by JL Curtis
Once he finished, the old man leaned back in his chair and waited. Billy’s hand was clenched in a fist, then slowly relaxed, “You’ve got to be shitting me. They’re ignoring your data? All because they can’t or won’t bother to verify it?”
The old man nodded and Billy said, “So you need a team in two weeks. You’re going to go hit them yourself, in Mexico, with no backup. Is that right?” The old man nodded again, and Billy continued, “Of all the… Crap… How many people do you think you need?”
The old man replied, “Six, maybe eight. I was thinking if maybe Bob and that crew would go?”
Billy sighed, “Gimme a few days. When do Jesse, Aaron and Jace get here?”
“Next week. I don’t want them to know a damn thing about this. Zip, nada.”
Billy looked at him sharply, “Nothing?”
“Nothing. This is all on me. For better or worse.”
Going Home
Aaron parked the truck behind the team building, got out and helped Jesse get Jace out of the car seat. As they walked around to the front of the building, he nervously tugged his MARPAT blouse down and reflexively touched his cap to ensure it was straight. At the corner of the building he stopped momentarily, taking in the flags, the podium and the chairs arranged in front of the podium.
He still wasn’t sure this was a good idea, but he’d bowed to Jesse and Matt’s insistence that he really did deserve to have a retirement ceremony. He managed to get in touch with Captain Ragsdale, and he’d agreed to come back and be the guest speaker, but other than that, all the other attendees were going to be the team members, Matt and Felicia, and Toad. That was it. And it was going to be short!
After walking Jesse and Jace over to the chairs, and saying hi to Felicia, he walked back over to Snake, who was standing in front of the building, “We ready to go? Captain Ragsdale get here?”
Snake nodded, “Yep, Ragsdale, Grazio, and Garber are all here. They’re in the office BS’ing.” Glancing at his watch, Snake continued, “Another fifteen minutes. I’ll form up the teams here in about ten. No point in making them stand around any longer than necessary.”
Aaron chuckled, “Yeah, not like some of the ones we’ve been through. Short, sweet, to the point and bring on the food.”
Snake laughed, “Shit, let’s just go directly to the food. Screw the ceremony!”
“If it weren’t for Jesse, that’s what we’d be doing, trust me! This is more for her than for me. Why so many chairs?”
“Well, my old lady is coming, and there might be a few others show up.”
Aaron asked, “What do you mean others?”
“You never know. Anyway, gotta have a place for Grazio, since he’s still in a wheelchair, and for Garber, they aren’t going to stand formation, they’re officers…”
Aaron laughed and went into the team building, to say hello to the captains, and take one last piss.
***
After the teams had been called to attention, Captain Ragsdale led Aaron to the podium, and as Aaron sat, Ragsdale said nice things about him, his positive attitude, his sense of fun, and his “old-school” work ethic. Aaron didn’t pay much attention, spending more time looking at the teams in formation and glancing at Jesse from time to time.
The captain finished and called Aaron to the podium, then read letters of congratulation from the President, and the Commandant and Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps. Then it was Aaron’s turn.
Aaron scanned the folks seated in the chairs and was surprised to see Captain Fischer and his wife, Chief Holt, Sergeant Major Eberhart and his wife, First Sergeant Brill and his wife, Gunner Price and an older Marine sitting next to him that Aaron didn’t recognize.
Taking his notes out, Aaron thanked the Marines on the teams for standing by him, thanked Captain Fischer for putting him back to together, and turned to Matt, “Thanks for taking me under your wing when I was a young Marine and making me do what I didn’t want to do. For teaching me that when you screw up you man up and take your lumps. I owe you for that Matt.”
Finally, he turned to Jesse, fighting back tears. “Jesse, we haven’t been married all that long, but you’ve stood by me through more than anyone deserves to have to put up with. The deployments, the injury… If it weren’t for you, I don’t think I’d have made it back. But you and Jace gave me a reason to live. And a reason to come back. There is no way I can ever repay you for that.”
Aaron looked mutely over at Snake, who recited the poem The Watch, as everyone popped to attention.
For years, this Marine has stood the watch
While some of us lay about our bunks at night
This Marine stood the watch
While others of us were attending schools
This Marine stood the watch
And, yes, even before many of us were born,
This Marine stood the watch
As our families watched the storm clouds of war brewing on the horizons of history
He stood the watch
This Marine looked ashore and saw his family often needing guidance
but he knew that he must stay because he had the watch.
For twenty years he stood the watch so that
Our fellow countrymen could sleep soundly, in safety,
Knowing that this Marine would stand the watch
Today we are here to say
The watch stands relieved
Relieved by those you have led, guided, and trained.
Gunnery Sergeant Miller, you stand relieved.
We have the watch.
Captain Ragsdale called out, “Dismissed!” Turned and shook Aaron’s hand, “Gunny, I’m truly sorry to see you go, but I’m proud of what you did and the way you went about it. I wish you the best in the future.”
Jesse came up carrying Jace, and gave him a quick hug and a peck on the cheek, “It’s all done now. Thank you for going through this and I love you!”
Aaron hugged her quickly, “PDA still isn’t allowed, but I guess there isn’t much they can do to me now.”
Jesse laughed, “True!”
The troops started coming up and congratulating him, and chatting with Jesse if they felt brave enough. Felicia came and got Jace, so that Jesse wasn’t trying to juggle him, and an informal reception line formed at the podium. The sergeant major and Marlene took just a minute to wish him the best, followed by Brill and Darlene, then Captain Grazio came up, pushed by Captain Garber, “Gunny, I’m really sorry I never got the chance to really work with you, and it looks like I’m going to be going the same route to the PDRL[25] you did.”
Aaron winced, “I’m sorry to hear that Captain, but I’m glad you’re out of the hospital!”
Grazio replied, “Well, it could have been worse. I’m heading for the cake and the booze. See you inside.”
Aaron laughed, “I’ll see you shortly sir!” Aaron glanced around and saw Captain Fischer and his wife in conversation with the Gunner and the old Marine, so he turned to Jesse, “Ready for something to eat? Snake promised me they got good hors d’oeuvres. And we’ve got to cut the cake.”
Jesse nodded, “Sure. Jace is probably good for another half hour before he has a meltdown, so we’ll grab something and I’ll get a ride back with Felicia and Matt.”
Captain Fischer and his wife walked up, “Gunny, you got screwed. No other way to put it, but I think you’re doing the right thing. Chief Holt tells me you’re good to go, and I know you’ve got spare legs out of my folks at Balboa, but you need to get set up for follow-up care. Let me know where you end up in Texas, and I’ll get somebody down there lined out for you.”
Aaron shook the captain’s hand, “Thank you, sir.”
The captain turned to Jesse, “And you need to make sure you keep doing your exercises young lady. Just because you’re leaving our care, that’s no excuse to get sloppy.”
Jesse smiled, “Yes, sir!”
Gunner and the older Marine walked up, and Captain Fischer said, “Tom, this is one you let
get away. It’s the Marine Corps loss.”
Aaron suddenly realized the older Marine was General Kamp, the commanding general. He popped to attention saying, “My apologies sir, I didn’t realize you were here.”
General Kamp replied, “At ease Gunny. Eric said I needed to get out of the office more, and he blocked this morning for no meetings. Now I see why he did, and what Mike means. It’s obvious you have the respect of not only your teams, but the officers in your chain. Eric’s been beating on me to get out and see the troops, and listen to them more. If I’d done that… Well, I’m sorry we’re losing you Gunny.”
***
Aaron lifted the last suitcase into the back of the pickup, then closed the tailgate and the cap. He stood for a moment, looking blindly at the back of the truck, before he turned back to the apartment. Glancing in Jesse’s car as he walked by, he saw she’d already loaded the car seat and Jace’s daycare bag in the back, and had the seat tilted forward.
He looked up at the sky; it was clear with a few puffy clouds, promising a good day for travelling. Felicia was in the kitchen, and Jesse was fussing with Jace’s shirt and pants, trying to get them tucked in. Aaron thought, That’s not going to last. That boy can look like Pigpen in thirty seconds. He doesn’t take after me, or Jesse, so I wonder…
Felicia looked up, “Coffee?”
Aaron nodded, “Yeah, my go cup is around here somewhere.”
Jesse said, “In the dishwasher. I washed both of ours last night. Felicia I can throw the sheets and towels in…”
Felicia interrupted, “No, just leave them. I’ll do a couple of loads tomorrow.” Reaching in the dishwasher, she took Aaron and Jesse’s cups out, filled them and put the tops on, “Well, that’s it for the coffee this morning.”
Matt came out of the bedroom in his MARPAT, looked around and found his cover sitting on the back of the couch, “Y’all ready?”
Aaron said, “I think so. Truck’s loaded, car’s loaded. All we’re missing is the coffee.”
Matt grabbed his go cup, then sat it back down, turning he said, “Well, y’all take care. Let us know when you stop, and damn sure let us know you got there okay.” Sticking out his hand, he and Aaron shook, then quickly hugged.
Jesse hugged Matt, and gave him a quick peck on the cheek, “Don’t be a stranger. You know the way to Texas, and I’m expecting y’all to stay with us if you transfer east. If nothing else, we’ll see you at Christmas.”
Matt nodded, “We will.”
Felicia came around the counter and hugged Jesse, “I’m going to miss you.”
Jesse said, “Miss you too. But it’s not like we’re dropping off the face of the earth.”
“But you’re going home. That’s a big difference.” Hugging Jesse harder, she quickly turned to Aaron, “You take care of Jesse and Jace, you hear me?”
Aaron hugged her, “I will, I will.”
Matt said gruffly, “Alright, enough of this maudlin shit. I gotta go to work,” as he stalked out the door.
Jesse picked up Jace and her coffee cup, and slowly followed Matt. Aaron picked up Boo Boo’s leash, and clipped it to her collar, then led her out the door. While Jesse was loading Jace in, Aaron clipped Boo Boo into the harness in the back seat of the truck, and took out his keys. Realizing he still had an apartment key, he quickly stripped it off the key ring, and ran back into the apartment. He handed the key to Felicia, “Sorry, almost got out the door with this.”
Felicia took it and hugged Aaron again, “Please be safe. Now go before I start crying.”
Aaron ran back to his truck and started it, flipped on the personal radio and held it out the window where Jesse could see it. Moments later, he heard her, “Aaron, you hear me?”
“I hear you five by five. How me?”
“I hear you fine. You lead, and I’ll follow.”
***
Fifteen hours later, they pulled into the ranch yard and the old man met them on the porch with Yogi. “I can’t believe y’all did it in one day.”
Aaron shrugged as he unhooked Boo Boo and let her out of the truck, “I was all for stopping, but Jesse said as long as Jace stayed asleep, we should keep going. Other than stopping for gas and pee stops, and eating lunch, we’ve pretty much kept moving. No real traffic problems, and the weather was great.”
Jesse came on the porch, confused, “Papa, what did you do to our room?”
The old man replied, “Your room is now the master bedroom. I moved into my old room, which was mine long before it was yours. Y’all need the room more than I do, and the bath is right there. I put the crib in there, in case you wanted to use that for Jace.”
Jesse just shook her head, “Why, Papa?”
Gruffly the old man replied, “You need the room. I don’t.” Turning to Aaron he asked, “You need any help unloading?”
“No, sir. All we really need is the one bag and Jace’s bag. The rest can wait until tomorrow.”
“Okay. Y’all go on in, I’ll corral the dogs.”
Gearing Up
The old man poured another cup of coffee and sat back down at the kitchen table. As he did so, he heard the tick of paws on the old hardwood floor and Boo Boo came into the kitchen. She nosed the old man and headed for the back door.
Smiling to himself, the old man got up again and let her out, telling Yogi to go out too. As soon as they were out the door, he started another pot of coffee. Hearing a patter of little feet coming down the hall, he knew either Jesse or Aaron was up. Jace tottered into the kitchen and grabbed his leg, giggling.
Jesse grumped into the kitchen, hair awry, in her tattered old bathrobe. “As usual, I’m taking care of your damn dog.” The old man said, shoving the last cup from the previous pot at her, he continued, “Hot, black and nasty. Should match your mood pretty well.”
Jesse picked up the cup and took a sip, “I’m sorry Papa, it was a rough night last night. Jace woke up twice, and I’ve maybe had two hours of sleep. I cannot figure out how Aaron can sleep through his crying! Damn men…”
The old man laughed, “We know when it’s a distress cry, or a cry just to be crying.”
Shaking her head, Jesse walked to the back door, “Thanks for letting Boo Boo out.” She opened it and whistled, and Yogi and Boo Boo both came back into the house. “I’m worried about Aaron,” she continued, “He’s just moping around. He needs to find something to do, but I don’t have a clue what to tell him.”
Jace interrupted by going to Jesse and trying to climb her leg. She sat down at the table and picked him up, “What do you want little man?” She asked. Jace reached for her coffee cup, and she moved it away, then dipped her finger in the coffee and put it to his lips, “Is this what you want?” Jace licked her finger, and giggled, then reached for the cup again.
The old man said, “If you give him coffee, it’s on you to keep track of him! Y’all want breakfast?”
Jesse cautiously held the cup for Jace, and he took a small sip, then nodded. “Yes, please. Unless you want to corral the little one?”
“Nope, I’ll cook. Bacon, eggs, grits and biscuits?”
***
Aaron threw up his hands in frustration, “Dammit, how the hell…”
Ricky said, “It’s all in the wrist Senor.” Ricky shook out a loop in his rope and slowly mimed the wrist movements, “It’s what you call limp wrist? Si? Big loop, for big horns. When you do release it, you don’t throw it.”
Spinning the rope over his head, he said, “Now watch how I release,” Ricky’s loop settled over the steer horns tied to the sawhorse and he pulled in the slack, “The hand naturally comes down and you grab the slack with your right hand after the release, and pull it tight.”
The old man looked up from the bridle he was repairing, and watched as Aaron tried again. Sensing his frustration, he said, “Aaron, would you mind running into town for me? Billy’s going to be landing at the airport in about twenty minutes, and needs a ride back out here.”
Aaron’s loop settled
over one horn, and he ruefully flipped the rope off, coiling it neatly and handing it to Ricky, “Sure. At least that is something I can do. Y’all make it look so damn easy from the back of a horse, and I can’t even do it from six feet away on the ground. I guess I’m not cut out to be a cowboy.”
The old man laughed, “You don’t know how long it took me to learn it. It’s not something that one does the first time, every time. Hell, I still miss probably twenty-five percent of the time. It just takes practice, practice and more practice.”
Aaron shrugged, “Well, it’s not like I’ve got anything else to do.” Turning to Ricky he said, “Thanks, maybe we can work on this again tomorrow?”
Ricky nodded, “Si, Senor.”
***
Aaron drove his pickup to the airport, alternating between feeling frustrated with his lack of ability to do the simplest, in his mind, things around the ranch and anger at his current state in life. He watched a Lear land gracefully, and taxi in to the FBO’s parking area and Billy Moore climb down the airstair, his ever-present briefcase in hand.
Aaron climbed out of his truck and headed into the office, meeting Billy as he got to the counter. Billy shook his hand and told the lady behind the desk, “We’ll be here four, maybe five hours. Can my pilots get a ride to town for lunch? And can I get some fuel too?”
The lady said, “Sure, no problem. If something comes up, I’m guessing you’ll be at the Cronin ranch?”
Billy smiled, “Yes ma’am.” Turning to Aaron he continued, “I’m thinking you’re my ride, right?”
“Yes, sir. Do you need to go anywhere else?”
“Nope, straight to the ranch works. I’m hoping I’ll at least get fed,” Billy said with a smile.
Aaron laughed, “I’m sure Jesse will be cooking up something.”
In the truck, Billy looked shrewdly at Aaron, “Things not going too well?”
