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am fell up the stairs to the landing, how can you fall up stairs thought Sam. Beer. He remembered building the stairs with his grandfather. Grandpa was a carpenter, chained smoked Camel cigarettes and told Sam to always be level on the level. 

The apartment was dark as Sam closed the door. He dropped his duffle bag and fumbled around for the pull cord from the 60 watt light and gave it a tug and a wink. He looked around the tiny apartment. " Home," he thought, " Home, after 3 long years half way round this big old goofy world." He limped over to the bedroom door and knocked, "Why knock?" Sam thought, "My door, my wife inside". Sam stood at the foot of the bed and shook it a little whispering, "Lydia, Lydia, I'm home." 

Lydia arose and s at at the kitchen table while the rain fell on the tin roof drinking coffee and watching some game show on TV when Sam walked over to the table and kissed her on the top of her head,
  "How's my old baby today?" 
  "Fine Sam, sleep well?" 
  "Yeah I did little pumpkin, I'll be better after a cup of java, smells better than that crap they gave us in the
navy, why's that television commercial hollering at me?" 

Sam walked over and turned the sound down as Bob Barker was going to reveal what was behind door number Three. Sam parted the curtains and looked out side at the great rain though the storm window. 
  "I'm sorry Sam I forget what you take in your coffee." 
Sam sat down as Lydia put the coffee on the table. 
  "So Sam, what kind of plans do you have for us now that you are home from the navy and Viet Nam?"
  "Well I'm going to take a couple of weeks to get my shit together, as the hippies say, maybe do a little fishing with the good old boys at Lake Marie. I want to go see Rudy, we used to work together at the factory before it closed and see why he's selling that service station his old man left him at the county crossing. I thought maybe I could get a loan on the GI bill and buy it now that I'm home.  I need a job and we need a home if we're still going to start that family we talked about before I got shipped of to 'Nam. I saw the FOR SALE sign up front of  Rudy's on my way in on the bus, looked busy too. What do you think of that idea?" 
  "Sounds like a plan Sam but you know Cathy's Cafe is right next door to the garage. You remember Cathy don't you Sam?" she said with a gently raised eyebrow.
  "Lydia, Cathy broke my heart a long time ago and I know it's all over. Besides, the house is between the garage and the cafe and you can keep an eye on me, eh baby?"

Stay tuned as Sam says "smoke?"

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