Summer had ended and Melody was working her way through fifth grade. This was her last year in elementary school and she was bored. Melody was ready to grow up a little bit and move on to middle school. She was unfortunate to have Ms. Saltzgabor that year, known by all students to be the worst of them all. Ms. Saltzgabor had the charm of a cactus and ran her classroom like a prison guard. Melody was convinced that the smile muscles in her face had been surgically removed. This veteran teacher, who refused to retire, had short, silver hair and wore glasses with saucer sized lenses. She had an unpleasant disposition and rarely found reason to compliment satisfactory student performance. If Melody got all the spelling words correct on her test, the teacher would say she had bad handwriting. If she made a simple mistake on a math quiz, Ms. Saltzgabor would call her careless. After a geography test, in which no student could correctly identify every state capitol, the old woman went into a rant on how everyone was wasting her time. Melody learned to keep a low profile, never raise her hand, and only participate at a bare minimum. To her, Ms. Saltzgabor was a wretched ogre who could not be pleased.
Melody had no real friends; everyone was more of an acquaintance to her. No one disliked her, but then, no one really knew her. The boys knew Melody liked football, and some children had seen her skateboarding through town, but that was about it. No one considered her to be shy, but she didn’t chatter endlessly at recess like other girls. Melody listened more than she spoke, making some children think she was snobbish. Even though she was growing up to be a beautiful girl, she still had plenty of tomboy left in her. Melody was also very smart. As she grew older, she developed a very distinct style in the ways of thinking and reasoning. Melody thought outside the box, and her abstract way of problem solving was approved and highly regarded by those teachers who took the time to notice. Melody was just beginning to realize who she was. She was on the brink of great personal discoveries, but in the meantime, she had to survive Ms. Saltzgabor.
Halloween lead to Thanksgiving, and no sooner were the turkey leftovers in the refrigerator, than the Christmas season began. Melody was bombarded by commercials for the latest toys, Christmas specials were airing almost every night, businesses had their front windows decorated, and the Christmas tree was up at Burke Park. Melody liked Christmas as much as any other child. Who wouldn’t like coming downstairs to see gifts under the tree along with two weeks off from school? If not for the freezing cold, it would be the prefect holiday. However, Melody’s mother instilled in her, from an early age, the true meaning of the Christmas holiday. In accordance with her upbringing, the family went to church service before the first gift was unwrapped. Melody was a rare child, for Christmas meant the birth of the Messiah, and not presents from Santa Claus. In fact, Melody was not even sure if she had ever believed in Santa. She never asked if he was real, and never received anything from him. All gifts had always been marked with tags reading ‘From Mom and Dad’. Melody watched all the Christmas specials, but never took Rudolph or Frosty seriously, she preferred movies about Scrooge.
This year would be a special Christmas holiday for Melody. Uncle Frank was coming to visit with his new wife, Holly. Melody was used to talking to Uncle Frank every Christmas on the phone, but this year he was coming in person. He had received orders to Guam but took leave to visit before shipping out. Melody had no objections to giving up her room for a week to sleep on the living room couch. Melody loved listening to Uncle Frank’s fascinating stories about the places he had visited. She regarded him to be in the same league as any other explorer or adventurer she had read about. In Melody’s eyes, Uncle Frank was a living, breathing, modern day Marco Polo. It was not until she was almost an adult when she finally understood what her uncle did in the Navy. Melody had heard him mention many times that he was a Seabee, but she misunderstood it as “CB”, so Melody assumed he worked with radios.
Uncle Frank and Aunt Holly arrived Saturday afternoon. It was a happy reunion as Barbara welcomed her brother and his new wife. Douglas always liked his brother-in-law and went out of his way to make Holly feel like part of the family. Melody liked Holly the instant she came through the front door. She had long red hair, a beautiful face, and was very shapely. She had a lovely smile and her initial uneasiness vanished as the Mivsheks opened their home to her. Melody led her new aunt to her room and invited her to make herself at home. Holly was tired from the drive but was appreciative of the hospitality that had been shown her. She tossed her suitcase on the bed and plopped down next to it.
“Thank you, Melody,” she said with a smile. “I know what it’s like to give up your room when company arrives. I’ve done it too.”
“No problem, Aunt Holly,” Melody said, returning a smile of her own. “Are you sure there is enough room in here?”
“Oh, we should be fine,” Holly answered. “I’ll be using your bed and Uncle Frank brought his cot.”
Unknown to them at the time, this initial meeting would eventually develop into a profound, lifelong friendship. Melody was fascinated by this woman’s looks, mannerisms, and fashion sense. Though she was only a year younger than Barbara, Melody considered Aunt Holly to be young, modern, and exciting, nothing at all like her old-fashioned mother. Melody had listened at the dinner table and learned from her parent’s conversations that Aunt Holly was from San Diego. She had been a waitress, working in a bar that had been frequented by her Uncle Frank while stationed there. Melody remembered her mother not being completely supportive of her brother’s plans to marry a cocktail waitress he hardly knew. Now, as Aunt Holly sat on her bed, Melody believed Uncle Frank had made the right decision.
“What is that?” asked Melody, pointing to Holly’s charm, hanging from a silver necklace.
“It’s from the zodiac,” Aunt Holly explained as she touched it with her fingertips. “It’s the symbol of the bull, I’m a Taurus.”
“It’s pretty,” Melody said while also admiring her aunt’s bright red fingernail polish.
“Thank you. What is your sign? Do you know what it is?”
“No.”
“What is your birthday?” her aunt asked.
“June first.”
“Oh, how lovely! That makes you a Gemini!” Holly stated with a smile that lit up her whole face. “That’s a wonderful sign. Did you know you share the same birthday as Marilyn Monroe?”
“No. Who is she?”
“You never heard of her? Well, she was a little before our time I suppose. She was an actress that made some wonderful films back in the 1950s. She’s very famous, people love her to this day.”
“Was she pretty?” Melody asked.
“Oh, she was very beautiful,” Holly answered. “She had blonde hair and blue eyes just like you.”
Melody smiled as she continued to warm up more to Aunt Holly. Then she noticed something else. “Is that real?”
“Is what real?” Holly asked looking down.
“On your wrist. Is that a real tattoo? Can I see it?”
“Of course, and yes, it’s real,” Holly said, motioning Melody to come closer.
“I’ve never seen a real tattoo before,” Melody admitted. The tattoo was a string of leaves encircling her wrist like a bracelet, among the foliage were ladybugs, and a dragonfly.
“It’s beautiful,” Melody said admiring the color and detail. “Did it hurt?”
“Well, yes, a little,” Holly admitted. “But it was worth it. I’m glad you like it.”
From behind, Melody heard her mother’s voice come from the doorway. “Melody, give your aunt some time to unpack and relax a bit, she’s had a long trip.”
“She’s fine,” Holly stated. “We’re just getting acquainted.”
“Splendid,” her mother replied. “But I need to borrow her. Melody come help me in the kitchen, I’m starting dinner.”
“Yes, Mama,” Melody said, whirling around towards the door. “See you at dinner, Aunt Holly!”
Later that night, the dinner table was noisy with conservation and laughter. Uncle Frank had all new stories that Melody was eager to hear. After he finished telling his second tale, Melody asked to hear about the day he met Aunt Holly. Frank said the first time he saw Holly, he knew he was meant to be with her. Holly then interjected that she was not convinced at first. To her, he was just another sailor, but Frank had finally won her over. He proposed after they had dated for only six months. She went with him as his wife when he was transferred to Rodman Naval Station in Panama.
“So, you knew right away?” Melody asked, now mesmerized with the idea of a whirlwind romance.
“Yes, Honey. I knew right away. I wasn’t leaving San Diego without her.”
“How much longer will you be in the Navy, Uncle Frank?” Melody asked.
“Well a lot depends on if I get promoted to Chief, Honey,” Frank answered. “If I can pick up Chief in a few years, I can retire with a pretty good pension.”
“Will you come back to Michigan?” Melody asked.
“Oh, I don’t know, Sweetheart,” Frank answered. “I’ve been to so many places I like. The weather in San Diego is so much better. I don’t miss these Dowagiac winters.”
“Amen to that,” Douglas added. “During this time of year, I can’t say I don’t mind a load headed down south.
“A part of me will always love Michigan,” Frank began. “But-”
“But we couldn’t keep you on the farm,” Barbara finished for him. “Frank, you were always so restless, even when we were kids. You always had to know what lay over the next hill, and once you saw it, you looked for something else. I wonder what you will do when you’ve finally seen every inch of the world.”
“Guess you’re right, Sis,” Frank agreed. “The Navy has been good to me. Going to the recruiting office changed my life.”
“He offered you exactly what you wanted,” Barbara said. “Oh, the night that recruiter came to the house. That poor man, Momma accused him of trying to steal her baby.”
Frank and Barbara shared a laugh together as he reenacted that night from so many years ago. The family watched as Frank, acting as his own mother, wrung his hands and pleaded for the safety of an only son. He tried not to laugh himself as he continued imitating her dramatics. He ended his performance by throwing his hands in the air and exclaiming, “Who will wash his underwear!”
“My goodness. Could you imagine your mother if you had decided to join the Marines?” Holly giggled.
“Aunt Holly, is this the first time you’ve ever seen snow?” Melody asked as the laughter died down.
“No. I’ve seen it before, but I must admit, I’m not built for these winters,” Holly said. “Guess I’ll always be a California girl.”
“Did you live on a beach?” Melody asked.
“I lived very close to the beach,” Holly answered. “My sister and I love the ocean. Seems that’s the only place we ever wanted to be.”
“Did you surf?”
“I tried it, but I’m afraid I was never very good at it.”
“Did you have a boardwalk?” Melody asked as her mother silently observed how taken her daughter was with her new aunt.
“Oh, of course, and so much more,” Holly explained. “Belmont Park is right on the beach. It’s an amusement park with its own roller coaster and Ferris wheel. My sister and I would also ride our bicycles and go roller skating down Mission Beach boardwalk.”
“Did you skateboard too?” Melody asked with growing excitement.
“Skateboarding was never something I got into, but skaters were everywhere,” Holly answered. “You could skateboard all day and see all the shops and vendors right on the beach. It was a great hangout for the kids. I loved growing up there.”
“Oh, it all sounds so wonderful. I can’t wait to see the ocean one day,” Melody said. “I’m going to live on a beach in Florida!”
“The girl is just like you Frank,” Barbara admitted. “She’s rarely content herself, always wishing she was grown up and so eager to leave home. I don’t think a day has gone by when she hasn’t dreamed of being somewhere else.”
“Well, Melody, don’t wish to be an adult so soon,” Frank said. “Childhood is gone before you know it, and then you miss it. You will see everything you want to see, just be patient. In the meantime, don’t break your neck on that skateboard of yours. Your mother tells me you’re hell on wheels.”
Melody could not imagine a better Christmas holiday. She was so proud of her Uncle Frank who went to Christmas church service in his uniform. Most everyone wanted to shake his hand and wish him a Merry Christmas. Melody also liked all the gifts she received from everyone, but what she loved most of all was meeting her Aunt Holly. She was constantly at her aunt’s side, asking many questions about life in California. In her room, Melody showed Holly her skateboard and her drawer of treasures. While Uncle Frank caught up with his sister, Melody kept Holly occupied with their own conversations. Holly, in turn, became very taken with her niece. She considered Melody an amazing girl, finding her very intelligent, inquisitive, and possessing a wonderful sense of humor. Before Aunt Holly left, she promised Melody she would write to her and keep in touch. When Melody received her first letter from Guam, she immediately wrote back. Their bond grew stronger as the letters continued to crisscross the Pacific Ocean on a regular basis.
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