Staring out through the open window, I silently feel the warm spring breeze blow in while my thoughts jump back and forth within me to stir the thick emotions that has been boiling thickly within me through the past couple of days. Emotions of fear and sadness as my imagination constantly works within me to draw vivid pictures of what the bleak future may hold for my oldest nephew. Of what the future holds for all of my family as they continue to roughly digest the unspeakable news Luke had told us only a few days ago. That he was being deployed to Iraq. The thought sends chills running rapidly up and down my body in fear even though I knew there was a large possibility that this could happen ever since he had joined the Marines. But it was something he wanted to do, something he felt like he had to do in order to fight for something that is right. Afer all we all live freely and happily in America, shouldn’t he, who his healthy and fit, be willing and ready to defend it? For the past three years he has trained and worked hard at being the Marine he is today, and yet here I stand still in shock at the truth. That Luke’s leaving within an half hour to travel half way around the world to fight in a violent war to face and look death in the face daily. Giving us with a little ray of hope of ever seeing him alive again, meaning I may lose my nephew to a war I know little about.

“Oh Jesse,” Daisy comes up from behind me to give me a tight hug from behind, “Luke is trained and ready for this. This is something he feels he needs to do.”

“I know. But I’m not ready,” I shake my head as I glance at the clock, “Where is he? We need to get going.”

Daisy shrugs. “He was looking for Bo. He went to the barn to check,” she finally replies, “you know he likes to hide there if he’s going through a hard time.”

“And he’s going through a hard time,” I sigh remembering the fight they had last night, “I don’t know how he will handle it when Luke leaves. I mean he has a hard enough time when Luke is on base here in the U.S. not alone knowing he is fighting in a war half way around the world.”

Daisy nods. “Cooter says he’ll try to take him out tomorrow to the races. Perhaps get him thinking of something else. Though I doubt that will work,” she pauses, “if it is like it was when Luke moved on base, he’ll lock his self in his room, refusing to get out.’

Continue reading →

An odd and awkward silence once again builds within the small undercover patrol car as the two local lawmen glance nervously at one another before the sheriff slowly turns back around in his seat ahead of me.  For a moment, I allow my imagination to run wild within me of all that could be happening beyond the thick trees and bushes that separates us from Max’s gang and the FBI, of who had shot at who and why. “I have a problem, sheriff,” I dryly state to interrupt the silence as my thoughts flash from the gun shots and the battle being fought feet away and onto my future. Of what this battle between Max’s gang and the FBI holds upon my future, whether it will prove of my innocence or convince the feds of my guilt as they see it.

“What you mean you’ve got a problem, Duke? You’ve got several of them that I can think of right now,” the sheriff gruffly responds ahead of me, staring out through his window, “You’re a Duke, that’s a problem, you’re guilty of beating the town’s mechanic, and of beating your own gang member while in jail. I’d say you’ve got several problems.”

“I’m done defending myself against your unlawful accusations. I’ve told you my story, I’ve told you the truth. If I had done all that, you think I would have ran to the feds once I got lose from jail?” I throw back at them as I struggle to swallow down my anger that begins to build within me.  “Don’t matter right now, what matters right now, is that I’ve got to go pee.”

The sheriff lets out a huff of disbelief while shaking his head. “You better hold it, then,” he finally responds, “because we are ordered to watch you and make sure you don’t escape. Which I presume means to keep you inside the car no matter what. Better hope they don’t take too long in apprehending your criminal friends.”

Continue reading →