His Red Haired Beauty, His Life

He sat by the window looking out.He didn’t see the trees and flowers but only the blue sky that reminded him of the many blue skies he’d seen before.He remembered growing up on a mountain lane with his six brothers and sisters.They never had much but the seven of them formed strong bonds with each other.High school was a luxury he couldn’t afford for long.He went to work in the Cement Mines.He quarried rocks despite the danger and hard work, he worked down deep inside the mountains.Sometime during those days he met his red haired beauty.The exact times and dates are inconsequential now.The flow of events and the special moments remembered are all that count.

She was a young, slender beauty.Born and raised in a small, nearby, country hamlet.She lived with her grandparents.Their attraction was immediate and mutual.They dated, going to movies and square dances held in large, local barns.They knew theirs was a lasting love.In spite of her grandparents disapproval, they were married.What a blissful time.They lived with her grandparents in the grand house they had had built.They had come into a small inheritance and their family had built this grand house for them.People came from all over town to see this grand house.Now, he and his red haired beauty were living in that house with them.

Their first son came along in 1942.A beautiful little boy named after him.The war had been going on since the bombing of Pearl Harbor in December of 1941 and he had begun working in a munitions plant in Connecticut.Many of his neighbors worked there as well.They felt they were doing their duty to their country by working in that plant.Son number two was born in 1943 and shortly after Uncle Sam called on him to serve.He left his red haired beauty and two sons to join the Army Air Corps.Before he went overseas he was stationed in South Carolina and his red haired beauty came to visit him for two weeks.She had left the boys with her grandparents.What a glorious two weeks they had!But, it was time to go.He was going to Saipan, a place they had never heard of. He went by train then by boat to this beautiful tropical island in the American Mariana Islands.War marred its beauty.

He faced a world totally alien to a 22 year old young man from upstate New York.He ran for cover from bomb attacks and saw his buddies die.It was a trying two and a half years for this young man.All the while he was thinking of his red haired beauty back home with their two boys.He lived through the Battle of Saipan and finally it was time to go home.On the way the ship stopped to refuel at Hawaii.All of the soldiers were able to see the beauty of Hawaii but they weren’t allowed off the ship.It didn’t matter that much to him, he knew he was on his way home to his red haired beauty.

Life resumed as if he had never been away.Son number three was born in 1946.He was driving tractor trailers now.He didn't do long hauls that would keep him away for days but he did work long hours.That didn’t affect their love and happy home, son number four was born in 1948.What a wonderful family he had with his red haired beauty.She never complained and was always there to support him in anything he did.They worked together to make their family a happy one.They cut down cedar trees for Christmas every year.Decorating them the way everyone else did in the forties and fifties, with ornaments and lots of tinsel.They didn’t have a lot but it didn’t matter because they had each other.

Son number five was born in 1955.There had been miscarriages in between but never a complaint from his red haired beauty.What a marvelous family he had!His red haired beauty and five strong sons who inherited their good looks from him and his red haired beauty.He was sorry none of them had her red hair but that was okay, they were good boys with great respect for their parents.

Time went by fast as the boys were growing up.They lived near a lake and spent a lot of time on the lake, swimming and fishing.He bought a small speed boat so the boys could water ski.There were trips to Long Island to visit relatives and friends and there was that car trip to Florida.His family spent a lot of time together and before you knew it the boys were teenagers.Tall, handsome boys any father would be proud of.

Time moved on and son number one got married.Then came the Viet Nam War and his second son was drafted into the Army.It was like history repeating itself.Luckily he was sent to Panama and spent his time there.Son number three decided to enlist and joined the Navy.The ship he was on, the USS Intrepid, did two tours in Viet Nam.Son number four enlisted in the Army Reserve and stayed on American soil.He was a very worried but very proud father.Three of his sons had served their country just as he did and had come home safely.He and his red haired beauty had done a good job.

By the time son number one had three children, son number two got married.Due to a strange coincidence of fate, when the first child of son number two was born his sixth child was born, both in May of 1967.His red haired beauty finally had her girl!Now his family was more than complete.

The years continued to roll by with more sons getting married, more grandchildren arriving and his red haired beauty turning into a white haired beauty. They celebrated their 69^th Wedding Anniversary in April.In spite of it all, he couldn’t remember how all those years added up to him sitting here at the hospital window with a broken hip.As always, there was a ray of sunshine, his white haired beauty was coming to take him home today.

Copyright Tillsontitan