Bows and Bullets

Untitled Part 2

Two days since I left my family and joined the army. They didn't take me straight away but they took me none the less.  I've done what I had to do and I've paid my dues to be here, waiting for the bus to take me to my new family; the next line of today's Vietnam recruits.

I sat in the little red booth waiting for one of the waitresses to notice me so I can get my coffee. At last, a petite girl with long flowing black hair made her way over to me.  She was stunning and I was shy.  Yep I never learnt how to talk to pretty girls.  She gave me a big smile and her face looked even prettier with a smile gracing its presence.  She had a big bright bow that was keeping her fringe out of her face and small freckles lining the bridge of her nose.

"What'll it be Hon?" She asked her voice as soft as a rabbit's fur.

"Umm.... Just a coffee please, white with two." I replied looking down.

"Sure thing," she replied whilst retreating back into the kitchen.  

As I was waiting for the cheerful waitress to come back with my coffee, I looked around and couldn't help the sad smile that appeared on my face.  The place was packed with kids younger than me just enjoying their lives.  They were dressed in the latest 1962 fashions and they looked free.   Their faces were less weathered and stressed than mine, but what could I expect ... I was going to war to fight for my country whilst they were fighting over who got the last slice of pizza.  I looked up just in time to catch the blue eyes of the waitress; they reminded me so much of a blue crystal that I found with my dad before everything went sour at home.

"I'm Isabell, what's your name?" She asked with a delicate voice.

"Andy," I replied my voice was so gruff compared to her fragile one.  She just kept a smile on her face as she put my coffee down.  "Isabell, can you sit with me for a while?" I asked breaking eye contact in the fear of her saying no.

"Sorry Andy, I can't right now but you know what?  I'm off in an hour and I know where we can go." I looked up in shock and caught the pink tinge that had graced her angelic, heart shaped face.

We sat with our feet dangling over the end of the pier and just above the clear, salty water. We both had our eyes on our feet; too shy to look at each other.  I bit my tongue and looked up at the same time she did and when our eyes met; we both laughed. Her laugh was like honey to my ears and the faint blush that was on her face didn't go un-noticed.

"Well anyway, how was your shift?" I asked uneasily.

"I don't know, how was it? You were there for most of it anyway," she giggled. "What was with that anyway? I wouldn't expect a young army-man like you to hang around wait for me, a complete stranger, to get off work," Isabell questioned. I looked down in complete embarrassment, my combat boots and green pants looked so out of place against her bare legs and white flats.

"Look, I'm just going to come right out with it: I'm going to war. I volunteered right after I woke upon my 18th birthday and they're sending me away today. I passed all my medicals with ease and they said that they needed keen, young boys like me on the front line. When I walked into that café it was because I was waiting for my train, which leaves in an hour," I announced with a slight grim tone.