"Hey Rom, where you from?" she heard a voice whisper. Rom pretended not to hear so she could drift off into a deep sleep. Not socializing was definitely not a problem for her. She didn't know about the rest of them, but she needed her sleep; Rom enjoyed sleep. Perhaps that's why she always had a weight problem all her life. "I'm from Alabama" she whispered as she proceeded to have a conversation with herself. "It's a very small town, blah blah blah (fill in the blanks) and the only choice I had was work at a restaurant, at the Walmart or join the Army. My momma was a waitress and hur mamma too. I wanted more for me and my son."
Hur? Oh Lord, just what she needed a country bamma for a bunkmate. And she had a son. She didn't look over twenty. Although Rom was dead tired, she just had to ask. "How old are you Wade?"
I'm nineteen" Wade said excited that Rom had joined in the conversation. "I know what you thinking cause mostly everybody think the same thing when I tell them I have a kid. His name is Brandon and he's two. And yes I got pregnant when I was only sixteen. I was gonna marry his daddy but after I got pregnant he started cheating on me with other gurls. My momma said he was too old for me anyway. He said he would help with Brandon and be there for him like a daddy should but he never had no time for us. I love my son and he means the world to me. He all I got and I promised him we would have a better life. That's why I joined the Army. He with my momma now but once I get settled I'm gonna send for him. I'll show you some pictures of him tomorrow when I unpack my stuff. My momma put together this whole picture book of him since he was a baby." (blah, blah, blah)
As Rom lay in her bed, she dreaded starting that conversation. She had the feeling Wade was not going to let her get any sleep. She heard Drill Sergeant's words ringing in her head "No socializing soldiers". Rom just knew there was a good reason he told them that. "Wade I don't mean to sound rude but I really need my sleep. I'm not used to getting up at 5:00am. I really need to sleep now."
"Oh no problem Rom. I appreciate your honesty. We can talk tomorrow. I really need the rest too. I wanna make a good impression on Drill Sergeant tomorrow morning. I can't wait to get our uniforms! I will feel like a real soldier then. A real soldier in the Army."
"Goodnight Wade". There was no way Rom was gonna ask about that psycho comment; and risk another long drawn out conversation with Miss Alabama herself. "Night Rom".
Was that a bugle Rom just heard? Sounded like marching band music. She must be dreaming so she just laid there and tried to go back to sleep. "SOLDIER! Did you not hear that bugle?" Drill Sergeant barked in her ear. "That means it's time to get up. Yall must have stayed up all night socializing. Rise and shine soldiers. Let's go! I want those beds made right now. After you make them stand beside your bed for inspection."
As Rom gave her bed one last sweep, she noticed Wade had already made her bed to perfection and was standing there beside it. She kept her word of making a good impression. Drill Sergeant commended her on a job well done. He instructed her to go line up at the door for breakfast. "What's your name soldier?" Drill Sergeant was right in Rom's face nose to nose.
"Teresa Rom, Sss Drill Sergeant". Whew! That almost slipped, again."
Private Rom. I sure hope you're not going to be a trouble maker. Are you a troublemaker Private Rom?"
"No Drill Sergeant I am not"
"So tell me Private Rom, what's wrong with your bunk? Were you paying attention to my demonstration last night? Oh yeah, now I remember. You're the daydreamer. Ain't that right Private Rom?"
"Yes Drill Sergeant"
"So you admit you're a daydreamer?" The Army does not have time
"No Drill Sergeant. I didn't say I was a daydreamer"
"Did you just interrupt me solder? I know you didn't just cut me off? AND you just called me a liar. I just heard you say you were a daydreamer. Are those tears I see in your eyes Private Rom? Pull yourself together soldier. Remake that bed then go line up for breakfast.
"Rom was confused from sleep deprivation and drained from fighting back her tears. Was it her imagination that he was deliberately picking on her? She saw no way out of that situation. He would have yelled at her no matter what she said. The bottom line was the bed was a mess. She really should have paid more attention to that demonstration. As Rom proceeded to the back of the breakfast line, she noticed the look of disappointment on Wade's face. All she could do was look down at the ground. She had disappointed herself.
Hur? Oh Lord, just what she needed a country bamma for a bunkmate. And she had a son. She didn't look over twenty. Although Rom was dead tired, she just had to ask. "How old are you Wade?"
I'm nineteen" Wade said excited that Rom had joined in the conversation. "I know what you thinking cause mostly everybody think the same thing when I tell them I have a kid. His name is Brandon and he's two. And yes I got pregnant when I was only sixteen. I was gonna marry his daddy but after I got pregnant he started cheating on me with other gurls. My momma said he was too old for me anyway. He said he would help with Brandon and be there for him like a daddy should but he never had no time for us. I love my son and he means the world to me. He all I got and I promised him we would have a better life. That's why I joined the Army. He with my momma now but once I get settled I'm gonna send for him. I'll show you some pictures of him tomorrow when I unpack my stuff. My momma put together this whole picture book of him since he was a baby." (blah, blah, blah)
As Rom lay in her bed, she dreaded starting that conversation. She had the feeling Wade was not going to let her get any sleep. She heard Drill Sergeant's words ringing in her head "No socializing soldiers". Rom just knew there was a good reason he told them that. "Wade I don't mean to sound rude but I really need my sleep. I'm not used to getting up at 5:00am. I really need to sleep now."
"Oh no problem Rom. I appreciate your honesty. We can talk tomorrow. I really need the rest too. I wanna make a good impression on Drill Sergeant tomorrow morning. I can't wait to get our uniforms! I will feel like a real soldier then. A real soldier in the Army."
"Goodnight Wade". There was no way Rom was gonna ask about that psycho comment; and risk another long drawn out conversation with Miss Alabama herself. "Night Rom".
Was that a bugle Rom just heard? Sounded like marching band music. She must be dreaming so she just laid there and tried to go back to sleep. "SOLDIER! Did you not hear that bugle?" Drill Sergeant barked in her ear. "That means it's time to get up. Yall must have stayed up all night socializing. Rise and shine soldiers. Let's go! I want those beds made right now. After you make them stand beside your bed for inspection."
As Rom gave her bed one last sweep, she noticed Wade had already made her bed to perfection and was standing there beside it. She kept her word of making a good impression. Drill Sergeant commended her on a job well done. He instructed her to go line up at the door for breakfast. "What's your name soldier?" Drill Sergeant was right in Rom's face nose to nose.
"Teresa Rom, Sss Drill Sergeant". Whew! That almost slipped, again."
Private Rom. I sure hope you're not going to be a trouble maker. Are you a troublemaker Private Rom?"
"No Drill Sergeant I am not"
"So tell me Private Rom, what's wrong with your bunk? Were you paying attention to my demonstration last night? Oh yeah, now I remember. You're the daydreamer. Ain't that right Private Rom?"
"Yes Drill Sergeant"
"So you admit you're a daydreamer?" The Army does not have time
"No Drill Sergeant. I didn't say I was a daydreamer"
"Did you just interrupt me solder? I know you didn't just cut me off? AND you just called me a liar. I just heard you say you were a daydreamer. Are those tears I see in your eyes Private Rom? Pull yourself together soldier. Remake that bed then go line up for breakfast.
"Rom was confused from sleep deprivation and drained from fighting back her tears. Was it her imagination that he was deliberately picking on her? She saw no way out of that situation. He would have yelled at her no matter what she said. The bottom line was the bed was a mess. She really should have paid more attention to that demonstration. As Rom proceeded to the back of the breakfast line, she noticed the look of disappointment on Wade's face. All she could do was look down at the ground. She had disappointed herself.
