Just Common

Short One

Yep, gots a fire goin, Beth has some beans an ham cookin few taters in with thum. Folks, I never made it ta Charles Town. Did make it Savannah way, not much happened, Bama, Carolina Rangers had a dance. My that was fun, folks like I said can not carry a tune, but I loves ta dance.

Met a nice lady, my not Tam lustful now or like Beth. Sweet funny, cute just not make ya overheat so ta speak. Only spent that evenin in Savannah, folks why, hell I turned west next mornin. Roam a bit folks. No certain place just Ranger.

Sometimes folks, I wonder what it been like; not ta have been a Ranger, would I stayed in York City or moved on. Hell that is just stupid ta wonder abouts such thins. Station Master, Virginia ways folks ain't bad, just I gets the need ta roam. Beth knows this, whens I gets fed up. She pulls three days a rations, an tells me ta get the need out. She a handle the Station fer a few days. Beth knows me better, than myself. Ya askin, what this a leadin ta? Hell folks, I do not truly know.

Was thinkin abouts that Basic Law Teacher, how we didn't gets along at all. That high pitched squeaky ass voice, an his blame stick! How he hated my questions, an constant interjection of my thoughts on a law. Guess I best find a story ta tell ya, befer ya run off, not come back. Folks, this is the future, ya left me, this is my present.

Best, remember that, hell I might just be dead, my ghost is a tellin this ta that Dram12, ya know Tim! Pass along this, ta gets ya ta stop! Well, that sounded just stupid as hell. Dram ya leave that in! May sounded stupid, but by golly it could be right!

Grab a chair, or sit on the floor, hell it don't matter. Just gets comfortable is all, gots a drink, coffee or hot cocoa be good, it is rather cold out. Folks this one won't be long. I was near 11 yep, it was 11 or abouts that. Just started my Ranger School a Law.

Lan sakes, Post D Virginia ways, my goodness never been on a Post. All these Rangers dressed better than Pa or myself. Boots shiny neat well kept uniforms. Young ones my age, in formation marchin ta class or ta eat, what ever it was they a doin. Folks I was a might worried bouts this here Ranger School, my ain't been away from Momma my whole life!

Whens we checked in, Pa tell me, ya won't see me may be three four days, son do as yar told now! Folks, can not even remember ifin I answered him.
I went from wearin ill fittin clothes, that were second hand, ta new well fittin uniform an new boots! Folks never had new clothes, Pa bought me some new boots once. Those boots fit good, felt nice on my feet. Lan sakes, till ya wore a pair a bad fittin boots folks, don't laugh!

Must a been near 100 of us, startin school. Folks, never been ta school, Momma taught me, how ta do math, an read an write, she did best she could. That Mister White, say I was stupid, city law say I weren't smart enough fer school.

Folks, I gots two pair a boots, five shirts an five pair pants! Six pair a socks, two hats! Suspenders an one belt! Lan sakes never had so much new stuff! Why I could hardly carry all of it!

They formed us inta a company, an marched us ta the Baracks. Told us ta start on our left foot, the company Sergeant, shouted left, right, left, ta the left! Why we never marched befer, most us had ta hop or skip ta stay in step. Folks, when gots ta the Baracks, why gots my own bed! I slept with Momma, till I gots older, then it was the floor, out in the main room.

Those first few days, were a might hard. Even ifin I done thins right, well, it was wrong folks. Constant yellin at us, no sleep an just hard, why we worked from sunup ta sundown. Pa he was wrong it was two weeks, befer I saw him. It was the day befer I met that Law Teacher, Cap Frank! Man hated me, least that is my thinkin.

I remember, the first words that man say. Folks, certain thins, ya just remember, an this is one of thum. So this it, ya ready? Hell y'all just ta quiet fer me. Don't answer.