October 28, 2024
Claudia’s Story – Part 4
As soon as Claudia opened the door to the apartment, Michael and Mark bolted like two dogs breaking free from their leashes and ran to their bedroom. The door slammed with a bang behind them. Claudia proceeded to the kitchen and put away the groceries. This morning’s coffee called out to her. She removed the basket insert from the percolator and turned the knob on the gas burner. Once heated, she poured the coffee into the same cup she had used that morning.
Sitting at the table, she propped her feet in a chair, sipped her coffee and tried to ignore the sounds coming from the boys’ room. She glanced at the clock on the wall and sighed. Too late for the boys to take a nap. Almost time to walk back to the school to meet Matthew.
Yesterday’s newspaper lay in disarray across the table. Claudia reread the front-page headlines:
—War Strategy! President Roosevelt meets Churchill in Morocco—
—The Pentagon Largest Office Building Dedicated in Arlington, VA—
—Aircraft Carrier USS Independence Commissioned—
—Corpus Christi Blackout Mandate Effective Immediately—
—Coffee Coupon Number 26 Expires April 25—
Claudia slumped in her chair. So much going on in the world! And what was her contribution to the war effort? Knowing which coupon to use before its expiration? Covering the apartment windows with black cloth? Saving bacon grease? Collecting tin cans? Being okay with only one new pair of shoes each year? Giving up nylons and makeup? Really? Was that all? She was following all the ration rules. Then why was she so restless? Shouldn’t her role of wife and mother be sufficient? Taking care of her boys and loving her husband? Shouldn’t cooking, cleaning, laundry, ironing, grocery shopping, teaching her boys right from wrong, reading to them at night or breaking up occasional scuffles be enough? Shouldn’t she be fulfilled and content? Was this her only purpose in life? Couldn’t she do more? Shouldn’t she do more? Each passing day mirrored the last. The month of April found Claudia restless and unhappy. If not for Mallory, Claudia thought, all sense of happiness would be lost or at least certainly missing.
One Wednesday morning the two women walked with their children to the end of the L-Head Pier to watch the shrimp boats come in. The boys laughed excitedly as a colony of gulls followed the boats from the jetty to the dock.
“Mallory? May I ask a favor?”
“Of course.”
“Would you watch my boys tomorrow while I go to the Ration Board’s office to change the addresses on our ration books? I’ve failed to do that.”
“Yes, that’s no problem. What time do you think?”
“After lunch? The boys usually take a nap at one. Or at least Mark will. I don’t want to bombard your apartment with more rowdy boys! I’ll return the favor. Just say when.”
Mallory smiled. “I’ll hold you to that. Tomorrow is fine. Maybe I can persuade the older two to nap as well.”
Thursday afternoon Claudia tapped softly on Mallory’s apartment door. Jack opened the door widely and grinned.
“Where’s your mommy, Jack?”
“In there,” he pointed and turned quickly, intending her to follow.
Claudia grabbed her two sons by the hands and stepped into the Jenkins’s living room. Mallory sat on the sofa rubbing Rudy’s back as he lay straddled across her knees. Greg, who held a brown teddy bear tightly under his arm, napped at the end of the sofa.
“Oh, Mallory! This is not a good time.” Claudia still gripped Michael’s and Mark’s hands.
“Not at all! Jack has just tuned the radio to hear Challenge of the Yukon.”
Claudia stared back blankly.
“Not familiar? It’s the story of Sgt. Preston of the Northwest Mounted Police. Enforces law and order during the goldrush days.”
“And Yukon King! His sled dog!” Jack blurted.
“Yes, and King. My boys love the adventures. Jack, show Michael a picture of what King looks like. We were just looking at it.” Mallory adjusted the baby.
Opening a book sitting in the center of the coffee table, Jack thumbed through several pages. The book contained pictures of dogs from the smallest to the largest breeds. Finding the page he was searching for, Jack pointed to a picture of a large dog with long, thick black fur. White fur trimmed its legs, chest and head. The dog’s tail curved over its back; its pointed ears stood upright.
“An Alaskan mala..malu..” Jack fumbled then glanced back at his mother for help.
“An Alaskan malamute. That’s right. Claudia, your boys will love it. They can sit right here on the floor in front of the radio to listen. It’s a thirty-minute show.”
Claudia released her boys. “I’m not sure how long I’ll be.”
Mallory smiled. “Not to worry. We’ll be right here when you come back.”
Claudia had already reminded the boys to be on their best behavior and felt it unnecessary to harp at them. She waved goodbye but her farewell went unnoticed by her children. Michael and Mark and Jack sat huddled in front of the radio already captivated by the show’s theme song. Mallory waved as Claudia closed the door.
As Claudia walked beside the sea wall on Shoreline, the gusty winds whipped against her. Fifteen minutes later she arrived at the two-story building where the War Rations Board’s office was located. She smoothed down her windblown hair as she looked around the lobby for a directory. There…Rations Board Office Room 206. She glanced to her left and spotted the stairs. Reaching the second floor, she walked down the hall toward the Ration Board’s office. As she approached Room 203, she saw that same Naval sign she had seen in the grocery store’s window advertising for inexperienced civil plane mechanics. An urgent plea she read again. She was curious but continued to the War Rations Board’s office.
With five new ration books in hand, Claudia placed them in her purse and exited the office. Curiosity overtook any rational thought. Claudia opened the door to Room 203 and entered.
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Fun Fact:
Challenge of the Yukon aired on Detroit’s WXYZ radio station on February 3, 1938. The Lone Ranger and The Green Hornet also aired on WXYZ. Challenge of the Yukon was an adventure series about Seargent Preston of the Northwest Mounted Police and his trustworthy sled dog, Yukon King. The duo fought evildoers in the Northern wilderness during the Gold Rush of the 1890s. Quaker Oats sponsored the series.
From September 1955 through September 1958, Seargent Preston of the Yukon was broadcasted in color on CBS on Thursday evenings. Richard Simmons starred as Sgt. Preston. At the conclusion of each episode, Sgt. Preston would turn to his companion and say, “Well, King, this case is closed.”
The series was so popular after its original prime-time Thursday night broadcast, it was shown on Saturday mornings in the early 60s.
Dell Comic books also produced issues based upon both the radio and television episodes.
If you’d like to return to yester-year, you may listen to some episodes of Seargent Preston and Yukon King here:
https://archive.org/details/OTRR_Challenge_of_the_Yukon_Singles
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So, did you listen to the series on the radio or watch it on television? I was surprised to learn the television series was broadcasted in color! But then we didn’t own a color television at that time. My brother and sister and I watched Sgt. Preston and King on Saturday mornings along with our other favorite shows: Adventures of Superman, The Roy Rogers Show, Sky King, and The Adventures of Rin-Tin-Tin. What were your favorite shows from Saturday morning’s lineup?
Claudia’s Story – Part 5 will be posted Wednesday, October 30th. Does Claudia have an interest in becoming an airplane mechanic? Will she apply? Come back Wednesday and find out.