Morning arrived all too quickly. I ran my hand over to Bob’s side of the bed, only to discover that the sheets were cold. He must have been up for quite some time.
A ribbon of light peeped out from under the bathroom door. He was probably shaving. No point in bouncing out of this comfortable bed just yet. It felt so good to stretch and yawn that I lazily dozed off again for a few minutes — only to awaken to see Bob smiling down at me.
“You still snore,” he laughed. “Would you be interested in a couple of aspirins for your hangover?”
“What hangover? I’ve been waiting for you to get back into bed so we can continue where we left off last night….”
“Nice invitation, Laurel, but I’ll have to take a rain check. Room service will be bringing in breakfast any time now.”
“Okay, then after he leaves,” I laughed. I sat up and wiggled my feet into my slippers and shuffled into the bathroom. “Why did you get up so early?
“Just a habit, I guess.”
I could see he was busy rearranging the room, so we could have breakfast by the windows. Several people down on the sidewalk were waiting for rides or walking their dogs. It was early dawn and everything looked so clean and peaceful.
“You must be hungry,” I remarked, as he poured another glass of orange juice for himself.
He laughed and nodded. “The food is great, but if I continue eating like this, my uniform isn’t going to fit.” The threat, however, didn’t discourage him from eating. He finished the last of the sausage and poured a second cup of coffee.
After breakfast, Bob pulled the bench over to the window and we cuddled together, like two contented stuffed cats. I knew this would be a wonderful day and tried not to think about tomorrow, when we would have to leave all this glamour and freedom behind.
We marveled at the vastness of Central Park. Whoever thought a park of this size could exist in the heart of Manhattan! When the sun burst open over the rooftops, the trees caught the glorious sunrise in their dewy leaves, creating a collage of dangling jewels among the shadows. As the sun rose higher in the sky, the view seemed to take on all new and ever-changing dimensions.
Traffic began to pick up and people were hustling along the sidewalks and darting between cars. The city was coming alive.
“Judging from the way they are dressed, it must be cold and windy out there. March is probably going out like a lion…. It’s hard to believe that it’s spring already,” I mumbled.
“Don’t tell me you are afraid of cold windy weather. You’re a tough country girl,” Bob teased.
The concierge suggested a tour, which was good advice. The bus guide pointed out the landmarks and stopped occasionally to let us take pictures. We had the best seats on the bus — right behind the driver, who took a great interest in Bob. His son was stationed at Ft. Benning and he asked Bob if he knew Cpl. John Callahan. Bob said the name wasn‘t familiar but, if he came across his son, he certainly would tell him that he had met his dad. The driver beamed and thanked him.
“I think he will be going overseas soon,” the driver casually added. “Do you have any idea where he will be going?”
“I don’t even know where I’m going. It’s all classified information. Sorry I can’t help you.”
We left the tour at Rockefeller Center and had lunch at a deli that smelled of garlic, rye bread and dill pickles. We settled for matzo ball soup and split a pastrami on rye — a great choice.
“I really should get some exercise to stay in good condition,” Bob complained, as he ate the last of his sandwich. “I wish we could hike a little when we get back home, before I leave for camp. I can’t understand why your dad is so opposed to our dating. I’ve known him since I was a kid.”
“Maybe that’s the reason,” I laughed. You made a big mistake when you bragged about all your conquests. Dad has a great memory and probably, the first thing that went through his mind was — ‘not with my daughter he don’t ‘.”
Bob, with a silly smile on his face, agreed. “You are probably right.”
“For heaven’s sake, Bob, what in the world did you do? Have we done it?”
He just sat there with that silly grin. I could see the conversation was going nowhere, so I changed the subject. “If we hurry, we can still make the matinee at the Radio City Music Hall….or we can go back and walk around Central Park.”
“Let’s go to the park….that‘s a great idea! I‘m curious to see what it looks like from the ground level.”
The sun was beginning to set when we got back to the hotel.
“I enjoyed the walk, Laurel. It was just like old times. Exercise is very important for an infantryman. I keep in good physical condition, which you probably noticed.” He seemed a little proud of himself.
“Bob, is the army changing you or is this a side of you that I’ve never seen before?”
“I’m pretty sure you’ve seen all my sides,” he replied and laughed at his own sense of humor. “It has been a wonderful weekend, hasn’t it? We really should write a note to Clayton and thank him for his hospitality. Will you have time to do that?”
“What’s his last name?”
“His name is Carson….Second Lieutenant Clayton Carson. We have the same mailing address.”
“Suppose we just spend a quiet evening at the hotel tonight. I’d like to talk with you for a while before we leave. You probably suspected that I’ll be going overseas very soon and I’d wager a guess that I won’t be back until the war is over. These are our precious moments. I really don’t want to share them with the outside world.”
“I feel the same way….I don’t want to go out and push around with the crowds. Staying here is so much better. I’ll order something from room service and get into something warm and comfortable and sit by the fire. I am cold through and through.”
He nodded as he took off his uniform and hung it in the closet. I watched him move around in his khaki shorts and slip into his slippers and robe. He seemed surprised that I enjoyed watching his military striptease. He smiled, “Now it’s your turn.”
“Women aren’t as complicated as men….a zipper here, a garter there and voila tout,” I slipped into my robe and slippers and we sat on the rug before the fireplace with our feet to the fire. “Oh, that heat feels so good! By the way, I have a present for you,” I said as I pulled a small package from one of the pockets in my robe.
He removed the wrapping and opened the box. Inside the box were two smaller packages. “How many boxes are inside these two boxes?” he laughed.
He opened the smallest one first — a St. Christopher medal. I hoped he would be able to wear it along with his dog tags. The other gift was a small bible with a metal jacket to keep over his heart.
“Darling Laurel, you think of everything. You are such a gem. I’m lucky you love me! Thank you so very much. You’ll be there with me, protecting me on the battlefield.
We put all the serving dishes on the floor before the fire and ate picnic-style. Bob became quite talkative and very humorous about his army life. I can’t remember when we laughed so long and so hard in all the time we had known each other. Maybe it was staged to soften the fact that he was going overseas.
“It’s getting late, Laurel. Let’s get our things organized so we don’t have to rush around in the morning.”
I went into the bathroom to organize my toiletries. I needed a few moments alone. Somehow, I couldn’t erase the look in Bob’s eyes when he spoke about shipping out. He knew exactly when he was leaving, where he was going and that it was going to be a bloody campaign, but he couldn’t share it with me. Engrossed in my thoughts, I didn’t hear Bob come up behind me. I was startled when he turned me around and hugged me.
“I love you, soldier boy. I sure could use a kiss right now.”
“There’s a whole lot more where that one came from. This weekend was made in heaven, Laurel darling. It has been the most wonderful weekend of my life. I thank you for loving me so tenderly and making these wonderful memories. I’ll always remember them, especially when my morale needs a lift on the battlefield. Always remember….I’ll love you forever.”
more tomorrow…I sat quietly on the bed, admiring my engagement ring,
