“Oh, c’mon, Steve, give her your mom hug,” she smiled. Steve awkwardly lowered his arms and gently embraced this delusional nuisance.
“Thank you,” Dillie said softly.
“Uh, you’re welcome,” he stammered. “Dad, can we go now?” Just then, Elpie returned from Gayle’s room with a big thumbs-up signal. Phil knew that he had to clear this area for the private reunion about to occur. Steve extricated himself from Dillie’s arms and grabbed his father’s wheelchair.
“Okay, then. I definitely think it’s finally time for us to say good-bye,” Steve said as he turned his dad’s wheelchair toward the exit. Phil made one last desperate move.
“Not so fast. Margot, wasn’t there something you needed from Steve?” Phil said. Margot looked blankly back at Phil. “He sells computer software. Surely you need something for your department.” Margot suddenly got the hint.
“Oh my goodness, yes, I forgot. Just one thing, Steve, before you go. I know it’s another favor to ask.”
“Another delay? My god, this place is like a black hole. There’s no way out! Okay, Margot. What is it now?”
“I’ve been studying my computer needs for the activities department. And I think I could use a hard drive, and maybe some soft drives, if you think you could give me some sort of a deal.”
“Are you serious?”
“I’ve never needed you more than I do right now,” Margot said. Steve heaved a sigh and looked at Charlie.
“OK. Dad?” Steve said.
“Go ahead, son. I’ll be fine right here,” Charlie said. Steve turned to Margot.
“Let me get my catalogue. It’s in the car,” Steve said. Margot took his arm.
“I’ll go with you,” she said.
“I’ll be right back, Dad. That is, if Margot ever allows me out of her clutches.” Margot noticed Dillie dangling with nowhere to go.
“Dillie, why don’t you come along too,” Margot said.
“Oh joy,” Steve sighed. Steve, Dillie and Margot walked down the hallway toward Margot’s office. Phil turned to Charlie.
“I hate to leave you alone here, but I’ve got to be somewhere right now,” Phil said. He turned and disappeared into Gayle’s apartment. Charlie sat in the lounge all alone. He shrugged his shoulders and began reading some of the cards he got from the party earlier.
Phil stuck his head out of Gayle’s door to make sure the lounge area around the nursing station was vacant. He signaled Elpie to bring Gayle out for her big reveal. Elpie locked arms with Gayle and, along with Jessica, the three emerged from her apartment and walked softly toward the nursing station.
Gayle looked stunning, transformed from her earlier disheveled appearance. Her thick salt-and-pepper hair was brushed and curled and fell to the top of her shoulders. A couple of strands were pulled back high above her ear, clipped in place with a lovely hair pin. The soft lace collar of her blouse reached up to gently frame her face, while her skirt fell mid-calf and cinched in to accentuate her slender waist. Her face glowed. She wore a little bit of lipstick and a touch of powder and blush, and her eyes looked especially dark and beautiful. As they neared the nursing station, Phil manufactured a conversation with Gayle.
“Here, Gayle. Let me just double-check your medication schedule.” He picked up a random chart off the desk and flipped through a few pages. “Yes, everything looks good, all under control.” Then he looked at his watch. “Oh, wow, look at the time! Elpie, don’t we need to be in my office right now for uh, uh…”
“Our prayer meeting,” Elpie said. “You know, our afternoon prayer meeting!”
“Right,” Jessica said.
Phil surrendered to the flimsy excuse, and the three disappeared into Elpie’s office behind the nursing station. Once inside, they lowered the blinds to give the two love birds maximum privacy.
Finally, after 50 years apart, Gayle and Charlie shared the same room, all alone. Gayle hovered around the nurses’ station, nervously studying Charlie. The sight of him took her breath away. He wore the same bomber jacket and hat he wore the day they said good-bye. As Charlie busied himself with his greeting cards, Gayle took her time to drink him in. His hair was wispy grey, what she saw of it peeking out from his flight cap. Despite his wheelchair dependency, his posture looked straight and strong. Collecting herself, she spoke.
“Did you enjoy the birthday party?” she said. Lost in his reading, Charlie failed to hear Gayle speak, or even notice she was there. She cleared her throat and tried again, a little louder.
“I said, did you enjoy the party?” Charlie looked up, a bit startled at the company he failed to notice.
“Oh, hello! Sorry – I didn’t know you were there. I thought I was all alone. Uh, yes, I did enjoy the party. Were you there?”
“I didn’t go.”
“I didn’t think I’d seen you there. I would have remembered.” Charlie sensed he made Gayle blush. He tried putting her at ease. “Did you know Stan?”
“No, not really. He lives a few rooms down from me, but we’ve never really gotten to know each other.”
“That’s too bad. He’s a swell guy.” Charlie waited for Gayle to say something. She seemed to be at a loss for words, so Charlie continued.
“He served in Vietnam. Quite a storyteller.”
“Were you in the military, too? I couldn’t help but notice your jacket.”
“My jacket?” Charlie checked both his arms to remind himself what he was wearing. “Oh, yes. I was in the Navy. I was a pilot. Margot wanted me to wear all this for the party. She’s a hard one to say ‘no’ to.” He took his hat off to make proper introductions. He was nothing if not a gentleman.
“I’m sorry - Excuse my manners. Charlie Davis.” He extended his hand to Gayle. She took it.
“And I’m – I’m Gayle Stoddard.” She let her hand linger to the feel of his touch. Oh, the sweet touch of his hand.
“Have we met before?” he asked.
“No, but you may have seen me here or there. Maybe in the dining room.” Charlie gave her a second look.
“I don’t think so. But there is something familiar about you. So, you’re a resident here?” She pointed to her front door down the hall.
“My room is right there. And this is my ‘neighborhood.’ And you?”
“Well, my neighborhood was over in the rehab wing. I was there for just a few weeks of P.T., R&R and TLC. How long have you been at this lovely establishment?”
“This has been my home for the last three years. Ever since my husband died.”
“I’m sorry to hear that - I’m widowed myself.”
“For how long?”
“Actually, like you - about three years.” Another awkward pause. “Please, Gayle, my son will be back shortly, but I’d enjoy talking with you until he returns. That is, if you don’t mind.”
“No, I don’t mind.” Gayle sat down on the loveseat beside Charlie’s wheelchair and unconsciously smoothed out her skirt.
“That’s a beautiful skirt.”
“Thank you. It’s a Polynesian print.
“I like all things Polynesian. The color suits you - it shows off your eyes.” That comment gave Charlie the excuse to stare into Gayle’s eyes for a moment. “Maybe we met somewhere else.”
“I lived in Bozeman with my sister before I moved here. But tell me about you. You must have lived an exciting life.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Well, you being a Navy pilot and all.”
“Not really. Those war stories are one part truth and nine parts fairy-tale.”
“Really?”
“I can assure you my life in the military was far more routine than romantic. Although…”
“Although what?”
“I guess one small chapter of my life did feel kinda like a fairy-tale. In fact, it almost seems like a dream now.” Charlie caught himself wandering off in reverie. He cleared his throat. “But you don’t want to hear about those days, especially since nobody lived happily ever
after.”
“But I would like to hear. I know a little about stories without happy endings myself.”
“You do?” Gayle decided to let her guard down a bit.
“I was once in love with a Navy pilot, and it didn’t end very well.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. Don’t paint us all with the same brush.”
“Oh, it wasn’t all bad. For a very short time it was magic.” She worried that their physical proximity would give her away. She rose and walked over to the nursing station. “He was so handsome and brave, and the stories he told about his life and his dreams kept me begging for more.”
“Sounds like he set the a pretty high bar in the story-telling department. I’m not sure I could measure up.”
“You might be surprised.”
“So, what could be so interesting about my life as a pilot?”
“Well - tell me about your Purple Heart.” Charlie suddenly remembered the medal pinned to his chest. He touched it, as if it possessed the power to trigger long forgotten memories.
“I was shot down during a bombing run over Cambodia. We weren’t supposed to be there, but there I was.” Gayle suddenly turned her back to Charlie as she put her hand to her heart. Was it pain or delight she felt? She could not know for sure.
“Gayle, are you all right?”
“I’m, I’m fine. Just had my breath taken away for a moment, that’s all. You probably have that effect on all the girls.”
“Not quite.” Charlie stepped out of his wheelchair to stand by Gayle.
“You can walk?” Gayle said.
“Yeah. I got careless and broke my leg in the backyard. It’s healing. Come here. Let’s sit down together.” Charlie led Gayle back to the loveseat where the two sat down side by side. Charlie again studied Gayle’s face. Self-conscious, she looked down into her lap.
“You know, you really do remind me of someone I knew a long time ago.
“Oh, please, how many times have you used that old line?”
“No, I’m serious. You remind me of a young nurse back in the war.” Gayle’s old pain at the loss of Charlie rose unexpectedly to the surface.
“Who was she – some wartime conquest, I suppose?”
“Oh, no. Nothing like that. I was deeply, head-over-heels in love with her.”
“Is there any other way to be in love?”
“Truly in love? No, Gayle, there isn’t.” Charlie looked out the window and his heart drifted back to Honolulu. “My Diane was a miracle—a gift from God.”
“What happened to your love, your Diane?” Charlie knew it didn’t matter what he said, but he felt bound to tell it the way he saw it, if for no other reason than to square things up with the universe.
“It was all my fault. We were that close to a wedding, when I got called into a bombing mission. I was fool enough to think my luck would last forever. I told her I’d be right back, but I got shot down and nearly died in Southeast Asia, between prisoner of war camps, the jungle, and starvation. It took me over a year and a half to find my way back. But by that time, her girlfriend told me she got married and moved to the mainland.” Gayle caught her breath again and winced in pain.
“You actually talked to her girlfriend in person?”
“Yes, I did,” Charlie said. Gayle covered her face with both her hands to hide the tears. Charlie leaned in close, concerned.
“You sure you’re all right?”
“Oh, it’s really nothing. My heart just skips a beat now and then.” She composed herself. “You say this girl of yours couldn’t even wait?”
“I don’t blame her. After six months MIAs are presumed dead. It’s all my fault. I should have never left her.”
“But you were under orders.”
“I could have said no, but I felt like I had to set an example for my men. All I know is I lost her. I lost her forever. And I’ll never stop blaming myself.”
“But you came back. You really loved her that much and you came back for her.”
“Yeah, as fast as I could, but it was too late. Once she was married, I had to let her go. I wasn’t going to break up somebody else’s family.” Charlie’s voice cracked and he fell silent. Gayle felt satisfied that their young love was true.
“You didn’t forget her. That’s good to know.”
“No, I never forgot her.”
“Then, you really did love me, I mean her. You loved her. After the war, when you came back home—that must have been a difficult time for you.”
“You have no idea.”
“Oh, but I do. My pilot was also my first love. And I lost him.”
“I’m so sorry, Gayle.” Charlie took her hand to comfort her.
“No, I can’t— not yet—I…” Gayle pulled her hand away and began crying softly.
“Oh, I’m so sorry. If I was out of line—”
“I think I’d better go now. I’ve enjoyed talking to you so much, Charlie.”
“I do apologize, Gayle, if I stirred up painful memories. Sometimes my memories are painful, too.”
“I need to take my pills. Do you know what time it is?” Finally, Charlie noticed that the bobble at the end of Gayle’s necklace was actually a watch.
“What does your watch say?” Charlie said, pointing to the watch face. Gayle suddenly grabbed the watch to conceal its true identity.
“Oh, this is just a keepsake. It doesn’t really keep time anymore,” Gayle said.
“Really? You just wear it for decoration? Let me see.” He reached out for her to release the watch face, but she held it tight.
“No, it’s – it’s really nothing special. I wouldn’t…” But Charlie placed his hand gently over Gayle’s tightly clutched hand, and spoke softly to her.
“Let go.” She looked into his eyes and knew the jig was up. She eased her grip off the watch and removed the entire gold chain from around her neck. Charlie gave the watch a closer look.
“This is a military watch,” he said. “Where’d you get it?”
“It was a gift from my Navy boyfriend years ago,” Gayle said. Charlie studied it some more. “This isn’t just military - it’s an aviator watch. It’s only issued to pilots. Then he turned the watch face over and saw the engraving – ‘CD’.
Chapter 26
Gayle turned away from Charlie, hoping to hide her emotions. She could no longer control her tears as they rolled down her cheeks. Charlie gently took Gayle by the shoulders and turned her towards him, and suddenly he saw the face of Diane. The grey hair and age lines faded from view, and his mind restored her facial features as if 1971 were yesterday, the way love renders a face ageless.
“You’re Diane, aren’t you? Diane? Oh my God! Is it you? Is it really you?” Gayle looked at Charlie and, with tears streaming down her face, nodded “yes.” Charlie enfolded her into his arms.
“Oh, Diane, Diane! Of course! It’s you!” Gayle leaned back to talk, but could not speak. Charlie pulled her again to himself, holding her tightly, stroking her hair, kissing her forehead, her cheeks, and her closed eyes.
“Please don’t hate me. They told me you were dead. They told me to move on. But I didn’t know how. I wanted you. I knew you were still alive – in my heart I knew it. I even talked to one of the pilots from your squadron. He saw your plane go down. He said they did a rescue search. They found your helmet but not your body. I had to let you go.”
“They said you got married.”
“Yes, I met a very kind and patient man who knew my story and was willing to adopt so that we could have a family. I have two grown children.”
“Where did you live?”
“We lived in North Carolina. He was an architect and that’s where the job was.”
“Did you love him?”
“Not our love, but enough to make a life. When he died three years ago I moved back to Bozeman to be close to my sister. But with my heart problems they thought it best that I move to Billings because of its hospital with a great cardiac wing. I live here in a heart-
smart room with plenty of special equipment to keep me going.”
“Come here, my love. You’re with me now. That’s all that matters.”
“What happened to you? Did you find another ‘Diane’?”
“I searched and searched for a girl who loved foot-long hot dogs and Diet Pepsi. But all in vain. Nobody measured up to you.” Gayle laughed.
“You’re such a liar. You got married. They told me your son is taking you home today.”
“Yeah, my wife died a few years ago. I’ve got a ranch north of town, but I’m too old to run it. My boys run the business now.”
“What do we do now? How could you love this old wrinkled up body of mine?” Charlie took Diane’s face in his hands.
“You are beautiful. We were going to end up here someday anyway. We just skipped the middle part and got right to the good stuff.”
“I just don’t know,” Diane sighed.
“What do I call you? Gayle? Can’t I call you Diane?”
“Yes, you can call me Diane. Gayle is just my middle name.”
“Well, Diane, you weren’t just my first love, you were my forever love.” Charlie leaned in and kissed her first on both cheeks and then on the lips. When they finally released their embrace, they both laughed and cried at the same time.
“Charlie Davis. It feels so good to be in your arms again. And to see your wonderful smile after all these years.”
Steve and Dillie returned and stopped short before Charlie noticed them.
“If I tried to kiss you again right now - a big sloppy mushy kiss like the ones we used to share—would you call out for help?” Charlie said
“Only if you need it.” Charlie and Diane kissed longingly, romantically. Steve’s mouth dropped open at the sight of his father passionately kissing someone other than his mother.
“Hold me, Charlie. Hold me close. We don’t have much time.”
“Nonsense, woman. We have the rest of our lives.” Steve, managed to find his voice.
“Dad!”
“Steve, c’mere, I want you to meet someone very dear to me.”
“Yeah! Apparently so!” Steve drew near and Dillie followed closely behind.
“Steve, I’d like to introduce you to Gayle – no, Diane.”
The Sanctuary II: Lost and Found Page 17