Vows of Silence

Entering Washington Gate, he was catapulted back in time to the turbulent emotions of that last year, that night. His mood was as bleak as the gray cadet uniforms and the gray gothic structures at the academy. With every curve, another memory pierced through him with as much command as the cold wind and snow of winter had steadily blown down the river valley through the labyrinth of buildings to the stone barracks—his barracks—Eisenhower barracks. He was pelted by memories of the dances and balls in Ike Hall—football and graduation in Michie Stadium—the cadet hangout in Grant Hall—and winding along the bank of the Hudson, Flirtation Walk. Majestically rising above the Hudson River, Trophy Point. Emotions swarmed inside him at the sight of the most awe-inspiring view in the Hudson Valley. Storm King Mountain towered above the river, completing the picturesque setting for the place of legends, myths, and the making of heroes. “You okay?” Callie asked with concern. “This has to be one of the most spectacular places in our country,” he replied, stopping and looking out across an expansive blanket of green known as The Plain. She lightly touched his shoulder. “Richard, we must put that last year to rest.” “Don’t know if I can,” he said in a whisper of a voice. His thoughts turned to the endless parade drills leading to his last parade as Captain of Cadets—Graduation Parade. He’d led four thousand cadets under his command, marking the end of his forty-seven months at West Point and the beginning as an officer in the military. Too much had happened that last year, too much she didn’t know. The bad had overridden most of the good—still trying to override the good in his life. A shudder of regret rippled through his body. He’d always believed his journey had started here. He’d envisioned his dreams becoming his reality. A turnaround of events, the events of one night, and reality had fallen short of his dreams, lost somewhere within the gray and black granite walls of the imposing medieval fortress known as the United States Military Academy. “Richard, are you forgetting we were married here?” Reining his emotions in, he turned to her. “No, my beauty,” he answered with a smile of true devotion. He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it with tenderness. “The best day of my life.” As he looked into eyes reflecting love, he yearned to tell her the realm of darkness this place held and his struggle of living up to the austere position of Captain of Cadets his last year. He couldn’t. He had to push hard against it consuming him. He had to remember his priority was keeping her stable. “We don’t have to stay here,” she said, obviously sensing his disquieting mood. He had to focus on the mission at hand. His wife, family, and their future. The rest would be dealt with in time. “The heck we don’t,” he said forcing his mood to brighten. “I’m taking you for a stroll down Flirtation Walk, for a smooch under Kissing Rock, and maybe more. I’m probably the only cadet in the class of 1982 that didn’t get some on Flirty Walk. Let’s eat,” he said driving on to the Thayer. “I’m sure you got plenty up until your senior year,” she teased. “Sure, huh?” he asked with a short laugh. “You’re blushing.” He held the door for her and they entered the historic Thayer Hotel, a step back in time with its polished wood, candle chandeliers, leaded glass windows, and antique furniture. They walked through the expansive lobby with its many Flags of Nations. “I’m sure you got plenty every time you came to Texas. So, yes, I’m sure about Flirty Walk.” “Baiting me,” he said, smiling at the memories of the many ‘quickies’ on Flirty Walk. He led her into the lounge. They sat at a small table overlooking the tranquil beauty and regal greenery of the Hudson Highlands. He ordered a badly needed double scotch for himself and a coke for her. “So,” she started crossing her arms on the table and leaning in closer to him. “Did you and Austin have a threesome going with Jaclyn Sorlino here at West Point? A ménage a trois? As they call it today, a tricycle?” His smile disappeared. A distance between them fell suddenly and sharply. His eyes took on the same darkness every time she spoke her name. He leaned back in his chair, downed his drink, and motioned for another. “I’m a modern day woman,” she continued, trying to cajole him back to himself. “I know those things go on.” His stare burned into her. His eyes flared with fury. She knew she’d stepped over the line. She silently cursed herself for speaking Jaclyn Sorlino’s name. “You just won’t leave it alone,” he said in a hoarse, husky voice that sent chills up her spine and her skin to prickle. “You would think that of me? Of Jackie?” His voice was rising with quiet anger. “Jackie had one man in her life. Just one!” he said with such force he slammed his empty glass on the table. “And it wasn’t you, was it?” she asked in a slightly shaky voice.