A Treasure of Their Own

It was the afternoon of Tom’s home going celebration. At precisely 6 p.m., a car pulled up in front of Eddy's Hamburger Emporium. A crowd of well-wishers was on hand to send Taylor and Ramon off into the next chapter of their lives. Prayers had been prayed, tears had been cried, hugs had been given, so all that was left was for the two of them to throw their ONE overnight bag into the car's trunk and they were off.

  Their order from the general was to pack just two changes of clothes. Their uniforms would be hung up and ready for them when they got to the training sight. For right now, they were allowed to take their cell phones and laptops. They would be allowed to use them between the 1800 hours (6 p.m.) and 2100 hours (9 p.m.) only. Between 2100 hours and 2200 hours, they were commanded to shower and get ready for lights out. Lights would come back on at 0545 and at 0600 they would assemble for thirty minutes of strong PT after which they would have thirty minutes to go to the latrine and shave. At 0700 they would have breakfast, lunch would be at 1200, and supper would be at 1700, maybe.

  As soon as the car pulled away from the curb, the passenger turned around and gave the introductions, "Your driver is Sgt. Hutchins."

  Sgt. Hutchins interrupted as he looked at them through the rear view mirror, "That's Sergeant first class flunky to you two guys. And don't you forget it, either."

  "And, I'm Sergeant First Class.........Bennett," the passenger said with a smile.

  Taylor couldn't resist, "Dear God in heaven. Just how many of you Bennetts are there in this man's army?"

  Sgt. Bennett answered with a chuckle, "Dad and I are the only two as far as I know."

  "Then, how did Ramon and I get to be so blessed as to have the privilege to meet both of you? And, in the same day, even," Taylor continued.

  "Just lucky, I guess," was his reply.

  Sgt. Hutchins jumped in, "You guys are supposed to be good Christians aren't you?” Without waiting for a reply he cracked, "Then you gotta understand that God must be pretty mad at you. Y’all must have done something stinkingly awful to tick Him off that bad."

  "The stinkingly awful junk is having to put up with a wacko driver like you," Sgt. Bennett shot at him.

  The friendly banter between the two of them belied a strong connection that obviously existed. Ramon could tell it in the way that they looked at each other. He noticed their voice inflections as they spoke. The years he had spent growing up among the gangs in Mexico City had taught him a lot.

  Ramon didn't detect any super-duper secret messages they were passing back and forth, but they were having a lot of fun talking to each other right now. Maybe it was because they were away from the brass or the higher echelon non-coms and they could talk a little bit freer. He would have to pay more attention to their mannerisms. Repeated mannerisms were often a giveaway.

  In Mexico City, he was too young to actually join the gangs. They would use him every now and again for some small part of some action. The pay would be good for an eight-year-old. But, even sitting in the shadows when something big was going down, he saw enough to fill a life time of memories. He had seen gangs fight, people killed in cold blood, he watched for the police while people exchanged money for drugs, and 'accidentally' get in the way when some gang members were chased by police.

  Even though he wasn't old enough or big enough to join either of the gangs that ruled the city, he began to get a reputation as a good helper in tight situations. At least two out of the three gangs had made comments like, "Hey. When you get sixteen.........”

  Being smaller, he was able to watch them without being watched himself. And, what do you think his favorite reason for spying was? He watched them carefully to see what kind of signs they were giving each other and tried to figure out what they meant. He got to be pretty good at it, too.

  His 'spying' among the gangs taught him a lot about human nature, too. He could recognize when someone was putting on a show and when they were for real. Very seldom did he get fooled. And never did anyone fool him twice.

  He tried to put that all behind him when his family moved to the United States. By the time he was about fifteen, he had almost decided to make himself stop watching people. Then one Saturday night, the kids were sitting around the campfire at Tom Dandridge's house. Tom began to teach from the scripture in 1 Corinthians 9:22 which read, "I am become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.” Tom was talking about developing different ways of reaching different types of people.

  It dawned on Ramon that the more he could learn about individuals the more that God would be able to use him. That's when he began to ask the Holy Spirit to help him develop his gift. And, that's just what He did, too. Searching a person out became second nature to him. It helped immensely when it came time to talk to someone about the Lord.

  He looked over at Taylor. She had her head laid back and her eyes closed. She had become real special to him over the years. He stopped short of telling himself that he was in love with her, although, down deep inside he knew that he probably was. At times it was more evident than others. Right now was one of those times. They were fast approaching some kind of crossroads. He had no idea what they were but he knew they were imminent.

  When she got in one of her moods, she would talk about the way her dad treated her and her mom. Every time she talked about him she would get that hard and far-off distant stare. He knew when she was close to finishing. Even though she would not be looking at him, he could still see the tears begin to well up in her eyes.

  She would end her little session with a statement like, "I tried for ten hard years to be the boy he always wanted, but I was never good enough for him.” Ramon often wondered what would happen if she would just go ahead and cry it out for a while. But, that's her decision and not his to make.

  He kept looking at her and somehow she knew it. How she could tell with her eyes closed was beyond him, but she knew he was looking at her. She turned her head without lifting it up off of the back of the seat, wrinkled her nose like Olivia usually does and shook her head 'no.' That meant that she was not in the mood to talk, whatsoever. Period. End of sentence. She closed her eyes and turned her head back to its original position. He noticed her lips moving a bit and figured she was praying.

  He was right.

  "God, thanks for allowing Mom and I some time together before I left. It was good to get some of those things off my chest. Thanks for helping me to keep my cool. I have had so much trouble with my anger. It's a lot better than what it was but I've still got a long way to go. It's a good thing you are into that 'Grace' bit. I've needed it more than most. Especially with my dad. U-u-u-u-g-g-h-h-h! I hate him. I hate him and I know I can't hide it from you. As you know very well, I've tried and tried but I just can't shake it. Do what you can with me, God. I know that I love You and You know that I love You. You know that I mean well, but it's ......I can't help it. I know that I'm supposed to be able to.....but I, I don't know. I'm just not strong enough. It's like I'm in this glass cage, God and I can't get out. I see the Christian woman that I want to be standing on the other side. She looks like she's so happy and peaceful and I noticed the wedding ring on her hand. She looks like me but she can't be. I'm in this cage and I can't get out of it. Why can't I let go of it, God? Why?

  "And there's Ramon. Thank you for Ramon. I would have gone bananas if it weren't for him. He has been so patient with me, so kind and so much fun. He's been my sounding board, and the best friend I've ever had. I couldn’t ask for anyone any better than he is. It sure was a funny way that you had of bringing us together. You certainly created a good man when you created Ramon Rodriguez. He deserves a good woman. But, don't bring her to him until after we finish this job of whatever You've got for us in Afghanistan. Without him as my spotter, I wouldn't be worth a hoot and You know that. I would be so nervous around any other male and you know that, too. Oh, well. Whatever you've got for us, bring us into it gently. Nudge us like Tom used to say You would. Bless all of those i
n authority over us with wisdom to know the right thing to do. And, whatever you do, help me to put up with overbearing males in authority. Oh, well, the way I figure it, You're gonna put one over me so they can pound this stuff into my head. Make me more like a pliable lump of clay than this old hard headed rock that I am. In Jesus Name, Amen."

  The two sergeants were having a great time reminiscing about this, that and the other thing. Ramon enjoyed listening to them but began making mental notes of how they talked and the things they talked about. He noticed a pattern. He couldn't quite catch it..........yet. Things weren't exactly like they made them out to be. He could sense it. But, what was it? Ramon could bet his next month's pay that Sgt. Bennett was really an officer. Wisely, he listened without acting like he was.

  Finally, he decided to stir the pot a little as he asked, "Sgt. Bennett, why aren't you an officer. Your father and grandfather were."

  He turned around and slung his elbow on the back of the seat so he could look at Ramon who was sitting behind him. His face was glowing as if he had been waiting for just this question. "Well, for one thing, Dad didn't join the same branch of the service as Grandfather did and I decided not to climb up the ladder the same way Dad did. Like my Dad I didn't want to ride in on anyone's coattails.” He looked over at Taylor and winked.

  "You've got that look in your eye like the devil pushed you into something. What was it?" she asked as she leaned toward him.

  He laid his chin on his elbow, squinted his eyes and furrowed his brow as he answered, "Ev-er-y time my grandfather and my father got together to just shoot the breeze, they conversation ALWAYS turned to some top kick that became a pain in their posterior. They would rave on and on about the outrageous things they would do. It was always 'This one whipped me on this point' or 'That one went behind my back' or some such nonsense. And, then, they would finish the story with something like, 'I never want to admit it in front of them, but they were right.' THAT’S why I chose the non-com route. I knew I couldn't be the warrior like them. That's because I'm too cute and cuddly like my momma."

  Sergeant Hutchins let out a spit spewing bwah-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha that got the best of Taylor. She curled up in her corner of the car and held her hands over her face to try to keep her laughter down. But, it was no use. Sgt. Hutchins let out another one and she about went into stitches.

  Sgt. Bennett chuckled as he looked at a smiling Ramon and finished, "As I was alluding to in my previous statement, my temperament is more..........refined than that of a yelling, screaming, bull-headed general. Let's say that I wanted to be the sergeant that told the generals what to do. That is my way of saying 'gotcha' to my predecessor.” To prove that he was more of the 'gotcha' type, he finished with a Cheshire cat grin aimed at the sergeant as he politely uttered the name, "Alice."

  His opponent sobered as he declared, "A-w-w-w, now you've quit preaching and gone to meddling."

  "I take it you still haven't told her."

  "You got that right."

  "Or showed her the dress."

  "Buster Brown, you've hit that nail on the head. I look better in that dress than my old lady does."

  O-o-o-o-o-o-o-o, it got real quiet in the car. Ramon and Taylor looked at each other with crooked smiles. The rest of this story was bound to be a hoot.

  He looked into the mirror at his two minions and declared, "It's not what you think at all."

  Taylor proved she was definitely the female in the car when she purred, "Why, sergeant, your personal preferences are absolutely none of our business, now are they?” The little snickering laugh at the end was just as funny as her line.

  He tried to get out of it, "Hey, I lost a bet and had to go to a Christmas party with Captain.........Crunch Berry here, dressed in a very stunning outfit even if I do say so myself."

  'H-m-m-m-m. Captain? Crunch Berry? Sounds like there's another story here to me,' thought Ramon.

  As Ramon watched, Sgt. Bennett pulled his left ear lobe as he and Sgt. Hutchins exchanged glances. Sgt. Bennett opened his brief case and took out two pamphlets. They were about the size of a 5 x 8 index card and looked to be home made. Without fanfare, he tossed one to each of them, and then took out another one that had all kinds of notes on it. He reached back into the brief case and pulled out two red pens and tossed those back at them, also.

  As he opened up his pamphlet, he said, "While we still have some daylight left, let me go over some things that you will need to know. Taylor, we already know about your marksmanship.” With a smile he continued, "AND, we also know that the reason you're not the top marksman in the country is because you haven't shot against HIM, yet."

  'We? What does he mean.....We?' Ramon wondered.

  Taylor returned the smile as she suggested, "So you're going to set me up with a match with him so I can make him look like a little kid with a Nerf gun?"

  There was a pause as Sgt. Bennett's smile disappeared. The tone of his voice changed the course of the conversation for the evening. "What I'm telling you.."

  'He is an officer.' Ramon affirmed to himself.

  "...is, that I need you to drop your 'I've got to show every man how good I am' attitude. These guys are your teammates, just like the football team you were on. Everybody has a job to do and we're there to help each other. I need you to be a part of every man and every woman there. And, they have been told the same thing.

  "You and the others of this group are going into at least two weeks of intensive, and I do mean, intensive training. After two weeks, we could send you home or on assignment and continue training. We have a very small time window to operate in. You won't fully understand it until and 'if' you go on assignment. Not only is there a mission that is in danger.......there are lives at stake here. Am I making any sense?"

  "Yes, sir," Taylor answered. Then, looking at Ramon she continued her answer, "Just as long as I have my team captain with me. He keeps me level."

  Sgt. Bennett smiled at Ramon as he said, "That's what we're counting on.” He held up the little pamphlet and continued, "Here are the facts and figures that you'll need to memorize.....no, check that...you'll have to make a part of your every waking moment thought pattern. It has everything in it from the earth's rotation to the velocity and drop of every type of shell you'll possibly fire. It's a cheat sheet on every weapon you might get your hands on and every piece of equipment you might be called upon to use."

  Sgt. Bennett paused for a moment. Taylor took the opportunity and began quoting statistics that she had already committed to memory. Not only did she rattle off the rotation speed of the earth's rotation, but she cited the speed and drop characteristics of the two most widely used shells.

  "Very impressive," Sgt. Hutchins offered. Then, looking at his partner he continued, "I'd say she's pretty well up to speed with those who have already been through the first two weeks of training.”

  "Sorry, Sarge," Taylor said as she shook her head. "I can rattle it off but it's up to Ramon to put it together for me. I DO have a photographic memory in the things that I want to remember, but I don't know how to put it all together like he does."

  "That's what we're counting on," Sgt. Bennett replied. "We've heard some pretty good compliments on the way you two get along and work together. You're a good team.” He paused for a moment and looked out the window before he continued, "But, we've lost some pretty good teams lately. That's what this 'crash course', if you'll excuse the expression is all about. Which, by the way, as Sgt. Hutchins alluded to, these folks you'll meet in a few hours have already been at this stuff for a couple of weeks. They have been told that you two have been in training somewhere else. And, you have, you've been training in the National Guard, so we're not fibbing all that much. However, when you're asked, and we know that some of them will make it their business to ask and some of them don't care, just tell them that you are not at liberty to discuss where you've been. When you tell them, just look at them as if you have just come from a funeral."

  "That won't be too hard, w
ill it Taylor?"

  "Not for me."

  "I'm sorry, guys," Sgt. Bennett said in an apologetic tone. I totally forgot where you...."

  Taylor interrupted, "Please, say no more, Sergeant. That man that we honored today is the one that instilled in us the desire to serve our country to the utmost. His lifestyle of serving Jesus while serving his country is the highest mark that we could ever set for our lives."

  "That's right, Sir," Ramon reiterated. "Through the things that Tom Dandridge taught us about life and the way God arranges things, Taylor and I believe that God could have very well used our football playing days as a six-year training program to get us ready for His mission. If that's what He has in store for us, I mean."

  "That's just what my dad and my grandfather would have said about him. And, that Godly training and commitment is the very reason my dad jumped over seventeen other teams to give you a shot at it. If you qualify for the mission, you two could very well succeed where several teams have failed. Dad's counting on you.........and so are we," he finished quietly.

  After thirty seconds of silence, Sgt. Hutchins sounded a warning, "You'd better tell them about the greatest hazard they'll face BEFORE going into any war zone."

  "You mean, Sgt. Givens?"

  "The one and only, thank God."

  "I knew it. Somehow I just knew God would put some overbearing male as my instructor," Taylor said with a grin. Then, as she thought about what she said and who was in the car she tried to back-pedal, "I'm sorry guys......I..."

  "No apologies necessary, young lady," Sgt. Hutchins corrected her. "We are the ones that should be apologizing to you for bringing you here. Wait 'til you're around him for a while, you'll definitely take your apology back," he chuckled.

  "An-n-n-d, we should also mention that he is from the old school," Sgt. Bennett added. "He's especially adamant about women in combat. So, that should serve as a fair warning for you. We have already warned the four females you'll be joining. He's hit them hard and heavy since training started two weeks ago."

  Sgt. Hutchins glanced back at Ramon as he continued the warning, "He doesn't spare the men. He plays on their emotions just as hard as he does the ladies. I expect the ladies to buckle, though, before the men do. But, then........you never know."

  Ramon wondered, "The teams that have been lost lately, how many were his men?"

  The Sergeants exchanged glances but remained silent. Ramon ventured, "It's like putting two and two together, gentlemen. Your silence gives me everything but the final numbers."

  Sgt. Bennett let out a long, deep sigh as he admitted, "Three out of the last five. There's got to be an infiltrator somewhere. We've changed personnel with the exception of Givens and ourselves and gone to this location in order to see if our own 'conspiracy theory' is correct."

  Taylor looked over at Ramon, and held her arm next to his. Together, they looked at the goose bumps that had covered them. With a knowing look, Taylor calmly quoted from the book of Esther, "For such a time as this, my brother, for such a time as this."

  Sgt. Bennett echoed her choice of words, "Grandfather had often talked about how Tom seemed to know things before they would happen. His insight into hard situations raised Granddaddy’s eyebrows on many occasions. Ramon, if you've got that special 'something' also,......then, be at your best, my friend. You have no idea how many people are counting on you."

  A strong sense of destiny enveloped the four of them as they drove into Atlanta International Airport. The weight of God's mantle descended on Ramon. He sensed a special presence of the Lord. For the first time in his life, he felt God speak to him personally inside. But, what He said was foreboding and encouraging at the same time. He felt God say to him, "Taylor is going to be alright. She is going to be more than alright."

  Chapter Thirteen