Chapter 2

Nan—I heard Tim start vacuuming the spare room so I got up off the floor and found a plastic bag. Using it like a glove I gathered the used condoms up off the floor and took them out to the trash. Tim was finished with the vacuum cleaner so I used it to vacuum what was our bedroom. He stuck his head in and said he was leaving for the hotel and asked me to stop and pick up something for supper. That’s a good sign. At least he is planning on us having supper together and staying in the same room tonight.

I finished cleaning the house and locked the doors. I stopped and picked up some fast food, cheeseburgers, fries and milk shakes. I got a text that room 135 was in the back of the motel and on the ground floor. The door was open and I was glad to see there was just one bed in the room, a king! Maybe I could work this out. I decided to make this partly his fault. Maybe with a little luck I could get him to forgive me.

I went in and set the table for supper. Not much was said. No hello no kisses, nothing.

As we were eating he said, “Want to explain?”

“I was so lonely when you left for Africa. I cried for two days. Finally I pulled myself together and decided it would not be that long. Besides, you were not really in a war zone. You were teaching, like in a classroom. So I got it together and started planning our future together. One Friday morning I decided to go to the grocery store. As I was driving I remembered I needed gas. The car started bucking and stopped. I was out. I got out and opened the hood. There was no traffic but soon a guy on a motorcycle stopped and asked what the problem was. I explained I was out of gas and he said to get on and he would take me to a gas station. I did and it was exciting! I had never ridden on a motorcycle in my life. We borrowed a gas can from the station and returned to my car. I tried to pay him but he refused. Then I asked if he would let me buy him lunch and he agreed. We went to that Waffle House on highway 98. We talked for about 2 hours. He was from San Francisco. He was taking a break from college just riding around the country on his bike. He was half Irish and half Japanese. He had long black hair and to be honest he was very handsome. He was very intelligent and fun to be around. I made a mistake. I invited him to the house. Remember I was so lonely. I thought you would never know. He spent the weekend. I made him use condoms even though I was on the pill. I did not want to chance a STD of any kind. Monday morning he got on his bike and left. I have never seen or talked to him since. I promise. And about the condoms, he always got up and went to the bathroom I thought he flushed them. Why he dropped them behind that table I will never know. Also one more thing that table was in the corner up against the wall and the bed so I never moved it when I vacuumed. Please don’t let this affect us. I love you I was just lonely and you were so far away. I missed you so much.” I started crying. That worked!

Tim got up and took me in his arms. We showered together then laid on the bed. He made love to me three times that night. Then again in the morning before we left on that 12 hour drive to Memphis and the rest of our lives. He still loves me!

Tim—Yes, I still love her. Trust –never again. She fooled me completely for three months. And how much of that story is the truth and how much is left out? I decide that part of this is my fault. One of the reasons I did not want to marry until I was out of the Corps was the life of a Marine’s wife is lonely. A Marine is deployed a lot. There are un-accompanied tours of duty, like to Okinawa with 3^rd Marine Division. Really hard on a marriage. So me leaving her for 3 months had been the cause? Okay, I’ll buy that. Once. But from now on I will watch her like a hawk. (I believe that means very closely).