September 10th, 1952
It's been a whole four years since Eleanor and I got married. Problem is, I'm afraid I might lose her soon. She found out that, although she got me to stop drinkin', I've still been doin' other things, if ya know what I'm gettin' at. She told me to go to rehab, or she'd divorce me. I've been to rehab a couple times, been to psych wards, obviously the Army, but none of those help.
Soon as I get back home, that's the first thing I reach for. Sometimes I'll stay clean for just a little bit, but never long enough. My son is movin' down to North Carolina sometime durin' the summer of next year. He knows that I haven't stayed clean. Eleanor said she wouldn't tell Emily the whole truth as to why I'll have to go away for a little while, but she ended up tellin' her anyway. She's not a toddler, but I still think she's too young to know.
Emily's ten years old, and Edwin II is 15. I'd be upset that they won't be in high school with each other once Emily's old enough, but her mama decided to homeschool her, since she was gettin' picked on when she went to public school. I didn't wanna homeschool her, but we compromised – as long as Emily stuck to a routine, still got up early, and still got ready just as if she was goin' to public school, she could be homeschooled. She seems to be doin' well, but I can't help but feel like she's not gettin' the full extent of proper academic stimulation. Look at me usin' words that sound all fancy.
Her mama shows me her test grades at the end of each year, and she's ahead a few grades in almost all of her classes, except math. But still, I feel like she'd be doin' much better if she was in a public school settin'. But her mama always argues with me about that, so I just stay quiet.
Edwin II has blonde hair now. Said somethin' about dyin' it for baseball season. He still plays football and baseball, so hopefully I'll have time to go to a couple of his games when he's able to play at his new school.
Eleanor's gotten better since her daddy passed, but she's still not the same. And now, I've got to go away to some type of rehab or somethin'. I don't need it – I've got it controlled. I won't go, because I know it won't work.
As always,
– Edwin Myers
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The Soldier's Journal
Художественная прозаA young boy, Edwin Myers, enlists in the US Army in 1941, during the second World War. He's badly injured in the battle of Crete, which lands him in the field hospital. His weakened eyes seem to jolt back to life once they landed on Eleanor Francis...
