Wednesday, November 22, 2006

"Far and Away to Thee - part 2" The Grifter

This is part two of my story. I had written so much that it was way to long to put into one post. Please enjoy and have a wonderful Thanksgiving. The Grifter Far and Away to Thee- Part 2 Duty Calls My orders the Commander gave me were clear. I was to intercept a convoy of weapon supplies headed to the border crossing. I was given one light mobile suit with an additional medium mobile suit for support, should we encounter resistance. I was to leave immediately. I hated the idea of leaving Ayva without telling her. Commander Howard assured me that he would post a guard and a mid-wife here to see to any need she might have until I returned. I accepted his gracious offer warily, and got into a car the commander had arranged for me. As we sped off into the evening, I had a sense of uneasiness. What if the baby came while I was gone? What if there were complications? There were so many scenarios to think about and no time to work them through. I had to focus on my mission and see it to its completion. I owed it to my wife and unborn child to make it back in one piece. The car continued down the road as a small plume of smoke went unnoticed in the distance behind. No Time to Waste With only his wife to help him, the town doctor worked quickly to stop the bleeding. She was fading in and out of consciousness as the sounds of orders and diligence filled the air. The doctor worked through the evening to mend Ayva's wounds. His apron stained crimson, he stepped back. His wife wiped his brow as he said, “All we can do is wait”. “I’ll tend to the little one”, the doctor’s wife whispered softly. “That would be best, thank you dear” he said to her as she walked from the room. “You poor thing”, he whispered to himself. “How could this happen to you”. He paused for a moment before leaving her side, “I thought you should know; she has your eyes”. The doctor gently patted Ayva’s hand and left the room. A smile came across her lips as she slipped back into a deep restful sleep. The Mission at Hand As I finished putting on my normal suit in preparation for my sortie, I couldn’t shake the feeling I had before on the drive over here. Something just wasn’t right. I closed the flap over the zipper and placed my helmet under my arm. I began to walk to the debriefing room, all the while feeling tense and anxious. All I wanted to do was to get this mission over with and get back to my wife. Nothing else really mattered. I know I should be focused, but there was nothing I could do but to think about my Ayva and our child. I hope that whatever we have, they have their mother’s eyes. After the mission debriefing, I made my way to the hangar where the mobile suits were being prepped and loaded into the transport plane. Petty officer Elkins was in charge of the preparations He approached me saying, “Sir, Commander Howard wanted me to give you the specs on the suit you’ll be piloting for this mission, sir”. “Very good, Elkins”, I replied. “What does the Commander have in mind?” I asked. “Sir, you’ll be piloting the EZ-8 for this mission, while your support, Lieutenant Benitez, will be piloting the GM Sniper II, sir” he announced. “Have all the preparations been completed?” “Yes sir, they have”. “They’re loading the two suits onto the drop ship as we speak”, he continued. “Where is the Lieutenant now?” I asked. “Sir, he’s already aboard securing his gear”. “We leave in ten minutes, sir, I suggest you board the aircraft, ASAP, sir” he said. “Thank you, Elkins, I’ll do that”. “Very good, sir”, he shouted as the cargo door closed at the rear of the massive plane. I boarded the plane and met up with Lieutenant Benitez. He was sitting in the middle section of the aircraft go over his mission notes and specs. We exchanged pleasantries and I began to do the same. Lieutenant Aramis Benitez was around the same age as me. He was married and had three boys with his beautiful wife, Emma. We had been on missions together and had been to their home for dinner on several occasions. Ayva and I delighted in their boys as they mimicked their father’s mannerisms and cringed at their doting mother. They were very happy and very much a family. We couldn’t wait to start our own family. I sat back and reminisced as I went over my notes. The giant plane rumbled down the runway and we were soon off to our destination. I wonder what my love is doing right now. Up and On the Mend Ayva sat up in bed as Mrs. Helmsworth, Dr. Helmsworth’s wife, brought in a light breakfast on a tray. She set it on the bedside table next to her patient. “How are you feeling today, dear”? she asked. “Much better, thanks”. She lightly touched the bandages on her shoulder and arm. “Any idea when these will come off”? “I can’t say for sure, but soon enough”, the old woman replied. “And my…”Ayva hesitated. “She’s fine, dear”. “She’s sleeping in the next room”. Her eyes lit up with joy as Mrs. Helmsworth invited her to see the new baby. She could hardly believe she was going to see her baby for the first time. As she walked into the room she could make out the faint shape of a little person under a thick warm blanket. She hesitated at first then moved towards the bassinette. She looked over to see little pinkish nose poking from behind the blankets edge. Ayva just stared in awe and wonder at what she and Adin had been waiting for so long. “May I hold her?” Ayva asked the old woman. “Of course dear, after all, she is yours”, she smiled back. Then with great care, she lifted the infant out of her bed and looked at her sleeping face. She was mesmerized by her beauty when the infant opened her eyes to see her mother for the first time. All Ayva could do was look and wonder what an amazing thing this was. If only her daddy could be here. Oh my goodness, she thought. Adin, where was he and how will he know about where she and his daughter were? “What is the matter, child?” Mrs. Helmsworth asked. “You look as though you’ve seen a ghost”. “My husband doesn’t know what has happened to me and doesn’t know where I am”, she said in a worried voice. “He’ll be worried to death about me”. “Be calm my dear, you don’t want to upset the baby”, the woman started. “You must tend to her needs now as well as your own”, she continued. “You need to let your wounds heal all the while taking care of this little one”. “Now I’ve packed a nice picnic for the three of us to enjoy out in the meadow this afternoon”. “I can’t go, I need to contact my husband”, Ayva protested. “He needs to know I’m alright”. “I’ll tell Jonas to notify your husband as soon as he gets back from town”, she assured. “But he’s in the military, what if he has to leave?” My Jonas is a good friend of the commanders; he’ll make sure your husband knows where and how you are”. “Are you sure it’ll be alright, Mrs. Helmsworth?” Ayva asked. “Everything’s going to be fine, dear, nothing can happen on a day like today”. “I’ll just leave Jonas a note, letting him know where we are”. With that the old woman left Ayva with her new baby and went off to gather her things for their day out. As they left for their short walk to the meadows, Ayva couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t quite right. Then she looked down at her baby and tried to put the thought out of her head. She started to feel better as the sun warmed her skin. The flowers were in full bloom that day. Hell had yet to find a home in this place. However, Hell is impatient and stubborn. I begin to feel sick to my stomach as I prep for launch over the drop zone. The convoy should be passing through an area just a few miles outside of town near an open meadow nestled inside a beautiful valley. It is here where I would bury my wife and see my child for the first time. God, I feel sick. Think I’ll lie down until it passes.

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