14 Apr April 14, 1945

Letter
from: Mrs. G. Shonkwiler
to: Pvt George W. Shonkwiler
April 14, 1945
(very late)

Darling,

Well today has been a busy day. Remember my telling you the two girls from
Rkfd. were coming in and we had tickets for "One touch of Venus" [musical] with
Mary Martin and John Boles at the Opera House.  Well, they came in at 11:00
A.M. and of course on acct of FDR’s funeral, all the stores in the loop were
closed and we also found that there would [be] no matinee for the above musical
and were told we could exchange them for another performance, which we did.
The matinee tickets were $1.80, but tonite’s tickets were $3.00 - poor me!
Before the show at the Opera House, we had dinner at the Shangi-la and the check
for the three of us came to $11.94, plus $1.25 for the tip, which made a total
of $13.21 [13.19].  I didn’t think we could eat that much!  We didn’t even have
dessert.  We did have a couple West Indies daiquiris, however,

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each.  We had some Chinese appetizers, then beef tenderloin with a lot of
greens and rice, and some kind of lobster mixture.  it was very good, but then
it should be for that price.  The girls paid the check and I paid only the tip,
so guess I didn’t fare too badly at that.  The atmosphere and service we had
was wonderful and I did get enough to eat, which was more than I had at that
Kungsholm restaurant we went to last Sept.

The musical was pretty good and some of the songs and dances were very good,
but I still think I’d just as soon see a good movie, anyday.

As we left at 5:00 o’clock I brought Ronnie over to Virginia’s, because she
hadn’t had her supper.  When I kissed Ronnie goodbye he kept crying and clinging
to me and saying "I want my Mommy", "I want to go with her." "Don’t leave me
Mommy."  I so very seldom go out

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without him, that he gets hysterical when I do - poor kid!  In fact I only go
out about once in 3 or 4 months, so he can’t figure out why I should ever leave
him.  He gets over it soon after I leave, but it almost breaks my heart to hear
him cry.  I shouldn’t feel that way, as I know I should get out oftener than I
do.  By the time I pay $1.00 to have someone care for him, I can’t afford to go
out.

I guess the girls are planning on going someplace tomorrow afternoon, but
reckon I’ve spent enough for one weekend.

I’m sleepy, and I have to get up to take Ronnie to Sunday School, so guess I’ll
leave you now, honey.

I’m anxiously waiting to hear where and to what you’ve been assigned.  I hope
you’re happy there, and that it’s not anything that will keep you overseas
after the war.

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I mentioned to the girls about your dining with a WAC, etc, and they said they
wouldn’t have liked that if they were me and cited an example of a trusting wife
who didn’t believe her husband stepped out[,] all of a sudden discovered he did.
I’m still not very worried, altho perhaps I should be.  I still have the
feeling that you won’t stray as long as I behave and you have no reason for
ever thinking I do and hope the army will never make you so broadminded that
you still can’t tell the difference between right and wrong even though it
takes willpower.

Goodnight, honey, and all my love to you,

always,
Mom and Ronnie

p.s.
it’s forty degrees outdoors or colder and as the girls have the bedroom, I’m
sleeping on the porch and boy could I stand to have someone keep me warm (What
am I saying?)