Unexpected Turns

First Turn

January 18, 1943

Last month Jerry and Dick turned 17 years old. This is why Dick has made up his mind to do the most stupidest thing ever.

Dick wants to join the army.

World War II had been going on for a couple years now and it has gotten worse and worse. I don't like to think about such things since they are sad and don't affect me as much when I don't think about it. But now it's all I think about.

Dick has already tried entering the army but they declined him claiming he's too skinny and needs to gain weight. For the first time, his weight has helped him. However, now he's stacking up on bananas to gain weight. One after another he would stuff them in his mouth.

"You'll never get big off of bananas," I always tell him.

"Watch me," he always replies.

And I did. Watching as he slowly gained weight. A 6 ft man weighing 140 lbs becoming a 6 ft man weighing 185 lbs.

-

He actually did it by the end of the year. 1944 he was scheduled to leave Illinois and I couldn't handle it. It was four months away and I decided to try to convince him otherwise or join the army's nurses.

I went over to his house and sat with him at his spot. He was looking at pictures of army men and showing me them.

"Like the uniform?" he asked with a smile, "Charlotte does."

There he goes again about Charlotte.

"Girls like guys in uniforms. Isn't that right," he asks jokingly.

"I don't," I replied, "you realize the army is no joke. How could you be so stupid to not see that you can die doing this. You're joining and you're not even drafted, I don't want you to go voluntarily. You're not going," I finally said, "and that's final."

"Stop," he said, "you don't control me, you don't own me, and you sure as hell don't get to decide anything for me."

I pressed my lips together.

"I know you're scared but this is my decision, not anyone else only mine. Understood?"

"No. I don't want you to risk your life. You're too young, Dick, to die."

"And how do you know I'm going to die? You don't know what will happen to me. No one knows, not even I. You can't just assume. I know war is not something funny or fun or even a good experience. Many people die and if I end up dying, at least I will die with the fact that I died for this country. To me that is as important as you are."

I smiled, "as me?"

"Yes. I want you to know, before the four months pass, I still like you a lot. Charlotte is a good distraction, believe me, but she is not you. As much as I talk about her, I talk twice as much about you to her. I know I can't ever have you, and Jerry is much more precious to you than I am, but that doesn't mean that I have to stop liking you. I can't just turn my feelings off even if I wished that many times over."

"God, Dick, as sweet as that is, you have a girlfriend who likes you a lot. Don't go around saying those things to girls, it's just not right," I advise.

"Sorry," he apologizes, "I just had to say it."

"It's okay. But you know what I'm going to do?"

"What?"

"I'm going to be a nurse for the army!"

He smiled, "you're joking right?"

"Why would I joke about this, I'm serious. I'm not going to let you go by yourself, and if you need treatment I'll be there to serve you," I smile, "I'm not doing this for you only, I'm doing this for the soldiers who fight for this country."

"Do whatever you want," he says, "you don't control you. Besides it would be great to have you around and visit you on free time. If soldiers get any."

-

"Did you just say you're going to be an army nurse?" Jerry yells.

"Yes," I mumble, uncomfortable by his yelling.

"No, I forbid you to," he orders.

"What do you mean forbid, you don't have the right to forbid me to do what I want. You have no possession over me," I snap.

"As your future fiancé I do," he slides his hands over his face, "what are you thinking! You can die!"

"And your brother?"

"My brother not only is stubborn but an idiot. He wants to go towards the danger and won't let anyone talk him out of it. Now, I'm not going to let you do the same thing."

"It's not like I'm going to die, I'm not the soldier."

"But you house the soldiers that are injured and get them back up to fight, if I was an enemy the one thing I would want is for them to not get back up. Who saying they won't massacre the nurses or bomb the place."

"We are under great protection."

"Not good enough."

He grabs my hand and tightens it.

"You can't leave me alone."

"Join him," I suggest.

"I find my life precious, I'm not going to give it up like he's going to," he replies.

"I want this, Jerry, more than anything."

"You're doing it for Dick-"

"No, I'm doing it for me," I interrupt, "I want to help people, I want to do what I can for the unfortunate people who got injured in war for us."

"So what are you going to do about me? Alone, at home."

"I'll mail you letters. I'll think about you everyday. I'll take a picture of you with me and kiss it every night, like a nut in love," he laughed, "and I'll be wishing you were with me."

"I'm going to be so depressed without you around," he sighs.

"I will be too, but I have a solution to that."

"Oh yeah, what?"

"The thought of the future ahead. Me being Ms. Richard-Reynolds, our little Jerry's and Mary's running around the house. And Dick taking care of them as they grow up, as a godfather," I smile at the thought.

"I love you," he whispers.

"I love you too," I whisper back and place a kiss on his cheek.