The Golden Key: A Quest for Freedom Episode Two

by Marvin Wilmes

  “After that, you get your carcass to the hospital and quit running from love. You two have a lot of catching up to do the way I understand it.”

  “Thanks.” It seemed silly to Mark that he couldn’t find any other words to say.

  ***

  Jack Alvarez watched the two friends from his lofty perch. His memories of foxhole chats with Paul came to mind as he sighed. For now, his job was done here. It was time to return to his home base on the island of Maui and wait. He had yet to get a certain letter into the hands of its proper owner, and he hoped that would be soon.

  As he turned to leave, he saw Abar standing in the doorway. Though he had nothing to fear, the dark man’s presence always made his skin crawl.

  “You do know that I have been granted two appointments with Roger,” the dark man said as Jack approached him.

  “That is no concern of mine,” Jack said, still not understanding how Roger was going to be the link to the delivery of the letter. “I’’m in this for Paul and my own family.”

  Chapter Three

  Wayne Bennett and Dave Alspeedy were like many of the young men who joined the Marine Corps in the mid-1970s. A product of the '60s revolution and in need of finding of a rudder to guide their drifting ship into a safe harbor.

  Wayne knew something had happened this Thanksgiving weekend, and he had some idea now of what his mother had meant when she spoke of the rewards of giving a part of himself.

  “Okay,” Speed said, “I guess I was wrong. I find myself excited for Roger and Anita. It does pay to care, even if the suit doesn’’t fit me that well. But, I will say, I kind of like it for now.”

  “Yeah, it does add a new dimension to life, doesn’t it?” Wayne flashed a grin at Speed. “What I don’t get is why does somebody join the Corps if everything is so together where they’re at? The draft was rescinded, why would Roger join if he had everything he needed at home?” Wayne took a big drink and set it down as he reluctantly relived his own lack of choice when it came to joining the military. “I mean if Roger were going to get married, why run off and join the circus?”

  The question honestly did haunt him.

  The Enlisted Men’s Club was a place to escape the rigors of Corps life. Drinks were cheap, lonely women flocked to the base in search of romance, and as a marine, the drinking age was eighteen on base.

  It was all part of Semper Fi, being part of a brotherhood and it provided a much-needed escape from the small space each man was issued in the barracks.

  Very few of the men who passed through its doors in 1975 really knew why they were in the Corps. For a select few, the motivation was love of their country, but cynicism had gripped the nation in the wake of the Vietnam War, while the elimination of the draft greatly changed recruiting efforts.

  For many, it was finding a sense of purpose or direction from the apathies of the culture. Some were escaping the responsibilities and realities of life, and in return, found a new sense of responsibility and reality they never expected with the rigorous training involved.

  Some didn’t want to run from who they were, rather they wanted to discover the very essence of their being. The sense of adventure, travel, and the unknown spurned many a teen to try on the uniform as a way of fitting in, of proving to themselves—and others——that they could start and finish something challenging.

  For many, the four years in the Corps simply provided that bridge from the past to the future, though many found boot camp a heavy price to pay for the construction of that bridge. All identity was stripped away as everyone was demoted to the same level of recruit. The past was yesterday, the future uncertain, the present a test of survival.

  Surprisingly, even some of the toughest and strongest of personalities were broken. A few never made it. They failed at the opportunity to finish this great accomplishment in their lives. It was known that many who washed out managed to go on to better things in life, but here in the Enlisted Club…there were no washouts.

  Each and every one was a survivor. Leaving boot camp left a sense of pride indelibly stamped on their persona. A few more would drop out before the end of their tour, while a few would reenlist and make a career out of it. Most of them would reconstruct their identity until the Corps allowed them to test new skills and adventures in the civilian world.

  As Speed was mulling over Wayne’s question, a very excited Ted Ryder was rushing up to their table. Ted not only lived next door to Speed and Roger, he also worked in the electric shop next to Wayne and Roger’s shop.

  “Hey you guys. I got some dirt on our engaged Marine.” Ted was out of breath from running.

  “Dirt?” Speed said.

  “We may not know Roger as well as we think we do.”

  “What do you mean?” Wayne asked, increasingly intrigued.

  “Well, I was walking back from the shower and Corporal Powell walked down the hall and asked me if I knew where Roger was. I told him, and he said there was a Debbie Martin on the phone claiming to be his girlfriend. She had flown in from Memphis and is staying with her aunt and uncle in Laguna Beach. I came over to tell you because none of this fits the Roger I know.””

  “Nor I?” Wayne flicked his cigarette ashes into the ashtray.

  “Anyway, if either of you hear from him before I do, tell him to call this number. We told her he was out of town, and she said she’d wait.”

  Wayne took the number scribbled on Marine Corps stationary and Ted bolted from the club, having delivered his bombshell with bullseye accuracy. As Wayne stared at the number, he wondered who Roger really was. This only verified his philosophy that no one could ultimately be trusted.

  “Well, come on,” Speed interrupted Wayne’s private condemnation party.

  “What?”

  “Listen, Wayne. I saw Roger’s face light up when I told him Anita had come out of her coma. I’ve lived with him for the past month, and I have never seen anyone in such a slump. Maybe this Debbie gal was just a one-night fling and she misinterpreted his intentions. We owe it to our friend to find out why she’s here.”

  “Oh, I don’t know. Is it our place to pry?”

  Speed was already up from his chair as he grabbed the piece of paper from Wayne. “Maybe not, but I’m sure not going to wait for Roger to explain.”

  Wayne didn’t protest. He knew why Speed was concerned. It was for the same reason he was, and he couldn’t deny his feelings. He’d seen a dream flower right before his eyes last night. Two people were finding love and happiness. Roger had told him all about Anita, and Wayne felt like he knew her.

  He gulped down the last of his beer and sighed. Debbie Martin? How come Roger had never mentioned her, and also, why was he so hung up on Anita then? None of the pieces fit.

  He followed after Speed. The Corps had handed him a prime case study. He loved getting into people’s heads, but had yet to gain Roger Wilson’s full trust.

  Wayne sensed the winds of change were blowing in his life and felt a part of himself that had lay dormant for a long time.

  A caring soul.

  ***

  “Well, here you go. Home sweet home,” Mark said as he drove into the driveway of the Wilson farm. “I hope my bombshell didn’’t put too big of a damper on your visit.”

  Roger seemed to ignore Mark as he stared at the big house where he grew up. Mark heard the mooing of a distant cow and the symphony of crickets. The farm had always been home for Roger and now other worlds were not only taking him away, it was becoming increasingly difficult for Mark to relate to his friend.

  “Roger, are you all right?”

  “Yeah.” Roger chuckled. “I was just thinking about…well, never mind. I’ll see you tomorrow.” He opened his door and got out. “One thing, Mark.”

  “Name it.”

  “Treat her right.”

  The sound of Roger shutting the door rumbled through Mark like a gunshot. He knew no matter how tough Roger was handling this on the outside, he was hurting inside. Yet, Mark no longer felt t
he burden of guilt he’d been experiencing prior to today. He let the sense of relief envelop him as he knew his love for Anita was more than a passing fad.

  He needed her touch and tenderness to assure him and to heal his wounds.

  He saw Roger wave at him as he returned the gesture.

  As Mark drove away, he felt stronger and more self-assured than ever as he realized his friendship with Roger had changed forever.

  The future of their friendship was a topic for discussion another day. It was time for him to simply face up to who he was, because Mark now knew why Roger thought he had changed.

  Love had captured his heart.

  ***

  Barbara Wilson watched her son from the window.

  How lonely he looks.

  As he stood for a long while gazing at the house, he headed for the barn.

  His mother smiled to herself. The farm had always been Roger’s therapy with all of its wide open spaces. He would come to the house soon enough. She went and poured herself and Ed some coffee. As she placed Ed’s cup on the coaster, she said, ““Roger’s outside. I think I’ll call Paul.”

  “Have him bring Donna, too.”

  She nodded. This family needed to talk.

  ***

  Roger felt the cool night air on his face as he leaned against the fence. He was remembering a time before Anita went into the coma—when he had left her.

  Now, as the reality of Mark’s entrance into the arena of their fragile relationship settled on him, the suppression of another memory continued to break through his tough exterior.

  It all began with his friend Phil Haynes, a small town named Galloway, Tennessee, and a dash of Marine Corps madness.

  Roger had resisted Jack’s attempts to set him up on a blind date—all because Roger had a car.

  He finally agreed just to shut his marine friend up, but he hadn’t counted on the depth of his feelings as a result of the encounter.

  The group had travelled to Memphis to see the Moody Blues in concert and afterward went to Overton Park. Jack and Sue had left the pair in the car, and Roger had forgotten all of his promises to not fall for Debbie Martin.

  He didn’t fight the memory from his first post–boot camp tour at the Memphis Air Station outside Millington, Tennessee. He simply let the memory cleanse his soul.

  ***

  “They’re gone at last,” Debbie said as she put her arms around Roger. “I see you are wearing something, what is it?” She pulled the chain up as the key followed, dangling in front of her eyes. “What is that key for?”

  “My heart.”

  She giggled. “Boy, you are a romantic.”

  Roger pulled away and turned his eyes from her.

  “Hey, what’s wrong?”

  “You, this town, the Corps, everything. I ran away from so much back home looking for something that maybe doesn’t even exist…I don’’t know. I’ve been so confused lately. I don’t know what I want to do with my life—or even who I am. It was all so clear to me before I joined.”

  He turned to her. A tenderness began to well up in his soul. He knew he was in trouble. The feelings were ones he could not deny. “Debbie Martin, I really wasn’t planning on this. I really shouldn’t be here. I have to tell you I’m engaged to be married.”

  “I figured as much,” she said, moving over the obvious with lightning speed. “I suppose it happened before you enlisted.””

  “Well, yes.”

  “So, the question now is, why did you enlist?”

  “I’m not really sure. I’ve been trying to answer that question since I got off the bus in San Diego and realized I just walked through the gates of hell.””

  Debbie once again put her arms around him. He felt safe and secure when she did that. He was feeling things he had never experienced before, but yet he had his honor to uphold.

  “Did she give you the key?”

  “Yeah.” Roger gazed into her eyes. The urge overtook him as their lips touched. Something exploded within him as his senses reeled.

  His euphoric moment was interrupted by a bright light, which illuminated the entire interior of the car. They bolted out of each other’s arms as he saw a police officer gazing in the passenger’s window, and then jumped when he heard a tap on the driver’’s window. His survival instinct—and Marine training—kicked in as he vowed to protect Debbie from the intruders.

  “What are you two doing?”

  “Talking.” Roger felt guiltier at his betrayal to Anita than embarrassed at the situation.

  “Anyone else besides you two?”

  “Yeah, they’re up there in the woods.”

  “What are they doing…smoking dope?”

  “What’s that?” Debbie said, as Roger fought off an urge to laugh.

  Her wit was quick, and he liked that about her. He wished these cops would leave so he could continue his extensive soul search. Debbie seemed to want to listen and appeared to understand him. He felt like he could let his barriers down with her.

  As one of the officers opened the console and rummaged around inside it, he asked Roger again where his friends were.

  “I already told you.”

  Suddenly Roger had to shield his eyes as the light blinded him.

  “Listen boy, when you address an officer, you had better say ‘sir.’ You got that?”

  Roger didn’t bother to answer. He saw trouble brewing as Phil and Sue were approaching the car. Phil looked like he was in one of his angry moods where he usually acted first and asked questions later. His heart sank when the cop turned on Haynes and gave him the same sir bit. Roger saw that Phil was not going to back down.

  “We better get out of here,” Debbie whispered.

  “Hey, Haynes,” Roger yelled out the window. “Get in the car and let’s go.”

  “No way, man, no two-bit—”

  “Haynes.”

  “Better listen to your friend there, greenie, and get on back to Nebraska to your mama where you belong.”

  Roger smiled to himself as he caught the policeman’s reference to his home state’s license plate.

  “Let’s go, hon,” Sue said.

  Phil got into the driver’s seat of the car, anger marked his face. Roger winced as he realized he should have never allowed this hothead of a friend drive his car. Haynes spun the tires as a final protest of the officers. He listened patiently as Phil spouted off a flurry of obscenities.

  Through it all, Debbie laughed.

  “Are they following us?” Roger asked, deathly afraid of the answer.

  “No, and no two-bit cop is going to screw with me just because I’m a Marine.”

  “They already have, Phil, so shut up.” Roger felt like a time bomb about to explode. A soft hand took his and squeezed. Debbie rested her head on his shoulder.

  He brushed the hair out of her eyes and smiled at her. The rest of their talk was delayed for now, but not over. He sighed and settled back into the seat even farther. He was glad he had come.

  In the silence of the moment, over the soft roar of the engine, he groped for the answer as to why he felt drawn to this woman and why he was with her.

  And who was Roger James Wilson?

  ***

  Wayne nervously lit a cigarette. “I sure don’t feel comfortable doing this.”

  “Neither do I, so don’t rub it in. She said she would meet us here, so shut up and eat your hamburger.” Speed nervously tapped the table.

  “I’m not that hungry,” Wayne said as he took a bite anyway. “A friend of Roger’s is a friend of mine, but one thing this woman has succeeded in doing for me is shattering all my perceptions of who Roger is. I’m not too sure he hasn’t been lying through his teeth all along.”

  “Roger’s not a liar and if you would take the time to get to know him, you would learn he’s a very sensitive individual. Any friend who doesn’’t know that, yet, had better learn it or not bother to call himself a friend.”

  Wayne opened his mouth to reply, but was in
terrupted by the petite woman who stood before him. “Debbie?”

  “In person. May I?” She gestured toward Speed as she gave Wayne the once-over.

  He made a lousy first impression, and knew he hadn’t passed her test.

  “Sure,” Speed said as he moved over to allow her to sit beside him.

  “Now, what is this all about?”

  “The question is, what are you all about?” Wayne wasn’t going to let Debbie turn him into a mouse.

  “I do not appreciate your bedside manner,” Debbie drawled.

  Wayne was struck by the Southern charm this Tennessee belle possessed.

  “Whoa! Can we just call a truce and start all over,” Speed said as he threw up his hands. “We’re friends of Roger and wanted to make sure you knew he’s engaged to a girl back home. His fiancée just came out of a coma after two months.”

  “Anita Barlow, I know,” Debbie said, while Wayne held in his snicker as he watched Speed’s jaw drop. “She is the one who gave Roger that golden key he wears everywhere. I guess I can forgive you some…over concern. It would be sorta surprisin’ I know all about that.”

  “Well, I guess introductions are in order. My name is Dave Alspeedy, but most people call me Speed.”

  “Wayne Bennett.” Wayne was glad to find an opportunity to smooth things over.

  “You see…I know Roger stood me up on purpose.”

  “Stood you up?” Wayne asked.

  “Oh, I suppose I had better start at the beginning. I met Roger through my girlfriend’s beau. His name’s Phil Haynes, a real unsettled fellow. How he and Roger became friends is still beyond me. They were alike as day and night.”

  Like us. Wayne snickered before he knew what happened.

  “It was through Phil I later learned Anita was in the accident and he went home on emergency leave. I decided I shouldn’t pursue the matter any further because I figured he was like all Marines anyway.”

  “That’s all right.” Wayne winked at Debbie who gave him a scowl. “Go on.”

  “Well, anyway, Roger left, and we still have unfinished business. I may have come all this way for nothing, but I don’t think either one of us planned on our feelings turning out the way they did. I just turned eighteen by the way.””