The joy lasted but a minute or two before I returned to the land of the dead-headed. Not that I wasn't enjoying where we were. It was more like I was sung to sleep by the hum of tires on asphalt while being rocked in the arms of spruce and pine. Time on the road drew me inward to wander around in another world. Did then, does now. Sometimes a future filled with hope, at others, the past with it's should have dones mixed with a helping of happy memories.
Seemed the same thing was happening to Uncle Emil. Only his thoughts were sneaking out of his mouth just loud enough for me to hear. At least I think they were. Might have been dreaming but I don't think so.
"Don't think I'll ever pass though a day without Lena being in the seat next to me or across the table with a cup of coffee. A man can't live and love someone that long without her becoming a part of him. She was the only woman I ever really loved. The only one I wanted to love."
"We weren't always together. No, the War and my pig-headedness saw to that. Of course I could have avoided being a part of the Army had I wanted. I was way too old for the draft. Not many men my age, at least those who weren't career military, took part. In fact, I was so darned old they wanted to make me an officer right off the bat. Or maybe lock me up in the looney bin. But that wasn't me. Never minded working with people. Didn't even mind taking charge of a group so long as it was a mutual decision. But there was just something about having brass on my shoulders that wouldn't have set right."
"I volunteered for the draft on New Year's Eve of '43. Lena was okay with it even though she was none too happy. I'd wanted to enlist in the infantry but she wasn't having any part of that. Said I'd come home in a box with a flag on top. By volunteering for the draft I let the Army make up my mind for me. Joke was on us. They made me a medic."
Emil paused, stubbed his cigarette butt in the ash tray, "I suppose you're wondering how I passed the induction physical?"
I wasn't. Didn't even know what an induction physical was. But I did know Emil had his glass eye back then and even the Army wouldn't be so hard up as to take a one-eyed man. At least I didn't think they would.
"It was warm body time in the middle of the war. Down in the cities they were cramming future soldiers through as fast as they could get them to spread their cheeks. Didn't know Sam from Jack. About all they did was peer in every hole, whack a prime grade on your backside and send you on. Had a buddy of mine take the physical for me. Simple as pie."
About then we came up on a tee in the road and hung a right.
"Won't be long now and we'll catch us some lunch. Hope you like brown gravy on your pickles."
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