28 Years a Hero

2005

April 8th,2005

The minute I reached his boots that day about a year ago I thought I had lost him forever. I ran strait into him doing pull ups on the tree branch of an old tree that contained a tree house we had built with his father when we were younger. He always worked out when he was stressed. It helped worked the emotions through his system. The treehouse was more than a location to him it was something we had built together with his father, a symbol.

***********************************************

I sighed and it came out louder than I had intended,echoing off the wooden rafters. Jay looked over at me urgently as if I had lit my hair on fire and I had to bite my lip to keep from giggling aloud.

"Sorry." I whispered and he chucked silently looking back ahead at the preacher. Jay had somehow convinced me to come to church with him,despite my lack of religiousness. His family had always been religious but after his father's death he became attached to the church and its teachings as if religion would raise his father from the dead.

An old man sitting in the church choir at the front of the room started to nod off and snore,sounding like a pig that could only breathe from one nostril. I looked over at Jay and he was already looking at me,with an expression that looked as if  he were a fourth grader reacting to a fart. Immediately we combusted into laughter in unison earning the trophy of dirty stares tallied up by multiple old people including his dear mother.

Unable to control ourselves,we stumbled out of the small white church together falling into the lawn,still unable to cool the raging fire of humor.

"Stop." I laughed heartily grabbing at my ribs. "I actually can't breathe." Tears streaked my freckled cheeks.

"I can't if you don't." He replied tears rolling down his own face.

"Okay on three. One. Two. Three." I called and we both stopped on three gazing at eachother with forced flat stares. After the forced five seconds we burst into laughter again only fading as the moment ended.

"Okay,okay,I'm done." He calmed taking deep breaths,rolling from his side to his back,probably bound to get grass stains on his crisp white dress shirt.

"Me too." I sighed calming and smoothing my hands over my skirt rolling onto my back as well. We just sat there in euphoric peace for a bit when he broke the silence.

"I got accepted."

"What?" I asked as he stated it out of the blue. He always found ways to catch me off guard, as if it were thrilling for him.

"I'm in. I got the letter from the fire Academy." Jay repeated pride in his voice. I jumped onto my stomach in one roll-jump motion and looked over his face,my long hair falling around his making it look like he had a mane,blocking the sun from his view.

"Jay! That's amazing!" I lunged for a hug and he met me halfway,our bodies crashing into a firm embrace.

"Yeah as soon as graduation is done I'm out." He grinned pulling away from the hug so he could better look me in the eyes. I smiled happy for him but a small piece of me inside feeling sad for his leaving so soon. I knew I'd never have the courage say it.

"How long is the Academy again?"

"Eighteen months." He stated simply and I nodded recalling the facts he had dreamed about since he was a Highschool freshman.

"You'd better write to me." I challenged with a playful grin and he smirked.

"Of course." I kissed his cheek in celebration and he smiled. "Ooh,I could write more often if you like it that much."