The Enemy Rule

C. G. Walker

The Enemy Rule

Copyright © 2017 by C. G. Walker

ISBN # 978-1-64008-971-6

Cover Art Copyright © 2017 by C.G. Walker

Created in the United States

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This book is a work of fiction.

No part of this work may be used, stored, reproduced or transmitted without written permission from the publisher except for brief quotations for review purposes as permitted by law.

This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only and may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book, please purchase an additional copy for each person.

If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, please purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Dedication

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Earl Bailey who answered the call to serve his country and the world during World War II. Velma Bailey who allowed me to try and capture her late husband’s unique story. Of course, I must include my parents for all that they’ve done for me. 

And also, not only the men and women that served in the United States as well as her Allies during World War II but everyone who supported their efforts to fight and correct the balance in the world.  As well as every single other person who served their country, whether in a time of war or peace. I submit this work in dedication to your efforts.

Foreword

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Before you start reading this, I would like to make one thing as clear as I can.  This work can only rightfully be classified as historical fiction.  As far as I know, there are no real first-hand accounts in this manuscript.

What is in this pile of words, or at least what I’ve tried to do, is capture one man’s story from World War II.  While I did have the extreme pleasure and good fortune to know the man represented in this story, I never got the chance to sit with him and go through the details of it all.  Even if I had the opportunity, it would probably not have gotten me very far.  As with most from the generation of men that dealt with that war, he felt it was just something that had to be done.

Most weren’t overjoyed about leaving home, their lives, their loved ones, only to put their lives on the line in order to stop the evil that was the Axis powers.  Their time was very different from today. 

In this story, I’ve tried my best to keep to the facts I knew, and the one’s that I’ve pieced together while sitting behind this laptop and scouring websites, cross checking facts with other websites and calling people in historical societies, etc. 

So please know that I’ve tried my best to represent the truth or at least a reasonable facsimile thereof.

A few of the things I that I know are an accurate accounting of his time are the training camps, the countries, the Unit, and a few other bits and pieces.

Why did I write this story?

Partly because I’ve always been a bit of a World War II junkie.  And partly because, the story is so unique from anything else I’ve read or even heard.  I don’t want to get into all of that as you’ll see as the story unfolds. 

But here are a few little tidbits that told me this story demanded recording are worth sharing. 

First, I asked his widow to obtain his full military record, I wanted to make sure I was as accurate as possible. The letter she got back was stunning.  The Department of Defense informed her that unfortunately back in the nineteen seventies there was a fire, and his records were in the section that burned up.  There is more to this, but I don’t want to give it away just yet.

When I was writing the D-Day scene, I knew what unit he’d been part of, but I didn’t know which beach he’d landed on.  When I checked old invasion maps, I arbitrarily chose one of the five lanes marked on the map like the one he had used.  Looking further, I saw that with the topography a certain approach made more sense. There was a town located beyond that approach, so it became the first major objective. 

Out of curiosity, I pulled up Google and went to the street view.  Dropping the little map guy onto the lane running down to the beach I ‘walked’ up the road.  Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a monument, and when I turned the view, I was a bit shocked.  There on the side of the hill right by the beach was a huge stone and cement marker for his division. 

Continuing to walk, I ended up in the town.  There was a sizeable stone monolith and an entire museum to his company built in recognition of their liberators. 

While writing this, several other quirky things happened.  All telling me this story deserved, actually needed, to be written, if for no other reason than to try and pay justice to one man’s journey through hell and back.

I have tried to stay as true to the spirit of the humble, kind man I knew.  It is my genuine hope that I have done so.  His story is one that shouldn’t be lost to the passage of time.

Thank you for reading.

Table of Contents

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Dedication

Foreword

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Authors note:

Prologue

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The earth beneath his feet shook violently.

Chunks of frozen soil rained down bouncing off the metal of his helmet.

Clutching his M1 Garand, Earl was rooted behind the shield of a Sherman tank.

Why the hell am I here?  Oh yeah. The war.  I don’t care about this stupid war.  I just want to be home, with my wife.  Safe.

Another explosion ripped through the air, causing him to shudder. 

Earl saw O’ Rear’s expression was the epitome of fear, his mouth opening and closing.  It dawned on Earl that O’ Rear was yelling at him.  It didn’t faze him.  He didn’t care.  He just wanted to be anywhere but there, in this impossibly frozen forest with death raining down on him.

We have to get out of here!

His brain finally processed what O’ Rear was screaming. Where are we going to go? Earl yelled back.  His words laced with panic and desperation.  Somehow he knew that O’ Rear was about to be the last person he would see on this Earth.  His heart sagged at this simple truth. 

Never again would he see the most beautiful sight on Earth. The woman who had agreed to marry him.  Spend the rest of her life with him, even though he had nothing to offer other than his love.

The tank was their shield as chunks of mud and roots peppered them. Earl’s mind took him from this place of assured annihilation to the exact opposite of locations the park where he had proposed to his beloved.

It was the same exceptional spring day. He took a deep breath, filling his lungs as the sun warmed his skin. The songs of birds lightened his heart. He opened his eyes, he saw her.  She was perfect.  Not a flaw could he find in her, in fact, he’d stopped looking.  Her alabaster skin glowing in the sunlight, surrounding her in a halo, and confirming that she was indeed ethereal.  Taking her hand, pressing his lips onto her fingers, he inhaled her scent.  She smelled like the lilacs that lined the walk just outside the front door of her parent’s home.  More than once, he’d seen her fingers dance through the blooms as she left the house.

God, she was beautiful. 

She moved with such ease and grace, which illustrated that nothing troubled her.  All her needs were met. She simply enjoyed the world around her.

From the moment they had met, her contentment infected him.  With their first touch, he knew she was the one that he needed to escort him through life. 

A perfect white butterfly flitted around the chestnut curls resting on her shoulders. Smiling, Earl guessed it was attracted by the yellow dress adorned with tiny flowers.  Maybe it was simply attracted to her, hell, who could blame it. 

Gazing deep into her hazel eyes, his hand delved into his pocket, and his fingers brushed the velvet cover of the ring box as they closed around it.  Indecision rose in his mind. Not being a man of means the ring was puny.  She deserved the world, and he wanted to be the one to give it to her.  Hopefully one day he would, that from humble beginnings great things would grow. 

There should have been no doubt in his mind that she loved him.  They had professed their love to one another on many occasions over the past six months, but still, he worried.  Deep down inside, he was afraid his meager offering would be met with rejection.  The next few moments could shatter him.  Steeling his resolve, he took the box from his pocket.  Her eyes grew large, the hint of a smile shaping her lips as she caught sight of what was in his hand.  Hope sprung from the seed that had been labeled doubt.

Time slowed.  Taking a calming breath, the box clicked open, summoning all his courage as he spoke the bravest words he’d ever utter. Will you marry me?

She threw herself at him. As her arms wrapped around his neck, a high-pitched whine pierced his precious fantasy.  Violently, he was ripped from his memory back to his current reality. 

What the hell?  Lying on the ground, he looked to where O’ Rear should have been.  Earl tried to yell for his buddy but no sound came out, all he heard was ringing.  Slowly becoming aware of muffled noises, and he realized he was exposed.  He’d been behind the shelter of the Sherman, but somehow, he was now on his butt out in the open.  Instinctively, his body rolled to the nearest cover. 

It was then Earl realized the tank had been blown up.  All that remained was a burning hulk.  Again, he tried to scream for O’ Rear.  This time he heard his voice, but it sounded far away.

Panic flooded into his soul. 

His gaze hurtled around him. 

Shattered trees.

Snow.

Frozen mud.

Bits of metal.

Flames.

Boots.

Blood.

Oh God!

A pair of boots lay near him.  Feeling his heart sink, Earl’s arm began to shake.  Slamming his eyes shut, he hoped he would be taken away again.  Back to her.  Back to that day. Back to any day. He needed to hear her laugh, the sound of her voice as she told him she loved him and always would. 

All that came was the clank of the tracks of enemy tanks.  Hanging his head, he allowed his eyes to open, resolving that his brain could not take him away from this.  The ground thrummed with the force of the armored giants encroaching on him.  Snippets of German phrases.  His demise was imminent.

Before he knew it, he was running.  His body had taken over, carrying him away from the danger. Not daring to look behind him, he focused on a gap in the trees pushing and pushed his legs harder than ever before. 

A distant crack in the air was followed by a sharp burning lance of pain in his hip.  Legs spinning out of control, and he fell to the ground.  The enemy was over him before he could get up.  Screaming at him, "Halt! Nein! Halt!"

Earl reached into his pocket, wanting to see his beloved one last time. He tried to get a hold of her picture.  The screams around him grew more panicked.

Don’t shoot, he screamed back.  Tears stinging his cheeks. I just want to see her one last time.  He had the picture.  Time slowed.  The rifle barrel moved as it was pulled tight to the shoulder.  Spittle flew from the soldier’s mouth, but the only sound was the retort of the firing pin striking the bullet casing.

Earl felt Death’s fingers tugging at his soul.  He clasped the picture before him his gaze blurred her image.  Then all went black...

Sitting upright, Earl screamed.  Breathing heavily, he looked around.  He was home.  Quickly, he looked to his right.  There was his angel.  She pulled him into her arms. In a sleepy voice, she said, You’re safe, Earl.  It’s just another nightmare.  I’m right here, and you’re here.  This is real.

Earl felt her warmth, her love. He sobbed gently. Just another nightmare.

Chapter 1

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Earl’s hands trembled as he took the official yellow envelope from the table by the front door.  He had just come in from another shift in the mines where most everyone in town worked.  Always trying to keep the black dust out of his home, he’d sat on the front porch for a few minutes drinking a glass of tea his wife Velma had brought to him.

She had started that habit soon after they had become husband and wife.  He wanted to kiss her but knew the coal dust on his face would smudge her cheek, so he refrained.  Not wanting to dirty the perfection he had been lucky enough to manage to grab ahold of. 

The two of them had settled into a very nice little life.  It had been almost too easy, and now he knew what price was to be paid to balance the scales. Others had gotten the same envelope, but not too many so far.  It hadn’t even been a year since the damn Japanese blew the hell out of Pearl Harbor thrusting the country into a war they didn’t want.  Especially him.  Not that doing his duty to his country was a problem, but just now was the perfectly wrong time. 

Earl, his wife called from in the kitchen. You might as well open the dang thing.  It won’t change if you hold it any longer.

A smile came to him despite the impending doom in the envelope.  She was always pragmatic.  Holding the letter in one hand, he looked down the central hall of the company-owned home that they rented.  She popped her head out of the door, her brunette hair holding the large curls she tried so hard to keep perfect.  There was always a strand or two that managed to escape her efforts.  Her smile made her eyes twinkle as she looked at him.

I love ya, honey, she said drying her hands. But if they come for ya I will push you right out that door.

Her dress was a simple one.  Two large buttons in the front, little false flaps that covered pockets that weren’t there.  Little puffy sleeves that barely covered the tops of her arms, while the dress fell to just below her knees. 

He knew he was the luckiest man in the world.  He’d never become the typical broad-chested coal miner like her brothers.  But that was only one of the reasons two of them had given him hell when he started courting Velma, even the younger one.  Strong enough for the task at hand but still no match compared to the stock she came from.  But then again, they were Walkers, they had a mountain or two around there named after them.

Paul, the younger brother, had signed up for the draft the same day as Earl even though he was a few years too young.  Not even a man yet, he had a habit of getting himself into places he shouldn’t. Part of it was his stubbornness.  Part was knowing how to talk to people.

But, he started to protest. She stopped him.

Earl, open the stupid thing. You’re gonna make me sick from worrying.

What happens to you when I go?  You can’t stay here.  The mine owns the house and won’t let you stay if I’m gone.

Oh, for heaven’s sake, Earl.  It’s not like I’m gonna be out in the cold.  Mommy and Daddy will take me back in, you know that, she reprimanded.  Now open the silly thing.

Hanging his head, he used his pocket knife to open the letter.  The first line proclaimed his fate, "Order to Report for Induction."  The letter went on to advise that the President of the United States of America had chosen him to report for military service at the Greyhound bus terminal in Huntington, Mercer County West Virginia, at 0700 hours on the 6th of November 1942.

There it was. After another hard week of work down in the damnable coal mines in Southern West Virginia, he would be leaving it all behind.  Everything.  He didn’t even notice the yellow letter slipping from his hand as he turned pushing through the screen door onto the front porch.

Fall had fully seized the mountain landscape.  Some of the trees on top of the hills had lost most of their leaves.  The ones down lower had already turned to gold and amber colors painting the valley he gazed upon for maybe the last time.  A gentle breeze stirred a few of the leaves in the front yard.  Well I better get the yard cleaned before I leave, he thought to himself. 

Fingers intertwined with his left hand. His wedding ring rotated around his finger, as it caught between her thumb and forefinger.  He didn’t want to look at her. He knew he would break down.  Her brothers were all strong stout men, he didn’t want to be anything less for her.  Somehow in the holler where he had been raised, he had turned out to be well-mannered, and soft spoken.  Not that her brothers were godless heathens, but in his mind, they were the definition of true men.  Strong, rugged, willing to fight if the need called for it, or if they were so moved to the need for it, and able to drink most under the table. 

Truly the romantic notion of what a man was.  Earl was about as far from them as anyone could be.  It was always a mystery to him why Velma had ever agreed to go out with him.  Maybe it was because he was so different from her brothers. 

The scent of her sweet perfume floated over him as her fingers squeezed his, and her other hand gripped his upper arm as she pulled him closer.  He had forgotten that his clothes were still soiled from the mines.  The mixture of coal dust and her scent was something he knew he would never forget, no matter where the war took him.

I don’t want to go, the words barely above a whisper.

Her head softly touching his shoulder. I know, Earl. I know. But you can’t rightly not go.

Patting her hand. Now I didn’t say I wouldn’t go. He knew she would insist he do his duty to the country. Just that I’d rather not.  He knew everyone in this valley would give all they had, meager as it was, to defeat the damn Huns and the Japs, who had started the whole damn thing.  Her family, the Walker clan, would be at the front of the line if they had anything to say about it.  Even though she was a Bailey now, it made no difference to her complete commitment to the effort. 

Yes, he’d answer the call but why did it have to be now?  Why him?  His letter was one of the first in the little community of Princeton, West Virginia.  A few others had been called up since registering for the draft in the fall two years earlier, but not many. 

I guess we better head over to your parents and tell them? Earl asked.

Velma hugged his arm tighter. You need to eat first. She tried to hide that she brushed a tear off her cheek, by wiping away the soot from his sleeve.  And you need to clean up as well.  You know how mommy is about coal dust, she said continuing to absently brush at his sleeve.  As a matter of fact, let’s just wait and go tomorrow.

Before he could protest, she added, No reason in rushing to tell them the news.  We’re supposed to be there for dinner anyways. Her voice trembled slightly.  We’ll just tell them then.  Now come on in and cleanup so we can eat.  She went into the house, the screen door smacking loudly behind her.

Earl fought with himself about whether to run after her, pull her into his arms, or give her time to come to grip with the fact she would be without him soon.  Knowing how stubborn the Walker’s blood could make a person, he opted to stay outside for a minute.  She was liable to wallop him if he ruined her dress with the soot that collected in every crack and crevice from his work in the mines. 

Smiling at the thought of Velma beating him around the shoulders and fussing about her dress, Earl leaned against a pillar on the porch.  Digging under his nails with his pen knife, he scraped the muck out and took a deep breath.  He would miss the crispness of the fall around his house.  Living down in the valley things were perpetually damp this time of year.  The sun didn’t grace them with too many hours a day helping to bring relief from the heat of summer.  Crops had been harvested and the earth plowed under to rest out the winter months. 

The air was filled with the scent of the dampness and fresh earth, as well as the ever-present odor of life in a coal mining town.  Until this moment, he hadn’t paid much attention to it. But now he tried to take in as much of it as he could.  Wanting to lock it away to help him through the uncertainty that was to fill his future. 

How big would the sycamore tree in the front yard get by the time he came back? If he came back.  No.  When he came back.  He’d be damned if anyone was going to rob him of the life that he was building here with his beautiful bride.  Coming back to Velma wasn’t an option.  It was a necessity.

Earl, she called, her tone sharp. Get on in here now.  I didn’t cook this food so it could get cold.

Shaking his head slightly, he smiled at her stubbornness.  I’m coming, he said as he pulled open the screen door. 

Chapter 2

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Earl spent the morning cleaning up the yard as best he could.  More leaves would fall before he left in two weeks but there was no sense letting it get out of hand while he was still around.  He fixed a few places in the fence around the little garden they had in the back yard.  Laughing lightly as he remembered Velma chasing rabbits out of there with her broom several times this past summer.  She had even made her brother Ralph to come over to shoot them, but the rabbits proved smarter and stayed away from the garden while he was there. 

Earl didn’t mind the furry little beasts.  They didn’t eat everything and they were at least cute to look at.  What would she do when he was gone?  Surely her brothers would be gone soon as well.  He got tickled at the thought of her at the back door scowling with a shotgun tucked into her shoulder, All right, you little vermin.  Just try and eat my strawberries now.

What on Earth are you snickering about?

He about jumped out of his skin.  She had come out with his lunch.  Her dress was yellow with short cap sleeves, pearl buttons, and a hemline that fell just below her knees. It was simpler than the one she’d worn yesterday.    Since they were going to dinner at her parent’s, her hair had been primped and prepped.  As ever, she was the loveliest thing he had ever laid eyes on. 

That morning, he hadn’t bothered to wake her as he slid from their bed, and stood in the doorway and watched her sleep. It was what he’d done all night long.  The reality that soon he wouldn’t be able to sleep with her in his arms, her chestnut hair falling over his face when she stirred as her scent filled his soul with renewal, was all too real. 

As her breasts rose and fell gently, she rested seemingly without a care in the world.  At that moment, he decided he wouldn’t sleep he a wink until he was forced to leave her side.  Two weeks was too soon.  Saddened by the thought, he crept out the door and made sure the screen didn’t slam shut.  Busying himself with anything to keep his mind off the day that marked his exodus from his Eden. 

Looking up at his beautiful wife, while on his knees and mending the fence left him in awe.  She held a simple white plate and a glass of water, but the sun behind her made the edges of her hair glow, and he couldn’t contain his smile.

What’s wrong with you? she asked.  Come out here to find you laughing. Now you’re sitting there in the dirt smiling at me.  She held the plate out to him but pulled it back when his filthy hands reached to take it. Good lord, Earl, look at the state of you.  At least go rinse off your hands in the rain barrel. I don’t want you in the house all muddy.  I just got done cleaning. For heaven’s sake.

Getting to his feet, he placed a quick peck on her cheek and she only half tried to evade him.  Watching as she went back up the three steps and through the back door of their house.  She sat the plate and the glass on the top step before she walked inside. The sound of her low-heeled loafers against the wood floor was like the rhythm of a good song. 

Rinsing off as much mud as he could, he slung the excess water off.  Her footsteps in the hallway heralded her return, and she tossed a white towel down to him when she popped out the door.  She shook her head and smiled as she watched him dry off so he could eat.

Now who’s the one smiling, he goaded her.

I know what you’re doing.  Trying to fix everything before, she started, but he cut her off with a finger to his lips.

Let’s not talk about that for now, Earl said taking his plate from the step.  I just want to enjoy now. He took a healthy bite of his sandwich and smiled.

It’s just bologna on white bread, Earl.

After washing it down with some water dabbing at his mouth with the towel, But it’s your bologna and cheese.

Daddy was right, she answered, laughing. You’re nuts.

Velma sat on the top step and tucked her dress under her.  Patting the spot next to her, to let him know she wanted him to sit beside her.  Then she shoved him playfully as he took the spot. Don’t you dare do nothing stupid over there, wherever you’re going, she declared.  She played with her wedding band as her eyes looked out towards the garden but he could tell that wasn’t her focus.  He was about to tell her that was his exact plan and that he hoped somehow to get some sort of assignment away from the danger. 

Placing his hand on top of hers, she spoke before he could find the right words.  Well, just know that I love ya.

Moving his hand from on top of hers wrapping his arm around her shoulders pulling her to him. I know you do, Velma, he replied while trying to keep his voice from cracking.  I will never doubt that.  Her hand rested on his knee for a brief second as he placed a gentle kiss on her head. Before he could take another breath, she stood wiping her cheeks. Well, you finish that up. As she gestured to his half-eaten sandwich. Get done with what you think needs to be done.  Then get cleaned up so we can get over to Mommy and Daddy’s for dinner, she called over her shoulder. Everyone will want to know the news.

Earl’s head hung with her last words.  He wasn’t sure he would get through the next two weeks with the constant reminders of his looming departure.  Letting his eyes drift to the woods that marked the end of the little lot their rented home occupied.  The hill rose sharply after the tree line.  Sweet gums, tulip poplars, and a few red mulberry trees dominated the hillside and were still on fire with their turning leaves.  Soon enough most of them would shed their leaves, littering the yard, and accumulating in the corners of the fence and along the base of the house.  He needed to remind Velma to keep those piles cleared away so mice wouldn’t build dens in them.  The last thing she needed would be those little feet scurrying through the house when winter set in, and their food source grew scarce. 

Taking the last bite of his sandwich, he almost choked as he started to laugh.  She had grown up on a fully-functioning farm, as had most around here.  There was nothing he could tell her about how to take care of property that she didn’t know.  Besides once he left the mine wouldn’t let her stay in the house and she’d move back in with her parents.  An offer to have her to live with his parents would be nice but would serve no purpose. The Walkers were pragmatic if anything. 

Walking over to the turned earth of the garden, Earl brushed off the last crumbs from his plate and drained his glass.  The area marked for the garden was too small, as was the house overall.  When he got back, he would make sure he got a place big enough for the family they would have.  Velma deserved nothing but the best he could get for her.  But for now, he would make sure all was right with the house for the Company.  He didn’t want her, or heaven forbid her father, to have deal with anything he could have taken care of before he left. 

The rest of the afternoon was spent with putting covers over the crawl spaces and fixing a few loose boards on the outside of the house. The back door could use a coat of paint, but it would have to wait, there was no time to pick some up before they had to leave for Velma’s parents.

Using the rain barrel to get most of the grit off, Earl used the towel from earlier to dry off before he went on inside to get ready.  Coming in the back of the house, he saw Velma’s foot moving up and down as she rocked in the chair in the front room. 

I’ll be ready in a few minutes, he called to her.  Walking into their bedroom, he saw she had laid out clothes for him–brown slacks and a white button down shirt with a light tan jacket.  His fedora lay on his pillow.

You might want a sweater.  It’s getting colder than I expected it to, Velma said.  He heard the floor creak as she got up from the rocking chair. 

I think I’ll be fine, Velma, his voice louder than needed since she was in the doorway.  Oh, sorry.  Thought you were still in the front room.

It’s ten feet away, Earl, she chided him.  Pushing into the room, she pulled open one of her drawers in their single chest of drawers.  Well, I’m chilly, so I’m getting a heavier sweater.  Seems to be getting cold earlier this year.

Slipping on his shirt and slacks, he sat on the edge of the bed to pull on his socks.  Feeling the mattress give behind him, her hands touched his shoulders and wrapped around to hug him.  Her lips scorched his cheek as they touched, and her breath was hot in his ear. You keep that nutty head of yours down over there.  You hear me, Earl Bailey? Don’t make me mad by getting killed because Lord help ya if you do.

Placing his hands on hers, he turned to face her and delicately kissed her lips.  I have no other plan in my head other than to come back to you.  And I know better than to make you mad. Then he kissed her again. ‘I love you, Velma, always will."

Their foreheads rested on one another for a few moments.  No words were needed as they held each other.  Her hands resting on either side of his face, she stole the occasional kiss as they sat there in silence. 

We better get moving, or else we’ll be late, and you know how Mommy is about anyone being late, she said.  Earl caught himself leaning forward as her hands moved from his face.  He needed more moments like this for the little time he had left.  Needed them to see him through whatever the future would bring.

He stood as she did slipping his jacket on, taking his fedora in one hand and her hand in his other.  They walked out the front door and took a right at the end of the path that led from their house.  Fortunately, her parents didn’t live but down the road a piece. At least they didn’t have to try and catch a ride with someone who had a car.  His meager paycheck didn’t allow for such extravagances.  That was another thing he would change when he got back.  Maybe they would move to a real city where he could get a good paying job allowing him to give her the things she deserved.  Besides, then they could leave the coal dust behind.

They walked down the gravel track, her arm tucked inside his.  He enjoyed being there for her when an errant bit of gravel caused her to wobble slightly.  She had switched out of her loafers into a pair of brown two-tone slip-on pumps, giving her a few more inches of height, so she was almost eye-to-eye with him.  It didn’t take much, Earl was on the small side.  He couldn’t be classified as short, just average in almost every way possible.  But that didn’t bother him. As unassuming as he was, his frame fit his personality perfectly.

Velma was talking about random events on their way, something about her sister Mae, and her older brother Ralph.  He was only half-listening, instead more focused on taking it all in.  As they caught the main road, the entire valley lay before them.  Stopping for a minute, Earl took a good look around.  The sun was sinking behind the nearest hill and casting long shadows across the valley floor, framed by the rays that snuck through the gaps on either side of the peak.  The stark difference between the two caused the golden leaves in the beams to glow even more.  Taking a deep breath, he caught the scent of home fires burning and meals cooking, mingling with the sweet smell of fall.   Closing his eyes, he tried to store the whole of this moment in his mind.

A squeeze of his hand brought him back.  What are you doing, Earl? Velma asked, her tone tinged with concern. 

He wondered if it was out of concern for him or that they were going to be late.  It didn’t really matter as he looked into her eyes.  Mostly brown, but he saw tiny flecks of copper in there as well.  Her skin looked as delicate as a porcelain doll, but he knew beneath that she was tough as nails and could hold her own in any situation.  A Walker angered was never a pretty sight, no matter how beautiful this one happened to be.

Just locking away a memory, he said.

Giving him a tug to get him going again, Velma laughed.  You don’t even know where you’re going yet. Who knows... She lifted her head high while smiling at him. You might go somewhere a lot better than this silly little holler, she said as her arm swept in front of them.

Another wonder about her was her attempts to make him look for the silver lining.  He knew he would never cease to be amazed by her ability to find a balance between pragmatism and seeing the best possibilities for the future.

He didn’t bother to tell her that he very seriously doubted where he would be going would be anywhere she ever wanted to be, at least in the manner he would see things.  But, maybe he would get lucky somehow.  There might be need of a young coal miner at some base out west by chance.  Realistically, the chances of that were slim to none, and Earl had a feeling most of his luck had been used up when he got her father’s permission to marry his love.

They walked on in silence the rest of the way to her parent’s house.  Turning off the main road and down the gravel drive, he saw the patriarch of the Walker family, Council Everett Walker.  The template for every hard-working coal mining man in these hills.  A stout barrel-chested torso with thick arms from years of hard, thankless work in shafts down in the earth, combined with running a full farm.  The years had taken some of his hair and what remained was white.  Even from there, Earl knew those steely eyes were measuring him. Ever vigilant that his daughter was being cared for in a manner he approved of.  Reflexively, his spine straightened a bit more, his shoulders rolling back on their own.  He could never hope to match the man’s chest size, but he would stand tall with pride when he had this woman at his side.

Earl, you don’t have to worry.  Daddy likes you just fine, his wife said, no doubt picking up on the tension in his body.

Whether he did or not was not the point in Earl’s mind.  He would always make sure that this pillar of mankind knew how much he appreciated him allowing her to marry him. 

You two are running a bit late for dinner, came the deep voice of her father as they neared the porch.

Hey, Daddy, Velma said hugging her father. 

You doing okay? Everett asked his daughter.  Earl saw the look in his eye and could tell he knew something was wrong.

Velma turned to Earl, with a worried look.  Well, she started. Earl got... she stammered. 

Velma? her mother’s voice called from inside the house. Get in here and help your sister Ila before she breaks something.

I won’t break anything, came the voice of the youngest member of the Walker brood. 

Child, was the exasperated reply.

Dutifully his wife turned and went inside the house, leaving Earl and her father on the porch.  Looking at Earl, Everett said, Well, tell me what has happened.

Not knowing how to phrase it, as he hadn’t even said the words out loud yet, Earl took the letter from his pocket.  Slowly he unfolded it, looked at it again hoping somehow it had magically changed, but of course it had not.  The paper felt