Chapter 1

I was just finishing my eighth year in the Marine Corps. I am Captain Tim Jones, 30 years old, married to a beautiful 22 year old strawberry blonde. I met her two years ago while on leave in my hometown. It was love at first sight for both of us but we waited until six months ago to get married. I wanted to get out of the Marine Corps first but I gave in to her urging and begging and married her with 6 months left in the Corps. I gave up a promising but dangerous career in the Corps for love. Looking back it was a mistake.

Everything went well. I was cruising towards my departure date when this blip in my plans came up. I was teaching a course at the Infantry School when “they” decided to send me to Africa for three months to train another nations Marines. In 20 years they would become our enemy and America’s sons would be fighting against the same people I taught. Politicians, I hate them.

I kissed her goodbye and said I would be back before Christmas. It was September and true to my word I was back the first week of December. I took leave over Christmas and New Year. We went home and found a condo close to where I hoped to be working. Everything was fine. My life was perfect. I had a good wife, I was promised a job in a profession I had studied for in college. Yup, I was going to live the dream.

Then there was another blip.

I had checked out of the Marines the day before and was at the house we had rented. I was watching as the movers packed and loaded our things into the moving van. In the bedroom I watched as the movers tore apart the bed. Nan (short for Nancy) my wife is in the kitchen watching some men pack things there. After they hauled the bed out to the truck the guys came back to get the bedside tables. The guy picked the table up and started to carry it out. He looked at me, shook his head and grinned. When I saw what he was grinning at I was dumbstruck to say the least. There on the floor were 10 dried up, used condoms! I was surprised! Why? Nan and I had never used condoms! She was on the pill. The men finished in the bedroom and started on the extra room. I shut the door and waited. When the truck was loaded and on its way to Memphis, I called Nan and opened the door to the bedroom.

“I am not cleaning this up.”

She grabbed her mouth and started to cry. “No, oh god no! She slumped to the floor.

“Please understand. It was a onetime fling. You were gone, it just happened. I love you, I was lonely, and it meant nothing to me.”

“Looks like it was more than just a onetime thing. I count 10 here on the floor.”

More crying.