Charlie and Mrs. Landingham in “In Excelsis Deo”

Charlie

This place looks great doesn't it?

Yeah.

Charlie

I've never seen a Christmas look like this, the trees, and the lights, and everybody singing.

Yeah.

Charlie

The presents...

Yeah.

Charlie

I brought it up because, I don't know, you seem a little down this week.

Yeah, I know Charlie. I tend to get a little down during the holidays.

Charlie

You don't like Christmas?

I miss my boys.

Charlie

I never knew you had kids.

Twins. Andrew and Simon. I tried not, you know, I dressed them differently, but they still did everything together. They went off to medical school together, and then they finished their second year at the same time, and of course their lottery number came up at the same time.

Charlie

For the draft?

Yeah.

Charlie

Well, I would have thought they could get a deferment to finish med school.

They didn't want one. Their father and I begged them, but they wanted to go where people needed doctors. Their father and I begged them, but you can't tell kids anything. So they joined up as medics and four months later they were pinned down during a fight in Da Nang and were killed by enemy fire. That was Christmas Eve 1970. [beat] You know, they were so young, Charlie, they were your age. It's hard when that happens so far away, you know because, with the noises and the shooting, they had to be so scared. It's hard not to think that right then they needed their mother... Anyway, I miss my boys.