10
BEGINNING LIFE AFTER THE WAR
The Yankee Colonel stood before me with the barrels of both his sidearms aimed in my direction as the ever-present laughter, music, and revelry echoed throughout the premises. This is funny, I thought, given that I faced a grim current state of affairs.
“Drouet, how do you tolerate this?”
“This what, Colonel?”
“The sights, the sounds, the aroma of indulgence everywhere here.”
“Quite easily, I can assure you.”
At that, the Colonel peeled away the mustache, beard and grotesque pork chop sideburns peculiar to Yankee military men, to reveal for the second dramatic time in our friendship, Loreta Velazquez.
I sat frozen and nearly unable to conceal my astonishment at her most recent deception.
She quickly smiled and cleared her throat to indicate an upcom
