ItĀ tookĀ BeckĀ aĀ whileĀ toĀ giveĀ intoĀ openingĀ theĀ letter . HeĀ didnātĀ NORMALLYĀ recieveĀ muchĀ postĀ &&Ā itĀ hadĀ earnedĀ someĀ attentionĀ fromĀ theĀ team . RyanĀ wasĀ sureĀ thatĀ itĀ wasĀ someoneĀ detailingĀ howĀ aĀ oneĀ nightĀ standĀ hadĀ resultedĀ inĀ aĀ pregnancy - Laura? LauraĀ hintedĀ atĀ itĀ beingĀ aĀ courtĀ summonsĀ forĀ somethingĀ orĀ other . WhatĀ didĀ BeckĀ learn ? ThatĀ noneĀ ofĀ hisĀ teamĀ REALLYĀ hadĀ anyĀ faithĀ inĀ him . SoĀ heĀ avoidsĀ theĀ letter - becauseĀ heāsĀ avoidingĀ theĀ interrogationsĀ , whoĀ wasĀ right ? WhoĀ wroteĀ theĀ letterĀ toĀ theĀ lonelyĀ Sergeant ?
TheĀ nightĀ wasĀ hot . BeckĀ couldnātĀ sleep . HeĀ stalksĀ theĀ baseĀ inĀ hisĀ regulationĀ Ā casualĀ t-shirt &&Ā slacks , tryingĀ toĀ findĀ something - anythingĀ toĀ do . TheĀ gymĀ didnātĀ distractĀ himĀ forĀ long , &&Ā eventuallyĀ heĀ foundĀ himselfĀ atĀ hisĀ desk . HeĀ staresĀ downĀ atĀ theĀ envelopeĀ withĀ hisĀ nameĀ writtenĀ neatlyĀ onĀ theĀ front , thenĀ inĀ aĀ momentĀ ofĀ WEAKNESS - tearsĀ itĀ openĀ &&Ā pullsĀ theĀ letterĀ free. TheĀ handwritingĀ insideĀ isĀ different - heĀ comparesĀ itĀ beforeĀ frowningĀ &&Ā continuingĀ onĀ toĀ openĀ itĀ upĀ completelyĀ &&Ā beginĀ reading .Ā Dear soldier -
HeĀ wonātĀ admitĀ itĀ toĀ anyone , butĀ myĀ theĀ endĀ ofĀ theĀ letterĀ heāsĀ moreĀ thanĀ aĀ littleĀ emotional . FistĀ pressedĀ intoĀ hisĀ mouthĀ heĀ raisesĀ hisĀ eyesĀ toĀ theĀ cielingĀ &&Ā triesĀ toĀ convinceĀ himselfĀ toĀ throwĀ Ā theĀ paperĀ inĀ theĀ binĀ &&Ā forgetĀ aboutĀ theĀ goodĀ samaritan . DoesĀ heĀ REALLYĀ needĀ aĀ distractionĀ likeĀ thisĀ inĀ hisĀ life ?Ā ItĀ doesnātĀ matter - becauseĀ mereĀ momentsĀ laterĀ heāsĀ pullingĀ aĀ notepadĀ acrossĀ theĀ deskĀ towardsĀ him , &&Ā withĀ hisĀ formalĀ writingĀ pen - heĀ beginsĀ inĀ theĀ neatestĀ handwritingĀ thatĀ heĀ canĀ manage.
IĀ wasnātĀ goingĀ toĀ respondĀ toĀ you ,Ā atĀ firstĀ I wasnātĀ evenĀ goingĀ toĀ readĀ whatĀ youādĀ written . ButĀ somethingĀ inĀ yourĀ wordsĀ madeĀ meĀ changeĀ myĀ mind . IĀ wouldnātĀ sayĀ thatĀ IāmĀ onĀ theĀ frontĀ line , butĀ weĀ seeĀ ourĀ fairĀ shareĀ ofĀ dangerĀ &&Ā violenceĀ outĀ hereĀ definitely . YourĀ wordsĀ ofĀ encouragementĀ &&Ā determinationĀ areĀ somethingĀ thatĀ IĀ reallyĀ needed - IāmĀ hereĀ toĀ encourageĀ myĀ team , IĀ donātĀ reallyĀ getĀ anyĀ ofĀ theĀ sameĀ forĀ myself -Ā soĀ yourĀ thoughtsĀ forĀ meĀ wereĀ neededĀ likeĀ waterĀ comingĀ toĀ aĀ wiltingĀ plant .
IĀ grewĀ upĀ onĀ anĀ estateĀ inĀ theĀ southĀ ofĀ England ,Ā weĀ didnātĀ ownĀ anyĀ FARM , butĀ weĀ hadĀ land -Ā forestsĀ &&Ā rollingĀ hillsĀ ,Ā lakesĀ &&Ā openĀ fields .Ā IĀ usedĀ toĀ loveĀ walkingĀ them ,Ā embracingĀ nature . IĀ missĀ itĀ now . WhenĀ IāmĀ notĀ deployedĀ I liveĀ inĀ aĀ smallĀ apartmentĀ inĀ New York , thereāsĀ notĀ muchĀ NatureĀ roundĀ aboutĀ there . IĀ wishĀ thatĀ IĀ couldĀ comeĀ &&Ā seeĀ yourĀ landĀ && allĀ yourĀ animals -Ā lifeĀ isĀ somethingĀ thatĀ youĀ canātĀ takeĀ forĀ grantedĀ whileĀ youāreĀ deployed , &&Ā youĀ soundĀ likeĀ youāreĀ utterlyĀ drowningĀ inĀ it .
IāmĀ notĀ aloneĀ outĀ here , farĀ fromĀ it . ThereĀ areĀ multipleĀ teamsĀ onĀ ourĀ base -Ā althoughĀ theyĀ comeĀ &&Ā goĀ toĀ whereĀ theyāreĀ needed . MyĀ smallĀ littleĀ nookĀ housesĀ meĀ andĀ theĀ othersĀ inĀ whatĀ weĀ affectionallyĀ callĀ ALPHAĀ FACTOR , IāmĀ theĀ commandingĀ officer - theĀ leader . RyanĀ isĀ ourĀ sniper , JayĀ isĀ ourĀ fieldĀ medic &&Ā LauraĀ isĀ ourĀ communications &&Ā techĀ expert . ThatāsĀ usĀ atĀ theĀ moment , aĀ littleĀ teamĀ ofĀ four . WeāreĀ likeĀ BrothersĀ &&Ā sistersĀ IĀ guess ā¦ butĀ IĀ wouldnātĀ knowĀ asĀ IĀ tooĀ grewĀ upĀ asĀ anĀ onlyĀ child .
IāmĀ ReallyĀ Ā notĀ sureĀ whatĀ IāmĀ LegallyĀ allowedĀ toĀ tellĀ you - IĀ mightĀ notĀ beĀ ableĀ toĀ replyĀ ifĀ anyoneĀ findsĀ outĀ aboutĀ meĀ writingĀ toĀ youĀ soĀ casually ā¦ butĀ thereāsĀ somethingĀ toĀ beĀ saidĀ forĀ theĀ dangerĀ aboutĀ itĀ asĀ well . ItāsĀ niceĀ toĀ writeĀ itĀ allĀ out - i hopeĀ itĀ getsĀ throughĀ toĀ you .
Thank youĀ againĀ cowgirl ,
GYSGTĀ BECKETT , AF TEAM , ROYAL MARINE CORPS .
Though she loved her town and the people in it, Mel had to admit that the dating pool for her age had pretty slim pickings. Most people in the town in their thirties were either already married, not interested in commitment, or too busy with their own ranches to have a dating life. It was a Saturday evening several weeks since sheād began writing letters to the soldiers, and she was returning from an attempted date. Thing is, one could not have a date if said date failed to show up in the first placeā¦perhaps she just wasnāt made for a relationship. Perhaps her life was just meant for taking care of her ranch. Jumping out of her truck, she released a deep sigh of frustration as she walked from her driveway to the mailbox to grab her mail for the day.
āJunk, junk, junkā¦ā she muttered as she walked inside looking down at the envelopes in her hand, her dog greeting her at the door as she rubbed his head with a small smile and kept sifting through her mail. She almost threw the entire stack away until she noticed a different looking envelope with handwritten wording on the address line sticking out from the middle. Pulling it free and seeing the location of the return address, the other envelopes fell from her fingers and landed forgotten on the floor. Holy crapā¦sheād gotten a response! A soldier had been able to write her back!
āLook, Bandit! This soldier isnāt silent!ā She put on some tea and sat down to begin reading the letter, her heart lightening and her mood lifting from having been stood up. The longer she read, the more she realized that her problems were fairly insignificant compared to what this man had to deal with daily. He seemed so compassionate, so well read and intelligent. Maybe she could keep reminding him he is not alone, that her thoughts were with him. Once she was finished reading, she instantly grabbed her paper and began a reply.
Wellā¦itās a pleasure to hear from you. Iām glad you have chosen to reply to me, because it means youāre all right. I worry often for the well being of our soldiers over there. Earlier today I was in a bit of a funk, so receiving your letter was certainly a bright light in my day. Thank you for that. Your rolling hills and fields sound exquisite. I personally love to sit outside at night. Thereās no city lights, so you can see every star in the sky and watch the moon rise up. Talk about beautiful.
Iāve been to England twice on work trips with my father. Itās so lovely there, save for being a bit chilly both times I went. My ranch sits on a large plot of land, and while I am not going to brag, I will admit it is gorgeous out here. Not a hint of busy city life that could burn a person out. Itās nothing but peace. And though we have never met before, and I hope this isnāt weird, but do know that you are most welcome here on my property to see it for yourself whenever you come home safe to the states. You know, sometimes beauty is in the simplest things even amongst war. You just have to look for it.
So long as we are sharing details of ourselves, Iāll say that my father was a lieutenant colonel in the Marines. I lost him about six months ago during his deployment. His caravan was ambushed, and I miss him every day. I am happy that you have a family there that have your six. Jay, Laura, Ryan...cherish that ALPHA FACTOR with everything you have.Ā
Iām truly happy that you replied. It gives me hope for you and your unit every day that you can remain safe as long as I read your words. And with this letter, Iām also sending a care package for you and your buddies. Some snacks, a few tokens from over here to remind you of homeā¦and Iām also enclosing a picture of my ranch. To remind you that we are grateful every day and will keep working here on the home front in your honor.
Please stay safe. Never feel like you have to tell me anything that would even remotely endanger you or your fellow soldiers. And as long as I know you are on the other end of my letters, I will continue to be your encouraging voice helping you through the darkness. That much I can promise you.
To all the good things in life,
discoholicmusic
tangentwithtanner
s-u-f-j-a-n-s-t-e-v-e-n-s
origamiaround
pixelskylines
amandla
