Me and Charley

28. September 1967

I wish I could say that everyone involved in the drama of that time lived happily ever after. Robbie enlisted in the Army the day after he graduated from high school in the class of '66. Fifteen months later he was killed in Viet Nam. When the officers who bore the awful news had left, Aunt Letty went to her room and curled up on her bed. She wouldn't move or speak to anyone. Uncle Bob called Reverend Bob and asked him to tell Mom. It was a Friday morning and as it happened Mom was off that day. Mr. Bob called the village school to have Ms. Rhoda come with him to our house. After breaking the news he left Ms. Rhoda with Mom while he drove to the middle school in Lachaine, where Charley and I were now in eighth grade, to tell us and bring us home. I felt terrible, but Charley was downright inconsolable. Mom had asked Mr. Bob to stop at Grandpa's and tell him, and he came out to our house with us.

We wept for quite a while and found ourselves sitting in stunned silence when the phone rang. It was Uncle Bob wanting to know if anyone had heard from Doug. The principal of Doug and Paul's school had told them and brought them home, dropping them off at their driveway. Doug told Paul to go on in, he'd be along in a minute. Apparently Doug never entered the house and no one knew where he was. Uncle Bob begged Reverend Bob to come and help them with the funeral and all. Mr. Bob explained that he couldn't possibly get there until Sunday evening but he would surely come then.

With help from Charley, Mom and I spent Saturday getting ready for the houseful we would host overnight Monday for Robbie's burial the next day. It was a welcome distraction from the sorrow that hung over us. Right after the Sunday church service Charley, his parents and I got into the McDougalls' Suburban. We stopped at Grandpa's to pick up Grandpa and Mom, who had gone to Grandpa's place ahead of us, and we set out for Ohio. The funeral service would be the next morning in the gym of the school where Robbie had graduated fifteen months before. Doug was a senior there, and Paul a sophomore. On the morning after that Robbie would be brought to the village cemetery to be buried in our family plot.

We arrived a little after six-thirty in the evening. Paul came out to meet us in the driveway, limping heavily. Each of us gave him a silent hug and he led us into the house, where Uncle Bob sat in the living room, looking stunned. He rose to greet us, hugs all around again. Then he said "Paul, I'm sure they're hungry. Find something for them to eat from what the church ladies sent. Jane, will you come up with me and see if Letty will talk to you?"

"Sure, Bob," Mom replied. Grandpa took his pipe from his pocket and went out front to smoke. Mr. Bob went with him.

Ms. Rhoda said, "Paul, I'll help you in the kitchen."

"Thanks," Paul said. "I'm really not much of a cook."

"And I see your hip is bothering you," said Ms. Rhoda. "You park yourself on that step stool and tell me where things are. Charley and Trey, set the table, please."

"OK, Mom," Charley said. He'd been uncharacteristically ill at ease and seemed glad for something to do. We did our familiar drill, I brought stuff to the table and he set it out. In a few minutes we had produced a simple meal of reheated pasta with meat sauce and salad, just as Mom and Uncle Bob came downstairs and Grandpa and Mr. Bob returned from the yard.

Ms. Rhoda asked, "How'd she seem?"

"It's pretty serious," Mom said. "I couldn't get any response. She's been taking water through a straw if it's pushed into her mouth, but she hasn't eaten anything. She may need to be hospitalized."

"We can address that tomorrow," Uncle Bob said. "We just need to get through the service."

Mom said, "I'll stay the night here and see if there's anything to be done."