it was February 15 and cold, they would need coats, but underneath they would wear only the skimpiest lingerie or nothing at all. Linda laughed. The idea seemed so daring. She couldn’t help thinking about how surprised and pleased James would be.
The next morning, Linda woke up early and bought her own decorations for their small apartment. Like Penny, she hung crepe paper and colored a banner with markers, “Welcome Home James.” Instead of a banana and balloons, Linda drew signs—“Oh, James, don’t stop” and “1-Way No Fun”—to hang in the bedroom. Then she slipped on her winter coat over a burgundy silk and lace teddy. “I was so excited,” she said later. “It’s like, He’s coming home!”
Linda met her friends at the parking lot to the lower base gates and caught one of the white buses that transportedthe families to the Delta Pier, where the Ohio docked. On the bus, everyone talked and laughed, giddy with expectation. Everyone except Linda, who sat quietly, her fingers secretly crossed in her coat pockets. She’d spent much of the morning praying James was as excited as she about his homecoming and that things weren’t as bad as his letter indicated.
As the bus pulled up to the pier, Linda searched excitedly for James’s face in the crush. She felt certain from his letter that he would be among the first off. As she suspected, he emerged from the bowels of the submarine well ahead of the rest of the crew. Running toward her on the pier, he grabbed her in his arms, but instead of the joyful reunion she had imagined, James clutched her elbow and whispered angrily into her ear, “This is all bullshit,” clipping each word off in disgust. “Have I got things to tell you.”
Surrounded by families hugging and kissing, Linda whispered, “I can’t wait to get you home. You know what I’m wearing under this coat? Lingerie. Nothing but lingerie.”
Instead of breaking his anger, James pulled her farther from the crowd. “What the hell did you do that for? And what the hell were you doing modeling lingerie? What’s come over you?”
“I thought you’d like it,” she said, trying to hold back tears. In the crowd, she saw her friends and their husbands locked in each other’s arms. “I did it for you.”
“Goddamn it, what the hell’s gotten into you?” James answered, flushed with anger. “Go home. I’ve got duty tonight. I’ll call you later.”
In a last-ditch effort to save the reunion, Linda whispered in his ear, “I found out information for you. I met somebody who got out.”
For the first time, James smiled. “Finally. That’s great. Go home, I’ll call you later.”
Linda walked dejectedly away. When she surveyed the crowd from the steps of the bus, she saw her friends milling around her, bubbling and cooing to their husbands. Determined not to let them see her disappointment, she smiled affectionately at James as the bus pulled away.
When the phone rang later that night, it was James calling from the base. First he apologized for blowing up at her on the pier. “You just don’t know what it’s been like,” he said. “I’ve got to get out of here.”
Then Linda told him about the sailor she’d met, the one who had been released from the navy after claiming he had an out-of-body experience.
“Yeah, I know about him. The guys on the boat told me about that SOB,” James countered, his voice thick with sarcasm. “Is that all you’ve got? What am I supposed to do? Plead insanity?”
“I don’t know,” Linda said, tears catching in her throat. “All I know is what he told me.”
“Well, go to sleep,” he said, disgustedly. “I’m off tomorrow. We’ll talk then.”
Chapter Eleven
At six the next morning, Linda drove to the base to pick up James. She didn’t know what to expect, and when she pulled up to the lower base gates, he glowered at her. She slid over and he got behind the wheel. As he drove off base, Linda tried to make small talk to
The next morning, Linda woke up early and bought her own decorations for their small apartment. Like Penny, she hung crepe paper and colored a banner with markers, “Welcome Home James.” Instead of a banana and balloons, Linda drew signs—“Oh, James, don’t stop” and “1-Way No Fun”—to hang in the bedroom. Then she slipped on her winter coat over a burgundy silk and lace teddy. “I was so excited,” she said later. “It’s like, He’s coming home!”
Linda met her friends at the parking lot to the lower base gates and caught one of the white buses that transportedthe families to the Delta Pier, where the Ohio docked. On the bus, everyone talked and laughed, giddy with expectation. Everyone except Linda, who sat quietly, her fingers secretly crossed in her coat pockets. She’d spent much of the morning praying James was as excited as she about his homecoming and that things weren’t as bad as his letter indicated.
As the bus pulled up to the pier, Linda searched excitedly for James’s face in the crush. She felt certain from his letter that he would be among the first off. As she suspected, he emerged from the bowels of the submarine well ahead of the rest of the crew. Running toward her on the pier, he grabbed her in his arms, but instead of the joyful reunion she had imagined, James clutched her elbow and whispered angrily into her ear, “This is all bullshit,” clipping each word off in disgust. “Have I got things to tell you.”
Surrounded by families hugging and kissing, Linda whispered, “I can’t wait to get you home. You know what I’m wearing under this coat? Lingerie. Nothing but lingerie.”
Instead of breaking his anger, James pulled her farther from the crowd. “What the hell did you do that for? And what the hell were you doing modeling lingerie? What’s come over you?”
“I thought you’d like it,” she said, trying to hold back tears. In the crowd, she saw her friends and their husbands locked in each other’s arms. “I did it for you.”
“Goddamn it, what the hell’s gotten into you?” James answered, flushed with anger. “Go home. I’ve got duty tonight. I’ll call you later.”
In a last-ditch effort to save the reunion, Linda whispered in his ear, “I found out information for you. I met somebody who got out.”
For the first time, James smiled. “Finally. That’s great. Go home, I’ll call you later.”
Linda walked dejectedly away. When she surveyed the crowd from the steps of the bus, she saw her friends milling around her, bubbling and cooing to their husbands. Determined not to let them see her disappointment, she smiled affectionately at James as the bus pulled away.
When the phone rang later that night, it was James calling from the base. First he apologized for blowing up at her on the pier. “You just don’t know what it’s been like,” he said. “I’ve got to get out of here.”
Then Linda told him about the sailor she’d met, the one who had been released from the navy after claiming he had an out-of-body experience.
“Yeah, I know about him. The guys on the boat told me about that SOB,” James countered, his voice thick with sarcasm. “Is that all you’ve got? What am I supposed to do? Plead insanity?”
“I don’t know,” Linda said, tears catching in her throat. “All I know is what he told me.”
“Well, go to sleep,” he said, disgustedly. “I’m off tomorrow. We’ll talk then.”
Chapter Eleven
At six the next morning, Linda drove to the base to pick up James. She didn’t know what to expect, and when she pulled up to the lower base gates, he glowered at her. She slid over and he got behind the wheel. As he drove off base, Linda tried to make small talk to
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