We got home early in the morning and I suppose I was glad. My mother was glad to see me. She kissed me and hugged me. Then scolded me, in that order.
When I woke up in the morning I left the house before anyone knew I was gone. I did leave my mother a note not to worry, that I was not going anywhere, except to try and get my job back.
I needed to get some money built up fast and the fastest way to start was to go back to the supermarket. The manager wasn’t too happy with me and he knew the trouble that I had caused my folks. He scolded me too. he was very reluctant to take me back. But I promised that I’d do what ever it took.
That day I had the pleasure of emptying the dairy case and scrubbing it down. This was going to take all day. The next day one of the freezer cases went down and I had the pleasure of cleaning it too. The next day I had to stay around after closing and help strip and wax the floors. So I went through a lot of crap, I made more money because of the hours. I believe my father put the manager up to it.
When payday came I bought the brakes for the motorcycle. I didn’t know anything about repairing the motorcycle so my father stood by and told me how to replace the brakes. Even though he was helping me, he was still giving me a lot of crap about the trip I took. He told me that he would always remind me of this summer. He has all my life. I think he will till he dies. When ever I see him and he brings it up, I make light of it.
It only took a few days till I broke his curfew again and the arguing started all over again. He kept threatening me that he was going to take me downtown and sign me up in his almighty Navy. The fight we had was so bad that I went downtown and bypassed the Navy recruiter and walked right into the Marine Corps office and signed up. I was only seventeen but the papers I signed was for the following summer when I was eighteen.
I was amazed at myself for what I had done. My father hated the Marines. I didn’t tell anyone except for some close friends. Time went by and there were more fights and arguments and more threats of sending me to the Navy. I stayed in school through the eleventh grade. When my birthday came in June I was so happy that I’d be leaving soon.
A few weeks after my birthday I had to go to take my physical an be sworn in. I told everyone that I had to go to Indianapolis to take my physical. Of course my folks didn’t believe me, my sister Cathy did though. So I left and they didn’t know any different. I was gone overnight. I was sure that they thought I took off again.
