They say you never forget your first love. I am living proof that is true. I will never forget my first love. Her name was Jennifer. She was a statuesque 5’6” blond. And she was drop dead gorgeous. Although when I told her she was beautiful, she just laughed and asked if I ever had my eyes examined. And she had a heart as big as the whole outdoors.
  She once saw a child at the store whose parents decided they needed an entertainment center instead of buying their daughter some winter clothes. It was freezing outside and this child was in a filthy summer dress, cheap plastic shoes with no socks, and underwear that looked as though it had not been washed in at least a week. I was furious when I saw her but Jennifer asked the parents if she could buy the little girl something. Then she picked her up and bought her enough clothes to get her through the winter; some nice shoes, winter boots, some sweaters, dresses, winter play outfits and a nice heavy winter coat.
  We were in a little restaurant inside the store feeding the little girl when the parents came by, thanked us, took the little girl and left. As we left we saw them at the service desk. My curiosity took over so we stopped and watched them turn everything, including the coat, back in for the money. I grabbed the young father and told the woman behind the counter to return the clothes because they had not bought them. To the father I said, “I shop all over this area and if I ever see this little girl without sufficient clothing the rest of the winter, I’ll make your life a living hell. Do you understand me?”
  Jennifer said, “You don’t want to make him mad. Trust me.”
  “Yes sir, I do,” he said.
    I let him go and they ran from the store. “Thank God there’s one man with some guts,” said the woman behind the counter. “I see them come in all the time and that poor baby never has proper clothing on.” We saw them several times afterward and every time the little girl was dressed properly in clean clothes. That was an extreme case but Jennifer did that kind of thing all the time. It was one of the reasons I fell in love with her.
  We met in high school. We were both juniors and I had been watching her for two years, waiting for a chance to ask her out. It was near the end of the school year so I asked her to the junior prom. To my surprise, she accepted. Next, I had to rent a tuxedo. The day of the prom, I bought a nice corsage that would match the dress she was wearing. I really wanted to impress her so that night I picked her up in a limousine. When we talked about it years later, she said I had already impressed her and didn’t need to go to all that expense.
  We danced every dance together. Midway through the evening, I kissed her for the first time. It was fantastic. Just like all teenagers, we couldn’t get enough after the first kiss and that nearly got us into trouble. We left the prom early, had the limo driver take us back to where I had left my car and went to a nice restaurant to eat. Afterward we went to a local parking area for lovers and made out, although we didn’t go all the way that night.
  We pulled up to her house at 3:00 a.m. and her parents came running out the door. They were furious. I thought her dad would kill me. I took responsibility and apologized for bringing her home so late. I explained that we went to a restaurant and just talked the night away. And I assured him nothing had happened. He didn’t know the truth so he accepted my apology. If he had only known where we ended up, I probably wouldn’t be around today.
  Next, I had to face my parents. Our mothers had talked when we failed to show up on time and my dad was mad. When I opened the door, Mom hugged me but dad wanted to know where we had been. “Damn it, son, it’s 3:00 o’clock in the morning. You don’t keep a respectable girl out this late, you know that.”
  “George, he shouldn’t keep any girl out this late,” mom said.
  “Yeah, yeah, all right,” said dad. “You don’t keep any girl out this late.” Then he did something that made me think I was seeing things. He actually winked at me. Of course, he used the eye mom couldn’t see. “Do you understand me, son?”
  “Yes sir, I do,” I replied.
  “I mean it,” he said. “Don’t keep this girl out this late again. You’re grounded for two weeks.” As mom hugged me, he winked at me again and grinned. Later he talked with me and told me he trusted me and knew we had not done anything we shouldn’t have. He also reiterated that I was never to keep Jennifer out this late again. That was my dad. He was cool for a dad.
  By the time, our punishment was over so was school. Our first weekend after school, we went out for our second date, with a promise to our parents that we would be home by midnight. We went to a local drive-in movie theater and made out the whole evening. I doubt we watched five minutes of the movie. Thankfully, it was a movie I had already seen. When we got home, our parents asked us about the movie. Satisfied with our critique, and the fact that we came home 30 minutes early, we were back in their good graces.
  Another year went by with us going out on the weekends and me working after school through the week to afford the dates. By this time, we were talking marriage. I wanted to go into the Marines after school. I wanted to be an MP. That would make it easier for me to get into the police academy later. I wanted to be a cop. Actually, I wanted to be a homicide detective. It was a career choice that made Jennifer very nervous. However, that decision was mine and mine alone to make.
  Our first date after graduation was heavenly. We had no curfew and we already had the motel reservation. It was strange walking into the room for the first time. We both were nervous. She decided we should go eat first, so we headed to the nearest restaurant. When we finished we decided to see a movie. As usual, we didn’t watch much of it. We left early and went back to the room.
  Jennifer went into the bathroom to get ready while I quickly ripped my clothes off and got under the covers. She came out looking like an angel. I lifted the covers for her and jumped out of the bed to turn the bathroom light off. In the dark I stubbed my toes on the bed and swore. Jennifer laughed and told me to get in bed. I jumped over her and realized that was a mistake. The foot of the bed broke and we ended up in the floor with Jennifer laughing so hard she was crying. I picked her up and threw her back in bed. This time the head broke down and that brought another squeal of laughter from her.
  I jumped in beside her and kissed her. She stopped laughing immediately. This time we overcame our nervousness. We fell asleep about daybreak, completely exhausted.
  We awoke about 1:00 p.m. and took a shower together. We started over again. Lathering her up got me excited so we made love in the shower and again in the bed before we finally finished getting cleaned up. We ate and came back to the room. That was Saturday. We made it home Sunday evening, both of us completely exhausted.
  I had one week to enjoy myself before leaving for Parrish Island, North Carolina. I decided if I was going to be a cop, I would take my training in the toughest boot camp our military had. That week I watched a movie with Jack Webb as a Marine Drill instructor and almost changed my mind. The following Monday I arrived at the bus station early. The recruiter was already there. Since I was the first recruit arriving, he put me in charge of the other three who would be going with me.
  We arrived at Parrish Island a day and a half later, tired from the long bus ride. We met our drill sergeant and were immediately taken to get a haircut, uniforms and a rifle. Then we were put into a large room with a bunch of new arrivals. We waited there for about two hours before we were marched to our barracks to drop off our gear. Then we were marched to chow. As we waited to enter the chow hall we were instructed how to eat. We would get our food, go to a table, and stand at attention until told to sit. Then we would sit at attention until ordered to eat. And we didn’t have long to eat. When we finished we were marched back to our barracks to make our beds and stow away our gear.
  I have always kept myself in good shape so boot camp wasn’t too bad. We worked and trained very hard for 8 weeks. I was the honor graduate so I would graduate in my dress blues. It was hot that day. My family with Jennifer and her family were going to be there. I couldn’t wait to see them all again.
  After the ceremony, I had a 12-day furlough before I had to report for training as an MP. I was going to ride home with my family so we could catch up on news from home. I could hardly wait to eat a home cooked meal, and a big piece of moms’ fresh apple crisp. The ride back took too long.
  During my furlough, Jennifer and I made plans to marry after my hitch in the Marines. We told our families and they acted as if they already knew. When I asked them how they knew, my mom said, “We figured you would marry after all this time.” Then she laughed and said, “We were just wondering when you would think of it.”
  The furlough passed quickly and I left for my training. I had three years active duty to complete before becoming a cop. After my training, I was sent to Vietnam. I spent 13 months there and made it home. During the nineteen months left in my hitch, I decided I wanted to stay in the Marines. I liked it and I enjoyed my job as an MP. Jennifer didn’t like that idea but my mind was made up. I wanted to retire from the Marines. I could retire at a young age with a good retirement and excellent benefits. She finally accepted it and even said she might enjoy seeing the world.
  We decided to marry before I reenlisted. That way she could move with me. I made sergeant in Vietnam so the military paid for my moves. We were inseparable nowadays so it would be nice to have her with me even sooner than we had planned. I loved her more than life itself.
  We were married October 16, 1969. I signed my reenlistment papers one month later. It was during our blood tests we received the news that tore my heart out. Jennifer had cancer. She was devastated when they told her. Her mother and father were crushed by the news. My mom almost passed out when we told her. She loved Jennifer like a daughter. I was an only child and she always wanted a girl.
  She received chemotherapy at the military hospital after we were married. She lost her hair but even that didn’t kill her spirit. She always walked around the hospital making the kids laugh. Everyone at the hospital loved her. No matter how bad she felt, she always made sure to cheer up the kids.
  After a couple months of radiation treatments, the doctors said the cancer was gone. Jennifer started feeling better and her hair grew back. For a few months, she was her old self again. Our lovemaking returned to its former splendor. Jennifer was voracious in bed. She was always willing to try new things, making our sexual encounters wilder each time. She was the woman every man dreams of.
  Six months later, the cancer returned. Once again, she received radiation treatments and again she lost her hair. While she kept her spirit, I could tell a difference in her this time. So could everyone at the hospital. She was just as  determined to beat it but the fight wasn’t as fierce as it was the first time. She stayed tired more than before. It killed me seeing her that way. I would rather it had been me. I felt so helpless.
  As before, the cancer receded and she was almost normal again. Her hair grew back, also. A few nights later, she came to me and said, “Honey, will you make love to me like you did that first time?”
  “What?” I asked.
  “I want to feel like we are starting all over. And I want you to love me all night long.”
  “Of course I will, honey. Are you sure you’re well enough?”
  “I’m fine. Just carry me to the bed.”
  So I did exactly as she asked. That first time was etched in my memory. I carried her to the bedroom and slowly undressed her, kissing her all over her body, taking my time moving from one spot to another, my lips barely touching her. She was just as responsive as she was that first time, maybe more so. As before, we fell asleep at dawn, completely exhausted.
  The next day was the day we saw the little girl at the store and bought clothes for her. Jennifer always regretted not having children. She wanted a baby with all her heart. She would have been a good mother, too.
  Three months later the cancer was back. The doctor told us it was in her lymph nodes this time. There was no hope of radiation working this time and an operation was out of the question. Finally, he said she had three months at most. He may as well have given me a death sentence because my heart felt like it had stopped.
  I went to see my commander and asked for two months off. He asked what the doctor said and I told him. “Sir, I have 65 days leave due me. I’d like to take my wife home to her mother to spend what time she has left.”
  “If she needs care, is there a military hospital close?”
  “Yes sir, there is. That’s why I want to take her to spend the remainder of her time with her mother and father.”
  “You take all the time you need, Sergeant. My wife died from cancer. I know what you’re going through. I’ll have the papers drawn up. Go take care of your wife. And good luck, son. I’ll be praying for both of you.”
  “Thank you, sir. Thank you very much.”
  Ten weeks later Jennifer passed away in her sleep. The day after we buried her, her mother gave me a letter Jennifer had written and given to her for safekeeping. It read…
 
My Darling David,
I love you so very much. It hurts knowing I will soon be without you. I’ve gotten used to being with you. I am sorry I couldn’t give you a son for company after I’m gone. I would have loved to have had a baby girl. You have been the best husband a woman could ask for and I know you would have been a wonderful father. I’m getting weaker by the day. It won’t be long before I have to go. However, I’ll be watching over you until you come to be with me again. Please take care of yourself. I want you to marry again. Maybe your new wife can give you a child. Don't worry, I'll be waiting for you.
With all my love,
Jennifer

  I haven’t remarried and I don’t intend to. I still love Jennifer with all my heart. If I remarried, I would always be comparing her to Jennifer even though I wouldn’t mean to. Besides, I feel like it would be cheating on Jennifer. And I could never do that. I put flowers on her grave regularly. Now that I’m retired, I can visit her every week. I enjoy talking to her. I miss her so very much.

Impressum

Tag der Veröffentlichung: 21.12.2009

Alle Rechte vorbehalten