A NEW BEGINNING

WELL, THERE WE WERE, IN OUR OWN LITTLE APARTMENT. ACTUALLY, IT WAS A RAT HOLE, BUT LOVE BLINDS YOU TO MANY THINGS. THE BATHROOM HAD A SHOWER, BUT THE TOILET WAS IN THE SAME SPACE- IN OTHER WORDS, THE SHOWER HEAD WAS ALMOST RIGHT OVER THE TOILET. ONLY A CURTAIN SEPARATED THE BATHROOM FROM THE LIVING AREA. WHEN THE SOFA WAS FOLDED OUT, YOUR FEET WERE IN THE KITCHEN. WE COULDN'T HEAT THE APARTMENT AT NIGHT, BECAUSE DUE TO THE VENTING SYSTEM, (EVERY APARTMENT WAS CONNECTED BY ONE VENTING SYSTEM), YOU COULD HEAR EVERYTHING GOING ON IN ALL THE APARTMENTS. SO, IT WAS EITHER BE WARM, OR BE, WELL YOU KNOW! (WE DIDN'T WANT TO ENTERTAIN THE NEIGHBORS!) WE ONLY HAD A FEW DISHES AND TWO POTS, BUT WE WERE SO HAPPY TO BE TOGETHER. ONE WEEKEND, WE WENT FOR A WALK IN THE SMALL TOWN NEAR THE BASE. THERE WAS A SALVAGE OUTLET THAT HAD A BIT OF EVERYTHING FOR SALE. I FOUND A SET OF CHINA. IT WAS COVERED WITH ROSES AND WAS SO PRETTY. IT WAS ONLY SERVICE FOR FOUR, BUT, GUESS WHAT? IT ONLY COST 2.00 FOR THE SET! IMAGINE, CHINA! I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT! UNFORTUNATLY, TWO DOLLARS WAS REALLY A LOT OF MONEY, AS WE ONLY HAD VERY LITTLE MONEY TO SEE US THROUGH THE MONTH. MARTIN TOOK ONE LOOK AT MY FACE AND DECIDED RIGHT THERE THAT HE WAS GOING TO GET THOSE DISHES FOR ME. OH, I WAS SO HAPPY! MY VERY OWN CHINA! WE CAREFULLY CARRIED THOSE DISHES HOME, AND AFTER PLACING THEM IN THE TINY CUPBOARD, MARTIN LAY DOWN FOR A NAP. I DECIDED TO SURPRISE HIME WITH A ROMANTIC DINNER ON OUR NEW CHINA. I DIDN'T HAVE MUCH TO COOK, BUT I HAD A SMALL AMOUNT GROUND BEEF AND DECIDED TO MAKE A MEATLOAF. I HAD A RECIPE THAT CALLED FOR OATMEAL, GROUND BEEF, AND EGG AND SOME SEASONINGS. I THOUGHT THAT IF A LITTLE OATMEAL WOULD MAKE A MEATLOAF, THEN I COULD ADD MORE TO MAKE A LARGER MEATLOAF. SO, I ADDED THE SAME AMOUNT OF OATMEAL AS I HAD GROUND BEEF. I ADDED THE REST OF THE INGREDIENTS, AND PUT THE MUSHY MESS INTO A CAKE PAN. I MADE MASHED POTATOES, AND GREEN BEANS. FINALLY I SET THE TABLE, AND WOKE MARTIN. HE WRINKLED HIS NOSE AND SAID, "WHAT IS THAT SMELL?" I TOLD HIM IT WAS MY FIRST MEATLOAF- AND SUPPER WAS READY. HE CAME TO THE TABLE, SAW THE CHINA AND SMILED. "OH THE TABLE LOOKS GREAT! " HE SAID, AND SAT DOWN. I BROUGHT THE MEATLOAF TO THE TABLE, AND THOUGHT IT SURE LOOKED LARGE FOR THE AMOUNT OF MEAT AND OATMEAL I USED. WHEN I CUT INTO IT, IT JUST COLLAPSED! SANK RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE. I THINK I EVEN HEARD A "WHOOSH" AS THE STEAM ESCAPED. I MUST HAVE LOOKED STRICKEN, BECAUSE MARTIN ASSURRED ME THAT IT LOOKED DELICIOUS. I SERVED THE DINNER, AND SAT DOWN. MARTIN TOOK A BITE, AND SMILED. (I SHOULD SAY HE GRIMACED). HE ACTUALLY ATE THE WHOLE THING SO AS NOT TO HURT MY FEELINGS. IT WAS THEN THAT I NOTICED THAT HIS PLATE HAD NO ROSES ON IT. WELL, JIMENY CRICKET, NO WONDER THAT SET OF CHINA WAS SO CHEAP. ONE OF THE PLATES WAS DEFECTIVE! IT WAS COMPLETLY WHITE. I WAS SO DISSAPOINTED, BUT THAT WAS OKAY, I HAD THREE OTHER PLATES THAT HAD THE LOVELY ROSES ON THEM. AS I WENT TO WASH THE DISHES, I NOTICED THAT AS I RUBBED THEM WITH A DISHCLOTH, THE ROSES BEGAN TO COME OFF. WELL, JIMENY CRICKET, WOULD YOU LOOK AT THAT? THE WHOLE SET OF CHINA HAD ONLY ROSE STICKERS ON IT! I SHOWED IT TO MARTIN WITH TEARS RUNNING DOWN MY FACE. I HEARD A SUSPICIOUS SNORT, AND SAW THAT MARTIN WAS TRYING NOT TO LAUGH. I SAID, "YOU THINK THIS IS FUNNY?" HE TOLD ME "YES, ACTUALLY IT IS HILARIOUS!" THOSE STUPID DISHES HAVE STICKERS ON THEM!" I SAID, "WELL, AT LEAST I CAN SAY THAT I MUST BE A GOOD COOK, YOU ATE THE FLOWERS OFF THE PLATE!" WE COLLAPSED IN LAUGHTER, AND DECIDED THAT WE WOULD USE THE DISHES AFTER WE PULLED THE STICKERS OFF. I KEPT ONE CUP TO REMIND ME OF THOSE DISHES AND I HAVE IT TODAY. WE WERE SO POOR, BUT WE DIDN'T REALIZE IT. EACH DAY, MARTIN WENT OFF TO WORK AFTER A BREAKFAST OF EGGS AND TOAST. I WAS SO PROUD THAT I COULD COOK EGGS, I MADE THEM EVERYDAY! POOR MARTIN DID NOT HAVE THE HEART TO TELL ME THAT HE WAS TIRED OF EGGS. HE WAS SUCH A GOOD HUSBAND. I PACKED HIS LUNCH AND OFF HE WENT. THEN, I HAD A WHOLE DAY STRETCHING BEFORE ME. WE HAD NO RADIO, NO TV, NOTHING TO KEEP ME BUSY. SO, I MADE FRIENDS WITH MY NEIGHBORS, WHO WERE ARMY WIVES AS WELL. OUR LITTLE GROUP LEARNED SO MUCH TOGETHER ABOUT HOMEMAKING, AND WE SHARED EVERYTHING BECAUSE ALL OF US WERE SO POOR. WE WOULD BUY ONE BOX OF RITZ CRACKERS, AND SHARE THE SLEEVES INSIDE. WE WOULD GET ONE ROAST AND CUT IT INTO FOUR PIECES- AND THEN EACH OF US WOULD CUT IT INTO SMALLER PORTIONS. OUT OF A ONE POUND PIECE OF MEAT, I WOULD MAKE STEW, SOUP, BEEF TIPS AND RICE AND EVEN A TINY ROAST. ONE CHICKEN WOULD BE USED FOUR TIMES, AND WE TOOK PRIDE IN OUR ABILITY TO STRETCH OUR GROCERY DOLLARS. IT WAS A HAPPY TIME FOR ME, AS I LEARNED TO BE A WIFE. I STILL HAD THE BABY ON THE WAY, I DIDN'T KNOW HOW ELSE I WAS GOING TO GET BABY CLOTHES, SO I MADE THEM. I EVEN LEARNED TO CROCHET. I WAS REALLY PROUD OF MYSELF. THEN, MARTIN WOULD COME HOME, AND I WAS WAITING HAPPILY FOR HIM. WE PLAYED CARDS AND WENT FOR WALKS. TIME PASSED QUICKLY-AND WE WERE HAPPY! LOVE, NANASEE