After the alert, the Sergeant went down to his office and pulled her file out, and looked at her fingerprints, her name, and where she was from. He shook his head in disbelief; it was Elsa, the black girl from Alabamano he said, it couldnt be, but he looked again: but Jackson, he mumbled. It had been going on seven years since he last seen her.
As he was about to leave his office, he found her standing in the hallway outside his door way.
Said he [with a quiet shyness now: Can I help you Specialist Jackson?
Said she [uncomfortable: Do I know you? Something had trigged something in her, he figured; and for the most part, the Sergeant was looking beyond looking.
Listen Specialist, Im sorry for staring, I shouldnt have, and lets leave it at that.
Said she [pointedly: I get that all the time you know, he smiled saying, I suppose so. He had learned to go with the flow, to let go of things so it wouldnt rule, or ruin the whole day, or week.
Well Specialist Jackson, I think youll like the 545th, its not like it used to be some four years ago. Its going to be l977 soon, a new year, things are looking up.
Said Jackson [anxiously: No, I know, I know you, and you know me. But the Sergeant just wouldnt let on. She had changed, and so had he. He was no longer naive, about the racial fact of lifeit was a two way street, not a one way as he was lead to believe, possible led himself to believe, and the 545th had taught him the other side, as Alabama had taught him one side also. All-in-all, he grew, and now she wasor so he feltshe was a bit nave on the balance of race. He didnt feel sorry for either one. What he had learned was if Alabama and the 545th had taught him anything, anything at all, it was that contemporary sins were based on feelings for the most part, especially when it came to race, it was simple, everyone was looking for a loop-hole, like in taxes, so they could not have to go to bed feelin g guilty for their sins to humankind, only adjust ones emotions to fit ones thinking, after the fact, or before the crime, and the sin was no more, it dissolved itself. You couldnt loose: for in Alabama and at the 545th there was no such thing as Biblical Sins, per se. And he was going home soon, no need to stir up trouble.
Ive got to go Specialist, if you need something see my clerks in the morning. And the young sergeant started walking up the steps. The Specialist just kept looking, looking, and looking, something inside of her triggered, his attitude, his boyishness, if not the coy way of leaving the scene, it reminded her of the boy who brought the bones to her one day, her uncles bones, he never looked back, just like this sergeant.
End of Book Two
Concluding Chapter
Assignment Italy [Last Assignment-1980
[Staff Sergeant Chris Wright I was on assignment for a short period of time in Italy, l980; at another nuclear site. I was going hom e on emergency leave when I found myself [staff sergeant, now lingering around a small airbase somewhat close by my home base in Vicenza, Italy, and not all that far from Venice either: in which I had visited and found most pleasing, indeed most enjoyable, save for the fact it was ominously dirty looking.
In any case, I was kind of walking in circles at the dusty little airbase, and somewhat keeping to myself. I had arrived there a little over three hours early. Knowing this I somewhat becomeI, I supposea royal nuisance for the workers inside the small workstation, if not an annoyance for the counter people specifically inside the small waiting area. That is to say, walking in and out, in and out of the station, trying to get change to buy a coke, cigarettes, etc., I was just a total nuisance I would expect, but then I was bored, and it was part of my nature to keep busy and not be bored, and that was my unconscious way of doing it I do believe, that is to say, I did nt really know I was doing it.
As I went into the terminal, from the dusty and swirling winds outside for the last time, asking what time my flight was coming in, and going back out, the counter person reading my orders made a suggestion:
Staff Sergeant, he said with a matter-of-fact, tone, why not just get on this plane? pointing to the one that was being boarded outside the doorway, I looked out the window to my left, --I looked and there was a stream of soldiers walking up the plank to its door.
Hmmm, said I, Its going to Frankfurt, not to my destinationright? [Looking up at the destination and departure board just over my head in what I felt was a rhetorical question at best.
But youre on leave what do you care Sergeant; I can fix it up, so you get the first flight out of Frankfurt, and if you took the one due in 2 hours... well, youd just have to walk in circles some more around here, and youd still have to wait in Hamburg.
I hesitated, kn owing the Army, he did make sensealthough I loved it [loved: the Army that isit was notorious for messing things up at times, that is to say, it might be better to leave well enough alone.
Wellhere then, commented the voice behind the counter, is it a yes or a no? [adding after a hesitation we got lots of seats, but I got to know now.
With a deep breath, and my normal anxiousness, I said, Sure, and he made the tickets out for me in a flash, and I hopped on the plane. While on the plane, I wrote a poem called, The Roar, and as we landed I tucked it away in my pocket for safe keeping.
Frankfurt
As they called my flight in Frankfurt, bound for New Jersey, where Id catch another flight back to St. Paul, Minnesota, a few hours thereafter, I found myself in line with forty-plus other GIs, and many wives of soldiers, and children going back to the states for various reasons. If I had learned anything during my Army careermy many years in the military I ha d learned we were everyplaceor so it seemedthroughout the world, and at the airports it showed.
Said a soldier in front of me, as we were slowly pacing our way to the ticket taker, to get through the gate and onto the plane for the States,
Say Sergeant, a corporal said to me, you hear about the plane crash [a pause, the Sergeant looked dumbfounded yes, yes, the one that went down, oh it shows you dont knowit, it was heading to Hamburg this morningit crashed?
Said I, with a numb face, actually my face was so numb, it was paralyzed in shock for the moment: What! [Pause. Hamburg, went down, whattt went down?
Said he [his brow up a bit by the surprise look on my face, The plane, all 230-GIs died in it, it crashed man, it was from some place in Italy. I looked to the floor, the other soldier still looking at me, You all right Sergeant? he asked.
No, not really, that was my flight, I took an earlier one, and, and and nothing, and here I am I guess.
Really! he commented, taking in a deep breath of air. Youre mighty lucky, I mean, I mean real lucky he ended his comments with, and turned back frontward to hand the ticket taker his ticket.
I got onto the plane, not knowing what to say, or do, just walking in a daze, I needed to talk, but I didnt, or couldnt. Trying to focus to find my seat number was even an effort now. Matter of fact, the corporal I had just talked to, sat in back of me, way in the back of the plane though, on the opposite side. I sank into my seat; I just shook my head, and thanked the Lord for the new day. Not really having any religion, but I knew of the man called Jesus Christ, learned about him from St Louis School back home, the very one my sidekick Mike Reassert went to, the very same one we both were from. I figured, I owed someone a thank you, it might just as well be him, or some good kind angel, but then again, I was not a firm believer in anything in particular at the time, not q uite yet, but it was hard to avoid the reality of what just happened and lay it to random thinking, or to some coincidence.
The Roar
Light broke the frosted clouds, Yielding the silver swan as it swam
[With a borrowed hand through its brow.
And for its foethe seagull No more could be heard Over the roar of he bird.
Then as evening assailedestrangement! Atmospheric glaciers dehydrated, Alienated amazement!
Thus, passive dependent thoughts prevailed
As the plot sailed! Now with cue, one knew
The reason God raised his hand, The real psyche of man.
See Dennis' web site: http://dennissiluk.tripod.com
Author:: Dennis Siluk
Keywords:: Poetry
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