The Past Before The Present

Holding the Styrofoam cup of coffee was more of a challenge than a pleasure for Ted Oats. The others had no idea what he had gone through nearly forty years prior. He and his wife of fifty years moved from their home town to start a new life. Ted had worked for the railroad and had never experienced activities in day-to-day life within the community of Knowlton Quebec. As a conductor he would get up at four o’clock in every morning and have his java as he called it with two toasts and peanut butter. Once on the job he’d wish the other conductor a good day and start the return trip back to Bangor Maine. Along the way he would meet the same cars at crossings and either wave his hand or blow the mighty whistle. He knew that there were train hoppers that would hitch a free ride but it wasn’t his problem to deal with. The days would come to an end when the same old conductor would say good bye to Ted and he would return home for an old fashion supper with his wife Marlow. He would leave the grocery shopping to Marlow and since they never had children their evenings would be shared cuddling on the sofa watching television.

Finally, the day came when Ted Oats was given his gold watch by the President of the company.

“Ted Oats this company has never had an employee as dedicated and with so much integrity. We thank you for your service and wish you the best in your retirement,”

All the past employees that had worked with Ted threw him a retirement party that he felt totally out of place attending. Without being given notice a retired army sergeant that worked with Ted, took it one step further and brought together seven ex-military service men to give Ted a farewell send off.

The seven FN C2s were fired outside the huge tent simultaneously. Ted grabbed his wife and threw her to the ground. He huddled beside her with his arms wrapped tightly over her. For five long minutes Ted screamed and shook as if the party was under enemy attack. Once the servicemen fired their last rounds Ted slumped into a trembling pile of nerves. Marlow had never seen her husband enter into a state of panic before. She knew he suffered from terrible memories but wasn’t aware of the severity the war had injured her beloved husband. There were ambulance technicians present and immediately comforted their friend. Ted was admitted to the Queen Mary Veterans Hospital in Montreal where he stayed for nearly two years. The doctors worked feverishly to bring him out of the shell shock that he suffered on that evening celebrating his 30 years of loyal service. Other veterans were patients of the hospital that had been there since the war 33 years prior. Burned by mustard gas and laying in saline tanks of water without ever seeing the light of day. Others showing up every day as volunteers to assist the nursing staff in feeding and talking to old buddies that weren’t as lucky as they were. Some had totally lost their sight and others three out of four of their limbs. They all however share a common bond of brotherhood that they eventually took to the grave with them.

“Ted, I truly believe it would be very beneficial if you could recount to me the worst experience of the war you were in. You and I have to cross that bridge before I could even think about releasing you. Marlow said she would come sit with you if you wish if that would help,”

Doctor Douglas had seen many soldiers of the Second World War that suffered Post Traumatic Stress Disorder but nothing as severe as Ted. He had read an article in a medical magazine where having soldiers’ wives present would allow the patient to recount their nightmares.

“Yes, would you please ask Marlow to come in from Knowlton to be with me. She makes me feel safe and I’m not ashamed to show my feeling in front of her,”

The following Tuesday Marlow had her niece drive her into Montreal. She didn’t like the city but she missed her Ted and wanted him to get his discharge from the hospital. Doctor Douglas had been a doctor at the Queen Mary Hospital since he finished his internship at the Brome Missisquoi Hospital in Cowansville. With over thirty-years of experience treating the veterans he thought he had already heard the worst stories.

“Ok, Ted bring Marlow and I back to before you experienced that god awful day,”

“The morning started off like most mornings in the trenches. We tried to have a cup of java without getting our heads shot off. The Germans must have pulled their troupes back a few hundred feet because it was a strange silence that we hadn’t experienced for weeks. The sergeant was actually in a good mood and told us to lower our guard a bit. My best buddy Eddy and I volunteered to take over the point position to relieve the two soldiers who had been there all night. We hadn’t been on the point position for more than ten minutes when an injured American soldier cried out for help. We thought he had been taken for dead by the Germans and been in the field for the past 36 hours with his right leg missing.

“Help me, please help me,” he cried. We went past the safety zone that had been established by our commander and grabbed him under his arms.

“We’ll take you back to our medic and I promise you’ll be alright,” I told him.

We were about 250 feet from our trenches when all hell broke loose. The Germans had left the American on the front lines knowing that we would give up our position to save him. Once they established exact distances, they used their Panther Tanks to obliterate our troupes that not ten minutes before we were having a cup of java with. Their infantry of over fifty strong came storming towards the three of us. I shouted to Eddy, “jump into the trenches, we’ll cover ourselves with dead bodies,”. He didn’t get a chance to jump before both he and the American soldier were shot by the Germans. Ted started to cry and shake uncontrollably. Both Dr. Doughlas and Marlow put their arms around him until he calmed down.

“Ted, you’re doing great. What happened after your friend Eddy and the American were shot?” asked Dr. Douglas.

“I jumped into one of our trenches and buried myself with my dead friends. The Germans stood over the trenches and emptied their rifles into the bodies of my buddies. That’s where I was shot in both legs and lost my two fingers on my left hand. Why didn’t God let me die with my buddies? I don’t deserve to be here crying like a coward,” holding his hands in front of his face.

Dr. Douglas and Marlow couldn’t stop crying themselves. The three remained hugging each other until suddenly Ted said, “Thank you both so much,” I have never told this story to anyone for the past 33 years. I don’t want to forget my buddies that died that day. Their dead bodies saved me from death. I will never forget the men I served with,”

“Ted, I love you and you are not a coward. You served your country and have suffered for over 33 years with this terrible memory. Please my love, you are not alone and I will never let anyone or anything hurt you again,”

“Ted Oats, you are my hero. I have never heard a man braver than you. You went past the front lines to save the American soldier who you never knew. You are alive today because your buddies saved you. But their families will be able to hear first hand how you buddies saved your life. A soldier never knows how he’s going to die or in how many pieces he’ll return home. It took a brave soldier to recount this horrific event. Thank you for sharing my friend and thank you for your service,”

Marlow took her husband back home to Knowlton that afternoon. He was fragile but Dr. Douglas knew he had crossed the barrier of recovery. The next day Ted and Marlow went out for breakfast at the Last Chance Restaurant in Knowlton. An army buddy who Ted had met while at the Veteran’s Hospital owned it and he invited them down for one of his special omelettes. Stoney had been badly injured in France and was always available for war veterans’ visits.

“Oats, you and your beautiful wife going to have one of my omelettes?”

“Yes, Stoney we’ll have your omelette but keep your thumb out of the java this time,”

The restaurant was full of patrons and Ted was holding his Styrofoam cup of coffee when a car passing by back-fired. His grip started to get tighter and tighter when Stoney noticed what was happening. He pulled up a chair next to his friend and put his arm over his shoulder. “Ted, it’s alright to be where you are. I experience these feeling every day. You’re safe here and there’s no one going to hurt you,”

Ted looked his old friend into his eyes and released the grip on his coffee. “Stoney, you’re the best and with your help along with my beautiful wife I’m going to be fine,”

Ted and Marlow became important members of the Knowlton community and every Sunday enjoyed one of Stoney’s famous omelets.