Yours Truly

The walls of the room were stark white. To the left sat a beeping machine and to the right was a large bay window. The girl sat up in bed and looked around; upon finding she was alone leaned back and allowed herself to think of the conversation that had taken place earlier that day between the American and her.

"I'll do it" the girl said turning towards the American whom she was sitting next to on the train.
"You will?!" He answered most excitedly.
"You've made the right choice we will go at once as soon as we make it to Madrid."
The girl smiled and took the Americans hand.
"You promise it won't hurt?"
"I promise" he replied
"You swear everything will be okay?" She was insistent
"Yes, Jig I swear"
This seemed to put her at ease and after a few minutes she started again.
"And we'll be happy and we'll have it all?"
The American released her hand and grunted "yes, everything will be just perfect dammit."

It was at this time the girl was being woken up by a nurse. "Miss," the nurse started like she was talking to a fragile bird, "how are you feeling?" The girl yawned and stretched, she smiled and responded " I am feeling perfectly well now. Say, where is the man that was with me? Has he gone out for a drink? He sure loves that!" The nurse looks down and pulls a letter out of her pocket, she hands it to the girl with an emphatic smile and leaves as the girl opens the sealed letter and reads it aloud.

"My dearest Jig," the letter began. " by now you've awoken from the operation to find I'm not here. It wasn't so bad was it? That's a promise I hope you remember I did keep. As for the others I regret inform you that I have played a great trick on you. Please do not take it too personally I was drunk, you were young, and far too willing to fall in love. Use this as a lesson for the rest of your life, did you think following a soldier around would  end well? You're far too young to have to deal with that, and far too smart. White elephants -
remember that? That was so clever - did I tell you that? You can hate me now but you'll thank me later, baby. You'll  find the guy that loves to drink beer with you and wants to be seen with you more than only at night. If you would have said no I would have had to leave you and it, and this leaves me in a much less guilty position. But hey... We all have our white elephants, don't we darlin'? Yours truly, the American."

The girl droped the letter and  called for the nurse who was prompt upon being called and came in quickly.        "what is it miss?"
"Is there a phone around?"
"I'm sure there is, may I ask who it is you'll be dialing?"
The girl sat quiet for a few moments and then mumbled something in an ashamed manner. The nurse, knowing the young girl's situation did not ask for clarification but instead loyally retrieved the phone and left the room as the girl dialed it. It rang almost 10 times before a stern voice answered. The young girl, after holding it together for so long, began to sob as she managed to choke out "I want to come home."