CHAPTER THIRTY

Dawkmymy – Friday, January 15, 1965

I thought wisdom is overrated. When you think you know for sure, what works, often it ceases to work. Control seems to evaporate, and it succeeded against me. Even as a small child, I used anger to manipulate others around me. My use of annoyance worked until I was twenty, when it backfired. Extreme irritation from me, caused my father to plead with Bobby's commander, who had him removed from Thailand.

I didn't mean for that to happen. I was hoping that someone would chew him out, and I would forgive him and that would be it. My aunt heard me spewing out my anger, and saw the tears rolling from my eyes. She wanted to protect me. As a result, she hid his and my letters. As I mulled over it, I realize that I instigated my own problems.

I told him that I was sorry about the problems in our relationship. He quietly said, "It does not make a difference now. You got me."

"I just want you to know."

"All I want to understand is that you care about me. Do you love me?"

"Yes, you get that I do."

"Then, nothing else makes a difference."

"You are too easy on me. I want you to realize, that it was all my fault."

"No, you are too hard on yourself. Just relax and enjoy what we have." I gave up saying, "How can I argue with a man in love?"

He answered, "So, don't!"

Bobby wrapped his arms around me and began showering me with kisses. He whispered in my ear, "I love you." I quietly resumed, "I..." Before I could return the phrase, a shot rang out loudly. It shattered the lamp behind us.

Bobby gently pulled me to the floor and calmly responded barely audible, "Shush." A man came over and started to kick him to check if he was alive. He grabbed the man's foot, twisting his left ankle. The shooter fell to the floor and his gun skittered across the carpet. I immediately rose to my feet and retrieved the weapon.

I recognized Peter's father, Colonel Smyth. I was pointing the firearm at him. I questioned him, "Why are you trying to kill us?" He responded aiming his finger at Bobby, "He beat up my son, and a few days later murdered him." I countered, "He did not whip your son. I did, because he was telling horrible lies about me."

Bobby did not slaughter him. A military agent dispatched a chop to Peter's Adams apple while he was raping a woman. I went on to express, "Do you understand that your boy was part of the Pink Handkerchief Gang who were mass torturing and abusing kidnapped women? Earlier he attempted to kidnap me. A Thai Intelligence Representative followed him to an abandoned hotel where your son was engaged in the depravity and beating of women."

Colonel Smyth reacted, "I'm sorry. I did not have any idea that Peter was involved in this activity." I imparted, "I also held him in esteem until these things happened."

About that time our security guards burst into the room. They inquired, "We heard a gunshot. I sheepishly explained, "I was looking at the pistol, and accidently squeezed the trigger." Bobby added, "It is my fault. I handed her the revolver without putting on the safety."

One of the guards looked at Colonel Smyth. Bobby continued, "This poor man hit the deck when the handgun discharged." The security guard spoke, "Be careful, you are lucky no one got hurt." I declared, "Thank you for checking on us." Smyth probed, "How do I explain it to his mother?" Bobby imposed, "Tell her, he was doing his job."

The colonel apologized, and thanked us for covering up what he was in the process of doing. He left without recovering his gun. Bobby uttered, "Now, where were we?" Hugging his neck, I looked at him. He embraced me, and planted a spicy kiss on my lips.

Then he kissed in the spot behind my ear that caused me to quiver. My body shook, stiffened and relaxed in his hands. Whatever happened generated a trembling within every ounce of me. He kissed me in more places. I quivered even harder.

I did not want this to end. I awakened in his arms. "What did you do to me?" He answered back that he just loved me, because I was treasured. No one has eternally adored me like that. He promised that he would cherish me forever.

On Saturday, January 16, 1965, I distinctly felt a soft tapping on my arm. Blurry-eyed I looked up at Malsa and Seebhabe. Both had broad smirks on their faces. I yawned, stretched and muttered, "What time is it?" Malsa announced, "It is breakfast time. You two have fallen asleep on the couch with your head on his shoulder, and your hands intertwined." Seebhabe jumped up onto Bobby's lap.

Startled, he awoke from a deep slumber, looking around the room, and concluding that we had slept through the night. He grinned and bounced his firstborn on his knee saying, "Good morning young man." His son stood up on his lap, put his hands around Bobby's neck and expressed, "Daddy, I love you." Malsa and I chuckled. My heart leaped for joy when he squeezed the boy tight and replied, "I love you too." A sweet tear rolled down my cheek. I knew we were a family.

Malsa went over to both of them, embraced the two men in her life and claimed, "I am content that you are my Daddy and you are my little brother." I could not wish for a more blissful moment. Ecstatic tears flooded from my eyes and rolled down my chin.

Bobby called, and asked Martha, "Is it alright to bring four more to breakfast, or should we go to the Crystal Dragon Inn?"

"Who will you be bringing?"

"It will be Dawkmymy, Malsa, Seebhabe and me."

"Why, all of you are family. We don't let kinfolk go hungry."

"We want to thank you Martha."

"Rufus and I should be thanking you. After Le Ann died, you were relocated, we retired, and the future looked bleak to us. We recognized we were eventually going to lose Bobby III and Leanna. Dawkmymy and you have brought a new sparkle into our lives."

"We love you and your bride to be. No one can replace the daughter we lost, but you comes close to it. The gain of Malsa and Seebhabe as our grandchildren is a bonus."

Martha shared with Bobby and me that they received a letter from their son, Rusty. He would be in Thailand in a few days. Hopefully, in time for the wedding. Since it was dated a week ago, they expected him any day.

Rufus reports activities at the farm are going great. They no longer have to take their corn to the wholesale market. The wholesalers and retailers are coming directly to him. All he does is put a sign at each end of his farm when a new crop is ready. His secret is simply hydrating the fields during the dry months rather than flooding.

Rufus's wealthier costumers have purchased freezers just to hold the sweet morsels between crops. He did not plan to be an anomaly in Thai farming, but he has.

Researchers and students from the Universities come to study his methods.

Red Savage knocked at the door and broke my thoughts. He reported to me that an Air Force Colonel and an Army Colonel was looking for Colonel Olander. I told him that my fiancé was in pursuit of finding a new black bowtie, but I would tell him when he returned.

A few minutes later another knock came from the door. Lieutenant Colonel Rusty Olander and Colonel George and Linda Roth introduced themselves. I informed them that Bobby was out and Rufus and Martha had taken the children to the farm to feed the catfish.

I invited them to come in to sit and wait. I introduced myself as, Dawkmymy, the bride. I offered them something to drink. All three of them were parched from the plane ride. I said, "Martha had just made a puree of pineapple, mango and strawberries.