'’Preciate it, ma’am. And I’ll write back, tell you ’bout all them Japs and Jerries I get.'
The train steamed in on a billow of smoke and noise. They were at once relieved and sorry it had finally arrived. He touched her arm and moved toward the silver car with the black and white families and the Girl Scouts and the DAR ladies and the local reporter, all who politely nodded and called Miss Beasley by name.
The sun still shone in an azure sky pocked with bundles of clouds a shade darker than the smoke spouting from the locomotive. A flock of pigeons dropped down in a flurry of wings to settle on the baggage dray. The black family kissed their boy goodbye. The white family kissed theirs. The conductor said,
'I shall miss you,' she said, and for once her sternness was gone, the dry-pudding lines relaxed about her mouth.
'In my whole life I never had anybody to miss-now I got so many. Elly, the kids and you. I’m a lucky man.'
'If I were a sentimental woman I might say, if I had a son, and all that.'
'I imagine conductors these days get hoarse calling that word,' she ventured, and suddenly they pitched together, his book pressed against her back, her purse thumping his hindside. Immersed in her spicy scent, he closed his eyes a moment, thinking of how grateful he was that she’d come into his life.
'If you get yourself killed I shall never forgive you, Mr. Parker.'
'I know. Neither will I. Take care of yourself and I’ll see you when I get back.'
They lurched apart, searched each other’s faces-hers pruned to keep her from breaking down, his wearing a soft grin-then he kissed her swiftly on the mouth and spun for the steps of the waiting car.
Chapter 16
Feb. 26, 1942
Dear Elly,
I’m at Parris Island and the trip down wasnt bad. I had to change trains in Atlanta, and made it into Yemassee in late afternoon. Met there by marine corp recruit bus and rode it thirty mi. to the base, which is just outside Buford an ugly town I was glad I dint live in. Crossed a bridge and traveled thru a big marsh to get here. Yellow grass and birds by the hundruds you would love to see em. Met by our drill sergeant a big mean bull name of Twitchum and he right away starts laying it to us. He roars like a sonuvabee and says how we got to start and end everything we say with sir, like-sir request permission to speak sir-and he makes a couple recruits crinj and feel dumb and theres a few farm boys here from Iowa and Dakota who never saw anything but the back end of a horse, and they’re pretty big-eyed I dont know why they came to the marines but some think the armys the worst and would rather take the sea instead thinking to keep away from the front maybe. Them farmboys looked ready to jump the fence but Ive seen all kinds in prison, so boot camp’s nothing new. Twitchum he likes to make those farmboys scart. Kept em up till all hours making them learn how to make up a bed before they could sleep in it cause their mamas allways made theres up at home so they never lurnd how. Me I had five years of making up my own and plenty worse to pay if it wasn’t done right than around here. Twitchum he comes by and gives everybody the old eagle eye and he sees my bed done up good and stops with his nose so close to mine I could smell his snot and he says to me (testing me, see)-what’s your name boy and I says sir-Parker-William-Lee-sir, and he says to me-northerner or southerner? But Ive seen his kind before and Ive seen how he looks at those yankee farmboys and enjoys making them squirm and how he takes digs at the black boys and makes them squirm too so I says to him- sir-westerner-sir. He thinks about it a hen’s blink and barks-Bunk patrol every morning at 0-500 hours, Parker. You dont teach them farmboys how to do womens work and its your ass! So I reckon I got me a duty already. How about that. Miss Beasley gave me a fare-well book of poems and I gave her a kiss she din’t seem to mind They issued us our fatigues and blankets and toilet artikles and marched us in here to our barracks and half of em are laying here snivveling for home I reckon. Me I know theres worse places than this cause I been there. But I sure miss you green eyes and those babies and our bed. I ate the sandwiches and the pie on the train and they tasted real good and I probly never told you before but you make the best quince pie of anything. Lites out theyre saying so I have to end here and I’m sorry if this aint so clear my writing never was good cause I hated school and dint go much less they made me.
Your loving husband
Will
Dear Will,
I never wrote no letter before I don’t know how but its time I lurn don’t you think. We ate supper without you but the boys were frack fracshus (sorry I ain’t got no eraser) and I had trouble looking at your chair I kep wonderin where you were and if you had got there yet and if they fed you and give you a warm bed and all them things. And did miss Beasley come to the stashion like she said she would I can’t spell nor think clear on paper but feelings are a diffurnt thing and them I got aplenty I miss you so already Will and you been gone only today
This took me near an hour and it dont seem like much for so long but tomorr I’ll write more.
With love
Eleanor
Dear Will,
Your letter came and Parris Island sounds just awful I cried because I felt so bad for you like you are being brave on my account when you say it aint so bad there. I did
Dear Elly,
…I’m sending you my application for war bonds and insurance. Be sure to keep them in a safe place…
Dear Will,
I thot sure I’d get another letter from you Are you okay? Everyday when the mail comes I run down there and see if theres a letter in the box but there was only that one. Are you sure you are okay?…
Dear Eleanor,
I sure miss you green eyes and I would of writen before but they dont give us time we’re up at 0430 hours (that’s 4:30 in civvy time) and Twitchum wakes us up by kicking a shit can (that’s a trash can) down the squad bay and we hit the deck running. They give us each exactly three minuts in the latrine to shower and shave and you know what else if we got to and he’s in there barking like a mad dog all the time and the rest of the day its go go go till 0900 hours and then we get one hour of free time but it aint free cuz Twitchum comes in and makes us do drill or polish his boondockers (that’s boots here). So no time for writing till now.
I been what they called processed so I got no hair left kiddo and I look ugly as a coot with mange but it saves time in the morning and you don’t want no picture of anything this ugly. Anyways, they have’nt offered for us to get any pictures taken yet so maybe later. Also they fixed my teeth and gave me 7 shots in different places, four you- know-where. Ouch! Those needles could be a little sharper. In bed at night I think of you and the kids and your good cooking but the chow here ain’t as bad as I expected, better than in prison I can tell you. I don’t…
Ran out of time-mailing this on the run
Love,
W
