. Connie said, “Chuck has to go to a gym every day so that he can do his two hours of physical therapy. We need to go pick up some workout clothes since they didn’t give you what you were using at the hospital. We’ll go to the mall real quick to get you some starter stuff. You need everything from inside out.”

I’ve always disliked clothes shopping, and it was so easy to go to a base uniform supply for everything you needed. You knew your size and you knew what you bought would fit. You didn’t have to decide what would go with what or what color you wanted. You didn’t have to try anything on; just buy it, wash it, and wear it. Even the workout or PT clothes were the same along with sport socks and the issued tennis shoes.

Connie asked, “Do you know your sizes now? I was told you lost a lot of weight, so you may not know your new sizes. The other thing is to keep in mind that you will probably fill out again, so we’ll only get some basics for now. The things that won’t change will be your undies, T-shirts, socks, and shoes. We’ll fix you up, Chuck.”

I wondered who the ‘we’ were.

I should have known. Dora came in the front door as Connie and I were ready to go. She brought two knockout babes in who she introduced as Beth, a fire-headed wet dream, and Gabby, someone who you wanted to think of as an air-headed blonde. Both of these girls came close and hugged me, kissing me on the cheek, and telling how great it was to finally meet Dora’s ‘magic’ brother.

I wonder what ‘magic’ I made. I don’t remember any.

Dora whispered in my ear as I was hustled out the door, “I wanted to help you get some clothes, and the girls wanted to be a part of this. Get used to it, Bro; these two are my personal and business partners.

A stretch limo that began its life as a Hummer was outside our front door. The delectable Colette was standing next to it. She grinned as she waved toward the open passenger door that she was holding open. Gabby said, “Don’t you just love to have a real chauffeur-driven limo to haul you around. We never have good enough reason to use Colette this way, but you’re our ticket, Chuck.”

I sat in the back between Connie and Dora, with the two gorgeous women, Beth and Gabby, sitting in the backward facing seats opposite us. Gabby offered, “We have a bigger version of this that will hold up to ten people. We also have several smaller specialty Mercedes to transport customers.”

What the fuck kind of business could these babes be in to own a fleet of expensive cars complete with chauffeurs?

Beth leaned toward me, and said, “We have five chauffeurs, but Colette is our favorite and lives with us. She knows all our secrets. She’s also our best bodyguard. All the chauffeurs are experienced security people. We hire good-looking women because we like to keep a customer’s interest up.”

I think this is going to be an interesting reunion with my sister.

My Aunt Connie, my sister, Dora, and her two roommates, Beth and Gabby, and I were riding in a Hummer limousine, heading toward a nearby mall that had what the girls felt would be clothes to get me started as a civilian.

We were probably a spectacle as four gorgeous specimens of the female variety were escorting an average guy in Military BDUs. The four steered me into a Nordstrom’s and straight to their men’s department. They were immediately trying to get me to try on a suit coat. I shook my head, and told the girls, “Look, I’ve lost over forty pounds and will probably gain a lot of it back as I fill back out. I was still my usual six three, two hundred pounds, but not all muscle from being in the field all the time before I was hurt. Look at me now; I’m only a hundred sixty pound weakling who only needs some basics for right now. I promise to let you girls dress me up when I’m back up to looking like I did.”

I turned to the salesman, and told him, “I apologize but I’ve just been medically retired from the military and need to put some weight back on before making an investment in nice clothes. I’ll be back. If you have something like Dockers or some casual slacks, some decent knit shirts, and maybe an inexpensive sport coat, that would be good. I need everything else like socks, undies, belt, and some comfortable shoes too. I’m also in the market for some workout shorts, T-shirts, and gym shoes.”

The man’s smile told me that he had everything I needed and realized I was trying to please the women following me as well as myself. I soon had a couple of pair of Dockers, along with two pair of dressy off the rack slacks, a half dozen short sleeve knit shirts, four three packs of nice knit boxers, four three packs of nice long T-shirts, a pile of socks, including some white cotton, a couple of belts, some workout shorts, workout shoes, and two pair of very nice dress shoes. The attentive salesman brought me a nice sport coat that went with the slacks we picked out. I was surprised that the coat fit perfectly.

I was handing the salesman my debit card when we checked out, but my sister pulled my hand down and gave the man hers. Dora said, “You know you’re going to work for the club, so your clothes are on us. Let us buy our Marine some nice civvies.”

Beth held onto my arm, and told me, “We want to take care of Dora’s big brother, so let us pamper you for right now.”

I saw a stack of jeans as I was standing there, and walked over to them. I asked the salesman, “What size jeans should I get?”

The man came over to me and said, “Since you said you’re going to fill out, go to Sears, and get some Lee jeans that will be a third of what these cost. You won’t feel so bad when you give them to the Salvation Army, and I like them better than those we have.”

The man was ecstatic for our business and accompanied us out the door. He pointed across the mall and told me, “Sears is right there. Walk straight through to the men’s department and look for something in a thirty or thirty two inch waist with a thirty six inch inseam. I hope you find your size.”

It took the girls less than five minutes to find several pairs of jeans in the suggested sizes. I tried one of the thirties on, but realized I wouldn’t be that size long. I opted for the thirty-two inch waist and bought a broader belt that would work better with the denims.

I expected the girls to want to wander the mall looking for something that they might want, but they hustled me right back to the front of the mall where Colette had the Hummer limo parked with the door open for us. Connie leaned over to tell me, “Dora called Colette to tell her that that we were ready to leave.”

We drove by a Steak and Shake on the way home where I insisted on using the drive through to get a big vanilla malted milkshake. This was exactly what I needed for my afternoon snack. The girls didn’t join me because they were probably watching their figures. I figured I’d help watch them too.

I would have fallen asleep on the way home if I didn’t have the shake to snack on. My body was still recovering and telling me that I need an afternoon nap. It was almost past supper time when the girls all gave me a hug and told me they had to get to the club. That was definitely someplace I wanted to visit. I wondered what kind of job they thought I might be good at.

The evening meal was some roast pork with yellow rice and more black beans. Juanita said Isabel made some of the best black beans she had ever tasted. I know that I sure enjoyed them.

This day had been long, so I asked Connie, “How about taking me to a nearby gym in the morning so that I can begin working out here. We’ll go after breakfast, but you don’t have to work out with me. I just need someone to get me around until I get a car. I’ll also have to get a Florida driver’s license. Man, there’s a lot to do to be a civilian again.”

Connie told me, “Go up to your room and rest. The girls will probably have coffee ready when you wake up in the morning, so just come back down.”

Juanita said, “Isabel and I will wash your workout clothes and leave them in your bathroom. We’ll also wash your other clothes, but we’ll wait to put them away when you’re up and out of bed. Goodnight, Honey, we’re sure happy you’re home.”

Connie handed me what looked like a small bankbook as I began heading for the stairs. It had the name ‘Fermin Investments’ on the front, so I just took it upstairs without opening it.

My clothes came off fast. I hung them up, put my undies and socks in the clothes hamper, and my boots in the closet. I should probably wash my BDUs, but they were a hell of lot cleaner than they usually were. I was going to look for PJs but the bed looked too inviting, so I slid beneath the sheets and that was all I remember.

My military and hospital schedule didn’t match my home’s schedule. I felt refreshed and rested when I woke just before six. I shaved and brushed my teeth before finding my workout clothes and putting them on. I went downstairs to the kitchen to see if there was coffee brewing. I checked the pot and it was set up, but not on. I turned it off the scheduled start and switched it on to ‘Brew’. I looked out at the jungle my mom had created to encircle the pool while standing in the kitchen. There were trellises with various climbing vines to give complete privacy all around the pool. I was going to use that pool for some additional exercise. The first thing I needed was to begin running and to use a gym with weights to build up my strength. I knew how to do that because I had been a string bean when I joined the Marines and built my body up into something I was proud of. I was already beginning to get my abs back, so it wouldn’t be long before I would be showing some muscles again.

I thought I might try jogging on the street for a while after a cup of coffee. This was a highbrow area, so I would probably be seeing several others jogging and running in the fresh morning air. I only ran about twenty minutes away from the house before turning around and going back. I had run at a pace that was faster than I had been running on the treadmills in the hospital physical therapy room. It felt good to run harder, but I didn’t want to hurt anything either.

Isabel was busy cutting up fruit when I came back into the kitchen for another cup of coffee. She asked, “Is the coffee too strong?” as I poured a mug. “Juanita and I like strong coffee, and Connie drinks tea or Coke in the mornings.”

“I like Juanita’s coffee, so make sure she makes the coffee as strong as she likes.” I had picked up a couple of pieces of melon that Isabel had cut and told her, “I used to get up with Juanita early in the morning before school and sneak pieces of fruit while she cut it up. This is almost just like that.”

Isabel told me, “Juanita has told me how you were always in the kitchen looking for snacks. We will be making several types of snacks for you today, so there will always be something for you to eat. We will help you gain weight again.”

Juanita came into the kitchen and gave me my morning hug as if I hadn’t been gone for eight years. She asked Isabel, “Has Chuck been stealing the fruit you’re cutting about as fast as you can cut it? He used to do that to me too.”

Isabel softly answered, “He hasn’t taken it all, but he can eat a lot by just taking a piece or two at a time.”

Juanita advised, “The best way to handle him is to make him a bowl of instant oatmeal and that will hold him until everyone can sit down for breakfast.”

Connie came into the kitchen and asked, “What in the world is going on at seven o’clock in the morning. You guys are jabbering around while I’m trying to get my beauty sleep. You know my body clock is a lot different than yours. My life’s schedule doesn’t begin until about noon. Chuck has me all mixed up after going up to DC to get him. I have to get back to my regular cycle if I’m going to make a living. Maybe I should use that other big bedroom upstairs and Chuck can use the master down here.”

“Sorry, Connie, I didn’t think about your usual lifestyle. It’s not every guy who has a foxy aunt in your line of work.”

Connie hugged me and asked, “Does my line of work bother you? You know I only date a select few, and I’ll sometimes take one of their referrals when the girls at the club are overbooked.”

I poured Connie some coffee, but she waved it off and pulled a small can of Coke from the fridge. I was in need of a fresh cup, so I sipped the coffee. “You still make good coffee, Juanita. I really missed having your coffee while I’ve been gone. This stuff will get me running again.”

Isabel asked, “Didn’t you run this morning? I thought I saw you take off down the street and then come back.”

“Ha, ha, ha, ‘get me running again’ is a figure of speech, Isabel. It’s my body that needs to get going again.”

Isabel turned to me and waved the fruit cutting knife at me, “Call me ‘Izzy’ like all the other Americans do. I like that name. It sounds friendly and not so formal.”

I stood, hugged Isabel, and said, “I like ‘Izzy’ too. You’ll be my Izzy.”

The tiny girl was almost red from blushing when I released her, and just stood there in shock that I would hug her. Juanita saw her distress, and put her arm around her for a quick hug. “You’ll have to get used to Chuck. He’s a very loving boy, or rather man now, who likes to show you he likes you by giving you hugs.”

Izzy was still blushing, and said, “No man has ever hugged me like that before. My family was all gone and when I was able to get on the boat that got me here, I had to fight men off who wanted more than a hug. Your mother saw me at the center, Chuck, and asked me to come help Juanita. I will learn to enjoy your hugs and hope I can hug you in return.”

Juanita came by me and elbowed me in the stomach, “Be careful of our tiny woman, because she’s about to explode with her love of all her fellow men and women.”

Connie asked, “Okay, now that I’m up, what are you going to do after breakfast?”

I began with, “I want to go to a nearby gym where I can go to for my physical training everyday first. I want to find a car and go to the State office for a driver’s license next. I’ll be worn out and need food and a nap by that time. I want to go to the VA hospital to sign up for regular outpatient care over the next few days, and then check out what Dora and her buddies have in store for me to see if it’s something that I want to do.”

Connie said, “I’ll go to the gym with you. You and me, Nephew; we’ll work out together every day. You’ll be on the same schedule as me if you work with the girls, so we can get along easier. I still think I’ll move upstairs in the other master bedroom. You move down here into the big bedroom since you like to get up early. It’s actually the same size as the other one, so it will be perfect if you continue to get up at the crack of dawn every day.”

Connie took a sip of her coffee, and said, “I’ll call a car dealer I know to see what kind of deal he might make you. You need a Caddy or Mercedes to blend in with all those South Beach people.”

“How about I check out the used market and get transportation first, Connie, and then see what I might want to drive instead of spending a fortune on a car? Will the neighbors freak if I drive a three or four year old Ford in here?”

Wagging her head back and forth, Connie said, “You’re just like your dad. He was always buying cheap used cars, driving them for a year or two, and then trading them off on another used one. You’re young and vibrant, Chuck. You need some flashy wheels to connect with some of the really sweet talent down in the South Beach area clubs.”

“How much value would some girl be who measures a guy by his car? We live in a nice part of Miami, and that would impress some people, but many put too much emphasis on what car you drive. I’d rather attract someone to me for me instead of what I’m not.”

Connie came to me and sat on my lap. She hugged me and kissed me more intimately than someone I could have been engaged too. The woman said to me, “You are so pure and so loving. I want to be around you and you could be the reason that I start staying home at night. Let’s see what happens.”

That sounded a little incestuous to me, but then she was only my mom’s baby sister.

Connie and I went nearby to a gym after eating what I considered a light breakfast, where she introduced me as a direct family member and said that our fees shouldn’t increase since I would be taking up Dora’s use of the facilities. I think the owner wanted me to pay the initiation and all that, but Connie had a point. We did have a family membership, and I was family. I later found out that Juanita and Isabel both used the gym too, so we did get our use of it.

I worked at my physical therapy regime for a solid two hours until I was ready to drop. This was the way it was supposed to be as it would quickly get me back to normal activities. I saw there was a dojo next door that advertised strength training as we left the gym. I convinced Connie to come in with me.

We were met by an Oriental looking guy who was all smiles in his salesman mode. I explained my last year and how I had become weakened and needed to become agile and nimble once again.

The man understood and asked, “Can you forget your Marine training until you’re trained to hold back the blow that will maim or kill your opponent? I will work with you to teach you how to spar without injuring your opponent if you will come in early every day. I’m a Marine and understand your training. I want to be your Master.”

How neat that I had found someone who understood the training I had been given and how ingrained that training was. I had to unlearn some, and learn other new things. Being a civilian has its limits.

Connie asked me, “Are you really that dangerous?” as we left. “Can you really hurt someone with your bare hands? Are you even safe around regular people?”

“Connie, Love, I think I can answer yes to your three questions. The only one to be concerned about is your last. I can be safe to be around others. Watch me, know me, learn from me, and see how my training keeps me within the bounds of a civilian world. I was trained to protect and defend, not to be the aggressor unless it was to fulfill a mission.”

My beautiful aunt said, “It’s almost as if the Marines should send you to de-programming to make you into a gentle person.”

“Let’s get home so that we can shower, have a snack, go get my driver’s license, and have time to look for a car. I know I can probably drive with my ID since they didn’t take it away from me, but I should get a regular license. I shouldn’t have let my old one expire.”

Connie said, “I have something to do this afternoon and evening. You can use my car for your errands. The only thing I can say is to watch the traffic. The streets are a madhouse sometimes.”

Izzy and Juanita had some chili made and warmed up. Juanita had some loose burritos made up using some refried beans, cheese, and chili in them. Juanita giggled when I reached for the hot sauce, and told Izzy, “See, I told you he would want to smother his food with hot sauce. He’ll probably fall in love with you since you like to make hot food. Make him something that will make him cry when he eats it, and he’ll follow you anywhere.”

The woman in a little girl’s body said, “I wish.”

I wasn’t tired and felt up to fighting the lines at the State office. There weren’t people lined up out the door, so that was encouraging. I remember that it was always funny to see the line of people trying to get into the office before I left. There was even a parking place, so I parked and went in. I was in regular clothes, jeans and a Marine T-shirt, I signed in. A guard asked if I was a soldier, so I whipped my ID out. He smiled at me, and said, “Welcome home, thanks for serving. Did you have a license here before?”

“Yes Sir, I just didn’t renew it as I was only back in the States for training and then right back over. I somehow didn’t think I might make it back, so I didn’t renew it. I guess I beat the odds and need a license now.”

The guard said, “Wait right here and I’ll see if someone can take you.”

He was gone less than thirty seconds and motioned for me to go to a counter where a short chubby Cuban girl was. She began asking me questions and filled a form out on her computer. We stopped long enough for her to give me the vision test, and then ask me to take one step to the side. She adjusted a camera and smiled at me, which made me smile. She took my picture. As she typed some more she asked, “Your former license said that you’ve been to motorcycle 1 and 2 schools. Do you want your new license to show that?”

I might want to ride again, so I said, “Sure.”

She made another note on her computer, and smiled at me. She said, “Thank you for serving. May I give you my card so that you can call me? I would enjoy spending time with a Marine.”

She was maybe a five, but a little short and heavy for me, but what a smile. She would be a fun date for a meal or maybe a movie, but I also knew that she might use her job as a way to meet a lot of guys. I accepted her card and she pointed to the back of it where there was a handwritten telephone number. In almost a whisper, she said “That’s my cell number. Call me; you won’t be disappointed.”

She pulled a laminated license from a machine with that, and handed it to me. It was still warm. She handed me some papers, and said, “Don’t forget to call me.”

I stopped to thank the guard on duty on the way out. He smiled and said, “You guys have to wait in lines for everything. I remember it well. It’s my job if I can make your life easier. Hope you enjoy your leave.”

I hadn’t thought of that. A guy could be back on leave and realize his license has expired. Most guys don’t understand your military ID will suffice for a driver’s license, so it isn’t a problem.

I remembered where all the car dealerships were located and headed that way. Connie was right as the traffic was very confusing. There were so many cars with out of state plates that you wanted to park somewhere and walk. It was downright dangerous to drive on the streets. I wondered if Dora could really hook me up with a dealer to get a car as I drove down the street looking at the various dealerships. I pulled over and used my cell phone.

I said, “Hey, Dora. I hope I didn’t catch you during a business meeting,” when she answered.

“No, Honey, I’m glad you called. What can I do for you?”

“I have my driver’s license now and want to buy a car. You mentioned that you might be able to introduce me to someone who could help. Is that real or should I dive into negotiating to buy something?”

“Don’t buy anything. We have some cars that need to be traded in, so let Beth, Gabby, and me work on it. Would a black Mercedes sedan be okay? We might be able to work a deal for you to get one of our cars that we are trading in.”

“That’s a little out of my league, Sis. Don’t you have any Fords, Chevys, or Dodges?”

“Sorry, Charlie, our cars transport very important people. You know VIPs? They also transport our escorts who are also very important people. We have at least one Cadillac, several Mercedes, and you’ve ridden in two of the Hummer limos. We should get one of the new Mercedes limos any day now. I’m going to love that one.”

“Earth to Dora, I’m looking for a car today that I can afford, Sis. Those Mercedes are probably all in the over hundred grand area. I’m thinking maybe a quarter of that. Shoot, I can buy a new car for twenty-five grand.”

“Let us get you a car, Chuck. You’ll have a car within your budget as soon as I tell Beth and Gabby what’s happening. Trust me, Honey. We’ll get it done.”

“I hope so, Sis.” She came back with, “Go home, eat some more, put on a pair of your nice slacks, one of those nice knit shirts, and your sport coat and I’ll have someone pick you up at five. You need to see the club. We girls are very proud of the place. You’re going to love working here.”

I suppose it won’t hurt to go along with them. I wasn’t sure about working there, but they did offer a way to make a living without having to hunt for a job. It was so strange to be chauffeured around the way the girls were. I drove into the garage just as a limo stopped at the front door. Connie was in the car going out onto the street before I could get there. Adios, Auntie.

Izzy grabbed me by the arm inside the house, and led me to the master bedroom on the first floor. She waved her arm, and said, “All your clothes are down here now. You’re right next to Juanita’s and my rooms, so we are nearby if you need something. This is your room now.”