Mykal's Return to Towbar's World

by Dave Hazel

  “I was never told that. I was told--”

  “And then someone told us that Colonel Parker said that one of your three star General buddies said that you didn’t really want us around anymore cuz we might steal a little of the lime light from you and that we would cramp your style. And since you’re all buddy-buddy with the Generals they couldn’t allow your style to be cramped. You’re a friggin big shot now.”

  “Whoa, hold it. That’s bullshit Boris,” Mykal jumped up in anger. “That’s nothing but a damn lie. I wanted you guys to come along. Especially you! You’re the closest friend I have and you were there with me just about every step of the way. And I didn’t want all this fame nonsense anyway. I just wanted to go home to Pam and the boys, but they haven’t allowed me to do that at all. What you heard is all friggin lies. I wanna know who said all that stuff cuz I’m gonna deal with them right now.”

  “Well, why did you put up with it then?”

  Mykal thought back to a couple of conversations he had with Captain Roberts, Lieutenant General Solley and Lieutenant General Jefferson. They made it real clear that he would have to comply with all the military wishes concerning the media blitz. They repeatedly promised him just a few more interviews and a few more trips, but it never ended. “It’s really a long story Boris, but they told me you guys weren’t interested in coming along.”

  “Yeah, right,” Boris rolled his blood shot eyes. Boris took another swig of the hard liquor as if it were water.

  Watching Boris guzzle the hard liquor made Mykal quiver. “How can you drink that stuff especially so early in the morning? But hey, seriously, who started all this lying nonsense?”

  “I don’t know, and I really don’t care,” Boris lied. He knew Mykal wouldn’t stop until he got to the bottom of it and Boris didn’t want to add to his woes for starting trouble. “But after all the stuff was said and every time I saw you on TV having a good ol’ time with Towbar it just seemed like it could be true. I didn’t care so much about being famous and getting all that attention cuz I know in time we’re gonna be set with all those diamonds we got stashed away,” he said. “It just seemed like we couldn’t get a break for anything. We’ve been treated like garbage around here but you, it seemed like you’re treated like a king. You’re living it up with all the big shots and hanging out with all the celebrities and all.” Boris burped. “We all went through the same stuff you did and where you’re treated like a hero we’re always being dumped on. Some of the other guys are a little more pissed off about it than I am. Maybe jealousy is a better word. It’s not right,” he slurred.

  “Boris, I’m stunned that you would think that stuff of me. You know I’d never be like that. You, of all of them, should know me better than that.”

  “Are you gonna tell me that you never had time to call or write? I know with all the special red carpet treatment you and Towbar have been getting that you should have had some time to write or call. Or are you gonna tell me you were too busy?”

  “Yes, I was busy, but I did call a few times. Every time I tried to call I could never get through or you were never around. And I did write! After the sixth time and never getting anything back I said hell with it.”

  “Well I never got any letters and I never got any messages that you called. But there’s no need to explain,” Boris waved his hand as if he had given up. “I don’t even care anymore. I’ll take care of things my own way, but you better watch your back, cuz some of the others have been talking about you.”

  “Whatta they been saying?”

  “Mostly just stuff like you’re a jerk and it’s all about you. You know, cuz they’re jealous. They said cuz you’re in tight with Towbar you think you can get away with anything you want. Like I said, they’re jealous and you know what jealous people are like. They say stuff and sometimes they make stuff up. Ya know what I mean?” Boris garbled his words.

  “What about you Boris?”

  “I was upset at first, but I would never turn on you. I know one of these days we’re gonna break out those diamonds and I’m gonna be set for life so I really don’t care about that stuff anymore. The only thing that bothered me,” he slurred slowly. “It felt like I lost my last true friend. All my friends are either dead or lost in Towbar’s world. I’m bummed out.”

  “I wish you woulda told me.”

  “I know I’m probably drinking too much, but I been dealing with all kinds of other shit too. I’m treated like a loser around here, but I’m taking care of that.”

  “Whadda ya mean?”

  “It doesn’t matter Myk, but you gotta watch out for some of the people who came back.”

  “Like who?”

  “Well first of all,” he paused to suppress a belch and looked up to the ceiling as if his answer was hidden in the tiles above. “The two maintenance guys, A1C Currie and A1C Martin are gone. They got outta here in a hurry. Right after we went public they both got orders overseas, I think they both went to Korea. Sr. Airman Douglas from Light’s people became a Sergeant and his time in the service is coming up and he said hell with this stuff, so he’s gonna be gone too sometime after the New Year. ‘Baby Hulk’ Jordon just became a Sergeant and his time is up after the New Year. He said he’s definitely planning on getting out of the Air Force.”

  “Cool, I always liked Baby Hulk. What’s he gonna do?”

  “He doesn’t know and he doesn’t care,” Boris laughed. “A personal trainer maybe. He’s tired of being treated like shit.”

  “Like shit?” Mykal looked shocked. “I don’t understand. You guys are heroes.”

  “Yeah, ever since you went on your world tour crap they been treating all of us like stepped in dog stuff,” Boris said and took another drink of his whiskey. “They won’t let us carry a weapon anymore so all they can find for us to do is shit jobs like we’re ‘goons’. I’ll tell ya about it later,” he said and looked to the ceiling again. “I wanna fill you in on all the others and tell you who to watch out for.”

  “Alright, but don’t you think you oughta put the booze down? You look like you’ve had more than you need.”

  “Nah man, I’m alright,” he snorted drunkenly. “This is my baby,” he laughed as he slapped the bottle as if he was patting a dog’s head. “Lopez is still here and he’s been in an outta the hospital to fix his shoulder or arm. They said he did some nerve damage. ‘Big Jeff’ Cann is still here too and so is Terry Burns. A1C Spencer from Light’s people started stirring up junk and Burns joined him. Those are the two you gotta watch out for and I think Big Jeff Cann is joining in with them.”

  “Doing what? Burns and Cann are supposed to be my friends. Spencer, I don’t really know, but what are they trying to do?”

  “I think they got pissed off cuz you got all the attention with the TV time and traveling time, while we’re stuck here doing shit jobs. I think they were jealous and starting talking stuff while they were drunk, telling people that everything wasn’t as picture perfect as you and Towbar make it sound. They’ve said there was a lot of infighting and that maybe there should be some investigations to find out the truth. Colonel Parker dropped a heavy foot on them and made them shut their mouths but they still been saying stuff to make you look bad.”

  “Are you kidding me?” Mykal gasped and his stomach sank.

  “No, there was even something said that Mansfield’s death needed to be looked into,” Boris added. He looked half awake. “They pulled me aside and said we need to do something to knock you off your high horse. I told them they better not screw around cuz the big brass is in your corner. Obviously they don’t know that it was me and Larry and Rich who actually killed Mansfield,” Boris chuckled.

  “No! He was killed by a death arrow,” Mykal avowed firmly.

  “Yeah, yeah, I know. We just helped him get there a little faster,” Boris laughed weakly and took another drink. “Anyway, they shut up after Parker dropped a bomb on them the second time, but now they’re talking trash again. We might have to shut them up Myk.
”

  Mykal looked at his drunken friend and wondered what he should do about the situation. If some of the truths came to light about events that took place in Towbar’s world it could be embarrassing for the Air Force and could possibly get Mykal into trouble with the military. He wouldn’t allow others to jeopardize his freedom.

  “Damn it. I can’t believe them ungrateful bastards,” Mykal said. “If it wouldn’t have been for us and Towbar, they would all be dead or still in Towbar’s world. I’m gonna have to have a talk with them idiots. What about Roy Jr.? Have you talked to him?”

  “Yeah a couple of times. He’s never said a bad word about you ever. Not one word. He’s worried about his father and brother. From what I understand, when the truth finally hit, his mother had a heart attack, but she’s doing fine now. He told me that he’s been trying to get in touch with you for a little while now too.”

  “I’ll get in touch with him today. Have you talked to Karen Kraft or her two kids at all?”

  “Yeah, I met with them twice and both times it was just kinda weird cuz nothing was said. It was like they wanted to get together cuz of all the stuff we went through, but they didn’t have anything to say. Do you know what I mean? It was really awkward. They did have a funeral or memorial service for the father and the two children who died there. And I only went to the service cuz they asked me to go. I wished I didn’t go cuz it was really sad,” he added and started to choke on his words. Boris quickly took another large gulp as if he was trying to drown away the memory.

  “Damn Boris, you’re gonna kill yourself with that stuff.”

  “Right now I couldn’t care less,” he said with a sad laugh. “All I have to look forward to is shoveling snow, painting buildings, washing garbage cans, washing vehicles when others get them dirty,” his voice started to rise. “And whatever else crap jobs they wanna throw on me. I’m sick of it Myk,” he nearly yelled and almost dropped his bottle. “I just wanna go back to work and be treated like a normal person. You wouldn’t believe all the abuse I gotta take from morons who don’t have a clue what we been through,” he slurred angrily. “I have to put up with little ass-wipe airmen who wanna call me names and make fun of me cuz ‘they’, whoever the hell ‘they’ are, think I’m too dangerous to carry a weapon because of the killing we did in Towbar’s world. I’m sure my drinking doesn’t help too,” he laughed and fell back into his recliner. “What the hell can I do though?” He shrugged dejectedly. In a drunken slur his eyes struggled to stay open.

  “I’m gonna have a talk with Colonel Parker,” Mykal said with a hint of anger. “Things are gonna change. If he won’t make some changes for me, I know he’ll make some changes for General Jefferson. Me and General Jefferson have gotten pretty close.”

  “Screw Parker. Screw your General buddy. Screw all those big shot assholes,” he slurred while fighting to stay awake. “I got something for his ass. I don’t want you to say anything to Parker,” Boris said as his head bobbed from side to side. “I’m gonna take care of him myself,” he threatened drunkenly.

  “Why won’t Parker have you reassigned to another Wing or another Squadron?”

  “Because we’re like his little personal trophies that he can brag about, but then the man doesn’t have the decency to give us a real job. He keeps saying he’s working on something better for us. He’s full of shit,” Boris snarled and took another drink. “But I’ll take matters into my own hands.”

  “Don’t do that Boris. Let me talk to him first.”

  “No! I’m a grown-ass man Myk. I can take care of my own damn problems,” he argued and held his head up with drunken pride. “Today I’m supposed to be at building 631 mopping and buffing the friggin floors. Some job for a hero huh? Colonel Parker is supposed to be there for big important staff meeting so I’ll go give him a piece of my mind personally. And Crew 2, those rotten bastards,” he huffed with hatred. “They go out to the field today. You can’t imagine the hard time those scumbags give me all the time. They go outta their way to screw with me and harass me. Of all the Crews, Crew 2 is the worst. They say our story is a bunch of crap and that’s why they give me such a hard time. They think I’m nothing but a friggin drunk who ain’t worth anything,” he slurred his angry hurt. “They know our story is true, and they know I’ve killed tons of Sosos so they push me cuz they know I can’t do a friggin thing about it. They won’t leave me alone. They keep laughing at me and making me look like a damn moron. They keep pushing and pushing until one day I’m gonna snap,” Boris threatened and slammed his fist down on the arm of the recliner. “Today is the day I’m gonna snap and blow up.”

  “Damn Boris, why didn’t you say something. I’ll take care of them too,” he said and wished he would have been present when they harassed Boris.

  “No, no. I don’t want you to do anything for me,” Boris said slowly. “I’ll take care of my own problems. I’m gonna take care of them bastards today,” he vowed with a drink of his whiskey.

  “You shouldn’t talk like that buddy. You’ll only get yourself into trouble,” Mykal advised but burned with anger.

  “Why shouldn’t I talk like that? I mean it, damn it. I watched friends get blown away and chopped up into little pieces. I’ve killed who knows how many Sosos. I’m a hero just like you so why should I have to put up with all that stuff? I had to fight to stay alive and I helped saved the lives of other people. You’re a big shot famous superstar and I’m the sucker who’s stuck cleaning ashtrays and toilets. What makes them so much better than me? I should be treated like you and I’m not. I wanna know what gives them the right to treat me like shit, huh?” He raised his voice with a drunken distortion. “They treat me like I’m a little idiot moron,” he said and nearly sobbed.

  “They can’t treat you like that,” Mykal retorted angrily. “I’m gonna make sure that doesn’t happen anymore,” he promised.

  “You’re damn right they can’t do this to me,” Boris sloshed his words and waved his near empty whiskey bottle in a wild fashion. “I’ll take care of them creeps by myself.”

  “I hear ya, but calm down a little bit,” Mykal said. He knew Boris would be falling asleep soon and then he could go have a talk with Colonel Parker. If Parker wouldn’t be willing to confront the issue he would gladly escalate it to Lieutenant General Jefferson who would put an end to this mistreatment with one command. “Let’s just talk for a little bit.”

  “About what?”

  “What have you been up to since we’ve come back?” He asked to stall so Boris would fall asleep.

  “I’m screwed up,” he blurted with a sad laugh. “All those friggin doctors and shrinks always picking at us and messing with us to see if we were lying really got to me. I’m glad they finally stopped. Every day that passes I still think about that screwed up world we were in. I honestly think about it every day. I notice the more I think about it the more I feel like I’m starting to go crazy. Maybe I am, but who cares?” He chuckled with self-pity and pulled himself up on his recliner. “Even though I lost all those friends there, seen all the death and blood and almost died a few times, I miss that place,” he admitted while staring at the wall to avoid Mykal’s eyes. “To be honest with you Myk, I would give anything to go back there right now. I would be happy with all the fighting and killing and the fighting to stay alive,” he paused and looked at Mykal to gauge his response. “I wanna go back there. I wanna go back there so bad that it really hurts me to think that I’m stuck here,” he said and tears formed in his bloodshot eyes. He bolted off his recliner and rushed to a pile of clothes on the floor to pick up his crumpled uniform shirt. “I wanna go back. I don’t wanna be here anymore. Honestly Myk, I’m afraid I’ll kill myself if I stay here,” he added and put his shirt on to distract Mykal from the fact that he started to cry quietly.

  “What about your family?” Mykal knew the booze was talking.

  “I’ve thought about that,” he smiled and raised his bottle. “I feel lost and dead here. I was so alive there
. The people respected me and liked me there. I was treated like a real ‘somebody’ there. Yeah, I’d miss my family, but I guess I’d miss my family if I killed myself too. I feel like the only thing I have is you and Towbar. If I knew things were gonna be like this, I woulda never come back. I really mean that.”

  Mykal smiled. “Ya know, it’s really funny hearing you say that stuff, cuz I been longing to go back. I don’t know what it is, but it’s something deep down inside. My family is the reason why I needed to come back here, but the friggin military has made it impossible for me to be with them. I miss it. Towbar’s world I mean. I miss all the friends and the closeness that war caused us to experience. I thought I was the only one who felt like that. I honestly feel like there’s something missing in my life. I thought I was going crazy cuz I got my family pulling me on one side and Towbar’s world pulling me on the other side. It’s like I can’t shake it. But to be honest, I don’t know if I could ever leave my family and I sure as hell wouldn’t take them there if we could go back.”

  “Is there any way to go back?” Boris asked and was almost pleading. His bloodshot eyes fixed tightly on Mykal’s eyes while he put his slightly wrinkled shirt on. “Please tell me there is a way back.”

  “I can’t Boris,” Mykal shook his head sadly. “Towbar would have already left if there was a way back. I’ll tell ya though, I have all my stuff locked in a trunk and every chance I get I take out my old cammies. Even though they’re blood stained and ripped up I hafta take them out, and I just wanna hold them. At times I just wanna put those old nasty uniforms back on. It’s really a tug-a-war for me between here with my family and Towbar’s world. I know something about Towbar’s world changed us. I’d like to ask the others if they feel the same too.”