Maxine's Story Chapter Three

Early 1940's in Keokuk, Iowa (a small city on the Mississippi River)

Characters:
Maxine:  a twenty something working as a bank teller in Keokuk, Iowa.   (She is also my mother.)
Nana:  Maxine's mother (my grandmother) who has raised four children through the Great Depression and now has two sons overseas fighting in WWII.
Frank:  One of Nan's sons, in the navy, the ship's  (The USS Kwajalein an escort carrier) photographer, in the Pacific during WWII
Wilbur:  Maxine's fiance about to be deployed somewhere in Europe
Mrs. K:  Wilbur's mother
John:  Wilbur's cousin
Jane:  John's wife

Maxine, every hair in place,

In the last chapter, Maxine was promoted to Head Teller at the State Central Bank, Wilbur enlisted in the Army and Wilbur asked Maxine if she would marry him when he returned.

Wilbur was stationed at Fort Dix and would soon be deployed to Europe.  There was time for a family visit if the family could travel to Ft. Dix.  Maxine was planning this trip when Mrs. K. decided to join her. She also stated that the two of them could stay at her cousin's who lived near NYC. This was not quite the send off that Maxine and Wilbur had planned, but Wilbur's mother was determined to see her only son before he left for war.  Maxine was glad to have a traveling companion because this would be her first time to take a train to NYC.  She had traveled to Chicago and St. Louis by train, but never to NYC.

The trip to NYC was uneventful.  Maxine was having second thoughts about her travel companion.  Mrs. K. was a bit (no, a lot) overbearing.  One of her uncles had told her to beware of men wearing hats.  These men were con artists and trick people out of their money.  So, when Maxine and Mrs. K boarded the train in Burlington, Iowa that was all Maxine heard.  Don't talk to men wearing hats!

Chicago, Union Station

When they arrived to Chicago, they had a few hours before they boarded the next train that would go directly to NYC.  Maxine thought it would be fun to walk outside the station and have lunch at a cafe.  Much to her dismay and embarrassment, Mrs. K had packed a picnic with table cloth and eating utensils, and was setting out her banquet right in the middle of Union Station.  "This way we don't have to leave the station and risk being accosted by men wearing hats," she told Maxine.  Did Maxine dare say, "But, Mrs. K., almost all the men are wearing hats!"  No, instead she accepted the chicken sandwich and hoped they did not look too ridiculous as busy people sidestepped their little picnic island.

Chicago Union Station in the 1940's.  Notice, most men are wearing hats.

When they arrived to Grand Central Station, NYC, a man (wearing a hat) approached them and offered to take their suitcases.  Mrs. K. was so startled that she failed to realize that this man was her cousin, John.  He was there to take them to his home.  Maxine stifled a chuckle watching the flustered Mrs. K. try to explain why she was so shocked to see her cousin.

While at John's house, Maxine noticed a sketch of a sailor that was displayed on the piano.  It looked familiar, but how could that be?  She did not know these people.  Jane picked up the picture and brought it to Maxine.  "This is our son who is in the Navy.  He told us that the ship's photographer would sketch pictures of the guys if they would do certain chores, like clean his bunk, shine his shoes or other such things."  Maxine checked the picture a little closer, and saw the known signature of  F.C. that her brother, Frank, used on his works of art.

"That photographer is my brother," she said.  "That is why this picture looks so familiar.  Frank has a certain style in his drawings.  At least he did not draw a caricature like he usually does."  (If you have not read about Frank's caricatures, check this post. Frankly My Dear ).  (I always wonder how many other pictures by Frank were sent home while he was sailing in the Pacific.)

The only other event Maxine talked about during this trip was her only time with Wilbur alone.  There were only a few days to visit and Mrs. K. wanted her time with him.   The last night was saved for just Wilbur and Maxine.  But at the last minute Wilbur found out that the Army had a movie that they required all of the soldiers to watch.  He told Maxine, and she begged him to let her go with him.  She didn't care if it was some boring Army movie, but she wanted to spend this last evening with her fiance.

Maxine used her pretty smile and charisma to get into the rented theater full of soldiers.  She and Wilbur found a place to sit right in the middle.  Soldiers to the left and soldiers to the right.

 'Ah, this is nice,' she thought. 'I have Wilbur to myself for a nice evening at the movies.  I'd like some popcorn, but don't see anyone eating any, so I guess I will wait until after the movie when we can go to a nice restaurant for a romantic dinner.'

The movie was beginning!  The music was foreboding!  A man's voice was spouting out curt sentences.  He sounded like a Drill Sargent shouting out commands.  Maxine was not paying attention, instead checking out how handsome her Wilbur was.   She realized that this movie was like an educational movie explaining what NOT to do while on deployment.  There were dangers of all kinds.  Don't go to houses of ill repute.  If so, this will happen.  Oh, my, the pictures where quite graphic.  Maxine did not even know what venereal diseases were, but she soon received a scary education about it.  She tried to turn her head, but her eyes were frozen, and the sights were disturbing.

So, what would you do after such a surprising evening?  Maxine excused herself to the powder room,  checked her lipstick and hair, and met Wilbur outside the theater.  "I am ready for a nice dinner, now!"  She did not say a word to Wilbur and he did not say a word to her about the movie.  Were they in shock, or was any discussion unnecessary?


All I can say now  is that to hear Maxine tell this story she would start giggling, tears would run down her face, and she would only be able to giggle out her words.   How did they not know what this movie would be about?  Were they just so anxious to be together that they blocked out the topic of the movie?  She never talked about the nice dinner, or the name of the restaurant when she told this story.  That was all forgotten.  But the memory of that movie was imprinted in her brain forever.

That evening, Maxine and Mrs. K. rented a room at a hotel that overlooked the street where Wilbur would be marching with hundreds of other soldiers.  Wilbur told them that they would have a better view from the hotel than if they were on the street.  He said that they would not be able to pick him out of all the soldiers and watching from the balcony at the hotel would give them a better view.  He was right, Maxine was amazed at the sight of the streets with lines of marching soldiers.  As she watched, she was sure that she saw Wilbur, and Mrs. K.  shouted out, "There's my son, I see you, Wilbur!"

I will stop here, this was kind of long and I don't have pictures.   The next chapters will develop how certain events will change the future of so many people.  I will introduce a new character.