To Cheat or Not To Cheat? Pt. 02

Picking up her phone and dialing the one man that be able to shed some light on it and the medals beside of her. She just hoped that her uncle wasn't too busy at the moment. Listening to it ring as she brought it up to her ear.

"Hello?" Darlene heard the sweet, raspy voice of her aunt from years of smoking.

"Hey, Aunt Greta, I was wondering if Uncle Morris was around and if he wasn't busy?" Darlene asked, her eyes running down the paper, not understanding half of what was printed on it.

"Yes, he's just watching some game, you know how it is this time of year." A smile touched her lips when her aunt's old gripe at her uncle's obsession with baseball. "Should I get him?"

"If you don't mind and if it isn't a bother," Darlene spoke in a polite tone.

"Of course it isn't, you're always welcome to call, you know this Dar, hold on I'll go get him. Morris, Morris!" Darlene heard her aunt trying to rouse her uncle from his nap.

"W-what?!" Hearing her uncle's groggy voice coming over the line.

"Dar is on the line; she needs to speak to you."

"Oh? Give it here..."

"Morris!" Darlene felt her cheeks heat at the way her aunts spoke her uncle's name.

"What? You can't walk around here showing me that fine backside and not expect me to slap it?"

"Behave, you old bat." She heard Greta's lustful tone as she walked away.

"Dar? You there?"

"I'm here, Uncle," Darlene said, wondering if she and Allen would be like that in their later years. She so hoped they would be.

"What do you need?"

"What's a DD214?"

"I haven't heard that in a long time," she heard his chuckle over the line, "its someone's discharge from the military. Why?"

"Just something I found..."

"Dar, you just don't find a DD214 just laying around. What's going on?"

"I think Allen was in the Army. I'm not sure," Darlene said, folding the paper in half and placing it on top of the display case, and resting the smaller case on top of it.

"Well, if he has one, then he was in the military."

"Would you mind if I came over and showed you some things to help me understand?"

"Sure, but why don't you ask Allen? He is the one that earned that discharge."

"Allen doesn't know I've found it," Darlene admitted.

"Now, Dar, this isn't proper going through another man's things without his knowledge." Darlene heard the disapproval in his voice when he said that.

"I know, Uncle, but I need to know."

"Alright, but I'm only going to tell you what's on the DD214 and nothing more. Are we clear on that," Morris said firmly, after a few moments of silence.

"Thank you, Uncle Morris; this really means a lot to me. I'll be there in twenty," Darlene said, getting to her feet. Ending their call when they had each said their goodbyes. Tucking the items beneath her arm as she left the room. She wasn't about to close up the safe, not yet, not until she knew what those medals and that DD214 meant.

"Darlene? Where are you going, and what do you have there?" Tracy asked, from behind her sister after she had gotten up from her seat once she heard the door opening. Leaving the TV playing in the background as Darlene shouldered her purse.

"I'm going over to Uncle Morris's and Aunt Greta's house; I'll be back in a few, I'll tell you when I get back," Darlene spoke, not caring if she hadn't done her hair or makeup. Learning about her husband's past was far more important to her than what she looked like at that moment.

"Hold on, I'll come with you. Just let me shut the TV off," Tracy said, seeing Darlene peering back at her as she stood in the open doorway of their home.

******

"Well, Allen, if that's his name," not voicing that, that wasn't the name on the DD214 he was holding, "was in the Army and has an honorable discharge," Morris said, nodding in approval. "The rest is after my time, so I can't tell you what everything means printed on it," he stated, handing it back to his niece. Seeing the box that sat on her lap, noting how Darlene was cradling it.

"Uncle?"

"Hmm?" Morris hummed.

"Could you tell me what these represent?" Darlene asked, holding out the case to him. Seeing him whistle as his eyes ran over the ribbons within it.

"Your husband is a very decorated soldier," Morris spoke in pride. "Now bear with me it's been a awhile since I've had to do this," seeing Darlene nod, "this one is the Presidential unit citation, NATO medal, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, Distinguished Service Medal, Purple Heart," Morris said, pointing out every ribbon. Then his breath was stolen when he noted one ribbon that he had only seen in the posters when he volunteered at the local Army recruiting station when his gazed upon that blue ribbon with five white stars upon it -- the fabled Medal of Honor.

"Uncle? What's wrong?" Darlene asked, noting how he was staring at the small case in her lap, also noticing how Tracy was reading over Allen's DD214.

"Let me see that?" Morris commanded, pointing right at the case.

"O-okay," Darlene said, trying not to be weirded out by her uncle's behavior.

"Do you have any idea what this is?" Morris asked, in reverence of what he was holding in his hands as he stared at the highest award any serviceman could achieve.

"No," drawing out the word, "why I came to see you uncle," Darlene said, as if that hadn't already been stated.

"I have no idea what that man did to earn this, yet your husband is a hero," Morris said, looking his niece square in the eyes. Noting how Tracy had looked up and was supporting the same shock and awe as Darlene was at that moment. "This here," turning the case around and holding it gingerly in his left hand while his fingers on his right hand made sure it didn't fall, "is the Army's version of the Medal of Honor. Make sure you honor it and the man and do not lose it," he said, in a stern voice gently closing the lids case before handing it and the case with Allen's ribbons Watching how Darlene nodded and held on to those items like her life depended upon it. Also, seeing the pride in her eyes something he was glad to see.

"Morris, you aren't boring the dears are you?" Greta asked, walking into the room.

"Heavens no, just giving Darlene here some sage wisdom," Morris replied with a toothy smile.

"Will the two of you like to stay for dinner?" Greta asked, looking at Darlene and Tracy.

"It has been a while since we've had a nice meal together; we love to," Darlene said, with Tracy nodding along.

"Why don't you go put that in your car," Morris nodded to the items in her lap.

"Right, I don't want to lose these," Darlene nodded in understanding. Taking Allen's DD214 from Tracy as she got up from her seat. Hearing her aunt ask Tracy to help her in the kitchen as she walked out the door. "My Allen, a hero?!" she muttered awe and pride as she walked towards her car. "My own personal hero." Darlene couldn't keep her giggle in as she sat the item in the trunk of her car. She wasn't about to let anyone steal them. She had no idea why Allen would hide them, why he wouldn't take pride in what he had achieved, yet he had to have a reason. Maybe he was trying to forget what had happened to him that had earned him that metal, or maybe he just didn't feel like he earned it. She didn't know, nor was she going to pry into the reason why. She knew enough to satisfy her questions for the moment, and she wasn't about to rock the boat as the saying goes. She had the love of a good man, the warmth of a good home, and a marriage that was steadying itself. "Nothing could take this away," Darlene sighed in bliss as she closed the trunk.

To be Continued...