STILL CHASING THAT MAN

SUMMER PASSED AND THEN IT WAS FALL. MARTIN GRADUATED FROM BASIC TRAINING, AND WAS ASSIGNED TO ABERDEEN MARYLAND. I WAS STUCK IN LOUISVILLE BECAUSE HE HAD NO HOUSING FOR ME. HALLOWEEN CAME AND WENT AND THEN IT WAS VETERAN'S DAY. MARTIN HAD A 3 DAY WEEKEND AND CAME HOME TO SEE ME, BUT AS USUAL, THAT WAS NOT ENOUGH FOR ME. ABOUT TWO DAYS AFTER HE LEFT, I JUST UP AND DECIDED THAT I WAS GOING TO MARYLAND BECAUSE I MISSED HIM SO MUCH. LIKE I SAID BEFORE, I HAVE ALWAYS HAD MORE LUCK THAN SENSE, AND I JUST PACKED A BAG, WENT TO THE AIRPORT, AND BOUGHT A TICKET TO BALTIMORE MARYLAND. AS I WAS WAITING IN THE AIRPORT, THE LOUD SPEAKER ANNOUNCED THAT THERE WAS A CALL FOR JODIE SEE. WHAT? A CALL FOR ME? NO ONE KNEW I WAS LEAVING. I WENT TO THE PHONE, AND IT WAS MARTIN. HE WAS ALARMED THAT I WAS COMING TO HIM, HE HAD NO PLACE FOR ME, AND ANYWAY, WHAT THE JIMENY CRICKET HAD GOTTEN INTO ME? I ASKED HIM HOW HE KNEW I WAS AT THE AIRPORT, AND HE TOLD ME THAT HE GOT A VERY INTENSE FEELING TO CALL AND SEE HOW I WAS DOING. MY EMPLOYERS TOLD HIM I HAD JUST LEFT AND WAS PROBABLY AT THE AIRPORT. SO, HE CAUGHT ME BEFORE I LEFT, AND REALLY BLASTED ME FOR BEING SO IMPETUOUS. I TOLD HIM THAT I MISSED HIM AND WAS GOING TO BE WITH HIM NO MATTER WHAT. HE TOLD ME HE COULD NOT GET TO THE BALTIMORE AIRPORT, AND WAS WORRIED THAT I WOULD HAVE NO WHERE TO GO. I TOLD HIM THAT THAT WAS MY PROBLEM, AND I WOULD SEE HIM AS SOON AS I COULD. SOON, I WAS ON THE PLANE, AND IT HIT ME HARD JUST HOW FOOLISH I WAS TO GO SOMEWHERE WHERE I HAD NO HOME OR ANYTHING. I TOUCHED MY TUMMY AND TOLD MY LITTLE BABY THAT EVERYTHING WOULD BE ALRIGHT AND DECIDED THEN AND THERE THAT I WOULD BE OKAY. TO TELL THE TRUTH, I CRIED ALL THE WAY TO BALTIMORE, I WAS REALLY FRIGHTENED AND LONELY. WHEN THE PLANE LANDED, I TRIED TO STOP CRYING, BUT REALLY, I DID NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO WHEN I GOT OFF. I THOUGHT I WOULD TAKE A BUS TO ABDEREEN MARYLAND WHERE MARTIN WAS, AND MAYBE COULD GET AN ARMY ROOM FOR A NIGHT OR TWO. SO, THERE I WAS ON THE TARMAC OF A STRANGE AIRPORT AND IN A CITY I HAD NEVER BEEN TO AND HAD NO WHERE TO GO. AS I WAS WALKING INTO THE AIRPORT FROM THE PLANE, I HEARD A BANGING NOISE. I LOOKED UP, AND TO MY DELIGHT AND SURPRISE, I SAW MARTIN BANGING AND JUMPING UP AND DOWN, CALLING MY NAME. I COULN'T BELIEVE IT! HE WAS THERE! WHEN I GOT INTO THE AIRPORT, HE RAN AND EMBRACED ME, LAUGHING AND CRYING ALL AT ONCE. I WAS SO HAPPY, I COULD NOT BELIEVE THAT HE WOULD BE ABLE TO MEET ME. HE TOLD ME THAT THIS WAS ONE TIME HE WAS REALLY THINKING OF SPANKING MY HINEY FOR BEING SO STUPID. OF COURSE, HE DID NOT HAVE PERMISSION TO LEAVE THE BASE, BUT IT WAS AT NIGHT AND ONE OF HIS FRIENDS TOLD HIM IF THEY HURRIED THEY COULD MAKE THE HOUR TRIP TO BALTIMORE, PICK ME UP AND GET BACK BEFORE THEY WERE DISCOVERED. SO HE TOLD ME TO SNAP IT UP, AND WE HURRIED OUT OF THE AIRPORT, TO THE CAR AND RACED BACK TO THE BASE. HE SEEMED A BIT DOWN, AND I FINALLY ASKED HIM WHY. HE TOLD ME THAT HE WAS GOING TO HAVE A HEART ATTACK IF I DID NOT STOP SURPRISING HIM BY SHOWING UP WHERE I HAD NO PLACE TO LIVE. WHAT WAS HE GOING TO DO NOW? HOW WAS HE GOING TO PROVIDE FOR ME? WHY COULN'T I JUST ONCE WAIT AND LET HIM DO THE PLANNING? I FELT BAD THAT I HAD WORRIED HIM, BUT I TOLD HIM NOT TO WORRY, I WOULD THINK OF SOMETHING. SO, THE NEXT MORNING, HE HAD TO GO TO WORK AND I HAD TO STAY IN THE LITTLE ARMY HOTEL ROOM HE HAD BEEN ABLE TO GET FOR US. IT ONLY COST 2.00 A NIGHT, BUT THAT WAS A LOT OF MONEY FOR US BACK THEN. I KISSED HIM GOODBYE AND TOLD HIM NOT TO WORRY. AFTER HE LEFT, I BEGAN TO PRAY FOR A SOLUTION SO THAT WE COULD BE TOGETHER. AFTER A WHILE, THE THOUGHT CAME CLEARLY TO ME, THAT I SHOULD GO TO ARMY SERVICES AND SEE WHAT THEY COULD DO FOR ME. I HAD VERY LITTLE MONEY, AND DID NOT KNOW HOW I WOULD SECURE HOUSING OR ANYTHING. SO, I WENT TO ARMY SERVICES, AND THEY TOLD ME ABOUT CHEAP HOUSING, WHERE TO FIND IT JUST OFF BASE, AND SAID THEY WOULD LEND ME ANYTHING I NEEDED AS FAR AS HOUSEHOLD GOODS UNTIL I COULD GET MY OWN. I FOUND A LITTLE STUDIO APARTMENT FOR 40.00 A MONTH, BILLS INCLUDED AND BOY WAS IT TINY! BUT IT WAS MINE! I HAD DISHES FOR TWO, SHEETS AND A BLANKET, AND THE APARTMENT WAS FURNISHED WITH A FOLD OUT COUCH, A TABLE, TWO CHAIRS AND A COFFEE TABLE. IT ALSO HAD A RICKITY OLD REFRIGERATOR AND A TINY STOVE. I CALLED MARTIN'S WORK PLACE, TOLD HIM WHERE TO MEET ME AND UNPACKED MY SUITCASE (IT DIDN'T TAKE LONG), MADE UP THE FOLD OUT COUCH, SET THE LITTLE TABLE AND COOKED A BOX OF MACARONI AND CHEESE. BEFORE LONG, HE SHOWED UP AND KNOCKED ON THE DOOR. WE HAD NO CAR, AND SO WE HAD TO WALK THE COUPLE OF MILES FROM BASE. FUNNY, IT DIDN'T SEEM SUCH A LONG WAY, I GUESS BECAUSE WE WERE SO YOUNG. ANYWAY, IT WAS COLD OUTSIDE AND HIS EARS AND NOSE WERE GLOWING RED. WHEN I ANSWERED THE DOOR, HE LOOKED CONFUSED AND ASKED ME WHY I HAD ASKED HIM TO MEET ME THERE. I SNATCHED HIM INSIDE AND SAID, "WELCOME HOME! SEE, I TOLD YOU I WOULD FIGURE SOMETHING OUT! ISN'T IT THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PLACE IN THE WORLD?" HE LOOKED AT THE PEELING PAINT, THE WORN LINOLEUM, THE TINY ROOM, AND THE VERY OLD AND OUTDATED BATHROOM. HE TURNED TO ME AND SAID, "YES MY LOVE, IT IS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PLACE IN THE WORLD. NOW, HOW DID YOU GET IT?" I TOLD HIM ABOUT ARMY SERVICES AND HE SHOOK HIS HEAD. "YOU HAVE MORE GUTS THAN SENSE- BUT I AM SO GLAD. I WOULD NOT HAVE KNOWN WHAT TO DO". SO, THAT NIGHT, WE SPENT OUR FIRST NIGHT IN OUR VERY OWN LITTLE HOME, ON A COUCH THAT ALMOST BROKE OUR BACKS, USING A BATHROOM THAT HOUSED A FEW ROACHES AND SNUGGLING UNDER ONE BLANKET THAT CERTAINLY DID NOT KEEP OUT THE COLD DUE TO THE LACK OF HEAT. WE DIDN'T CARE, WE WERE TOGETHER. MARTIN, ME AND OUR LITTLE BUN IN THE OVEN. LOVE, NANASEE