The Bell Ringer Ch. 02

To encourage me, and to get me started, she would ask me to tell her a story about my youth, and then she would write it down in a notebook. She said that I could re-write them later as I wanted.

One that I told her was about Texas humor and how it was different from other people's.

"When we were living outside Houston, in the swamps, snakes were a part of life. An example was swimming pools. One of the farmers or ranchers that wanted a pool would have a 'dozer come out and dig a hole. Step two was to wait for rain. Some of these might have brush in them, most just muddy water. What added a dash of excitement was to see the little vee in the water coming at you with a cotton mouth at its point.

"Now my mom was somewhat used to snakes, but everyone has their limit. On our path to the highway there is a low spot kinda bound in by the swamp on each side. One day mom was walking out to go to the little grocery store about a mile and half from our little shack. She found a big pile of snakes in the middle of the road where that low spot was. Well, that was enough for her, she went back to our clearing to wait for dad to get home.

"Of course all us kids ran down there as fast as we could. Pokin' with sticks; swearing one moved and jumping back. It was great fun, but we soon tired of it and went home.

"Later dad came home laughing about the pile of snakes. He kicked them in the swamp and just walked on by. I think that was when mom decided for sure she didn't want to live in Texas no more!"

Annie laughed at that and said, "Well,I'm never moving to Texas!"

About ten days later I moved to therapy. It was in a different wing and wasn't really just for therapy. Some of the guys had been there since the war. It was sad talking to them. It helped me; some had seen the horrors I had seen at the camps and it was good to talk to each other about it.

Ike, the guy that was giving the talk when I collapsed, came by. He had been on the Bataan march. Some of the stuff he told me curled my hair! It seems there is nothing more inhuman than humans. Gradually it felt like some of the ugliness was slipping away, the pictures in my mind starting to fade.

I got situated in my room, four of us in a fairly large place. The windows were big and the light was nice. I was writing more of my stories down and also started writing down some of the stories other guys told me. They all kept saying I should write a book.

I was really busy now. I had physical therapy twice a day. My muscles had really atrophied over the last couple of years. I was sore for a week, but it started getting better. I talked to a psychologist about three days a week. He was really nice and he helped me understand how and why I was taken over by the drink.

I also started my AA meetings. It was a scary moment for me when I stood up and said, "I'm an alcoholic." I told my story. A couple guys cried when I talked about Ohrdruf. One of the guys stopped by after the third meeting and told me if I was smart I'd never miss a meeting. He had been in AA for about five years and only missed a couple days when he had the flu. He's the one that told me that I could go to any city and just drop in.

A couple guys also told me that if I ever need help, like I was craving a drink, to call them and they would come over and sit with me. They were all nice guys, just trying to do the best they could, one day at a time. We all knew what hell looked like and we wanted something better.

I could have visitors now. Bill kept coming a couple times a week. I liked to talk to him. He talked to me about the job he had in mind. There was a Salvation Army Summer Camp north of town. In the summer they would have camps for needy families, scout camps; the church used it a lot: there were four Salvation Army Corps in Wichita. The nice thing was it came with a cabin and I could eat at the cafeteria whenever it was open.

I knew about the camp, it was close to where I grew up. I'd seen it lots of times floating down the river in inner tubes. Anyway they needed a camp manager, basically a watchman and someone that could do general maintenance work. It wasn't anything really heavy, especially in the winter. In the summer it was mowing the grass, maybe putting new shingles on the dining hall roof. Security was the big concern though. They occasionally had trouble with the neighborhood kids out doing their pranks.

He also talked to me about the men's service thing. I could live there for a month as a transition, kind of a security blanket for me with the built in structure. If it was okay with me, what he had worked out was to do as many of the general maintenance chores as I could to prepare me for the camp job. There were a couple guys that could show me how to do things.

One day I asked him, "Bill, why are you helping me so much?"

He laughed out loud at this and came back, "Well, Crane, truth be told it's because I'm a really smart guy!"

I must have looked at him funny, so he went on.

"See, there are a lot of people out there that need help. I look at you as an investment. I help you a little, then you take care of some of these other people for me!"

I had to laugh at that. "Bill, you've helped me more than a little!"

I thanked him and said I was game to try it out.

"Bill, if you've gone to all this work to set it up, it wouldn't be fair of me to turn it down. I'll give it my best shot!"

One day Annie came in all excited.

"Crane, the colonel said you could go to our Christmas party at church. Will you come? Please?"

Well, I couldn't say no to that. Annie had become a friend. Maybe she was more than a friend, but I couldn't think about that now. Bill had set it up for others from the church to visit, and a couple of guys from the police force also visited. Gene and John both came by and acted like they were proud of me. Suddenly it seemed like I had lots of friends.

I finally got to see my kids about a week before I was to get out. It was a warm day for December and we met outside, they had some picnic tables set up. It was sad at first. I thought I was looking good, I had put seven or eight pounds back on. Judy cried when she saw me. Later when they left she said I looked like a scarecrow.

The kids were great! They ran up and hugged me, crying. They gave me a Christmas present, a new watch. Cindy was a third grader and gave me a card she had made at school. Jimmy was in the first grade. They both looked wonderful.

I'd asked Annie to be there and watch the kids for a bit so I could talk to Judy. She took the kids to the cafeteria to get some ice cream. Judy and I looked at each other apprehensively, neither wanting to start.

Finally Judy said, "Crane, I'm sorry I had to take the kids, but I couldn't live with it anymore!" as she started to cry.

Putting my arms around her I quieted her down, then led her over to the table to sit down.

"No, Judy, I'm sorry. I put you through hell. The bad part is that I knew what you were going through. I couldn't get those images out of my head! You tried to get me to talk to you; maybe... well, it doesn't make any difference now. You have a new life and I heard you have a new guy... no, that's okay. I understand and it's okay. I want you to be happy and the kids need a stable life.

"I'll always love you, maybe in a wistful sort of way. We were good together once before that damn war came along. I'm better now. I think I'll be all right."

"Crane, it was so hard at first, not knowing how you were, whether you were okay or not. I got to the point where I just had to put all my energy into the kids. I did meet a man, Walt. He was a pilot, B17s I think it was. His family owns a big wheat farm and a big part of four grain elevators. He's a nice guy; you'll like him!

"That girl, Annie you called her. Does she mean anything to you?

"We are good friends. I think there's more but I want to get my life back before I think about anything like that."

I went on to tell her about the job at the camp. I could have the kids come for a couple weeks in the summer if it was okay with her.

The kids came back, Annie with them. I played some and talked to the kids while Judy and Annie talked.

Judy and the kids left, all of us feeling better.

I asked Annie, "What did you and Judy talk about?"

"Oh, nothing much. She said you were a great guy and I said, 'I know,'" Annie said with a big grin.

It came time for the Christmas dinner. It was for the people that went to the Citadel Corps, Bill's church. I was feeling much better. I had gained ten pounds back and wasn't looking like a cadaver anymore. I sat outside a lot, even on chilly days and had some color back in my cheeks.

Dinner wasn't anything fancy, potluck. But it was good, wholesome food and the people were the kind you want to know. They were friendly, straightforward and honest. There was a tree and gifts for the kids. There was lots of hot chocolate and coffee. I couldn't have either yet, but they had some hot cider that I liked.

I was looking forward to getting out of the VA next week. For the first time in years I felt like I had a future.

THE CORRAL THEATER 1950

I stood there for a few minutes, admiring the girl ringing the bells in front of the kettle. She was young, maybe in her mid-twenties, with a sweet angelic face, pale, curly blond hair imprisoned in an old fashioned bonnet. She looked slim in the dark blue uniform and heavy dark blue overcoat as she once again shook that large bell with its distinctiveclang,clang.

She was standing behind a large kettle, next to a sign saying "Give Christmas to the Needy", ringing one, then the other bell, smiling at passersby with cheery holiday greetings as they went about their Christmas shopping. I noticed the cold was making her cheeks a bright pink over her too pale face, her lips losing color in the cold.

I came up behind her and kissed her cheek. She looked up startled, then turned and gave me a hug.

"Crane, could you take over for me? I need to get over to the church to get the volunteers organized for the kids to come pick up presents. And don't forget you are one of those volunteers!"

So I picked up the small bell and shook it:ding-a-ling. Then the big one:clang,clang. People walked by; I smiled and said Merry Christmas. Some smiled, some dropped a few coins or some folded up bills in the kettle. Some few, always seeming to be in a rush, angry already at the shopping crowds on the day before Christmas; those few would give me a dirty look as they passed by, thus earning an extra smile from me and the special treat that I reserved for the especially needy: "And a Happy New Year!"

The End

Author's Notes:

Some might ponder if truth lies herein.

Jack's axiom: All stories contain some truth.

Jack's corollary: No story is completely true.

Thanks for reading my stories and for the many kind thoughts I've received.

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Merry Christmas!

Background note:

The things I saw beggar description... The visual evidence and the verbal testimony of starvation, cruelty and bestiality were...overpowering... I made the visit deliberately in order to be in a position to give first-hand evidence of these things if ever, in the future, there develops a tendency to charge these allegations merely to 'propaganda.'

Source: General Dwight D. Eisenhower's letter to General George C. Marshall dated April 15, 1945.