🎖️ Dear General 🎖️

🎖️ Adrian Mendoza 🎖️

It was winter and it was snowing outside. A few years ago, my father went to the border for the country but didn't return. The year was 1960 when I was ten years old. My thirteen year old brother, Coden, had gone to find food. I sat beside my mother on the streets. "Adrian." She said. I looked up at her with curious eyes. She gently placed her hand on my cheek and ruffled my hair. "You're special son. You have black hair and blue eyes. Always remember. No matter how bad you think you are. Just know you're special." She gave a weak smile at me and shivered as it continued snowing. "Ma, I promise. I'll never give up. For you and brother." I said, detrained. I knew very well I couldn't find a girl for myself but all I knew I'd find a job for sure. All I need is to go to a school.

A few days go by, our mother falls ill by the snow. "Ma?" My brother asked. She looked up at us. I wrapped another news paper around her hoping she'd be warm. "What should we do? Without Ma, how will we live?" I asked Coden. He thought for a while and saw an orphanage. "Just in case if Ma doesn't make it, we'll go there. And if she does, we'll stick together as family." He said. I tightly hugged my brother. I really wanted to be a part of a family who was wealthy, had lots of tasty food and warm cloths to wear. But I wanted Ma and Coden there with me. It would be selfish if I went alone.

My brother turns around and checks on our mother. "Stay strong and stick together." She said and let out a deep sigh. Her body was sore and she fell back... lifeless. I ran up to her and hugged her tightly. "Ma!" I cried out. Coden hugged my tightly as we cried upon our dead mother. I had never been this sad in my whole life. We turned to where we saw the orphanage and headed in that direction. "We can't leave Ma there!" I told Coden. He turned to her and frowned. "We need to find someone." He said and dragged me to a hospital.

"Hello madam." He said to the receptionist. She smiled at us and was concerned when she saw what we were wearing. "Oh you poor children! Where are your parents?" She asked. "Our mother died and so did our father." I said. She panicked and asked us were our mother was. We explained her our whole situation. The medical staff took our mother to the hospital and gave us some proper cloths to wear. "She is in deep slumber. There is no telling when she will wake up." The doctor said. Coden frowned and help me tight. "Don't worry. You both can come with me." The kind lady said. My face lit up and I hugged her. "My name is Nancy and I promise I will make sure you feel safe. Today was the day when our lives would take a huge turn. Who knows what will happen? I really hope Ma wakes up soon.

Nancy took us with her. She lived in a small house with two floors. Coden and I didn't care how big or how small the house was. As long as we had a place to stay we were satisfied. "I know it's not much but it's all I have." She said with a smile. She showed us around the house and there were a few rules. She took us up the stairs and showed us a room with two beds. "This will be your room. It used to be a guestroom but now it's yours." She said with a smile. "Thank you!" My brother said. "I'll take the left one!" I said full of excitement and leaped on the left bed. Coden rolled his every but couldn't help and smiled.

It was night time, around 10:44 pm. Nancy had already fallen asleep. I looked out side the window which overlooked the view of town square, where the hospital was. I sighed missing Ma very much. "You okay?" Coden asked. I looked at him and shook my head. "Just missing Ma, nothing more." He got up and came by my side and we both watched the snow together. "You know Adrian? I've been thinking. Why don't we both join the military?" He asked. I looked at him with wide eyes. "For real?" I asked. He chuckled. "Yeah! Why not?" He said. I softly smiled and looked back at the view. "First Lieutenant Adrian Mendoza." I whispered to myself.

The following morning, I got up and stretched. With excitement, I got out of bed and ran up to my brother. "Coden, Coden wake up! We need to start training for the military!" He stirred awake and rubbed his eyes and looked up at the wall clock. "It's 4 in the morning Adrian!" He snapped. "Like Ma always said. 'The early starters get the lead'." Helpless, Coden couldn't argue with he. "So now, what do we do about breakfast?" He asked. I simply shrugged. At around 6:30 am Nancy woke up and took us to school. "Alright boys, be good!" She said and bid us goodbye. "What's first period?" My brother asked. "Chemistry." I said. "Good good." He said and we entered the building.

Our teacher was Mrs. William. She had red hair and fair skin. "Alright class! Since it's our first day, why don't we get to know each other, hmm?" She said with a smile. Coden was eating breakfast, in class. Mrs. William's eyes landed on Coden. "Young man, let's start with you." She said. Coden got up and kept his sandwich aside directly on the desk. I looked up at him with wide eyes and he simply smirked at him. "Coden Mendoza. I want go grow up and be a military officer." He said. Mrs. William was impressed by the dedication but had doubts. "Name a few elements in the periodic table." She said. "Breakfast!" He said. "Breakfast?!" She asked utterly confused. "Pardon me boy but that's not and element!" She added. "B is boron, Re is Rhenium, A is Actinium, K is Potassium, F is Fluorine, S is Sulfur and T is Tantalum!" She looked at him with shock and turned to me. "Adrian?" She called. I stood up. "Adrian Mendoza. I want to be a military officer. General Adrian Mendoza."