Charles’ wit showed up in the most interesting places in his letter. He wrote his feelings much more honestly than he spoke when it came to sharing his thoughts with Olevia. The evening of November 4, 1943 brought a level of happiness into Charles’ heart he had never felt before. Nothing came close to it. Giddiness filled his entire body, so much so that he couldn’t sleep. Love had found its way into his soul.
Oh, how he hated to leave Olevia at the train station again. A place of joyful meeting and sad departing, the Boise Depot created mixed feelings in his gut. The Depot, where he had proposed to her as soon as he got off the train the night before and where she had said the one word he longed to hear, would forever be etched in his mind and life.
Goodbye came too quickly the following morning. Once they waved farewell and he got settled on the train, Charles wanted to tell everyone the news so the rest of the passengers could share in his overflowing joyful energy of having found the love of his life!
“Olevia said, ‘Yes!’ Do you hear? She said, ‘Yes!'”
Everyone on the train would applaud and holler, “Yeah!” Some of the men would pump their own fist in the air and then shake his hand and congratulate him. Others would slap him on the back with friendly affirmations. Some of the women would clap and nod and get a little misty-eyed for Charles and his new fiance’. Everyone would share in his happiness. The train ride went quickly that day. He only wished Olevia could have been with him so he could introduce her to every single passenger and afterward snuggle in the seat with her and wrap her in his loving arms and never let go.
Wasn’t it ironic how the war that had brought them together in the first place was the very thing that once again separated them from each other. Why did it have to be that way? Damn!
Since he couldn’t be with her right then, he chose instead to write to his soon-to-be wife about what love meant to him and how happy Olevia had made him. Today could not have been any better. Halfway between Ogden and Salt Lake City was when he settled down enough to write.
This was the fourth letter from Charles to Olevia and the first time he spelled her first name correctly. No doubt that subject was part of the conversation before she said, “Yes!”
From the Heart 