Alice's Soldiers

by Robert T. OShea

  It was becoming quite the party Joeann, and the two Aunts helped Alice set up the table. Gloria and Sarah and the boys arrived with the wine and liquor. Freddy and Lily came in with the sauce and appetizers.

  Freddy and Lily went upstairs to see Robert. When they came down, Lily told Alice not to worry Rosemarie had closed the window and put a blanket on him. He still in the chair the lighting flashes is flickering off his eyes as if he could see them, but the monitors have not moved.

  A storm was coming in the lighting and thunderclaps were pounding the house lights were flickering, so Grandma and Alice got out the candles.

  The family enjoyed the dinner, and Alice was smiling.

  Her aunts noticed a glint in her eyes she looked at little relaxed they talked about the kids in her class, The Diner, and Prosciutto shops.

  Freddy asked his mother why she was so quiet? Is there something wrong?

  Grandma Marie said it’s, Albert, Freddy. He flipped out broke the door again and disappeared into the night.

  Just then the lights went out.

  The Aunts made sure the candles were lit.

  Little demure Joeann asked what is wrong with Albert?

  Grandma asked, after a hesitation, he is a ‘Lycanthrope.’

  Gloria asked what does that mean?

  He is a ‘Werewolf’ said Uncle Carmine. Robert brought him into the Police Department one night. Robert and Albert were both beaten up when he dropped him off at the station.

  Marie said that I’m here because I don’t want to be alone.

  Everyone returned to the wine and dessert, Grandma Marie looked relieved.

  Joeann yelled that she heard something upstairs.

  Her mother Tracy said honey, don’t worry Robert alright.

  The conversation at the table stopped with everybody straining to hear the slightest sound. Hearing nothing the sound of dinner continued.

  The lighting and thunderclaps were reaching a peak when Alice said to herself, she better checks on Robert the illumination in the sky may be scaring him. She just wanted to update him about the party and tell him about ‘Albert.’

  The Princess went into the living room picked up a lighted candle turn to tell the guests she would be right back, turned toward the stairs, took one step and screamed.

  Grandma Lily using intuition passed Alice and grabbed Robert. Aunt Mary held up the shocked Alice; she took the candle out of her shaken hand.

  Robert had tears rolling down his face, and he was looking at Alice when he said “‘Honey” and passed out.

  Robert was set up in Alice’s bedroom, his comatose state remained but, after a month he started to improve, with Alice unable to wait to get home to see how better Robert was doing.

  Alice would tell her class each day her ‘sort of boyfriend’ was getting better. That is until one day a young girl got up and asked her teacher if she and her boyfriend could do it now?

  Alice with a blank look on her face looked at Connie (Teacher’s helper) for help.

  Connie whispers something into her ear.

  The complete innocent surprised look on Alice’s face as she sat down, bought the class into hysteria.

  Robert was up and at it in two months, in three he was taking the girls for breakfast, working at the school and The Diner.

  Sarah was off to college and Gloria was working double shifts at The Diner. She was saving money for her upcoming marriage to Tony. They planned on getting engaged as soon as he completes his military requirements. Lily (Grandma) and her husband Freddy stayed with them at night when they got off work. Lily checked everyone in the house, no manner how tired she was. Because of legal issues, Alice had to live at the Bleecker Street house.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  The Strange Room

  No! It was a sad room, strange is a hurtful word.

  The classroom was for impaired vision children. In other words, from blind thru legally blind. A money grant from a local sandwich chain made the whole thing possible.

  Saint Lucius (The Patron Saint of the blind) High School, had the first class of its kind in the Republic of Brooklyn. The students in Alice’s class were from ten to fifteen years old. They were made up of White, Black, Spanish, Chinese and Jewish students. When the students first met each other, there was a lot of stupid hatred going on between the different races.

  Alice taught educational courses from reading Braille to subjects like English and mathematics. It took a few months for Alice to get used to her new job; it kept her very busy.

  Alice told her class, I want you all to stand up so, we can change the seating in this room. We will have it arranged by height, the shortest child to the tallest one.

  Ginger you sit in the first seat (First row and first column). Now the shortest person now standing sit next to Ginger and so forth, and so forth, breaking up the few cliques that have developed.

  There weren’t any pictures or paintings hanging on the classroom walls, nor writings on the blackboards. The board’s erasers disappeared along with the white chalk. One day someone installed a railing from the classroom floor to the door. The purpose of the bar was to help the disabled children into their class. The students held on to the rail for dear life, with their hands grasping to get their bearings.

  This railing holds all the horrible memories the students experience in life.

  Each day Alice absorbs these memories when she holds the rail as she steps into the classroom. The shock from the memories in the rail reminds her the purpose of her life.

  Alice’s assistant Connie was a piece of work; one of those nutty Brooklyn girls whose accent, goofy ways and silly jokes made the class a happy place.

  But the fun was still to come with the ‘Sort of boyfriend’ Robert.

  After two weeks the class found out about Alice’s, Robert. Now the little brats had Alice cornered. They demanded to know who Robert was? Well, it came out he was her ‘Sort of boyfriend?’ Robert became the gym and swimming instructor at Alice’s school who gave her the ability to see. She swam with him at least an hour a day and fooled around with him and the students all day.

  After school, the two of them (Robert and Alice) worked at ‘The Diner’ for Freddy and Grandma Lily. They wanted to pay the family back for all the food they received during the week and the sandwiches giving to the students.

  The Diner was already packed waiting for them (Robert and Alice) to arrive. The crowd was made up of local truck drivers, cops, firemen and loyal customers. Now is was Alice’s and her girlfriends prime time to carry on like Gloria saying “who is the new guy Alice you usually keep them for at least a week? Alice, did you notice the ass on your new boyfriend?”

  Alice would return with “Gloria, you forgot your bra. But then again you are quite flat.”

  Robert was just as sick; he would always run into her with whatever he was carrying, a trash can or a large tray of dirty dishes. She would turn around and say. ‘Wait till tonight.’ To the delight of the audience, sitting in tables and at the counter. Alice was always joking about her role as the slutty waitress and being fresh to Robert. Like he would come to bed and tell Alice, to move over ‘Honey Gem’ or something like that. Alice answer by saying find another bed or who are you?”

  Every time Robert, the short order cook came out front the back, the men would stand up and clap. Everyone believed he was sleeping with Alice because of the things Alice would say like “where were you last night, hiding in the bathroom? or, don’t forget to take your boots off tonight, etc.”

  The ‘King of the Soldiers was a regular, the crowd knew who he was and, that he made Gloria, Joeann, and Sarah his daughters. Gloria would always wait on him, and she would say do you want fries with that Dad. In return, the King would try to hide causing an uproar. Ok, I’ll take them with a glass of Whiskey, you horrible daughter, causing the customers to roar.


  It was a happy year for Robert and Alice, after their long day, it was time to clean up their kitchen , bathroom and bedroom, feed the animals, wash clothes, showers they finally hit the sack, with goodnight kisses, hugs, and a few loud statement like, give me that hand or stop that or I am going to tell grandma

  Life was great, but it only lasted for a year.

  Robert went to work at the school as the swimming coach and the physical fitness instructor. Their jobs were perfect. Alice got to help the blind and the impaired children. Robert got to be with his girl.

  The students knew how beautiful Alice was and they also heard Robert was living with her. But Alice wouldn’t admit he was her boyfriend. When the students asked, Alice, answered with ‘Sort of.’

  The legally blind students described Robert to their classmates, so they knew he looked like a God. When Robert walked into the classroom and kissed the teacher; the students shouted statements like ‘Gross,’ and I am going to throw up. The students laughed a lot during the day; they loved Alice.

  Robert was the swimming instructor. Alice led the physical attacks on Robert at the pool. No one can throw Robert into the water. The students and Alice try every day to push him in, but to date, they have failed. Everybody had to wear a bathing suit. Because if you couldn’t push Robert in, he would throw you in, the one who always screamed the loudest, was the teacher. Alice and Robert swam together every day for at least an hour. It was becoming the best year of their young lives.

  Robert was the first one at the kitchen table waiting for Alice and Joeann so he could drive them to ‘The Diner’ for breakfast.

  One night after a long day Robert and Alice had a nasty fight over nothing. He told her she was teasing one of the customers too much, in fact, I have seen him walking up and down our street.

  Alice said,” what you think you’re the only man in the World?” Alice went to the bathroom, cleaned up, and put her pajamas on, kissed Lily Kemble and the bunny, got into her bed and closed her eyes.

  Robert went up to the third floor and climbed into bed. Robert didn’t sleep; he couldn’t even move his body. Something was wrong. He tried to tell Alice, but she wasn’t accepting any mind messages. Daybreak came about a hundred hours later. He attempted to get up, but it was impossible. Robert said to himself; he wanted to put Lily Kemble out, get dressed and sit at the kitchen table. Alice would make breakfast, and as a treat, she would sit on my lap, and we would eat from the same plate and talk our problems out. They loved to eat breakfast together, but he couldn’t move, he was paralyzed. He knew something was wrong, but he couldn’t tell anyone.

  “Meanwhile, Alice couldn’t wait for him any longer, so she stomped upstairs and found him sleeping. She shook him, but he wouldn’t get up. She was so mad Alice said, the hell with this, who does he think he is? She called Tony and had him pick her up.”

  Alice had her cane, but it was useless because Alice didn’t know which way to go. She could kick herself for not having Tony take her to her classroom. Now she must grab a passing parent or kid and ask them to find Connie or even help her to her class.

  Alice smelled garlic coming her way; it had to be that little bastard, Roger. Every day this subhuman makes snide remarks about her relationship with Robert. Alice grabbed him by his shoulder, held him in his place, moved her right arm to the top of his shirt and pulled him up at least four feet in the air.

  Alice said, “Roger dear, can you do me a favor, she put him down but, still held on to him?”

  Hello, Miss. DeVan you know I can’t help you because I am a blind child and where is your boyfriend, Mr. Muscles?

  Alice asked, “Am I talking to Little Sweet Roger?”

  Yes, “was” the answer.

  Roger, you’re not blind, you’re legally blind (vision impaired), which means you can find nurse Connie for me.

  Well, what’s in it for me, Robert need a night off?

  Alice’s hand moved to Roger’s skinny neck and picked him up at least five feet in the air.” She said, Robert, cannot teach today because he (Alice whispered a few words into Rogers’ ear) me last night. Roger’s face looked like he had a stroke, his mouth was wide open, he was sweating, tearing up, and he was shaking. “Now, Roger, I would like Connie to be here in the next five minutes, or I will tell Robert you tried to look up my dress again, then she dropped the pig.”

  In about five minutes Connie came running over. She threw her arms around Alice and said, “It’s ok honey I’m here, how can I help you?”

  Alice said I need your help to take me to my students, please.

  Connie helped Alice to her classroom desk. The children were going nuts screaming Ms. DeVan is back. Connie told the children to behave because their teacher needs time to adjust to her dizziness.

  When everyone settled down a student named “Eddie stood up “and said my father told our family how funny you, the waitresses and Robert are at The Diner. He continued Miss DeVan my family loves you and Robert.” Everyone was cheering until the nuns came and slammed Roger.

  “A small girl in pigtails named Ginger stood up” and said, “something underneath the shouts of others.”

  Only Alice heard her. Alice asked, “Connie if she could get the small child that sits in the front row, first seat.”

  In a second Ginger was in Alice’s arms. Alice kissed her and asked, “what wrong honey?”

  “Where’s Robert! Ms. DeVan, did he die?”, Ginger asked. The classroom became silent.

  “Alice with a saddened look on her face” said, kids, “I don’t know what is going on?”

  Four girls bolted out of their seats, rushed up demanding, at various levels of tempo, “Did you two break up?”

  Connie laughed when she saw Alice roll her eyes. She (Connie) made things much better by telling the little cretins that teacher’s sex lives are none of your business.

  Now Alice’s head was in her arms hiding from the world. A young boy stood up and asked, Nurse Connie, why is Roger hiding outside, and what does “Sex Lives mean?”

  Alice stood up and said, “thank you nurse Connie, I will talk to you at lunch. Now class if you have questions about ‘Sex,’ please save them for your Physical Fitness Instructor, Mr. Robert.”

  Connie said, “Good one,” Alice.

  She planned to get in front of the class, sit at her desk, and let the students take over; each one will get the chance to talk about anything except Robert.

  Alice was explaining her plan to the class, but she had to tell her little friends about what was going on. With tears in her eyes, she said: “To them, she and Robert weren’t talking to each other right now.”

  A small girl asked, “Alice do you love him?”

  Alice said,” Emily I love Robert very much, but if anyone in this class tells him what I said, I will die.”

  A girl named Sally said did you ever tell Robert you loved him?

  Alice avoided the last question and changed the conversation by talking about what they must do to survive in this world.

  The lunch bell caused the entire class to yell “I must go to the bathroom.”

  Connie got back to the class just in time to help with the bathroom run and lunch. The legally blind students helped Connie get the blind kids in and out of the bathroom. Then they helped the children move their desk around, so they faced each other in small groups. Now the class could eat lunch and gossip. Today topic was Ms. DeVan and her missing boyfriend.

  Tony and Billy entered the classroom with enough ‘Prosciutto Sandwiches’ and sodas for everyone. They gave the boys a whole sandwich (One foot). The girls only wanted a half one. Also, each child got a can of soda, two white napkins, a plastic fork and a piece of Freddy’s homemade chocolate cake.

  Connie asked the group who do you thank for this lovely meal? “They all yelled together (Even Tony and Billy) ‘Thank you Robert’s girlfriend’ to ma
ke Alice laugh.”

  Alice loved having lunch with Connie, Billy, and Tony, it gave her an opportunity for a few laughs and caught up on what is going on with her friends. For example, Alice was getting better tips than Gloria. One reason was that Alice ripped Robert apart during the ‘Supper-Rush.’ at ‘The Diner.’

  Robert and Alice worked at the eatery during its nightly madhouse. It allows them to eat for free during the week and Alice picks up a few dollars in tips. Alice was the gum chewing, wisecracking waitress. Her primary target to the delight of the customers was the Short-Order Cook, (Robert). She loved busting his chops like, when he had to bend down to pick up something that fell, she would say out loud, ‘having a good look sailor?’

  In the middle of everything, the smallest girl in the school walked up to the desk and whisper something to the teacher. Alice said to everyone, say hello to Ginger. When things are quiet, I carry her around the class, like Robert’s mom used to treat me. Ginger “these are my friends, my brother Tony, Robert’s brother Billy and you know Nurse Connie. What’s up, dear?”

  Ginger, wearing a pressed white blouse with a pink dress, ironed by a mother who knows how. Her hair was combed to perfection, again the mother. She put her small hands on top of the desk pulled herself up on her toes and said; “I love you, Ms. DeVan. Ginger continued you and Robert are not talking because you never tell Robert you love him.”

  “Ginger said, every morning I tell my Dad, Mom, Sister, Little Brother, and our dog Freddie that I love them. At bedtime, I kneel with my hands folded together; I ask God to watch over my family including you, Ms. DeVan. I have never seen (Ginger is Blind) Robert and I never will, but; he likes to throw me into the pool. I always swim back as fast as I can so he can throw me again. Listening to the other kids, and teachers talking about Robert you are the luckiest woman in the World.”

  “Connie said, Ginger, “you’re the most delightful little girl I have ever met.”

  I’m not Nurse Connie, said Ginger because when I close my eyes at night, I dream of Robert. Ginger turned around and ran as fast as her little legs could carry her.