Coming Home for Good
“Jamie? Why do you want me? out of all the people in here, why go for the girl covered in scars?”
“They show you’ve lived and survived everything life has thrown at you.” Is what he says every time I ask him, “Why are you so embarrassed by the evidence you helped defend your country?” He asks in retaliation.
Skyler
Home, I’m not even sure I have one anymore.
I hand my license to the bouncer only to have it handed it back to me with the grunt I’m pretty was meant to be, “You’re not on the list.”
“Since when did they start having a ‘list,’ this is some bullshit,” I say before stepping, well attempted to not really used to the crutches yet. I pull out my phone to call my best friend, John, who is the co-owner to this club.
“Hello? Who is calling?” John says, starting to go off, I’m guessing he thought someone stole my phone.
“John! Calm down.” I basically have to scream into the phone for him to hear me.
“Sky? Wait how are you calling me from your phone??” John yells, now firing question after question.
“I will answer all your questions if you come let me in, this stupid bouncer won’t let me in,” I say glaring at him again. He doesn’t even respond just drops the phone, probably tackling people to get out here fast enough.
“Hello?” Gabe, John’s boyfriend, asks into the phone, wondering what sent John running like that. “Hey, Gabe! Well, I’m back and...” I don’t get the chance to finish John bursts out the doors of the club, out of breath.
“I knew it! Damn it, I Knew it!! The only way you would come home is if you were so hurt you couldn’t be re-stationed!”
“John! Calm down, I’m okay, really.” I say, trying to get him to hear me. “I asked to be sent home, I was tired of being away from home,” I say looking down at the ground, realizing everyone in line is listening.
“John, can we please go inside and talk about this, in private?” I finally ask.
He slowly nods before leading me through the club and into the back office. He quickly cuddles up on Gabe’s lap, as Gabe opens his mouth to ask me something, John whispers, “Sky, if you were so tired of being away from home, why did you come here first?” Since I’m still in traveling uniform it was obvious, I came directly here. Gabe’s sighs, loudly knowing my story better than John.
“You guys are the closest thing to family I have. Well, Gabe knows this, but my mom died when I was 12 and then my grandma died shortly before my 18th birthday. The day of my birthday I enlisted and met Gabe.” I ramble on, always having a hard time figuring what details I should tell people. When I finally look up, I see John cuddling into Gabe’s chest, tears streaming down his face. Gabe tries to comfort him, not knowing what else to say I blurted out, “Tomorrow I’m heading back Fall Water, Alabama. I need it to pack up my grandma’s house, get what I need and get it ready to sell. I’m not sure if I’m going to stay out there while I try and get an apartment out here.” This causes John to launch himself at me, clinging to me like a monkey.
“You can stay with us for as long as you want. We would both really enjoying having you close by.” Gabe says after a few minutes, completely calming John down.
After another half hour or so, we say our good nights and make promises of talking tomorrow. As I’m leaving the office area, I stop for a second debating if I should get a drink before heading out. Thinking better of it since I have a flight in a few hours, I head out. As I’m leaving, I can’t help but feel like someone is watching me.
Shaking it off to just paranoia, I quickly exit the building. Deciding to just walk the few blocks back to the VA hospital to pick up my bag before heading to the airport. Just as I’m getting to my room at the hospital my phone rings: John.
“What’s up?”
“How long are you going to be gone?”
“I don’t know John, hopefully not more than five days. You know how I feel about being back there”
“I don’t want you to go,” He says in the smallest voice.
“John, you should know that I don’t want to go either. That place is behind me and I just want to be here with you guys building a new life for myself.”
“Do you have any idea for like a job once you get back?”
“I’m not sure, I don’t think wounded war vet who has never had a real job is a first pick hire.”
“Maybe you could get a sugar daddy! Gabe’s brother is one and he is sooo nice.” He continues going on about how much the brother spends on his baby’s.
“John! You know I’m not into that stuff. I sort of get what you and Gabe have but it doesn’t interest me at all. As well as the idea of a guy paying for my hand is so old fashioned.” I say trying to drill into his head this isn’t something for me.
We continue to chat about random things during the cab ride to the airport. When I finally have to say goodbye, he makes me a promise to at least about looking at sugar daddy’s online. Ever since I met him, he just had a thing about him that makes it impossible to tell him no. You don’t even have to see him in person for it to work. I know people are confused when I call him my best friend since I’ve known Gabe longer, but John is just the kind of person you met and your best friends and even if you only see each other once a year it’s like no time has passed. Shaking out of the reminiscing daydream, I quickly board my plane and I’m on my way.
