DNA: Do Not Assume

Before the war with Japan ended in 1945, Bill transferred to Maine’s Portsmouth Naval Base and they soon began expecting baby number two. The war ended the second week of August. Soon after celebrating America’s victory, Bill started shore patrol duty. Drusilla’s life took on a drastic change with Bill around. Gone were Drusilla’s carefree days hanging out with other young military wives—wives the press called, “Allotment Annies.”

Drusilla had problems. Bill began asking about their financial situation. Had she saved any money? How were they going to survive after his discharge? I am left to assume her unsatisfactory answers spurred him to re-enlist for another year in an effort to obtain enough money to help ease them back into civilian living.

Then, there was the monotony of having Bill around. His dour demeanor began to annoy Drusilla. Bill’s solitary personality made him a conscientious sailor at sea, but a lousy marriage partner on land. He enjoyed his own company far more than anyone or anything else. Drusilla, baby included, infringed on him when he was off-duty.

Another annoyance was Bill’s jealousy. It was bad to the point of paranoia. With so many men around again, Drusilla couldn’t help flirting, causing Bill to become livid. Always the romantic, no doubt Drusilla initially thought Bill’s ire synonymous with romance, interpreting his anger as a sign of undying love. Oblivious to the storm starting to brew, she continued flashing her “bedroom eyes,” as she said many men called them, to everyone. The more she thrived on this attention, the more bitter Bill became.

With Drusilla’s new pregnancy, Bill must have decided babies weren’t his thing. The Navy offered free vasectomies; Bill was one of the first in line. Perhaps he had reasons for not telling Drusilla: Might she want more children and oppose the procedure? Or could it be she might be playing around? Or, maybe he, himself, was contemplating an affair and wanted to make sure no one came knocking at his door sometime in the future? His reasoning is unclear; he kept this crucial information to himself.

Bill was discharged on October 26, 1946. The family, with the addition of their newest daughter born in July, headed to St. Mary’s, a predominately white, blue-collar factory town in mid-western Ohio. If Drusilla thought things in port with Bill were a drag, everything came to an abrupt halt in Ohio. They moved in with Bill’s parents until a rental property, which Bill’s dad found for them, became available in mid-November.

The stay at the Frasure’s home was crowded; it currently housed Bill’s parents and his sisters, Alice and Anna Mae, plus Anna Mae’s four children, ranging in age from ten to four years old. Bill, Drusilla, and their two children brought the total to twelve people living in the small three-bedroom, one-bath house.

Drusilla must have felt all eyes were upon her every move. “But it’s only one month, right? You can stand anything for a month,” must have been the motto everyone used.

All the adults worked at the Goodyear Tire and Rubber plant. It wasn’t easy to get a job there since the war ended. Job openings were few and far between. You had to know someone with pull. This left Drusilla and Alice, her teenage sister-in-law, responsible for Anna Mae’s four children plus Drusilla’s two in addition to all housekeeping duties: dusting, cleaning, washing, ironing, meal preparation—including lunches for the working crew. Relaxation was a thing of the past. She went to bed exhausted every night. Her carefree days were over.

Drusilla began to count grievances against Bill. Number one was being a housekeeper to this mob of people. She grew anxious to move into the rental house.

Aside from her living conditions, another predicament for Drusilla was her lack of spending money. Her allotment went “bye-bye” along with the Navy. Bill wasn’t handing out any sort of allowance to her. No money for Drusilla, meant no fun—grievance number two.

Barely aged twenty, fun was still high on Drusilla’s want list. Fun made her world go ’round. She’d make up games for the dullest tasks. She’d play “Beat the Clock” as she dusted furniture. She’d pretend to be a radio spokesperson for Palmolive dishwashing detergent while she did dishes. These mind tricks failed to work in Ohio. Nothing lifted the gloom and depression that wrapped around her. She missed her former navy-wife life—grievance number three.

Bill, ever industrious and inventive, used his GI-Bill for a three-month electrician course in Chicago. Shortly after arriving and depositing his family with his parents, he left for Illinois. By November, he started studying radio and electronics.

Meanwhile, Drusilla continued being busy with the everyday housekeeping duties at the Frasure house. When Bill left, she noted grievance number four, being left alone in a strange town with his family.

Of course, as I have no way of knowing exactly what transpired, I’m forced to fantasize on the circumstances of my birth parent’s first meeting. I’ve been able to ferret out that both my father and mother enjoyed dancing and the obvious benefit it provided to have contact with the opposite sex.

Perhaps it was Bill’s youngest sister Alice, who unknowingly put things into motion. If so, I picture the following scenes:

In a singsong voice Alice said, “Dru-sill-a, know what I want for my birthday?”

A tired Drusilla asked her sister-in-law, “When’s your birthday? I forget.”

“Saturday, November 16th. Guess what I want?”

Drusilla, playing along, “What?”

Alice said, “I want you to take me to Scotty’s On the Lake. Next Saturday’s dance competition is my actual birth day! Bill left you the car. Will you take me?”

“Alice, I have no babysitter and no money. Also, your parents wouldn’t want me to go out.”

“If I ask them for my birthday, they will. Besides, I want to meet up with Herbie. He said he’s got a wonderful present for me; I’m hoping it’s an engagement ring. See why I gotta go? Mom and Dad said he’s only after one thing but if he gives me a ring, they’ll know he’s serious and let us get married.”

Weary, Drusilla said, “Believe me Alice, marriage isn’t all it’s made out to be. Don’t be in such a hurry.”

Alice drew herself up to her full height, still smaller than Drusilla’s five-foot four inches. Alice huffed and said, “Drusilla, you got married at fifteen. In a couple of weeks, I’ll turn sixteen—a whole year older than you.” Alice made the actual three-month difference seem like ten years.

Drusilla remained quiet.

Relentless, Alice said, “After the winners are selected, they open the dance floor for everyone. You love to dance. With your looks, you won’t have any problem getting a dance partner. Plus, you won’t need money ’cause the guys who go there are happy to buy a girl a soda for dancing with them.” Then, Alice took a breath, pulled out her big gun, adding, “Come on … it will be f-u-n! You know you could use some fun.” She finished her barrage with, “I’ll get Anna Mae to babysit the girls.”

“Well, I—”

Alice interrupted Drusilla with a final, “Please, please? My parents will let me go if you take me. I’ve got it all figured out. I’ll tell Herbie to meet us. Please,” she said, begging.

Drusilla pursed her lips and thought, It would serve Bill right if I went. Then she reflected on the accrued grievances: No home, living with in-laws in a crowded house, having to do all the work, and penniless. Hmm, I don’t have money to buy Alice a gift; the least I can do is make sure she gets to the dance. Besides, I do love to dance and I’m sick of wondering about our marriage. Bill should have taken us to Chicago, not left us here!

She told Alice, “If you get your sister to babysit for free, I’ll take you … as my birthday present to you.”

Squeals of delight came out of Alice’s mouth. “Oh great! I’m so excited. Thank you, Drusilla.”

Alice didn’t waste time. She lined up Anna Mae to watch Drusilla’s girls, requesting the favor as another “birthday present.” Then, she got her parents on board. Turns out Alice’s parents were secretly happy knowing Alice would probably meet up with Herbie Parker, son of the local used-car dealer. Everyone knew the Parkers had money. If Alice made a love-match with him, it would benefit them all. Alice’s parents not only said yes, but also may have provided the gas money!

The rental house Bill’s father found was located in an area the local community referred to as “Rabbit Town.” Aptly named because those WWII cuddle bunnies now had babies and needed low-cost housing. Voila, a baby boom right in St. Mary’s, Ohio. Drusilla no doubt looked forward to being out from under Frasure eyes, eager to move, even if it was into a drafty clapboard house. She did her best to make it a cozy, inviting, and comfortable place for her girls and for Bill… if he ever returned.

In my mind’s eye, I see Drusilla as she allowed herself to think about the dance competition on Saturday, November 16th. It’d been over a year since she’d been dancing. Always a planner, she selected her outfit carefully. In years past, Bill lavished her with beautiful clothes, his generosity fueled by his need to show her off. He even spent a hundred thirty dollars on a “Beaver-dyed Mouton Lamb Tuxedo” coat, as described in a 1940’s newspaper advertisement. In her mind, she was a movie...