I was given a choice of accepting a Less-than-Honorable discharge or facing a court-martial. Knowing my career in the Army was over either way, I elected for the court-martial, deciding to fight the injustice and, hopefully, avoid being drummed out of the Army. My career would still probably be over, but at least I would leave the service on my own terms and retain my VA benefits. Now, after two days of proceedings, I was awaiting my fate.
There was a knock on the door, and I stood up, assuming the jury had reached a verdict and that I was going to be summoned. To my surprise, Colonel Underwood came through the door with a worried look on his face. When I saw him, despite the circumstances, I smiled and snapped to attention and saluted him, saying, “Sir, I’m glad to see you.”
Colonel Matthew ‘Matt’ Underwood had been one of my favorite teachers when I went through the training course to become an investigator in the Army’s Criminal Investigation Division (CID). He had been instrumental in ensuring I became a member of the CID when I graduated, becoming the first female enlisted soldier to become a field agent. Without his support and guidance, I wouldn’t have been more than an MP standing duty as a gate guard or worse. I owed him everything I had, and I felt ashamed that I had let him down.
Colonel Underwood returned my salute and said, “I wish this was under different circumstances, Ray.”
“Me, too, Sir,” I said as I sat down at his direction. “I’m sorry I let you down.
He snapped, “You did not let me down, Ray. The Army let us both down. What they’re doing to you is a travesty of justice, and you have nothing to apologize for.”
He sat down next to me and, in a softer tone, said, “I called in every favor I could, Ray, but it looks like the verdict is going to go against you.”
My face fell at the news, and I said, “Well, I appreciate everything you’ve done for me, Sir.”
“I just wish I could have done more, Ray. This is so unfair to you. You’ve done a great job and don’t deserve any of this.”
“I can’t begin to tell you how much that means to me, Sir.”
There was another knock on the door, and it opened. The court clerk entered and said, “The Court has reached a verdict, Warrant Fryman.”
“Thank you, Captain,” I said as I got up and headed for the door. This was it, and I was determined to face whatever the verdict was, no matter how it turned out …
… The sounds of shouts and balls being struck shook me out of my reverie, and I sat up and saw that the volleyball courts were now occupied. I scanned the several courts nearby before my eyes settled on a pair of what must have been identical twins warming up in preparation for playing. They were tall like me, with auburn hair back in low ponytails and wearing matching outfits of skimpy shorts and halter tops. I was mesmerized as I watched them working together like a well-oiled machine.
The rest of the world went away as I watched those two, admiring how their bodies moved; the heat down below threatened to burn me up as I watched them. Between each serve, they were always touching each other, a slap on the ass or a clap on the back. When they put their heads together to plan the next play, the looks they exchanged made my heart clench. They were fascinating to watch, always seeming to know where each other was and what they would do without any apparent communication. Before I knew it, the match was over, and they had handily beaten their opponents.
Watching them had made me so hot and bothered that I needed to cool off. I got up, went down to the water’s edge, and waded into the water after kicking off my sandals, peeling off my outfit, revealing the two-piece swimsuit I had worn underneath, and putting it with my towel. The water felt cool on my skin, and I splashed around for a while before wading out far enough that I could barely touch the bottom. I bobbed up and down for a while, just enjoying how the water caressed my body. I faced away from the shore and just relaxed, ignoring the sounds of the ongoing tournament behind me as I briefly thought about how Steph would have enjoyed this.
“Oh, Steph, I miss you so much,” I muttered, indulging in some tears for a beat. Before it could overwhelm me, I quickly slammed the door shut on those thoughts and blinked away the tears. “No regrets,” I thought, chastising myself for being so maudlin. Once I got myself back under control, I turned back to the shore and made my way out of the water.
I picked up my towel and dried myself off, putting my outfit and sandals back on before I scrambled off the beach and walked back up the hill to my bike. I was dry when I reached my bike, so I shrugged into my riding jacket and swapped my sandals for my riding boots. I headed home and pulled into the garage, carefully putting the bike up on its stand before heading inside.
After changing out of my outfit and donning jeans and a tee, I debated whether I wanted to check the answering machine and chance finding a message from someone needing my help. I decided to relax for the evening and dug out some reading material while curling up on the couch and watching TV. I loved watching NBC on Thursday nights, enjoying the comedy lineup ending with Night Court, my favorite show on TV. When the local news came on after Hill Street Blues, I turned off the TV and headed to bed …
… “So, where did you go to school last year?” Steph asked as we dug into our lunches.
“Parley Coburn Elementary,” I answered, still stunned by how Steph had assumed control of my life.
“I went to St. Anthony’s. Why are you coming here this year?”
“My parents decided I needed to go here for a better education.”
“So, how do you like it so far?”
“It’s … it’s a bit overwhelming,” I admitted, looking away from Steph. I didn’t add, “especially meeting you.” I couldn’t believe how easy it was to open up to Steph, and we talked about everything for the rest of the lunch period. When the bell rang to announce the end of our lunch period, we had to scramble to put our lunch trays away and get to our next classes.
From that moment on, we were inseparable except when we were in different classes. We were always together before, between, and after classes, talking and exchanging our life stories. For the first time in my life, I enjoyed interacting with other students as Steph drew me into her circle of friends, ensuring I was included in all the social activities I had always avoided.
Mom and Dad noticed how eager I was to go to school and how much I enjoyed it. I could tell they were happy for me. When Steph asked me to go home with her after school and meet her parents, I broached the subject with my parents, and they happily gave their permission for me to go. I’d have dinner with Steph and her parents, and then Dad would come and get me when I called.
I was so excited when I got on the bus with Steph to go home with her. The bus driver checked to ensure I had my permission slip, and we sat down together. Steph seemed to know everyone on the bus and introduced me to all of them. By the time we got off the bus, I had been accepted by everyone. I realized that I had actually enjoyed the experience. I looked forward to meeting Steph’s parents as we entered her house.