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I looked at the calendar - the last day. I had crossed off the last day! Would the copter come and get us? We had fully dressed in our uniforms, covering up our bloody shirts the best we could. The cabin was spotless. Cleaning our prison was a way to take up time, our minds trying not to count down the hours. The previous owners had done the same.
Yet since sunrise I had been listening for the sounds of our rescue. My mind imagined the comforts of home. I promised myself I wouldn’t take anything ever for granted. I would treasure my tabloid computer, my cell button - I was going to call everyone I knew, take long hot water showers, watch the boring newscasts, read everything I could download. Hold my little girl forever.
And I listened…
By nightfall we both lay on our cots. I had the lantern on. The shadows of the room seemed to flicker and laugh at us. “They ain’t coming,” Lars’ voice seemed far away.
I was in such despair that I couldn’t answer. I looked at the calendar by my bed, staring at my red crossed out marks. I counted them, tears flowing down my cheeks. How long could we hold out?
One, two, three… my mind continued…eighteen, nineteen, twenty. Wait a minute! I jumped up. I think I had made a mistake. My fingers retraced the first week’s marks of the sixth month. I may have crossed two days off when we had the sand storm. Maybe we hadn’t slept through two days! It had been such a blur. My heart raced as I explained to Lars.
“You stupid bastard,” he screamed at me, but I could see hope in his eyes.
We awoke at the first sign of light. Again, washing our faces, buttoning up our uniforms and we sat on our cots waiting. Sure enough, mid-morning we heard the copter. We jumped up, hugging each other. Before we knew it our transport was setting down on the road.
We opened up the door to see several fully armed marines jumping off. They fanned out letting the copter completely settle down. We grabbed our bags, which included our precious armor suits, hoisted our rifles and stepped out.
We saluted as an officer stepped forward. Behind him, soldiers brought a new refrigerator and air conditioning unit into the cabin. He nodded and waved to two soldiers who were getting out of the copter, then turned to us and said, “You are relieved of you mission, Gentlemen. Step forward.” The two replacement Marines stood at attention taking our place by the cabin, watching us follow the officer to the helicopter.
As we approached our rescue craft a yellow feather floated down from the wind the copter blades were causing. It landed at our feet.
“Should we tell them…” I started to say.
But Lars stepping into the copter said, “Nope.”
Heart Strings