Chapter XVII - Tony's Married ?

Irma was my first child to graduate from college and become a teacher. Her graduation and teaching meant she could make a real contribution to this country that had become my own. I was happy for my daughter and my country.

Hope that the war would end soon did not materialize and we were asked to give more and more of our men and our resources. The country was bleeding and we were giving for a cause that had become our own. The feeling in America was that this was a war to end all wars. One thought prevailed. We were going to win the war!

Like many other boys, my son had met a girl and brought her home. We received her as our son's date and treated her very cordially. On weekends she would come to our home and watch Tony work at improving our new home. I liked her and enjoyed her visits.

On one particular weekend Tony was restless. He got up very early and told me he wanted to go to church early because he had things to do that day.

That afternoon I had to attend one of my niece's showers. I left for the occasion, but did not expect Tony to come and take me home since he had a date. I was pleased and surprised when I saw he had come for me, but I realized he was fidgeting. I asked him if something were wrong and he said, "No." I thought he had quarreled with his date, so I didn't want to push the subject. We were almost home when the bombshell fell. "Ma," he said, "I have something to tell you. Pa already knows and so does all the family."

"What is it?" I asked.

He answered, "I am married. I married Anne."

I was startled and stunned. I could not believe my ears. I thought he was joking, but he said he was not and that Anne was at the house.

I was muted and could not say another word. When we got home, all eyes were turned on me but I could not speak and burst into tears. I was crying for all the things I had wanted to do for him. He was a boy, only 22 years old, and now he was a married man with a war to fight. What was I to do? What could I do? I had urged him to save some money from his work and government pay and I had made the deposits for him. I took the bankbook and gave it to him and said, "Give this to your wife. It is her responsibility now."

I was too frozen in my heart to open it to both of them. I needed a little time. I had not met her family, so that was my first concern. I invited my son's wife's family to meet us and liked them. Her mother was dead and her father was a real gentleman. The first thing he said was that both families should have met first and I agreed with him.

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