'Five Years' Copyright 1987 by The Lizzard
Prologue
This is a true story that occupied five years of my life and significently
changed me and those that I touch. Linda came into my life in August of 1979
and we spent the next five years together. When we met she was a very naive 20
year old. I was a very cynical and bitter 35 year old.
I had recently been separated from the U.S. Army as a Captain after 6
years, 8 months and 14 days of service - most of that in South East Asia. I
had sustained a knee injury which rendered me unfit for field operations and
had been given a choice of administrative duty or partial disability
retirement. I quit but because of special qualifications I had, I maintained
an inactive type of reserve status. Occasionally I was called upon to perform
certain services for my former employer ... I was good at what I did.
After almost a year out of the hospital and in physical therapy I had
returned to my old job, the one I had before going into the Army. The company
I work for was my first job after college, they took me back and have been very
good to me since.
I felt that every emotion had been burned out of me during my service. I
knew that I could feel nothing for anyone ever. Women and sex was recreational
for me and many times I did not even learn the names. I was extermely selfish
and unfeeling. I was sure that noone would ever touch me again ... I was very
wrong. Sometimes I think back and wonder if it would have been better if I
had never met her.
I am deeply involved with someone very special to me and want it to remain
that way. And Linda has recently come back into my life due to a tragic
circumstance.
I think I am writing this as a form of therapy to help me decide what to
do. I will write this as quickly or as slowly as I can, when I have time. I
am not a professional writer, I can bearly spell. My field is mathematics and
as such I have never had to write. If the reader finds this hard to read,
don't! It is more for me than you.
********************************************************************
