What Would He Say

Over forty years ago I did something that changed a young mans life. Since that time I have often wondered what he would say if I were to meet him today.
I had been stationed in Naples Italy for over a year. My best friend had already married an Italian and I was planning on doing the same when I got discharged. I had helped my friend as he plowed through all the "red tape" that was required when an American wanted to marry an Italian.
One day, Festus, a young man who was stationed with us, came up and said he needed our help as he was planning on getting married. I was really surprised, as I had been in his room and had seen the photo he displayed of his homely high school sweetheart that he had planned to marry when he got back home. My friend and I spent all our free time with our Italian girlfriends and knew little of what was going on with the rest of the men stationed there. I asked someone that I was sure would know and here is the story I got.
One evening, a few months before, as a bunch of guys were playing pool, it came out that Festus was a virgin. True to form, the group decided that they needed to take him down to Naples to the red light district to cure his virginity. They did it. He did it, and he was in love. After that day he had started to support the prostitute to get her off the street and he wanted to marry her.
I never saw this women, but those that knew her said she was around 35 years old and looked older. Festus was 20.
I cornered Festus one day and questioned him about his girlfriend back home. He said he no longer cared about her.
Had Festus been stationed at the main base, his marriage probably would have become a fact. There were hundreds of young men there and no one would have cared or intervened. However, our base was small and everyone knew everyone. At that time we had a young Navy Capitan as our base commander. My friend and I went to talk to him. He knew about the proposed marriage and had signed off on the initial application that Festus had made. What he didn't know, was the background of the women that Festus wanted to marry. He was appalled that this women wanted to take advantage of this immature young man.
Forty-Eight hours later Festus was transferred to the U.S. Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay Cuba.

©2011