Chapter 24
If Jeff had given me the right address, I arrived at Sarah's and parked on the street, making sure I wasn't blocking anyones access, and wasn't at the end of anyones driveway in case someone needed to leave and wasn't very good about watching while backing out of their drive.
I rang the bell and stood there waiting for what seemed ten minutes before anyone bothered to open the door, after hollering for me to wait.
The door opened and sure enough Gordon stood there with his back to me and Sarah standing so she could see out the door.
“Sam? You... it seems like forever since the last time I saw you,” Sarah sounded excited to see me.
The door slammed shut, and I hit the bell again.
The door opened again just enough for Gordon to stick his head out.
“I thought I made it clear the last time we talked you would never be welcome here,” he said.
“It was clear enough that as far as you're concerned I'll never be welcome, but it isn't you I'm here to see, and unless you really want to find out what pain is I would suggest you let Sarah come out and talk to me. For the record I already know she's happy to see me,” I said.
“Tell me what you want and I'll consider letting her come out,” he said.
I reached in and pushed the door sending him back a couple steps.
“Wrong answer asshole. I don't have patience for your silly little games any more than I do for Generals and politicians games. I'm sure by now everyone in the family has heard about me telling the President to go fuck himself, so if you think you're immune to hearing me say something to that effect it's time you think again,” I said.
I stepped through the door and Sarah threw her arms around me.
“You seem different from the little kid that left four years ago,” she said.
“A lot has happened in that four years sis. For starters I'm a commissioned officer and for the last two years fought on the front lines in that stupid war we're involved in. My job was to rescue companies and battalions that got themselves trapped behind enemy lines,” I said.
“I'm not sure I know what that means,” she said.
“It simply means I'm a special forces reconnaissance commander. There are several regular Army, and Marine commanders that seem to think taking their men behind enemy lines without a plan for getting back out thought it was a good idea. When they find the enemy has cut them off from support and all they can do is dig in and call for help it was me and my White Rose reconnaissance team that usually got the call to go in and find a way out for them,” I said.
“You're the White Rose?” she asked.
“My reconnaissance unit was the White Rose. To the military I'm just Captain Waters,” I said.
“I mean you're the commander of the White Rose they keep talking about on the news,” she said.
“I don't have any idea since I haven't seen the news on TV and haven't really listened to it on the radio either. Over there we didn't have time for TV and I didn't care much for the music or news that was on the radio. My men and I were to busy staying ready if we were called on and it seemed we were called on a lot more than we should have been,” I said.
“It's been in the paper too,” she said.
“Sarah I haven't had a chance to see the newspaper either,” I said.
She gave me a look that said she understood I wasn't going to admit to being the White Rose that had been mentioned in the news, at least as long as Gordon was present.
When she didn't say anything else I asked if she would be able to help me with some shopping I needed to do, since I was being transferred here and needed to set up house keeping.
Gordon gave me a look that said he didn't trust me and never would. That he knew those news stories had been about someone else even though they had all mentioned me by name. I really didn't care what he believed since I didn't trust him as far as Sarah could have thrown him. Sarah was my sister and would be my sister even after he was just someone she use to know, and that I knew bothered him more than anything else.
Sarah introduced me to her kids, Erica, and Kurt, making sure to let them know their uncle Sam was the same man the news talked about, when they talked about a special forces team that rescued others who had been trapped behind enemy lines.
Both kids seemed happy to meet me, and asked me if I would tell them stories about what I did in the Army.
“I'd be delighted to tell you stories as long as it's okay with your mom, but a lot of what I did I can't talk about because it's secret and I'm not supposed to talk about it to anyone. I'm sure I could tell you about flying an airplane to Washington DC last month though. You see I'm in the Air Force not the Army,” I said.
“You know how to fly?” Erica asked.
“Yes. I'm certified with almost every airplane the military has,” I said.
I asked Sarah if she'd be willing to go grocery shopping with me and got a look from Gordon that said he didn't like the idea, but wasn't willing to say anything that might upset me.
“I need to do our shopping anyway so I'd love to Sam. You don't mind if the kids come with do you?” she asked.
“No I don't mind and Jeff warned me it might be the only way to get you to go with,” I said.
The thing I wanted more than anything was to get her away from Gordon so she would feel like she could tell me what was going on. I knew she wasn't going to say anything that might upset Gordon and I wanted to know if there was anything I could do to help her.
She started to offer to take their car until Gordon said something about he was going to need it to take care of something he had to do.
“Sam would it be alright if we use your car? It doesn't take much to move the kids car seats,” she said.
“I was going to suggest we use my car anyway that way Gordon can't complain about how much gas we burn.” I gave Gordon a look that said I knew not everything here was kosher, but if Sarah was happy with the situation I wouldn't do anything to break them up.
Sarah went out and took the kid seats out of her car and I started putting them in the back seat of mine. As soon as I had them both in Sarah came out with the kids and we started getting them in their seats. Sarah walked back to the house to give Gordon a kiss only to have him turn away from her and tell her she needed to be home in time to have dinner on the table on time.
I slid in the driver seat and waited for her to slide in and do up her seatbelt before starting the car.
“Sam I...” she started.
“I heard what he said Sarah. I won't pretend to understand why you put up with his shit, but I won't interfere since it's your life not mine, if you're happy that's all that matters,” I said.
I headed out of the neighborhood and she told me what store she generally went to, so I turned in the direction of the only one I knew and she gave me a dirty look.
“I take it you shop at a different one than the one I know?” I asked.
“The one by mom and dads is a bit out of the way for me, especially since we have to go by three others on the way there,” she said.
“I guess things have changed since I left, not that I really knew the area that well before I left,” I said.
She gave me directions to the store she usually went to and I found a parking place not far from the entrance.
We each grabbed a cart and I started looking at the prices of everything and asked her if this was how expensive everything was now.
“Prices have almost doubled since you left Sam. If Gordon didn't make what he does I don't know how we'd manage. He wasn't happy when I told him I needed a bigger grocery budget or we'd have to start eating more ground beef,” she said.
“I have an idea. I don't know how much less this stuff will cost on base but I'm sure the difference will be significant,” I said.
“Sam I can't shop on base. I can't even get on base,” she said.
“Don't worry about it. I can get us on base and get you what you need as well as get what I need. Wh
o knows maybe you can even fix asshole something you normally couldn't afford this way,” I said.
“Tell me about all those clothes you have over at Kathy's. She said you told her to sell them all. I was hoping maybe you wouldn't mind if I looked through them first and maybe took a couple outfits,” she said.
“You know most of them have never been worn?” I asked.
“That's what she said. Sam I don't understand why after you spent all that money buying those clothes you're getting rid of them,” she said.
“Have you seen them Sarah?” I asked.
“No but I know Gordon is about the same size you are. I just don't understand now that you're going to be here why you wouldn't want to keep them for when you aren't working,” she said.
“Sarah I can assure you there is no way Gordon would even consider wearing any of the clothes I have at Kathy's,” I said.
“She said they're all civilian clothes,” she said.
“I think there are a couple dress uniforms, but I removed the rank and ribbons form them, and the jackets could be worn with something else and no one would really be any the wiser they're uniforms, but that isn't the problem of why I doubt Gordon would wear them,” I said.
“I guess there's something I don't know then, like that's a first. It seems I'm always the last to know anything,” she said.
“I'll tell you what, Kathy's is on the way out to base and we can stop there and you can have anything from the clothes I have there you want,” I said.
“Really? You really mean that?” she asked.
“Sarah if they're to big I know Kathy can alter them a little, but I know Gordon won't want any of them, at least not for himself,” I said.
We arrived at Kathy's and Sarah got out almost before I was parked. She didn't work on getting the kids out just ran up to the door and started ringing the bell.
“I don't think they're home, I think Kathy said something about going out of town for the weekend,” I said.
Just as I arrived at the front door Kathy opened the door.
“I didn't expect to see you here, isn't your new furniture being delivered today?” Kathy asked.
“Jeff and Mac are there to receive it. I was going to show Sarah the clothes I have here that I told you to get rid of for me. I don't know if any of it will fit, but I told her she could have whatever she wants,” I said.
“I think your both about the same size, even in shoes and I know Sarah doesn't have a lot of shoes,” Kathy said.
“Wait a minute, Kathy, Sam is a boy why would... this goes back to that question you asked dad when Kathy got married doesn't it?” Sarah asked.
“Sarah why don't you take a look at the clothes and see if there is anything you want. Why, right now doesn't matter only that they are what they are and you're welcome to them if you want them,” I said.
Kathy still had them hanging in the closet they had been hanging in since I got home. Sarah started going through them and picked out a few that were more modest and found a half dozen pair of shoes that had lower heels and would go well with most anything.
“Sam these are all beautiful, but I know some of these if I took them home Gordon would start asking me to wear at the most inappropriate times. Usually when he has friends over to watch some game on TV,” Sarah said.
“Sarah if there is something you want to tell me, please. I can't help if I don't know what you need,” I said.
She looked from me to Kathy and back.
“What do you know about the church?” Sarah asked.
“I know it's full of shit. That the leaders are a bunch of hypocrites. Are you trying to tell me it's worse than that?” I asked.
“I'm not trying to tell you anything, only that there are things that go on the church doesn't want anyone on the outside to know about. Kathy you know what I'm talking about, you're old enough to remember before Sam was born, Sarah said.”
“Before I was born what? What's going on that I don't know about? Sarah what is that asshole wanting you to do that you're so afraid to tell me about?” I asked.
“Sam, what Sarah is talking about is something you do know about, at least in theory,” Kathy said.
I still wasn't sure I understood.
“When we were little mom and dad would dress us in little dresses that didn't quite cover our bottoms. I'm sure you remember a few families that dressed their daughters the same way,” Sarah said.
Most of the kids my age were boys, but there were a few Jeff's age that were girls, and I remembered the ones who didn't have brothers were always dressed so their panties showed while the girls who had brothers were more modestly dressed. The picture was starting to make sense, the girls without brothers had always been the ones who wore miniskirts and blouses that showed more than they hid. Most of the guys thought that meant they were easy, yet I felt it just made them girls that wanted to be noticed more. I wasn't interested in sex, at least not in the way the other boys had been.
“So you're telling me that girls without brothers were made into sex toys by consent of the church? That doesn't make sense, I thought it was the church that taught all girls should dress modestly, and be virtuous in all things,” I said.
“It does teach that to girls lucky enough to have brothers,” Sarah said. “But for those girls without brothers whose parents have bought into it so fully whatever the leaders say is what's right, those rules don't apply.”
“Sam the only reason Sarah and I weren't put back in those miniskirts when you turned your back on the church was in hopes of getting you back and they still had a chance of entrenching Jeff so fully in their doctrine he would be willing to do whatever they wanted,” Kathy said.
“Why is this the first I'm hearing about this? Why hasn't anyone said anything before now?” I asked.
There had been people who said something before, but everyone even me found what they said so offensive they refused to hear. How many people did I owe an apology to because I refused to hear their cry for help.
“Kathy is there any chance of you watching Sarah's kids while we go grocery shopping on base?” I asked.
“You don't have to ask Sam, I enjoy every chance I get at watching Sarah's children, besides Kelli and Brian love having them to play with,” Kathy said.
I looked over at Sarah silently asking if she was ready to go.
“I suppose you'll be stopping by the apartment before taking Sarah and the kids home?” Kathy asked.
“It would be nice to get the groceries we get for me put away, since I'm sure the bulk of what we get will be for me,” I said.
“How about I meet you there?” Kathy said.
“That would make things easier. Just so you know Jeff and Mac are babysitting the apartment for me since my furniture is supposed to be delivered some time today,” I said.
“You mean that big brute?” Kathy asked.
“He's not a brute Kathy. He just won't let anything happen to me,” I said.
“He's a monster that passes himself off as human. The only reason I wasn't afraid of him was because you were always there,” Kathy said.
“He seems to like Jeff, but more important Jeff seems to like him. Maybe with his help I can finally convince Jeff that damn religion is horse shit,” I said.
“If Jeff wants to follow that religion it isn't your place to try stopping him, Sam,” Sarah said.
“I just wish he'd use some commonsense about making the choice. I still can't believe he lets Ellen get away with the shit he lets her get away with,” I said.
“Who's Ellen?” Sarah asked.
Kathy looked at me and nodded, and then turned to Sarah giving her the same look, it was like Sarah had lost her mind if she didn't even know her mothers name.
“Sam if you're going to talk like that maybe you ought to change so it doesn't seem so weird,” Kathy said.
I didn't understand what she meant. How had what I said seemed weird? I gave her a dirty look and she explained.
“Sam the last ti
me I heard you call mom by her name like that, was the last time you were home on leave, when you bought several of those dresses,” she said.
“I didn't call mom by her name did I? Didn't I say, Jeff lets mom get away with a lot of shit he shouldn't?” I asked.
“Sam the last time you were home Norma was mom and Ellen just the woman that birthed us,” Kathy said.
“Who the hell is Norma?” I asked.
“We can talk about it another time. You two need to get going or even on base you'll be fighting a crowd,” Kathy said.
She knew what she said was going to bother me until we were able to talk, or I forgot about it, and the way my memory was working lately forgetting about it was likely to happen first.
I again pulled into the visitors lot to get a permit to get on base and was told that since it seemed I was going to be stationed here it might be a good idea if I got a permanent sticker for my car. Since the paperwork was virtually the same I agreed. The officer in charge had one of his MP's run out and place the sticker on the bumper were it would be easiest for the MP's at the gate to see so they could just wave me through.
“I take it you had to sign over you first born to get them to let us on base?” Sarah asked.
“Nothing that complicated. Since I'm going to be stationed here when my leave is up they thought it would be better if they issued me a bumper sticker pass so I wouldn't have to keep going in and signing on base. If you watch you'll see cars get waved through, and now that I have a sticker on my bumper I should just get waved through as well,” I said.
As I pulled out of the lot I noticed the MP look at the bumper of my car and then give a salute.
“Why did he do that?” Sarah asked.
“You mean salute the car? Sarah I am a commissioned officer, he's an enlisted man. He saluted the car because the sticker indicates the car belongs to an officer and since all commissioned ranks are considered higher rank than enlisted ranks he saluted as a show of respect for my rank,” I said.
“But didn't you enlist?” she asked.
“I started out as enlisted, but from basic training I went to OCS and graduated OCS as a first Lieutenant. From OCS I went to special forces training and was promoted to Captain when I graduated that. The next two years I spent on the front lines of the war, rescuing our troops that managed to get themselves trapped behind enemy lines,” I said.
I pulled into the parking lot for the base exchange and commissary and found a parking spot not far from the entrance.
I noticed Sarah look around and gasp when the size of the commissary started to sink in. The floor space was almost double what the store we had gone to earlier had been.
I grabbed a cart and told her to grab one as well, I knew I would fill a cart just getting what I needed and if we were going to get anything for her we'd need the second cart and possibly even a third.
At first it seemed Sarah was going to buy everything in the store until she realized what she was doing.
“I'm sorry Sam, it's just everything is so much lower in cost here,” she said.
“I've noticed on the few items I've seen. I couldn't sleep this morning so went to the store close to my apartment. After seeing the prices there I knew I was going to need help since I couldn't afford setting up completely at those prices,” I said.
“I notice they have bigger packages here too. Sam is there any chance I could get some meat? With the budget Gordon has me on the kids and I don't get much meat,” she asked.
“You do realize anything you get he'll consider his since he'll think he paid for it simply because you're his wife. I'm willing to allow you to get hamburger and chicken but the better cuts of meat I won't buy to have you take home so he and his friends can pig out on it and you and the kids still not get any,” I said.
“You really don't like him do you?” she asked.
“Why should I like him Sarah? Tell me one decent thing he's done other than those two beautiful children. Sarah he treats you and those kids like shit. You said it yourself that he wants you to dress like a sex object whenever he has friends over, and I'm assuming most of those friends are goody goody church people who in public preach modesty and in private want their wives to be sex slaves. So please tell me what there is about him I should like,” I said.
She didn't say anything more about it and I picked up a package of tenderloin steaks and put them in my cart. So far most everything she put in her cart were things the kids would love such as prepared cereals and cans of soup. To me those things looked horrible, but I did remember liking them as a child. Now I loved to cook as long as I wasn't cooking for just me and even then I would rather cook than eat the packaged junk, like TV dinners, that were supposed to be healthy and save time. From the meats we headed over to the fruits and vegetables. I started loading her cart with fresh fruit and she glared at me as if to say there was no way she would ever eat that much fresh fruit.
“You don't like fruits and vegetables?” I asked.
“Gordon doesn't, and gets mad at me every time I try bringing them in the house. He says fruit and vegetables are for wimps and cowards,” she said.
“I guess I'm a wimp and coward then because I eat more fruits and vegetables than I do meat. I can just imagine him telling Mac he's a wimp or coward, you definitely need to meet him, then maybe you'll know why Kathy thinks he's a brute,” I said.
We finished our shopping on base with me not being able to find a couple things I really would have loved. At the register Sarah made sure to let them know we needed to keep the two carts separate even though I would be paying for everything.
I paid the bill and the Sargent that bagged everything offered to assist us out to the car.
“Captain can I ask you a question?” the Sargent asked.
“You just did Sargent. What's your question?” I asked.
“Sir they say you're going to be stationed here now, I was just wondering if something happened?” he asked.
“You mean why I'm not still on the front lines. I have some medical issues that make me more a liability on the front lines then a help, that and I'm thinking of resigning my commission in a few months,” I said.
“I hope you'll stay sir. I heard you had some problems with the MP commander not long ago, but I'm sure I speak for most of us in the MP's when I say we're glad you'll be here. I know I speak for myself when I say I'd hate to see you call it quits, especially if it's because of people like Colonel Martinez,” he said.
“I take it you know someone my White Rose unit helped?” I asked.
“Yes sir, my brother,” he said.
I gave the Sargent a fifty dollar bill and got in the car.
“Did you give him a tip?” Sarah asked.
“That's how they get paid for doing that job,” I said.
“But I thought he was in the military?” she asked.
“He is, but working at the commissary is kind of a second job that if he is called on alert he won't lose because they understand his military duties come first,” I said.
“I didn't know,” she said.
“I didn't either until I saw the sign at the register. The cashiers get paid a regular wage, but the people doing the bagging and assisting to the car work on tips only,” I said.
We arrived at my apartment just behind Kathy, and Sarah helped her get the kids while I grabbed the groceries. I knocked on the apartment door so I wouldn't have to set down anything and Jeff opened looking at all the bags I had in my arms.
“Don't just stand there Jeff, there are several more bags in the car.” I dangled my car keys as best I could in hopes he would get the message.
“Come on kiddo let's make ourselves useful,” Mac said taking my keys and grabbing Jeff by the neck giving him a small push toward the parking lot.
The Hidden Rose Page 72
