It's the little things

It is the little things, chance really that can affect the course of your life. I was a snot nosed kid when world events bigger then me and my friends changed everything. The events of the world would take me to the one I would love for all of my days.

I was born in a small town in upstate New York, a sleepy place really but still very nice. I was never the tallest of men only reaching a height of 5 feet 9 inches. I had dark brown hair and managed to engage my fair share of the ladies. Perhaps it was the Italian blood running through me that helped.

It was not possible to escape the daily news about the state of things and feel the dread looming. I was just getting out of high school and the war was ever present. In a few short months I found myself in the Army Air Corps which was a good thing considering that I always had an interest in flying. Little did I know where this would take me.

After completing basic I went on for more specialized training as a radio operator for the fleet of B-17 bombers. When I was in basic they noticed that I had a skill that would make me good at targeting and therefore dropping bombs from the planes. I had to express to them how I would not be able to do this job.

My family came from Italy, my father and mother were the first to come over from the old country. I knew there would still be family there even though I didn’t know them. When it came right down to it I would not be able to target and drop bombs there. I was thankful that they understood and offered the radio operator training to me.

After I graduated I received my first duty assignment and shipped off to where most of our forces were at the time.

***

It was another dark night, all you could see was the night sky and all of the stars. Even though I knew there were at least a dozen other planes in the air with us. I was not able to see any of the other planes really except for the marker lights.

The time was getting close, we had reached our target area and the antiaircraft guns started up. The feel of the explosions nearby shake you and you pray that they miss. All there is to do is focus on the job you had to do and hope the night would pass and you would make it once again.

Our plane had been shot up in the past but we always seemed to make it home in one piece. Many of my friends didn’t make it home and that always made it harder to accept the replacements as they came to our post. There is no feeling that I have ever had that could compare to watching another plane right next to you get hit. So many times they just start to dive, swaying left or right, and falling from the sky. As you watch and hope with each passing second, counting the parachutes but they don’t always add up to the right number. We tried our best but it was still hard to meet someone new and then not have them return from the first mission.

As I neared the end of my tour of duty I was faced with a choice, where did I want to go when I returned to the states. Interestingly I decided that I would like to return to that little town back in Texas where I was given my training. Of course that little town over the years grew up to be San Antonio, one of the biggest cities in the state.

Just before I exited the service I was asked to stay on for a while longer and I could be stationed at the air base there in San Antonio so I jumped at the chance since it fit in with my plans. I collected my gear and made the move in the winter of 42 and it was great to get back home.

I was going about my daily routine when I ran into this girl on base one day. She was working there as it turned out so I was able to see her from time to time. I asked her what her name was and she said Gloria. She was the most amazing thing I had ever seen. She had dark hair and certainly did turn the heads of the other men passing by. Gloria was shorter then me at 4 foot 11 inches but you would never know it because of the way she carried herself. I said my name was Michael and asked her where she was from and she said that she had lived in San Antonio most of her life and that she hadn’t left the state really.

As the winter turned to spring and the spring into summer it was clear that we would be together for some time to come. We often spent our summer days together for lunches and sometimes dinners. The weekends were all ours and where one was the other was sure to be found. This was the summer that I fell in love and asked her to marry me so we could spend the rest of our lives together. I was so very happy when she said yes.

We were married in the last week of July. I was going to be leaving the service shortly and took the civil service exams and became a postal carrier. Gloria continued on with her job until we found out a couple of months later that we were expecting our first child. We spent the next few months getting things ready, bought a house, spending time with family and friends. We were rewarded with our little girl in March of 44 and named her Sharron Ann.

After 3 years had passed we were again blessed, this time with a little boy and we both agreed that he should be named after me. Our family now completed we set upon our daily lives, raising children, family BBQs and the other events that occupy ones lives. Our next big events were the children growing up and starting families of their own. It was nice for us to see them grow and thrive. It was truly a blessing when the grandchildren came along, there were 4 in all and bundles of joy each and every one.

***

It was late in life when we found out that I was having troubles. The doctor told us that I had cancer and they were not sure how much time I was going to have left. I was lucky though because the treatments helped and I managed to survive. Ten more years past as we did the same family things we used to do except there were more of us. There was nothing like the joy of having all of the family over for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinners.

Again there was bad news of cancer, it had returned once more but there was nothing that they could do for me. When the doctor told us Gloria crumbled in my arms she knew the worst was about to come. Try as I might I could not console her and coming to terms with it for myself was certainly painful. Even as I passed from anger to fear I knew this time we had to tell the family. The shock and tears were the most difficult as we repeated the bad news to each of them.

I took a turn for the worse shortly after but I recall the visits to the hospital. It was always good to see my family visit while I was able to talk and enjoy their presence. Some didn’t understand but Gloria and I had already said our goodbyes weeks ago and she didn’t want to see the end. We understood that those would be the last words, touches, and kisses when I left for the hospital.

I passed one August day in 93, I couldn’t take what the cancer had done to me but I was aware and made my peace. I was gone but I was still with you, the bond of over 40 years kept us together even now. I saw you at home, how you missed me and I wished I was there but it was not to be.

In October of this same year I was not alone anymore, you were there with me. You were not able to go on without me. Just two short months you sat on the floor in the kitchen and you came to me. What a true summer love found me all those years ago.