The Girl

I don't like to use people's names because I don't think that's exactly fair ---but in this case, I really don't remember this girl's name and thus, I will call her --The Girl.

The Girl was the young soldier I met from my unit that was also expecting and helped me to find my apartment --sort of.  She was young, went into the Army straight out of high school and had been at Ft. Riley less than a year.  She was from Louisiana and seemed like she had a rather impoverished childhood.  With her youth came inexperience and yes, how naive the young girl was.  She was at that perfect end of her teens stage in life where she absolutely had the entire world figured out, knew it all and didn't need advice or help from anyone.  It wasn't her personality, it was her life-stage.

After moving into my apartment I ran into The Girl again and she asked if I ever found an apartment, I told her yes and then I asked her and she said, "Oh well no because we got housing on post."

Well, that's kind of odd.  You see, to get housing on post you have to be married and well --as far as I knew, or at least assumed, she was not married.  I mean pregnant yes but then you know, so was I.  She didn't wear a wedding ring and I knew she was living in the barracks, which is usually only for single soldiers . . it was odd.  But then again you know --things happen.  People can get married at a moment's notice --then again, how on earth did they get housing so soon?  I knew there was a 6 month to a year waiting list . . . .

It was odd but I didn't give it too much thought.  The Girl asked if I'd like to come over and see their place so I accepted and we set up a date.

After work one day I headed over to The Girl's military housing.  In the military, often times the soldier's rank & name will be displayed outside the door.  As I was walking to the door I noticed the name was not the same last name as hers.  It did strike me to be odd but there again, soldiers often run to the Justice of the Peace, knock out a few vows and viola --they're married --changing names, getting rings --those things take time.

I went into The Girl's house and immediately noticed it was very sparsely furnished.  We sat down and chatted for a bit --The Girl told me about her plans for furnishings, housewares, etc.  I remember sitting there feeling so jealous.  She had the things I wanted.  Well, she had at least one thing I wanted and that was a husband but I was also very much coveting her military housing, so much nicer than my crappy apartment.  Even sparsely furnished, I wanted to live there.

The Girl told me about her plans for the nursery and also said they had a 4 bedroom house.  Really?  Now see, that's odd too because the size military housing you are assigned is dependent on the size of your family.  It would be a rare thing for a young married couple to get a 4 bedroom house, even if they were expecting!  Again, I'm finding pieces of the puzzle not fitting and yet, I tried to explain them away.

After chatting some more The Girl's husband came home.  As soon as she heard the door everything about her changed; her body language, expressions, sound of her voice --and she seemed to be bracing herself for --well, I don't really know what.  But again, I notice these things but I don't put them together.  I stood up to be introduced to The Husband and right away I can tell he's not happy at all.  He gives me a very cold, "Hey!" with a quick nod of the head and fake smile trying to mask his stone face.  He then looks at The Girls and says, "I need to talk to you."  VERY obediently, almost too obediently, The Girl rushes to The Husband's side and tells me, "I'll be right back."

So -this is awkward.  Do I stay?  Do I go?  Do I wait?  I just sit back down on the couch and say, "Oh, okay."  The happy newlyweds go upstairs.

It wasn't yelling or fighting or screaming or anything like that but in the distance I can hear muffled voices--voices that were yelling but trying not to be loud.  Well, not so much voices as voice because it was only The Husband that I heard.  Now I'm really feeling uncomfortable and just as I get up to leave The Girl comes down.  Her face is forlorn and she can hardly keep eye contact with me.  I felt sorry for her and wanted to immediately let her off the hook --so she didn't have to come up with an excuse or lie or whatever.  So before she could speak I said, "Hey, I really need to get going and you guys probably want to get dinner going or something.  Thanks for having me over --we'll have to do it again when you have more time."

I was trying to be upbeat and pretend that I didn't notice all these odd things and that I didn't hear The Husband being unkind to The Girl.

I left but that wasn't the last I'd see of The Girl and I'd have one more encounter with The Husband as well only next time, military police were involved.