The two women, mother and daughter sat in the living room talking and crocheting. The living room was Early American, with a two winged backed chairs, a sofa all with a paisley print. The floor was not carpeted, but was hard wood with colorful throw rugs placed carefully. As they were tending to their needlework, Sarah stopped and looked at her Mother. It was like looking in a mirror. The resemblance was uncanny. They had the exact dark hair and eyes, and distinctive features.
They had so little time together since Sarah lived so far away. Sarah, her husband and two kids were on a one week vacation in Yuma. Betty was always thrilled to see her daughter and two grandchildren. She lived by herself now, and sometimes the loneliness was unbearable. They were quietly sewing when Sarah put her needlework down and looked at her aging mother.
“Mom, how did you and Dad meet?”
Her mother thought it a rather odd question as her husband had been deceased for ten years.
“Why would you ask a question like that? And besides, if I told you, you probably wouldn’t believe me.”
“I wouldn’t believe you? Gosh, was it that bad?”
Her mother laughed. “No it wasn’t that bad, but it was rather strange, to say the least.”
“Come on Mom, give!
“Oh all right, if you insist. I hit him over the head with a volley ball and knocked him out.”
“WHAT!!!! Nah, get outta here, no way!
Her Mom had a sly Mona Lisa grin on her face.
“It’s the truth, he had one nasty bruise. Your Uncle Pidge and I were playing volleyball when….
Aberdeen, Maryland - 1942
The brother and sister were walking along the shores of the Chesapeake Bay. The white seagulls singing in perfect harmony passed over their heads. Some of their friends were playing beach volley ball and they went to join in the fun. It was a warm, pleasant day with a few white cumulous clouds dotting the sky.
Betty was one of the prettiest girls there, and the men quickly noticed. She had grown up with most of them, but she was no little girl anymore, being a young lady of 18. There were eight of them, four women and four men. Most of the men were on furlough from the service. The game was just getting started when Betty missed a volley. Her best friend started laughing and said,
“Hey, Betty, that’s a strange way to catch a man!”
Betty looked at all her friends and was completely baffled. They had all burst into side-splitting laughter. She just shrugged them off and went to find the ball. She found it all right. As she walked up the hill, she noticed a man lying down in the sand. He was holding his head and groaning. The ball was beside him. She had hit him with it! How embarrassing. So that’s what they were talking about.
She put her hand over mouth, and thought, ‘Oh my God, what have I done!’
“Um, sir, are you okay?”
He just groaned and held his hand to his head. She looked at him and wondered what she should do. Should she call her friends? She looked back at them, and they were still laughing at her! Bunch of idiots. Just then her brother started heading towards them. At about the same time, the man sat up. He was still holding his head.
“Lady, what on earth were you…..! He stopped and noticed her stunning beauty.
“Oh, I am so sorry, sir, I’m so clumsy sometimes.” She started to cry.
He looked at her and said, “Hey, doll, it’s okay, it’s a miracle. I get conked on the noggin’
and get rescued by an angel.”
Just then he heard an “ahem” sound and looked over at her brother. He was frowning at him and without saying anything, gave a ‘stay away from her’ look.
The man stood up and looked at Betty.
“I’m sorry, Ma’am, I didn’t know you had a husband.”
Betty laughed. “He’s not my husband, he’s my brother.”
The man kept admiring Betty, despite the daggers in Pidge’s eyes. He looked at her and said,
“Since you gave me the pleasure of being hit on the head, I think we should introduce ourselves,
I’m Herb Sully.”
Yuma, AZ 1990
“C’mon Mom, you’re making that up. Daddy never said anything about that.”
“Honey, your Dad never said much about anything. You know how he was. He was tight lipped about everything, and getting hit on the head by some teenager was embarrassing. “
“Well, what happened after you hit him?”
“What else, we got married.”
“Mom you’re so infuriating…in between!”
Aberdeen -1942
After it was determined Mr. Sully was okay, Betty and Pidge went home. Pidge had started up the Model T, when he saw the man lying beside them unconscious! He must have walked over here to tell them he was ill.
Pidge looked at him lying there and said,
“What a great day this has turned out to be!”
“Oh, Pidge, shut up, can’t you see this poor man’s hurt?”
“He’ll be okay, he’s a soldier, he’s tough, let’s go”
“Millard Gorsuch Gordon, you are the meanest man on earth!”
“Don’t call me that!”
“You’re lucky I’m a lady, I could call you more than that!”
“Help me get him in the car.”
“He’s only wearing swim trunks. What will Mom and Dad think?”
“They’ll think we’re taking care of a hurt man, and it’s all my
fault. What if he has a concussion or something?”
Pidge cranked up the Plymouth, and drove home. It was a bit cramped, Herb was a big man. Betty opened the door so PIdge could carry Herb inside. A brand new Glen Miller record was playing on the Victrola. Pidge lay him on their comfortable paisley colored sofa. Just then she heard a noise.
“Betty, is that you? You’ve been gone an awfully long time, I told you not to stay out so late. It’s almost dark out and it’s improper for a young lady…."
Her mother left the kitchen to come in the living room. She stared at the strange man on the couch with shock in her eyes and said,
“What on earth! "
“Elizabeth, who is this strange man lying on the couch!”
Pidge looked at his mother with a sly smile,
“Betty couldn’t catch a man, so she conked this one on the head and brought him home”
“Elizabeth, explain yourself!”
“We were playing volleyball, I missed a volley and knocked this poor man out. I couldn’t just leave him there unconscious, so we bought him home.”
“I see, well at least put a blanket over him. Does he have any I.D. on him?”
“Just his dog tags, he must have left his wallet in the car”
Just then, Herb began to stir and hold his head again. He was fully awake, and looked at his surroundings. He remembered he was at the beach, and some pretty girl hit him. He groped for his wallet. Oh, great, what next! I wonder what they did with my car. While everyone was discussing what to do with him, he called to them in a soft voice,
“Uh, excuse me, but where am I, and where are my clothes?”
“Oh, Mr. Sully, you’re awake. Thank God. We had a little incident at the beach and my brother and I took you home.
“Incident?”
Betty looked down. “I hit you on the head with a volley ball.”
Herb laughed and looked at the beautiful young girl in front of him.
“If you wanted to take me home, I would have gladly gone.”
Betty looked down and blushed, she didn’t know what to say. She was a bit shy, and this man was a little…forward.
“Uh, if you’re okay, Pidge can drive you back to the beach so you can get your car and things. Before you leave,we’ll give you something to eat to get your strength back. You've had a rough day because of me”
Her mother was standing in the kitchen doorway, and called Betty over to her.
“Don’t you think you’re being just a little un-lady like. You let your brother take care of this man. He can get his clothes than leave. He must want to get back to the base by now.
“Mom, after what I did, I feel so…guilty”
A voice came from the couch, “Excuse Ma'am, but could you tell me the time?”
Betty looked at her watch and said, “It’s almost seven o’clock. Why?”
“Seven o’clock! Damn it! Excuse the language, I’m AWOL! My Sergeant is going to have my hide! I should have been back hours ago!”
Betty’s Mom, Eva, looked worried and said,
“ Do you have a phone we could call? With what happened to you, I’m sure he’ll understand.”
“Understand? I don’t think so Ma’am. But I’ll give it a try.”
“Fine, in the mean time, I’ll make some nice chicken soup”
Chicken soup, yes, that’s just grand. This doll hits me on the head, knocks me out, makes me AWOL and now her Mom wants me to eat chicken soup!
He called the base, and could hear the yelling on the other side,
“Yes, Sir I know what time it is. Yes Sir, I know what time my chit was for. But I was unconscious and…
Eva grabbed the phone from his hand.
“Listen, I don’t know who you are, but this poor man has been hurt, and needs medical attention. Just who do you think you are, being so mean and non-understanding. If I was your mother, I’d turned you over my knee and…
“Mom!!!! Knock it off!
But whatever she said, cut to the core of the sergeant. He said Herb could stay until he was healed and would get no punishment, he now understood. Was the man afraid of her?
All the time this was going on, Herb put his face in his hands and shook his head. He’ d be court-martialed for sure.
“Mrs. Gordon, I really wish you hadn’t done that. My Sarge is one tough bird and I’m sure he didn’t take kindly to…
“Hush, now, I took care of everything. Sarge says you can stay until you get better.”
“What did you say to him? I was trying to explain the same thing, but not with the force you have. You even scared me!”
“I’m a mother , son, and young men always listen to their mothers.”
After they finished their chicken soup, Pidge got ready to drive him back to the beach. After the way he kept ogling his baby sister, he was more than happy to. Before they left, Herb took a look at their phone and the number on it. He had a good memory for those things. He wanted to take Betty out, but didn’t want her family knowing about it.
After everything was settled, Herb went back to beach to get his clothes and car. He thanked Pidge. That’s when Pidge gave him the look of death in his eyes and a warning.
“Look, I know you were hurt, and that was my dingy sister’s fault, but know this. I’ve seen the way you keep looking at her, and even though I’m her brother, I still know how she turns heads. But keep away from my baby sister. She’s too young and naïve, and you’re must too old for her. Besides, I don’t want her going out with anyone in the military. I’m a sailor myself, and I know how we are!”
Pidge’s ship left port the next day and Betty and Herb began dating. They were getting serious and Herb thought it would be the perfect time to ask for her hand. He would go to her house while she was away at work and ask them. He rang the door bell, and her father answered. He had only met him a few times when he went in to get Betty for their date.
He rang the door bell. He straightened his tie and uniform when her Dad answered the door.
“Oh, hello Herb, come on in”
He wiped his feet on the mat, and gingerly entered the room. Glen Miller was playing again. Good grief, was that the only band they knew?
He was invited to sit on the couch while Eva brought him a refreshing glass of tea. He thanked her and her father, Daniel.
“Mr. Gordon, I won’t beat around the bush, I would like your permission to marry your daughter. I would make a good husband for her. I’ll be out of the military soon and have been offered several positions.”
Daniel stared at him, half glaring, half with tears in his eyes. He didn’t want to let go of his baby girl. But at the age of 18, he supposed she was no baby any more. He stood up, shook Herb’s hand and said,
“Welcome to the family, son.”
Yuma, AZ 1990
“Oh, Mom, that’s so romantic! I never knew Daddy was ever like that”
“No, your Daddy got out of the “romantic phase” pretty quickly.”
“Mom, what is that thing you keep covered up in your room all this time? It’s like a little chest."
Her Mom went to take out the chest, and showed her the prize she had kept all these years.
She looked at her daughter and smiled. She took the worn out ball out of the chest. Bouncing it several times on the floor, she looked at her and said matter of face.
“Don’t be silly, what else would it be, it’s my volley ball, great for catching a man!”
MARY E LACEY
2010
