The day after his phone call to Dot, Dart sounds as though he’s in a better mood. They’ve been moved to a new barracks, which turns out to be just as nice as the former one. Unfortunately he’ll be unable to avail himself of his new digs tonight because his early morning watch requires that he sleep aboard the ship.
He’s as enthusiastic about their phone conversation as Dot was. He loved hearing the sound of her voice and he was pleased that they both feel more natural and spontaneous when they talk than they have in the past.
Now he has to stop writing, but will take it up again tomorrow.
The next day – His delight in his new barracks has grown since yesterday. He tries to describe it without violating Naval security, leading me to wonder why it would be important to keep details of temporary living quarters secret, especially now that the US has no enemies. He describes the clean streets and nice grassy area in front of the barracks buildings. Included in those buildings are the chapel, movie theater, recreation area and athletic lockers. There are tennis courts, baseball diamonds and a football field outside. A four-winged mess hall offers separate dining for enlisted and officers, plus a beer hall and storage areas.
He’s especially impressed by the profusion of flowers and the neat, white fences that line the sidewalks. All the ground is covered by either grass or flowers. There’s an awning over some picnic tables to provide a shady spot to eat or read, and park benches sit in front of every building. This entire description is accompanied by one of Dart’s neat diagrams of the place. He tells her the security is more lax than he’d expected, with wives, parents, girlfriends and kids allowed in to see “Daddy’s ship.”
He brags that he just earned a dollar for ironing a set of dress blues for another guy. “Not bad for 45 minutes of work.” (Well, some people might think he lost that deal!) Now he and Hal Martin plan to do some laundry over at the ship, hoping to charge some other fellows a buck or two to throw their stuff into the machine.
Echoing Dot’s thoughts, he tells her that the time until his leave seems to be passing way too slowly.
Dot writes a hurried and excited letter today. Gordon’s home! He was so happy to see his wife Betty that he scarcely noticed Dot or all the painting they’d done around the house. His homecoming prompted a huge feast, befitting a returning hero.
She assures Dart that nothing happened to her, although she admits to feeling that horseback ride for a few days. She quips that she’s built for the sport, with all the extra padding where it counts, but she’d advise him to avoid it. “If your scar is where I think it is, you’d be more than a bit sore after trotting around for an hour.”
She got a beautiful letter from his mother today, welcoming her to the Peterson clan. It gives her goose bumps every time she reads it. She’s completely charmed by Dart’s parents, and by their first-born son. How I wish that letter from my grandmother had survived with all these others. It’s hard not to be greedy.
No letters on the 19th, but Dot returns on the 20th.
