The Soldier Next Door

In a perfect world, hearts heal, and people move on; well, I say that is nonsense. How do you heal if you can’t move on because you are still waiting for the impossible to happen, waiting for the one that broke your heart to come back and make it whole again cause the thing is, you cannot move on if they are not next to you moving on together.

Yesterday was torture; today is agony. She has not phoned or even messaged me. I don’t know if she is waiting for me or if I must wait for her. This unwritten book of love is just a messed-up bundle of confusion.

I am sitting with Matt and Chloe outside around the pool area. Matt has taken it upon himself to see me get through this; I feel completely useless and vulnerable. “Hey, bro, grab a beer and get some sun on those skinny bones.”

“Man, I don’t know how brown I want this buddy of mine.”

He bursts out laughing as I adjust my prosthetic leg and lay back on the deck chair.

Matt goes to fiddle with the fire for the BBQ, and Chloe comes to sit next to me. “You know Ethan, that girl is just missing out; I mean, look at you, you are goddamn hot.”

“Hahaha. Thanks, Chloe, just don’t let Matt hear you say that; he thinks he is the sexier brother between us.”

“You might not feel it now, but it will get better. Have you heard anything from her?”

“Not a single chirp.”

“Have you tried speaking to her?”

“Fuck no, I am too damn scared.”

“Send her a message; if she does not respond, then fine, and if she does even better but at least show her that you have tried.”

“What even do I say to her?”

“Just say hi.”

Just then, Matt comes sneaking up behind us, slapping me behind the head. “Hey bro, you chatting up my girl now; I know she said you kind of looked hot and all.”

“Hahaha, you know I don’t like blondes, Matty boy.”

Chloe smacks me on the arm and goes back to sit with Matt on the other side of the pool. I pull my phone from the table and flip until I find Ana’s number.

“Hey boo, I have not heard in a while; I just wanted to say hi and that I am thinking of you.”

I wait…

And wait…

Nothing…

Chloe looks over and smiles at me.

I wait…

And wait…

Nothing…

I shake my head at Chloe.

After another few minutes, I put it back on the table. My heart drops right back into my shoes, I don’t know what I was thinking, but whatever it was, it is not happening.

Mom and dad have gone into town for a show and dinner, so we three pretty much have the place to ourselves. Matty gets the beer as I go inside to crank up the music, and by cracking, I mean pretty shit damn loud.

Soon the beer is flowing, and I find myself out my leg and into the pool. The cool water is not doing much for the heat I feel under my skin. You know how it goes; get a few beers under the collar, and you are soon hotter there than the fire. My mind is achingly thinking about my boo and how amazing it felt to have myself hard and deep in her that cool crisp night out on that table.

The night soon drags to near early morning; the sight of Chloe and Matty so in love drives me to go seek the comfort of my bed, but before I close my eyes to get much-deserved rest, I foolishly take my phone and send Ana a message.

“My boo, I miss you.”

And with that, I slowly drift off to sleep, but I am soon riddled by nightmares…

………………..

“Sir,” I hear a familiar voice calls for me. “Are you okay, sir? Sir?”

I slowly open my eyes one by one. I am staring up at a white ceiling; why am I not waking up in a tent? As I look to my side, there is a window from with the sun shines fairly bright.

“Soldier, where am?”

“You in the hospital, sir.”

I do not recall me being sick at all; why will I be in a hospital? I look at the soldier with clear confusion written all over my face.

“What happened?”

I try to move and sit up as I am waiting for the soldier, who is hesitating somewhat to answer.

“Sir, you were in an accident.”

“Am I all right? Is everything all right?”

I am struggling to get myself to sit up; they must have given me something that is making my body feel so limp.

“Sir…”

I struggle and struggle, but I can’t seem to get myself up; I am trying to move my legs, but they are just not moving,

“Soldier, what happened?”

“Sir…”

I am now starting to panic as I cannot move at all. There is fear that is creeping into every crack of bone in my body. My temper is now starting to flair because the soldier is not answering.

“Soldier!”

“Sir…”

I go to feel my leg…where is my leg…I can’t feel my leg…where is my leg. I blow up in a total fit of rage.

“Soldier, what the fuck happened to my leg?”

The soldier looks at me, looking very much defeated. The next six words he says to me will haunt me forever. “Sir, they could not save it.”

“What the fuck do you mean they could not save it? Where is my leg?”

I am frantically feeling around; an agonizing pain shoots through my body, tears start to roll down my heated cheeks.

“I want fucking answers, soldier! What have they done to my leg?”

“Sir, I will go call the doctor.”

I take the water bottle that is standing on the cabinet next to me and smash it into pieces on the opposite wall.

“I don’t want a fucking doctor. I want my leg!”

I fall helplessly down on the bed and pass out from the agonizing pain that is now shooting through my body.

………………..

Next thing I feel, someone is someone shaking me furiously.

“Ethan, bro, wake up; it is just a nightmare, bro, wake up.”

“Fuck Matty, was I having nightmares again?”

“Yes, bro, are you okay?”

“Yes, I am fine now.”

“Can I grab you something from the kitchen?”

“Nah, I will be up in a second.”

That tiny part of me that still believes in hope reaches for my phone only to be slapped with disappointment. There are no messages from Ana; in fact, she has not even read the last drunken one I sent.

I get up to have a shower; I don’t know if my head is spinning from my hangover or from the fact that I cried myself to sleep last night. I need to get a grip; I can’t do this for another day in a row.

Once I am dressed, I head over to the kitchen, where I find my mom already making coffee. “Where are you two boys going today?”

Chloe eagerly jumps in to answer. “They are taking me for breakfast.”

“You quite the lucky girl, two of the three Hunter boys by your side. You are definitely going to have old Maggie talking.”

I only but grunt at my mom, for Maggie is the last person I feel like seeing today. “Just as long as the old bag does not go all crazy and take photos of us.”

“Talking about photos, Ethan, did you phone that reporter back?”

“Not yet, mom; I don’t know if I want to do the story.”

Just as I finish my sentence, my dad enters the kitchen, and as he usually does, he has something to say again.

“Son, you did your country proud; I don’t see the harm in doing it.”

“Dad, you just want your name and face in the magazine.”

“Son with Maggie here, I am always in the paper and her stupid blog with you two boys.”

I see that mom is looking me up and down; I know exactly what she is thinking and what she is about to ask. “Ethan, are you going to be okay going out in shorts?”

“Yes, mom, I am tired of hiding. If people around me can’t get used to it, then I might as well.”

She smiles and pulls me into one of her special mom hugs. I snuggle in, and she squeezes a fraction tighter.

“Love you, mom.”

“Love you too, my boy, now you bunch go have some fun. I am sure I will get an update as soon as you hit the town.”

And with that, we are out the door.

I am taking a big risk today, laying myself out bare for the world to see the way I see it; my body is already broken, and so is my heart; there is no way that anybody can break me even more.

As we start making our way down the main road, I can feel people starting to stare, I can hear the whispers behind their covering hands, I feel a slight sting in my eye, but I swallow hard, and I lift my head with a smile.

“Bro, you okay there?” Matty looks at me, concerned as he softly whispers into my ear. “The town is buzzing, and we have not even hit Maggie yet.”

“Yes, Matty, let’s just go.”

Chloe hooks her arm into mine, and we carry walking down the road of shame; well, at least that is what it feels like, cause god to forbid a soldier comes back from deployment injured, let alone come back half a man.

As we pass the flower shop, Maggie comes outside, stopping us dead in our tracks. “Helloooo, boys. How are the Hunter boys doing today?”

Matt shoots her a look that could kill even the kindest soul’ “Hello Maggie, we are doing just fabulous, thank you, and how are you this lovely morning?”Ccontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

“You know how it is. This old back is starting to act up again, and the arthritis is killing me.”

And she wastes absolutely no time at all. “I see you back in town, Ethan, my boy. How was the army?”

“Maggie, it was the Marines, and thank you, it was amazing, the best time of my life.”

But wait, she finally gets to the question that is burning her the most. “Shame did you get hurt down there, my boy?”

“No shit Maggie,” Matt blurts out, and I can hardly contain my laughter. “It is plain damn obvious.”

“Watch your mouth with me, young man; you don’t want me to tell your mom how nasty you talk.”

“Maggie, you going to tell her in any way as soon as we leave.”

“This one, I always used to like you more Ethan, your brother was and is still a naughty shit. A bloody thorn in my side some days.”

“Maggie, I will remember that when you mess your computer up again.”

“Oh, keep quiet you. Now tell Aunty Maggie what happened to your leg, my boy. It looks like it can be very sore.”

I can see the fury burn up in Matt’s eyes as he takes in her comment. “Yes, Maggie, it hurts like shit. And Ethan does not go around and ask you what happened to your face like that.”

“Young man, if this nice young lady is not going to slap you, then I will. I was asking Ethan a question, not you.”

I immediately jump in before this conversation gets out of hand. “Maggie, it is a long story and one that I am not going to tell now.”

“You know what we must do?”

“No, Maggie, but I am sure you are going to tell me.”

“We must do an article for the town newspaper. Then you can tell everyone about the war and what happened to your leg.”

“Maggie, I did not go to the war; it was a peace mission. Some very bad men planted a bomb, and a lot of people almost got hurt.”

“Shame, my boy, did other people also lose their legs?”

She is truly now beginning to work on my nerves. “Maggie, no! See, this is why you the town gossip cause you don’t listen.”

“Then do the article, my boy, then everyone will have the right story.”

“Okay, Maggie, I will. Phone my mom when you are ready. We have got to go; we are taking this young lady for breakfast.”

“That other pretty lady is also having breakfast in there today.”

This immediately piques my interest. “Which pretty lady Maggie?”

“The pretty one that you kissed there by that tree.”

Matt, who is now highly strung up, shows me that we should leave. “Thanks, Maggie; we will make sure to say hello.”

“You boys have fun. Ethan, I will let your mom know when I can come around.”

“Okay, Maggie.”

All of us, highly frustrated, make our way across the road to the coffee shop.

Could she possibly have spoken about Ana, but why would Ana come and have breakfast on her own? She hates being around strangers, especially around these older women that have not much to do other than gossip the whole day. It can’t be here; the old bag is getting blind and crazy in her old day.

Matt flings the door open, and we step in; it is not the stares that hit me the most; what hits me the most is seeing Ana. If there was a smile on my face, then it was gone in seconds, for Ana is not alone. No. Across from my boo is sitting another man, a man holding the hand that I am supposed to.