Remember Laughter

by Ginny Sterling

  “I actually do have leave available. I’ll put in for it right away, if you’ll get me the dates.”

  “We are thinking of going around June or July if everything stays the same here,” Parker said distractedly before nodding and holding up his phone. “Ok. They should be in your email.”

  “Cool. Count me in! – and thanks, Parker.”

  “Anytime.”

  Jason sat down quickly at the computer and glanced at the clock. There was about ten minutes before the next person was scheduled to get their turn on the computer. It was rare to find it unused and he was going to take full advantage of it. Having to take turns on the computer was both a blessing and a curse. At one point, it meant no one could hog the machine like Cooper had.

  That was part of the reason they’d instigated the rule! Mike Cooper used to play his games all the time. It was also frustrating to be limited because sometimes you just needed a little more time online. Quickly typing, he attached a photo, and clicked send just as the next man scheduled walked in the room. Sighing heavily, Jason logged out and gave up his chair.

  Chapter 8

  December 2017

  Princess,

  You could let me take you out for a fun night on the town sometime. I am thinking of flying in this summer to see my friends. FYI, nice sunglasses. Pink is my signature color, too! It looks spectacular against all this tanned skin and my rugged good looks. I wear them daily and think of you. Uh-huh… thinking of me again? I’m blushing!

  So how about that phone number?

  Jason

  AKA- Han Solo

  Leia stared at the photos before hitting print on her computer. As the pictures began to print out, she glanced up at the bulletin board that held several business cards, coupons, a few photos of her and Chandler during happier times… and a printout of Jason.

  The sounds of Christmas carols played softly in the background, as Spud lay quietly on the couch. The faint snoring sounds from her dog made her feel not quite so alone. The animal was a true character and she never imagined how much he would add to her life. She also never pictured arguing with Spud for the throw pillow on the couch. The terrier had a personality of his own and when he set his mind to something, he took over.

  Obviously, the dog was quite a bit like Jason.

  Sighing heavily, she picked at her chow Mein noodles and glanced at the computer again. This time of the year was so hard on her. It had been two years since the accident and that phrase ‘time heals all wounds’ was turning out to be true. It didn’t hurt so much anymore, but the emptiness hadn’t subsided deep down inside.

  She was lonely.

  Jason’s words weighed heavily on her as she struggled with indecision. What would it hurt to give the man her phone number and why was she resisting so very much?

  Right now, its surreal to have a friend like this, she thought.

  If he has a voice, that makes him real to you.

  You’re afraid that he’s going to be (not only attractive) but nice!

  You’re scared that something will happen and you won’t be ready for it.

  …But what could happen?

  Getting up from her chair, she scraped the remainder of her food into the trashcan and set the plate in the sink. Her mind raced as she tried to mentally process every avenue of what could happen if this mysterious man was suddenly real in her life. There was no way this was going to be something an intelligent, independent woman would do. No, this was how you ended up conned, hurt emotionally, or swindled – by putting yourself out there.

  Taking a deep breath, she stared at the tiny Christmas tree that sat on the end table beside the couch. Tiny ceramic Starbucks ornaments hung from a few tree limbs, as well as a single clothespin reindeer she’d made for herself while making one for each of her students just before Christmas break began. Under the tree was a stocking of dog treats for Spud, including a chew toy that looked just like the television remote.

  The photo Jason had sent had been the best thing that had happened to her today. She had thought the earrings were spectacular, wearing them all the time, but seeing the picture of the four men laughing had made her feel envious of the sheer joy displayed. She needed to smile like that. She craved that type of bond with someone once again.

  Sitting down at her computer, Leia made up her mind.

  Jason,

  Han Solo? HA! I was thinking more along the lines of Chewbacca with all that scraggly beard all over your chin. Maybe I should have sent you a pink razor, instead? Don’t worry about flying out - I might be busy – focus on having a grand time with your friends. That was a great photo of you all! Lucky you!

  You are wearing me down about that phone number, aren’t you? I guess this might be a Christmas miracle…

  ~Leia

  She hastily typed her phone number at the bottom of the email and clicked send before she could change her mind. Once she heard the whoosh of her computer announcing that the email had been sent, her own breath escaped her noisily in one fell swoop. Things were changing once again in a world she’d just begun to get comfortable in. Now, she just had to sit back and wait for him to call.

  It was a matter of time.

  Two hours later, just as she was finishing up her movie on the television, her cell phone rang. She stared at it for several rings, letting the ringtone play its musical score as she warred with whether or not she should pick it up.

  This was the moment everything changed. They were moving from pen pals to… what exactly? To friends? Sliding her thumb across the screen, she answered the phone.

  “Hello?”

  “Princess Leia never ever ran from a fight. I knew you’d pick up if I let it ring long enough… or I’d just call back,” this energetic, low pitched voice said in her ear.

  Jason had a gorgeous voice that reminded her of a hot, cinnamon toddy. Potent, heady, could knock you off your feet, but utterly delicious and warmed you from the inside out. The timbre of his words instantly gave her goosebumps. The warmth in his tone made her feel giddy and nervous at the same time.

  “Oh, it’s a Sasquatch,” she quipped playfully, trying to hide the nervousness she felt bubbling inside of her behind a false bravado.

  “Ouch! I’ve been downgraded from Wookie to Sasquatch? That hurts.”

  “You’re both make-believe, so it’s the same thing.”

  “Nope, princess… I’m as real as they come. I burp, snore, and fart like the best of them out there.”

  “You really know how to talk to a girl, don’t you?”

  “I thought if I told you all my flaws up front, that it was only uphill from there. Am I wrong in that notion?”

  “I guess if you scrape bottom first, you can only go up – right?”

  “Exactly.”

  Leia sat there awkwardly for a moment, unsure what to say next. She found herself feeling so happy and alive, more than she’d felt in a while at the simple flirtation between them..

  “You still there?”

  “Yes. Just trying to think of what to say,” she admitted. “This seems a little strange and quite surreal.”

  “How about we start with introductions. Jason Michael Hody - only son of Laura and George Hody. Originally from Dallas, currently stuck in the middle of nowhere. Twenty-nine years old. All American male and good ol’ country boy,” he said in a rush before taking a deep breath. “…And it’s really nice to talk to you finally, Leia. I understand about being nervous. I’m nervous, too. Feels like the first day of school all over again and I’m really regretting the fart comment a minute ago.”

  “That bad, huh?” Leia covered her mouth to keep from giggling.

  “I might puke from nerves.”

  “As long as you don’t cry,” she teased, playfully. “I’ve always got one or two that cry on the first day of school from anxiety.”

  “That was me during my senior year.”

  “You cried?” she burst out laughing.

  “No, but it sounded good, didn’t i
t? Now, it’s your turn to do your intro spiel. You keep distracting me with those beautiful little laughs and that charming voice.”

  “You are so full of yourself, aren’t you?”

  “See? Another distraction!”

  “Fine. Fine,” Leia snickered and cleared her throat regally. “Leia Renee Holland Ketch, daughter of Ben and Joan Holland. Originally from Tyler, Texas - and currently residing here. Twenty-nine years old, as well. Female.”

  “You forgot ‘Star Wars fiend’ and a ‘fan of hairy men’.”

  “What? I have never implied that I was a fan of hairy men,” Leia sputtered, embarrassed and shocked. “Where on Earth would you get that idea?”

  “You’ve never told me to shave after seeing my photos. You noticed my five o’clock shadow and keep calling me pet names like Chewbacca and Sasquatch. I think you like big, brawny, sexy guys with chest hair – and I fit the bill.”

  “Ohhh! You are just terrible,” she breathed, feeling horribly mortified and feeling her face redden. “I should just hang up, right now!”

  “But you won’t ‘cause I make you smile,” he said boldly in the phone, “and I’m glad I can make you happy. I like to make a girl laugh-even if it’s at me.”

  “You are making this girl wish she hadn’t given you her phone number!”

  “TWO MINUTE WARNING” a mechanical voice announcing disconnection came over the line, interrupting their banter back and forth.

  “My calling card is almost up, which means we’ll have to continue this another time or via email. Can I call you again?”

  “Can you behave?”

  “Probably not,” he said candidly, chuckling.

  “There’s your answer.”

  “I don’t ever listen…,” Jason brushed off immediately. “Oh! And Leia?”

  “Yes, Jason?”

  “Thank you for writing me and giving me your number. You’re okay – for a girl.”

  “Are you kidding me? For a girl?”

  “Yeah, I am,” Jason admitted. His voice changed and she noticed it right away. It sounded so soft, so genuine, and utterly charming. “This call was the best present ever. Merry Christmas, Princess.”

  “Merry Christmas, Jason.”

  Hanging up the phone, Leia sighed happily, and cradled the phone to her chest. She closed her eyes, replaying their conversation in her mind and couldn’t help the smile that blossomed on her face. Gosh, he was outrageous and a horrible flirt… and she liked it.

  “Spud, he’s going to be big trouble, isn’t he?”

  The dog just looked at her with a bored, nonchalant gaze that told her immediately that he didn’t care what she said to him. The dog was busy napping and she was interrupting that moment of peace.

  Leia shook her head again and got up from the couch to pick up the printout on the table. She gazed down at the laughing men and focused on the one with the biggest smile.

  Gosh, what would it be like to be friends with someone so free and outrageous? she thought idly, feeling a pang of guilt as she pinned his photo onto the bulletin board. The photos of her and Chandler were nearby, but her eyes kept getting drawn to that warm smile.

  “I must be tired or whiny about it all this evening. He’s incorrigible.”

  …And she liked it.

  Jason hung up the phone and shouted with joy into the air, leaping to his feet and giving several fist pumps. Gosh, that call went so good and she was… well… fantastic! She was lively, witty, funny, and had the most beautiful feminine laugh that made him want to purr in delight. Gosh, he liked teasing her… probably a little more than he should! He’d meant what he said – talking to Leia was the best Christmas present he could have gotten.

  It was so fun to throw her off kilter, knowing that she would get so embarrassed. He could picture her face, blushing, and imagined that singular smirk that he’d seen in the photo. He really enjoyed writing his new pen pal and it would kill him to admit it to Griffin.

  Jason got up from the seat in the small room that held the single available phone for troops to use to dial out. Shaking his head, he stared at the worn-out surface of the table that had been scribbled on over time and etched with memories, stick figures, and smiley faces. These four walls had heard a lot of secrets, witnessed a lot of tears, and listened to many prayers for home. Today, he contributed laughter, hoping that the next person that used the phone would be just as fortunate as he felt.

  His princess was turning out to be quite a woman.

  Chapter 9

  March 2018

  Leia ran inside the house and threw the bags of groceries on the counter. She knew she was pushing her luck to beat the clock. It was getting too close to the time that Jason said he’d try calling again. They’d determined between their time differences, his weird schedule, and her dedication to teaching, it would be best to call on Saturday nights or Sundays. Their calls weren’t long, usually only ten minutes at a time due to the expense of the calling cards, but they packed a lot into those precious moments.

  Making notes at school gave her things to talk about when Jason called, keeping her from sounding like a prattling idiot. He was adorable and she found herself thinking of him fondly. It was crazy to think that having someone to correspond with could bring on such a bond. She was happy; happier than she had been in so very long and her life seemed full right now.

  Putting away the frozen foods, she glanced at her cell phone on the counter as it lay on her notes for the week. She popped a K-cup of hot cocoa in her Keurig and scooped out a dollop of cool whip as a treat.

  “Spud? Come here my little munchkin!” she called happily, only to see the cone-shaped face of her dog come around the corner and glare at her. Laughing, she saw the awareness in his soulful eyes as she bent down to feed him a treat.

  “There you go, buddy. A little something special for my guy, myself,” she crooned softly to the dog before grabbing her hot cocoa. “…And my other guy.”

  Blushing, she saw the large bag of cherry sours, gummy candies, and cans of cheese that she’d picked up for Jason. There were also several international calling cards so they could continue their communication. He’d told her last Saturday that one of the things he remembered as a boy was squirting cheese from the can into his mouth as part of a contest until he threw up. As she’d walked down the aisles of the store, she’d seen the cans and hadn’t stopped smiling since.

  As if on cue, her phone rang.

  “How’s it going, Princess.”

  “Pretty good,” she said happily, trying to keep the sheer happiness from her voice. “I’m glad it’s the weekend and you caught me right in the nick of time. I just finished up at the grocery and was treating myself to a little hot cocoa.”

  “Did you try it with the cool whip on top?”

  “Yep. You were right, too. I’m not drinking cocoa without cool whip ever again. It’s so much better. The blob on my cup is enough to touch my nose if I’m not careful.”

  “Yep. Boogery cool whip isn’t any good.”

  Laughing, Leia grinned at his disgusting term, realizing that it was just him. Jason would say anything that blurted out of his mouth, regardless of how anyone thought of it or if someone overheard him.

  “That sounds pretty atrocious.”

  “It’s devastating,” he agreed and she could picture the smile on his face on the other side of the phone. “How was your week?”

  “Pretty boring, like usual. I had two people cheating on a test and was surprised that one of them was one of my best students. A little girl that always gets fantastic grades and she’s normally the top of the class.”

  “Let me guess – the other student was a boy?”

  “Yes.”

  “I’m sure he was being sweet to her to get through his test.”

  “I was afraid of that. You sound like you recognize the ploy.”

  “This ace might have used it a few times in school to get by.”

  “I bet you did,” Leia chuckled, shaking her
head. “What about you? How was your week, Jason? Anything new going on?”

  “Actually…” he drawled in a teasing manner. “I just booked my tickets to go see some friends for vacation.”

  “Oh, you did? Where are you going?” she asked, feeling a pang of despair that he was visiting someone else instead of coming to see her. It was alarming to think that she wished she could see him in real life.

  She felt so close to him, in a friendly manner, that she treasured their discussions. This was such a turnaround from that lonely woman who’d been scared to give him her phone number. She’d never once regretted the decision to give it.

  “Well, my friend Jamie is in Alaska now…” Jason began and Leia’s heart dropped. Alaska was clear on the opposite side of the continental United States! There was no way they were going to ‘just happen’ to meet!

  She’d been holding her breath for a moment, knowing that Jason had once worked under her coworker Lily’s husband when he was in the military. The two women had become much closer over the last few months, actually sitting together and chatting during lunches. She was supposed to be attending a cookout next Saturday afternoon at their house, giving her plenty of time before Jason called.

  “…And I’ve never been there, but we are all getting together. I can’t wait to see everyone.”

  “That’s wonderful.”

  “Are you okay?”

  “Oh, yes, I just spilled a little cocoa on the table. Sorry.”

  “Just don’t burn yourself,” he cautioned lightly. “Hey Leia…”

  “Yeah?”

  “Can I say something weird?”

  “Boogery cool whip wasn’t weird enough?” she retorted fondly, setting down her cocoa on the table. She was expecting him to blurt out some other caustic phrase or quip to make her laugh and didn’t want to spill it for real. She’d fibbed about the other ‘spill’ to cover her disappointment.