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namasteTitle: Blythe’s Story, Chapter Eight (Letters 1966)
Author: Namaste
Summary: “My sisters don't know what it's like to be married to a Marine, and what it's like for their husband to have so many responsibilities. He seems so distracted sometimes that I'm worried he'll just drift away. I know you'll understand what I mean, and I feel like you're the only person who would.”
PG, about 1,000 words.
Author’s Note: Two for the money today. Start with Chapter Seven (Letters 1965) before this one, in case you’re confused. This picks up with Chapter Eight (Letters 1966) as we follow a couple of years in House’s family life via letters. Chapter Eight is linked at the end. I fully admit to stealing the structure for these chapters from Carol Shields’ “The Stone Diaries.”
To start at the beginning: Chapter One, Chapter Two, Chapter Three, Chapter Four, Chapter Five, Chapter Six, Chapter Seven (Letters 1965)
Feb. 11, 1966
Gilroy, CA
Dear Blythe,
I just found your Christmas card. It was in a box of things that Phil brought me before he shipped out. It’s been so busy I didn't even open the box until now.
So -- yes. I said "shipped out." Phil got his orders to report to Pleiku just after Karen was born. He didn't want to tell me until the holidays. With luck, he should only be in Vietnam for a few months to set up new air stations there. Between you and me, I'm worried that he'll never come back. I know he's working behind the lines, and he keeps telling me he's perfectly safe, but I can't help it. The news from there makes it sound like everything is getting worse. I can never decide whether to watch the news so I know what's happening, or shut it off so I can try to ignore it. Susie keeps asking when Daddy's coming home, and I don't know what to tell her.
We decided it would be better for the girls and me to stay with my parents while he's gone. We found a little house just down the road from their place, and now Susie has cousins to play with and distract her from thinking about her Daddy so much. I wish it worked that way for me.
I don't know how I'd manage on my own at the base, but at the same time, no one here understands what it's like to be a Marine. I don't know if I can even explain it to them, but I know you'll understand, even if I am a little jealous that you still have John at home. Sometimes it seems like we spend all our lives trying to enjoy what we have, and knowing it can change at any time.
OK, enough depressing news. I see from your photo that Greg is growing like a weed. I'm sure he's a handful. Is he still playing baseball, or is that over for the year? I still find it hard to believe he's in school already.
Please write me back when you have time.
Miss you,
Jenny
__________
March 1, 1966,
San Diego, CA
Dear Jenny,
I'm so sorry to hear about Phil. Every day it seems more men are shipping out from here, and I just know John's going to get that call soon. I wish there were some way that I could keep him here with us, but I keep telling myself that I knew what I was getting into when we got married.
I'm glad that you’re with family. I always regret that Greg doesn't see his cousins very often, and I suppose that's why I get worried that he doesn't seem to make friends easily. I hate the idea of anyone being lonely or alone, maybe because I always hate being alone. But as you said, we still have John for now, and we should cherish these days while we can. We never know what will happen next.
Love,
Blythe
_________
August 12, 1966,
Gilroy, CA
Dear Blythe,
I don't know how the past few months went by so quickly. I kept meaning to write you, but it's been so busy I never seem to have the time. I started helping my parents with their books. My Dad always hated numbers -- he'd rather spend his time out in the fields -- and my mother gets overwhelmed by the bills at harvest season every year, so I'm finally putting my college degree to work on something other than coming up with a household budget.
Phil always tells me he's doing fine when he writes (which isn't often enough), but he doesn't actually tell me anything important in his letters. He talks about the weather and his men. He asks how the girls are doing, but he never tells me how he feels. I suppose that's just like a man, though, right? He still hopes to be home by Christmas, but we don't know for sure.
What else? Susie is finally potty trained, which makes my life easier, but now Karen is starting to crawl and get into everything.
Sorry this is so short, but I'm afraid if I don't get it in the mail today, it'll be another six months until I get back to it.
Take care,
Jenny
___________
Aug. 30, 1966
San Diego, CA
Dear Jenny,
You're right. Men would rather give up state secrets than admit they're worried or scared. At least the men I know. Anytime I ask John about being deployed, he says he's not worried about himself, just how Greg and I would do on our own. The only way I know he's thinking about it at all is when he tells Greg that he'll have to be the man of the house someday.
Greg’s in his second season of Little League. He’s even pitched a few games, which made his Dad happy. I'm thinking of signing him up for basketball this winter, though. John was a wrestler when he was in school, but I think it would be good for them to have Greg try something of his own.
I signed Greg up for piano lessons this summer too. He hates practicing his scales, but loves to sit and figure out tunes by ear. You remember how much he used to love listening to music, and how he'd mimic songs when he was little. He still remembers almost every song he hears. I took piano lessons until I was sixteen, but never took to learning new songs the way he does. It's wonderful to see.
I just hope we'll be here long enough for Greg to play in his Christmas recital. It seems like everyone on the base is moving someplace else lately, and I think John will get his transfer papers soon. I'm doing my best to not think too much about where he may be going.
Miss you,
Blythe
Chapter Nine
Author: Namaste
Summary: “My sisters don't know what it's like to be married to a Marine, and what it's like for their husband to have so many responsibilities. He seems so distracted sometimes that I'm worried he'll just drift away. I know you'll understand what I mean, and I feel like you're the only person who would.”
PG, about 1,000 words.
Author’s Note: Two for the money today. Start with Chapter Seven (Letters 1965) before this one, in case you’re confused. This picks up with Chapter Eight (Letters 1966) as we follow a couple of years in House’s family life via letters. Chapter Eight is linked at the end. I fully admit to stealing the structure for these chapters from Carol Shields’ “The Stone Diaries.”
To start at the beginning: Chapter One, Chapter Two, Chapter Three, Chapter Four, Chapter Five, Chapter Six, Chapter Seven (Letters 1965)
Feb. 11, 1966
Gilroy, CA
Dear Blythe,
I just found your Christmas card. It was in a box of things that Phil brought me before he shipped out. It’s been so busy I didn't even open the box until now.
So -- yes. I said "shipped out." Phil got his orders to report to Pleiku just after Karen was born. He didn't want to tell me until the holidays. With luck, he should only be in Vietnam for a few months to set up new air stations there. Between you and me, I'm worried that he'll never come back. I know he's working behind the lines, and he keeps telling me he's perfectly safe, but I can't help it. The news from there makes it sound like everything is getting worse. I can never decide whether to watch the news so I know what's happening, or shut it off so I can try to ignore it. Susie keeps asking when Daddy's coming home, and I don't know what to tell her.
We decided it would be better for the girls and me to stay with my parents while he's gone. We found a little house just down the road from their place, and now Susie has cousins to play with and distract her from thinking about her Daddy so much. I wish it worked that way for me.
I don't know how I'd manage on my own at the base, but at the same time, no one here understands what it's like to be a Marine. I don't know if I can even explain it to them, but I know you'll understand, even if I am a little jealous that you still have John at home. Sometimes it seems like we spend all our lives trying to enjoy what we have, and knowing it can change at any time.
OK, enough depressing news. I see from your photo that Greg is growing like a weed. I'm sure he's a handful. Is he still playing baseball, or is that over for the year? I still find it hard to believe he's in school already.
Please write me back when you have time.
Miss you,
Jenny
__________
March 1, 1966,
San Diego, CA
Dear Jenny,
I'm so sorry to hear about Phil. Every day it seems more men are shipping out from here, and I just know John's going to get that call soon. I wish there were some way that I could keep him here with us, but I keep telling myself that I knew what I was getting into when we got married.
I'm glad that you’re with family. I always regret that Greg doesn't see his cousins very often, and I suppose that's why I get worried that he doesn't seem to make friends easily. I hate the idea of anyone being lonely or alone, maybe because I always hate being alone. But as you said, we still have John for now, and we should cherish these days while we can. We never know what will happen next.
Love,
Blythe
_________
August 12, 1966,
Gilroy, CA
Dear Blythe,
I don't know how the past few months went by so quickly. I kept meaning to write you, but it's been so busy I never seem to have the time. I started helping my parents with their books. My Dad always hated numbers -- he'd rather spend his time out in the fields -- and my mother gets overwhelmed by the bills at harvest season every year, so I'm finally putting my college degree to work on something other than coming up with a household budget.
Phil always tells me he's doing fine when he writes (which isn't often enough), but he doesn't actually tell me anything important in his letters. He talks about the weather and his men. He asks how the girls are doing, but he never tells me how he feels. I suppose that's just like a man, though, right? He still hopes to be home by Christmas, but we don't know for sure.
What else? Susie is finally potty trained, which makes my life easier, but now Karen is starting to crawl and get into everything.
Sorry this is so short, but I'm afraid if I don't get it in the mail today, it'll be another six months until I get back to it.
Take care,
Jenny
___________
Aug. 30, 1966
San Diego, CA
Dear Jenny,
You're right. Men would rather give up state secrets than admit they're worried or scared. At least the men I know. Anytime I ask John about being deployed, he says he's not worried about himself, just how Greg and I would do on our own. The only way I know he's thinking about it at all is when he tells Greg that he'll have to be the man of the house someday.
Greg’s in his second season of Little League. He’s even pitched a few games, which made his Dad happy. I'm thinking of signing him up for basketball this winter, though. John was a wrestler when he was in school, but I think it would be good for them to have Greg try something of his own.
I signed Greg up for piano lessons this summer too. He hates practicing his scales, but loves to sit and figure out tunes by ear. You remember how much he used to love listening to music, and how he'd mimic songs when he was little. He still remembers almost every song he hears. I took piano lessons until I was sixteen, but never took to learning new songs the way he does. It's wonderful to see.
I just hope we'll be here long enough for Greg to play in his Christmas recital. It seems like everyone on the base is moving someplace else lately, and I think John will get his transfer papers soon. I'm doing my best to not think too much about where he may be going.
Miss you,
Blythe
Chapter Nine
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(no subject)
Date: 2008-11-26 07:19 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-11-27 12:14 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-11-27 05:54 am (UTC)You do a good job of humanizing House's parents while also showing why they'd be...problemmatic for him to grow up with.
(no subject)
Date: 2008-11-27 03:02 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-11-27 06:28 pm (UTC)Even if House's parents are evil, most people aren't, like, Snidely Whiplash evil.I mean, Pat Conroy had a few good things to say about "The Great Santini" too.(Now I want to write a drabble where House calls his dad that.)
Maybe...maybe not. Many of us do get born in the wrong families somehow, but House is into the biology of things...maybe he'd think he was born to be an ass.
(no subject)
Date: 2008-11-27 12:36 pm (UTC)*still memming*
(no subject)
Date: 2008-11-27 03:03 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-11-29 04:24 pm (UTC)The imagery for these letters was fantastic -- I could easily imagine everything they wrote about. *bites lip*
Kind of the problem, really. Empathy makes me feel like crying sometimes.
(no subject)
Date: 2008-11-29 06:13 pm (UTC)I'm off to chapter 9!