the story before ‘us’, as told by my husband

during deployment my husband was able to take a college course, during which he wrote a narrative essay. Today is our 13th anniversary, but I’m having PRK surgery, so my fabulous husband is my special guest writer. Here’s his story that happened just before ‘us’. 

My Belief in Fate

I was on top of the world or so it seemed. I had just graduated from Parris Island, home of Marine Corps Basic training; I was out there on my own to take on the world. Shortly after, I married my high school sweet heart of three years. We were moving to Camp Lejeune, where I got stationed, to start our new life. I had my fate by the short hairs. And just as quick as I had it all, alone I sat. My lifetime vow was on her way back home. Maybe I didn’t wield that power of destiny as much as I believed. So where do you go from here, I pondered. I had a house full of furniture, and no one but the fish in the small aquarium to keep me company. On the meager pay check I made, downsize was the only option I had.

After flipping thru the classifieds for a few hours, I jumped in my original 1979 Pontiac Grand LeManns,  in the flavor of midnight blue, and ventured over to check out a room for rent. The homeowner was a southern boy with 80’s ballad rock hair, and a push broom mustache. Toby was his name, a divorcee who worked construction and had his kids for visits on the weekends. His house sat in a housing development 20 minutes from my employer with a fenced in yard, and a garage converted as an entertainment room. My bed room resided in the back corner of the house.

I enjoyed conversations with Toby. We shared stories as to what brought us to this point. The mending of my heart and pulling up from the nose dive fate had pushed me into began. I leaned on “Old No. 7” for some soul therapy. I spent many days of asking how could this happen? Was there no one in the world that was meant for me? Did my angel just fly away?

 

I decided I needed to get away from it all. As luck would have it a co-worker was scheduled to go to 29 Palms, CA for Combined Arms Exercise (CAX). His girl friend didn’t want him to go so I took one for the team and boarded that plane for anywhere but here. As a young Marine, my responsibilities in CAX were to help serve chow to all the hungry Devil Dogs out there training in the desert. While it might sound like horrible duty, I met some good people and had one of the best times of my life drinking beer from the desert dug “cooler holes” in the ground. Some of my favorite memories are buried out in that sand.

His name was Joe. He was country boy from just outside of Des Moines, IA. Combat engineering was his trade, and he worked next to me in the chow hall. We would spend afternoons wiping down tables and talking about “Life”. Joe had a friend, from high school in Iowa, that was moving to our home base in NC and needed temporary lodging. I phoned my landlord to see if the other room was available for rent. After some pleading, Toby agreed to move some things around and make room for our new guest.

Two weeks later I was back at home, getting back in to the swing of things, when Joe called.
“Hey my friend is on their way and will be there in the next day or so.”
I acknowledged and made sure there was room in the tooth brush holder. The next day I was lounging on the couch in my Corona boxers and wife beater enjoying a beer after work when there was a knock at the door. I couldn’t help but gasp as I opened the door; staring back at me were eyes so blue they had to be from an exotic ocean. Literally caught with my pants down, or off rather I hesitated, but came to my senses and invited her in.

It’s been thirteen years since I first starred into those dreamy blue eyes. The best part is I get to see them almost everyday. She shared those baby blues with our six year old son. We also have two girls that took her bright spirit and cuteness. We have moved around this great nation, from coast to coast, sharing the best thing I’ve ever had…. us. I still remember that day in North Carolina when I prayed for an angel to share this crazy thing we call ‘Life’ with. What I thought was a detour, or dead end, turned into the path fate had set out for me.