~~~~~~~~~~~~
“I expected to see gold clusters on your shoulders Sam. I guess Chris didn't tell you?” Jason said.
“He told me, but I haven't seen the orders yet so as far as I know it's a joke, and one that isn't very funny,” I said.
“It's not a joke. I told them the only way of getting you back was at command grade. Sam I'm sure Chris hasn't told you what he's doing now other than his Rose company is still active. As good as Chris is you're better. You see things no one else does,” Jason said.
“Jason I'm a woman and the last I checked women still aren't allowed in combat, so unless you've somehow managed to get that changed as well I'm still not coming back. I earned a command of my own after the first mission I did that I had to assume command, but instead I got bumped to commanding a recon unit. I have no doubt if I hadn't told a General to shut the fuck up I would have received command grade and been given command of Beta company. Then when Adam was wounded I should have received command of Alpha company, but no not only wasn't I given command, my recon unit was broken up. So please Jason if you can't do better than telling me what you have thus far, you've wasted your time trying to get me to return. I like the life I have now, and coming back just so I can get kicked around again isn't going to happen,” I said.
“I don't imagine calling you mistress would do me any good?” he asked.
“Am I your mistress Jason? Are you ready to put everything on the line for The White Rose?” I asked.
“What you're asking isn't easy Sam,” he said.
“And what you're asking is? I have two little girls that depend on me when their father is away,” I said.
“Will you at least think about it?” he asked.
“If I come back I pick my company. I won't take men from other companies without giving them the option of staying with the company they're with, but if they aren't with a special forces company anyone I ask for I get, no options and if I do missions like I was doing I become ranking officer during the operations, no questions and I don't give a shit how high the top brass is they'll follow my orders, or stay out of my way. If I tell them to kiss my ass it is metaphorical and if they try writing me up for it they are informed they can go to hell, because if they do get a writeup through and it costs me I will see they do go to hell, the deepest darkest hell I can find to send them to. I'm not playing games if I come back Jason. I am The White Rose and I don't have to answer to anyone, but my husband and children,” I said.
“I'll let my command know your terms, but I'm sure they'll agree. Sam they don't have anyone that can do what you can,” he said.
Something happened. Sure I was upset that I hadn't gotten command, but not enough to quit.
“Dad have you ever wondered if maybe you were born with the wrong body?” I asked.
“What kind of question is that Samuel? Why would you even think such a thing,” Mom said laughing at me as though I had to be the dumbest person she had ever met.
“I wasn't asking you mom, I asked dad,” I said.
“I know why Sam asked,” Jeff said. “He thinks he's a girl, and thinks maybe dad is too.”
Kathy knows the truth and unless she told Jeff he couldn't know. Not unless I talked in my sleep. Hell if I talk in my sleep what else does he know? Why did Kathy laugh rather than stand up for me. She knew how I felt, she knew I hated being a boy more than anything.
Dad looked at me and I knew the answer, I wasn't the only one, dad was a woman trapped in a body he despised as well. Everyone in the family continued laughing at me, I turned and walked out the door. I was eighteen and high school was over, graduation was in three weeks, but that was just the ceremony, I could pickup my diploma any time, or even let them mail it to me. Nobody cared if I was there. I didn't have any real friends, I'd never had any real friends, even at the church the only reason they treated me like a person was because I could get them in the building to shoot hoops or something.
“May I help you young man?” he asked, when I stepped in the door.
Young man... this ass isn't much older than I am. I looked around and noticed he was the only one not busy doing something and walked back out of the Marine recruiters office and down a couple doors to the Air Force office.
“May we assist you with something?” they asked.
I looked at the person who asked, and saw three people sitting around a table playing card games.
“You all look like your a bit busy. Maybe there would be a better time,” I said.
The one with the most strips on his arm looked up at me and smiled.
“This is just our way of passing time when things get a little slow,” he said.
“So tell me, which of you are the best at lying?” I asked.
He grinned. “I guess that would be me, if you mean which of us has recruited the most people for the Air Force,” he said.
“So if I asked you some question about why the Air Force is better than the other branches of the military I could count on everything you say being a lie?” I asked.
“I wouldn't go that far,” he said.
“So once in a while you throw a little truth in so nobody knows what to believe?” I asked.
“Is there something one of us can do for you, or are you just here to insult us?” he asked.
“That's better. Now you can help me, but I don't want any lies and yes I can tell if you're lying that was the reasons for the questions,” I said.
He showed me to a desk and we started filling out the paperwork for me to enlist.
“Sam, it is okay to call you Sam isn't it?” he asked.
“I hope so, it is my name,” I said.
“Sam, the Air Force offers a wide selection of career options and we'll do everything we can to see you get a job that will fit you best. Some people are cut out to be pilots others mechanics. We have a battery of tests that are designed to see just what kind of work you'll be best suited for. Before we start that though, I want to ask if there is any kind of work you're especially interested in,” he said.
I didn't care what kind of job they had for me, all I cared about was getting away from the laughter of my mother.
He handed me a stack of papers saying there was no time limit, or correct answers. Just answer each question with the first answer that sounded right and then let him know when I was done.
Ten minutes later I handed him back the test and was sure he was going to faint that I had been able to complete it so quickly.
“You're done already? Most people we get in here take hours just trying to read the thing,” he said.
He handed the test to one of the others in the office and started telling me about a program they had where enlisted personnel could become officers, and how since I had been able to finish the test so quickly I might be a good candidate for it.
I didn't care about being an officer I just wanted an easy escape from my mother, though I had no intention of saying that to this man.
“Here you go Sarge, I think you'll find the results interesting,” the airman said.
He looked over the results and looked at me as though not believing I was real.
“Are you sure there isn't a career field you're interested in more than the others?” he asked.
“I'd rather not sit behind a desk telling people lies just to get them to commit to something,” I said.
“If these test results are... according to these test results I wouldn't think you would want to be a recruiter. To be honest, more honest that this job normally allows something like we do here would be the last thing you should be doing. Can I ask why you've chosen the Air Force?” he asked.
“Because when I walked in you didn't treat me like a child, the Marines did and I'm not impressed with the Army and the thought of being stuck on a ship doesn't excite me in the least. I love airplanes, and think it would be wonderful to have a chance to be where I could work with them often,” I said.
We finished the paperwork. And just before having me sign
everything he asked how long I wanted to enlist for. He then gave me a few options along with advantages and disadvantages for each. The standard enlistment was four years. Since I didn't have any ROTC while in school it would mean waiting for advancement where if I'd had ROTC I would receive my first strip while still in basic training. If I chose a six year enlistment I'd get two stripes right out of basic training.
Since I was simply looking for an easy escape I thought about the four year enlistment, and discounted it since it would mean taking longer to gain advancement. I didn't have any reason I could think of I would simply do a short enlistment and come back home.
“I'll take the six year enlistment,” I said.
“One last thing to cover and then we need your signature and when you want to leave. You get thirty days leave every year, they discourage people from taking it all at the same time, and some commanders won't authorize it all at the same time. Two weeks at a time is the suggested length allowed though some people want to spread it out and take five days here ten days there. Leave time is by the grace of your superiors,” he said.
“What if I'm not interested in taking leave?” I asked.
“Any unused leave will roll over to the following year, but there are commanders who believe you should take leave at least on occasion. The military isn't an easy life when you have to live it all the time,” he said.
“You don't understand, I have no interest in ever coming back here,” I said.
“If that's the reason for not wanting to take leave it isn't a very good reason. When you're on leave you can use it to sit around in a motel somewhere if that's what you want. You can go pretty much anywhere you want and do pretty much anything that's legal while on leave, you don't have to come back here if you don't want to,” he said.
I signed the papers and said I was ready to go as soon as possible. He looked at his calendar and said they had an opening in one week.
The Hidden Rose Page 35
