Read Online Mrs. Lieutenant: A Sharon Gold Novel by Phyllis Zimbler Miller - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Phyllis Zimbler Miller
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That's Northerners' thinking. They
just don't know what we know, living with them the way we do.”
Kim nods. It isn't just that Jim has a
college degree and she doesn't. He hasn't been out of North
Carolina, just as she hasn't, until they came here, yet he knows a
lot about so many things.
For probably the millionth time she thanks
her lucky stars that she has Jim. He is everything to her – father,
mother, husband. He is also the reason she doesn't want children.
Things are just perfect the way they are between the two of them.
Children would somehow change that. And she can't risk losing this
closeness.
The doorbell rings as she puts away the last
of the washed supper dishes. Who could it be? The MPs? A stab of
pain above her left eye punctuates her fear.
Jim gets up from the couch and opens the
door. Sharon stands outside.
"Sorry to bother you,” Sharon says. “I need
to talk to Kim before tomorrow."
From the kitchenette Kim watches Jim motion
Sharon to come in. What is she here for? To say she doesn't want
their husbands to carpool anymore? That she doesn't want to share a
car with Kim?
Kim walks into the living room. "Have a
seat," she says, gesturing towards the couch. The small apartment
smells of fried chicken – that’s okay, Kim thinks, it isn't
unpleasant. She watches Sharon glance around before sitting down.
Probably checking for Squeaky.
"I just wanted to know,” Sharon says, “if
you’re going to the orientation coffee for the AOB wives tomorrow.
We could go together."
"See you, ladies," Jim says, walking towards
the bedroom.
Kim sits down in the armchair facing the
couch. "What coffee is that?" she asks.
"Didn't you get the invitation? It's for all
the AOB wives who are here."
Kim shakes her head. Sharon glances towards
the bedroom, then says, "Robert brought it home for me. Maybe Jim
forgot to give it to you."
Kim stands. "That doesn't sound like Jim.
Hold on while I go ask him."
Kim finds Jim sitting on the double bed
reading from an army manual. Kim closes the door and comes up to
him. She smiles. "Did you forget to give me an invitation?"
Jim closes the manual and stands up. "Honey,
I'm sorry. I did forget. I have it right here." He reaches into his
pants pocket and withdraws a folded white envelope. He gives her a
quick kiss as he hands it to her.
Kim walks out of the bedroom before she
realizes that Jim now wears the civilian clothes he changed into
when he first got home. That means he transferred the invitation
into those pants. Did he purposely not give it to her so she
wouldn’t know about the orientation coffee? Is he worried that his
uneducated wife might embarrass him in front of the other officers’
wives?
Her face feels hot as she shows Sharon the
envelope. "Here it is. He did forget to
give it to me." Kim sits down again, reaches inside the envelope
and removes the invitation.
"Should we go?" Kim asks.
"It might be fun," Sharon says. "Besides
we're probably expected to go.”
“What
should we wear?" Kim asks.
SHARON – IV – May
15
Between 75,000 to 100,000 young people
demonstrate peaceably in Washington against the Cambodian incursion
... May 9, 1970
“ Certain social functions have an official aspect
and should be considered obligatory.” Mrs. Lieutenant
booklet
As Kim drives, Sharon checks the map, then
looks out the window. In the army, it appears, everything, even the
houses, are by rank. Here in an area of officers' housing are
four-family buildings – for the lieutenants on permanent assignment
at Ft. Knox, then the semi-detached homes – for captains and
majors, and finally the single-family homes starting with the
colonels. When she and Kim reach the large house on a rise above a
circular drive, there is no question who lives here.
Kim pulls into a space at the end of the
parked cars. "Wait a minute," she says as she powders her
near-perfect nose.
Sharon sighs. Her nose is near-perfect too,
although it has been helped, the kind of help Kim
just don't know what we know, living with them the way we do.”
Kim nods. It isn't just that Jim has a
college degree and she doesn't. He hasn't been out of North
Carolina, just as she hasn't, until they came here, yet he knows a
lot about so many things.
For probably the millionth time she thanks
her lucky stars that she has Jim. He is everything to her – father,
mother, husband. He is also the reason she doesn't want children.
Things are just perfect the way they are between the two of them.
Children would somehow change that. And she can't risk losing this
closeness.
The doorbell rings as she puts away the last
of the washed supper dishes. Who could it be? The MPs? A stab of
pain above her left eye punctuates her fear.
Jim gets up from the couch and opens the
door. Sharon stands outside.
"Sorry to bother you,” Sharon says. “I need
to talk to Kim before tomorrow."
From the kitchenette Kim watches Jim motion
Sharon to come in. What is she here for? To say she doesn't want
their husbands to carpool anymore? That she doesn't want to share a
car with Kim?
Kim walks into the living room. "Have a
seat," she says, gesturing towards the couch. The small apartment
smells of fried chicken – that’s okay, Kim thinks, it isn't
unpleasant. She watches Sharon glance around before sitting down.
Probably checking for Squeaky.
"I just wanted to know,” Sharon says, “if
you’re going to the orientation coffee for the AOB wives tomorrow.
We could go together."
"See you, ladies," Jim says, walking towards
the bedroom.
Kim sits down in the armchair facing the
couch. "What coffee is that?" she asks.
"Didn't you get the invitation? It's for all
the AOB wives who are here."
Kim shakes her head. Sharon glances towards
the bedroom, then says, "Robert brought it home for me. Maybe Jim
forgot to give it to you."
Kim stands. "That doesn't sound like Jim.
Hold on while I go ask him."
Kim finds Jim sitting on the double bed
reading from an army manual. Kim closes the door and comes up to
him. She smiles. "Did you forget to give me an invitation?"
Jim closes the manual and stands up. "Honey,
I'm sorry. I did forget. I have it right here." He reaches into his
pants pocket and withdraws a folded white envelope. He gives her a
quick kiss as he hands it to her.
Kim walks out of the bedroom before she
realizes that Jim now wears the civilian clothes he changed into
when he first got home. That means he transferred the invitation
into those pants. Did he purposely not give it to her so she
wouldn’t know about the orientation coffee? Is he worried that his
uneducated wife might embarrass him in front of the other officers’
wives?
Her face feels hot as she shows Sharon the
envelope. "Here it is. He did forget to
give it to me." Kim sits down again, reaches inside the envelope
and removes the invitation.
"Should we go?" Kim asks.
"It might be fun," Sharon says. "Besides
we're probably expected to go.”
“What
should we wear?" Kim asks.
SHARON – IV – May
15
Between 75,000 to 100,000 young people
demonstrate peaceably in Washington against the Cambodian incursion
... May 9, 1970
“ Certain social functions have an official aspect
and should be considered obligatory.” Mrs. Lieutenant
booklet
As Kim drives, Sharon checks the map, then
looks out the window. In the army, it appears, everything, even the
houses, are by rank. Here in an area of officers' housing are
four-family buildings – for the lieutenants on permanent assignment
at Ft. Knox, then the semi-detached homes – for captains and
majors, and finally the single-family homes starting with the
colonels. When she and Kim reach the large house on a rise above a
circular drive, there is no question who lives here.
Kim pulls into a space at the end of the
parked cars. "Wait a minute," she says as she powders her
near-perfect nose.
Sharon sighs. Her nose is near-perfect too,
although it has been helped, the kind of help Kim
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