Drafted- A Story Of Heroes

1

I held her hand close to my face, knowing this would be the last time I might see her. I gently kissed her hand as I let it go. 

"Come back John. Or I'll come to get you." I wanted to laugh at the joke like I would have back when we were first met.

"Don't you dare." I kissed her and walked out the door. I turned back to her one last time.

"You can't." Those words she understood, her nod let me know what she thought. But it was her tears that really forced me to understand. 

"Goodbye John. I love you." I titled my hat to her.

"Linda. Tomorrow and the next, I'll be with you." She pulled out a kerchief and handed it to me. I took it and walked to the "car" waiting to take me away. The AEC Militant was full of other men like me. 

"Hey John." I saw my neighbor Mr. Adams and sat next to him.

"How'd your wife take it?" I asked him.

"She cried, probably from joy." He was chewing on some tobacco and had a thick southern accent.

"What about Linda?" He asked as he offered me some.

I shook my head no. "Not well. How else is she supposed to? She's alone in that damn house." 

"You were about to be married right?"

"No. Not yet. I was going to ask but once I got the call I decided to hold off." He nodded his head as his continued to chew.

"Do you know anything?"

"No. They'll train us first but I don't think I'll do well." 

"John, its not about if you don't think you will to do well, you have to do well. It will ensure your death, that thinking of yours." He spat on the floor of the car. 

"I'm well aware. My father told me, in war you don't think. You do. Follow your orders." 

"Smart man." 

"Have you been through this before?" 

"I'm not young John. Not like you. When you've lived, its hard to avoid this." 

"My father would have died again, to here the news."

"He fought in the previous?"

"Yes sir. He's probably turnin' in his grave right about now." 

"What else did he tell you?"

"Nothing much more. He didn't talk about his time."

"Nah, wouldn't think he would. Any man who's been through war knows it's horrors. What station are they assigning you to?"

"The fifth reg."

"I heard what happened to them. And they are sending a new comer there? What are they thinkin?" He thought out loud. He seemed angry with their decision on my behalf. When I first heard about myself, I cried. I locked myself up in the bathroom and cried. Even till now I didn't have the heart to tell Linda to truth. 

"Assigning a writer to the fifth. Damn fools."

"They are our commanders. Watch your mouth, Adams." Another soldier warned him.

"Watch what? Watch this kid die because of some incompetent ass-hat?" The man looked only a few years older than myself.

"Sir." He looked Adams in the eyes and continued. "If the kid dies, its because he's the incompetent one, sir." Adams was about to retort but I put my hand up.

"I understand your point of view," I looked down to his tag. "Mr. Fen but just because your an army brat doesn't mean all of us are comfortable with the idea of leaving all and going to our graves." He snorted.

"It's Olient Fen as long as we are in the military," He looked down to my tag. "Olient Davis." I put my hand on my leg once we hit a bump.

"We all start somewhere, sir." Adams laughed. 

"That we do." He agreed. 

"I hope you are used to get little to any sleep. Davis, because its going to take time to change you into a man." Adams stopped laughing.

"I'm sure with your attitude you rarely ever sleep." Adams quipped. Fen snorted.

"Funny man. Sir, you are almost passed the age group called to serve. I'm sure due to all that life you've lived you were respected, due to your age but here you are at the bottom with the rest of us." 

"What makes you think that, Olient Fen?" 

"You don't have  any clips." 

"My clip? The shiny silver one? With a tiny bird on it?"

"That'd be a clip, sir." His voice lowered into one of possible obedience.

"It's in my pocket. I just wanted to ride with the new comers. I'll be keepin an eye on you, Olient Fen." He pulled out the clip and put it on. The car got silent. He wasn't even a level above us. He was two. 

"I hope you forgive my disobedience, Kino Adams." Adams smiled and nodded.

"I'm sure you do." He turned to me." I have a friend in the committee I'll talk to him. Putting you in the fifth is outrageous. It's amazing how some people have zero brains or, " he turned to Fen." sympathy in others cases." He stood up when the car stopped he went up to the front. Fen was angry but he didn't blow over, nor did he blame anyone else for his mistakes. Another man got in. He looked around for a spot. The only one was the one Adams had just sat in. I moved over for him to sit down. 

"I'm Olient Davis." I shook his hand.

"I'm Darge Jacobs. Nice to meet ya." 

"If I may ask, why are you riding with us sir?" 

"I was back for a short time at the base. Nothing special." He smiled and looked down to some papers he had. I nodded and looked forward. He pulled them out and was looking them over. I wasn't allowed to look and I had to stop myself multiple times.

"By any chance, is Kino Adams in this ride?" 

"Yes sir. He's riding front."

"Thank you, Olient." After the last mishap Fen didn't try to talk to the Darge.

"Sir, do you know which base we are being assigned to over seas?" Jacobs looked over my way.

"Why'd you want to know? You don't have to worry about that until after your training unless you are assigned."

"What do you mean sir?"

"Due to the fifth being dismantled along with the sixth, we are moving those along in training and pushing them faster." I felt my stomach drop.

"How much time? How much time do they get to train for?" I turned to him. He could hear my desperateness in my question. So he ignored my lack of title.

"A month. Which one are you?" 

"Fifth." I whispered. He looked me over. 

"I'm sorry son." We both knew I wouldn't make it long.

"As long as the fourth and third keep up, you might have longer. I suggest you take your time learning to most important things. Sleep as much as you can and try to have everything sink in. Try to learn everything good enough to do in your sleep." I nodded and I held onto the kerchief that Linda gave me and held it up to my face.