Travelin' Soldier (496 hits)
Category: GeneralRating: 0.31 on 29 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by Wildcat (View user info) at 2006-06-07 10:17:49 EDT
The summer's humid haze hovered over the long stretch of asphalt before him as he stepped off the dirt road. Leaving the farm behind felt strange this time, different. It must have been the new uniform his mother had pressed on his birthday two days before. It didn't quite fit right; it wasn't quite worn in. He looked sharp walking down the road between the cornfields with that dull green duffle bag slung over his shoulder.
Several hours of walking in the heat and a truck with hay bales strapped to the back pulled up. "Hey son," a man in the cab yelled in a thick southern accent, "get up in here and out of the heat."
"Where you headed?" he asked.
"The bus stop in town, sir.", the kid answered, shaking the man's hand as he climbed in.
"Sure thing, son.", the man said.
They pulled up to the bus stop in town and the driver came to a stop. The kid hiked up his duffle bag up onto his lap and climbed out of the truck. As he went to shut the door the man slid over across the worn bench seat.
"Hey son, why don't you go get yourself a good meal.", he said, slipping a five out of his pocket and pressing into the kid's palm. "Keep your head down over there."
The kid looked up gratefully and could see the scarring on the left side of the driver's face. He hadn't seen that side of his face the entire trip until now. "Yes, sir." The driver slid back over to the steering wheel and wiped his watering eyes.
As he pulled off the kid stood there on the cracked sidewalk looking down at his palm and then again back at the truck. A diner across the street appeared to be open so he figured he'd waste some time before the bus showed up. It wasn't due until 10pm or so anyway.
He took a booth close to the front window as the sun was going down, still feeling the weight of the driver's words. A sweet looking girl with a yellow bow in her hair came over to take his order. She saw him staring off in the distance and slid into the booth seat across from him.
"Sir? What would you like to drink?", she said.
He turned, startled slightly, and was caught off guard by the beauty before him. Long brown hair, smooth skin and soft yellow bow. With the driver's advice still ringing in his head he was still unable to quite grasp the levity of the moment.
"Um....... I'll get you a glass of milk for now." She said.
"No wait," he said shyly, "can I get a burger and a coke?"
"Sure thing." She said and spun on her heel, twirling her wonderful hair and bow through the air.
"Wait wait," he continued nervously,"what are you doing for dinner?"
She smiled sweetly, "Eating with you, of course."
They sat there in the glow of the sunset, sharing a milkshake with the remnants of their fries on their plates. He told her about the day he received his letter in the mail and how low he'd been feeling about leaving. He told how he had no one to talk to about it. She told him that she gets off in an hour and she knows where they could go to talk.
The sun was down and the moon was making it's light blue appearance in the starry sky. There the two of them sat on the end of a pier. Him in his green uniform and her in her blue dress. He only had another hour until he had to leave, he told her.
"I bet you've got a boyfriend and I don't care but I've got no one to write to, do you mind if I send one back here to you?" he said, holding her hand and gently kissing it. She slipped her bow out of her hair, tied it around his wrist and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
It had been five months of letters back and forth and she was nervous and giddy every time she opened one of them. Her friends all told her he was too old for her but she still enjoyed looking at his photo taped to the inside of her locker. She just told them their love would never end and she was waiting for the love of her travelin' soldier. She'd never hold the hand of another guy she declared to them all.
With his every letter her heart was warmed. When things got rough over there he said he'd just think and pray for another night on the pier. He said he kept the yellow bow on him at all times; it was his good luck charm. He told her how it rained a lot there and how he couldn't wait to get home again. He said he'd never touch a rifle again after what he'd been seen and done in the rice fields. At the end of his most recent letter he said that some things were happening and he wouldn't be able to write for awhile.
Then, one month later she got a thin letter in the mail. It burned her hand as it fell to the floor.
The town preacher began the Lord's Prayer on the fifty yard line and everyone joined in, bowing their heads. He finished and the entire crowd thrummed an Amen.
"Now bow your heads as we read off the local Vietnam soldiers who have given the ultimate sacrifice." the man said.
A pretty girl under the stands in her marching band uniform stood, listening to the names with tears running down her face. No one knew the boy she cried for. Gently, she kissed a yellow bow in her palm and watched her world crumble.
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And adaptation of "Travelin' Soldier" by the Dixie Chicks. Continuing on from http://www.ubersite.com/m/73885
User Reviews
Submitted by URMY_bitch (user info) at 2006-08-12 10:11:18 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
No Comment
Submitted by moneyshotforyou (user info) at 2006-07-06 13:27:27 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
For the prank.
Submitted by JonnyX (user info) at 2006-06-07 17:47:03 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by TigerLilly (user info) at 2006-06-07 13:04:56 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I love that song.
Submitted by WildcatMcGee (user info) at 2006-06-07 12:59:44 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
I looked to see if you did it and didn't catch it. Oh well, shit happens.
Submitted by inion_de_trua (user info) at 2006-06-07 12:15:10 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
crap god dammit mother fucker... not sure where to rate this really.
worth reading.
Submitted by Shlongy (user info) at 2006-06-07 12:03:06 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
I wanna read more about you getting dumped.
Submitted by nitty34 (user info) at 2006-06-07 11:34:01 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Decent effort, but http://www.ubersite.com/m/68926
And if you're going to bite my style, at least link me.
http://www.ubersite.com/m/44980 Little Man
http://www.ubersite.com/m/69577 Arlington
http://www.ubersite.com/m/70390 Letters From Home
http://www.ubersite.com/m/72712 Three Wooden Crosses
http://www.ubersite.com/m/73885 What Was I Thinking
http://www.ubersite.com/m/77050 Skin
http://www.ubersite.com/m/79445 The Chair
http://www.ubersite.com/m/80004 She Doesn't Dance
http://www.ubersite.com/m/81955 If I Don't Make it Back
Submitted by retrospect (user info) at 2006-06-07 11:06:36 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
and i think you're dense for not realising that the all caps and the phrase "what the duece" represents my sarcasm. :(
Submitted by mbstateside (user info) at 2006-06-07 11:03:57 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
This would have been a +2 if it was your own work. I mean don't get me wrong I liked it but half the work was done for you.
Submitted by retrospect (user info) at 2006-06-07 11:02:53 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
forgot to rate that
Submitted by retrospect (user info) at 2006-06-07 11:02:41 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by WildcatMcGee (user info) at 2006-06-07 10:28:34 (#)
Ranking: 0
Not you, stuipd fuck,
----
hahahahahaha
Submitted by retrospect (user info) at 2006-06-07 11:02:04 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
i'm dense
Submitted by retrospect (user info) at 2006-06-07 11:01:44 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
big surprise that your fiance walked out on you
Submitted by retrospect (user info) at 2006-06-07 11:01:04 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
and really interesting
Submitted by retrospect (user info) at 2006-06-07 11:00:51 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
hey, you're really deep
Submitted by retrospect (user info) at 2006-06-07 11:00:40 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
i thought you were talking to me!
Submitted by retrospect (user info) at 2006-06-07 11:00:22 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
oh thank goodness
Submitted by moneyshotforyou (user info) at 2006-06-07 10:44:25 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Phenomenal brother +2's all around.
Submitted by coley (user info) at 2006-06-07 10:32:36 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Oh come on now, play nice, kids.
Submitted by WildcatMcGee (user info) at 2006-06-07 10:31:10 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
haha. yeah.
Submitted by professorfuckface (user info) at 2006-06-07 10:29:29 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
pwned
Submitted by WildcatMcGee (user info) at 2006-06-07 10:28:34 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Not you, stuipd fuck, PFF. God, you're dense.
Submitted by retrospect (user info) at 2006-06-07 10:25:57 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
just checking
Submitted by coley (user info) at 2006-06-07 10:24:01 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
Good song, nice idea, okay adaptation.
:)
Submitted by retrospect (user info) at 2006-06-07 10:23:56 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
WHAT THE DUECE? MY RATINGS DONT WORK!??!?!?!?!?!
Submitted by WildcatMcGee (user info) at 2006-06-07 10:23:23 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
You're just mad that you're ratings don't count, you neutered little duck.
Submitted by retrospect (user info) at 2006-06-07 10:21:55 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
I'M GRUMPY
Submitted by professorfuckface (user info) at 2006-06-07 10:19:46 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
oh you turned a lame song into a lame story, isn't that great clap clap clap