A Marine Called Jason
(Revised)
by: Peter

(© 2007-2015 by the Author)
 

The author retains all rights. No reproductions are allowed without the author's consent. Comments are appreciated at...

Chapter 14
My Eulogy, My Tribute

It was the biggest funeral I ever attended.  They held it at the school gymnasium because the funeral home was too small. Wisely, Allen didn't show up wearing his armband.  Two of his friends weren't so considerate; I guessed he hadn’t given them my message. I pondered whether to make an issue of it and decided against it, for the time being.  I would take care of it at the cemetery.

Two of the Marine honor guard took up positions at the casket and I was seated with Mrs. And Mrs. Seaborne, at their invitation. The priest gave a good sermon.  He obviously knew Jason as a boy and he made it personal.  He even made us laugh.  He went on to extol Jason’s bravery and patriotism. I sat with my eyes fixed on the flag-draped coffin, trying to picture him inside. I was so uptight with emotion I felt like I might explode or burst out in sobs.  But I had vowed that wouldn’t happen. I would suck it up as he would expect me to do.

Afterwards the minister invited others to the podium to speak. Several did, including his high school football coach, and a teacher. Two female classmates spoke, and there was no doubt in my mind from the way they spoke of him that that they’d had the pleasure of his manhood.  His former boss spoke about when he worked at a lumberyard. Several of his former teammates made us laugh and cry telling about their antics with Jason.  Even the boy who Jason had beaten the crap out of got up and spoke. Mrs. Seaborne patted my arm and asked me if I would like to say something but I declined. I could not say what I felt for the man.  But she had apparently already told the minister that I would probably want to speak and the next thing I knew, he was introducing me.

“Mrs. Seaborne has told me that there is one here who most surely has something to say today.  He is the man who knew Jason better than anyone.  He served with Jason in Vietnam and he is the one who had the honor and the privilege and the duty to bring Jason home.  I would like to introduce to you Sgt. Brad Courter.”

I felt trapped but I had to say something.  I found my courage in the ridiculous image of Jason laughing at that moment. Let’s see you pull our ass out of this one, he would be saying. Even as I stood and went to the podium, I didn’t know what I would say. The first thing that came to mind was the military oath.  I spoke the words slowly and distinctly.

“I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.”  I paused, gathering my new courage.  “Many of you here recognize those words.  These are the words you repeated at your own swearing in. No man spoke these words with more true faith and allegiance and conviction than Jason did. He lived by them.”  I paused again.  I felt more at ease now, and confident that the words I needed to speak would come.

“Jason died a SEAL, one of the most highly trained men in our armed forces, I'm sure with no regrets and without apology, as it should be. I wondered where he found his courage, because he had it in uncommon measures. He would tell you that courage is a word used in speeches, that nobody is courageous or brave; you’re scared, doing what you were ordered to do, and trying to stay alive doing it. But I knew him. He had courage beyond measure.”

I directed my next words to his parents.  “Take solace that he is in good company.  Not just with his Maker, but with his comrades, with many who never came out of that jungle where Hell reared its ugly head all around them.  He is with men who are at peace with themselves and what they were ordered and compelled to do.  I’m not sure that the minister will agree with me on this but I believe that men who have endured combat and the hell that follows them through life, get a pass to the front of the line that others don’t get.  Because they are in the company of the only other man who said, ‘I will die for you.’”

“I don't know how all of you knew him or how he touched your lives.  I knew him as the bravest man I’ve ever met, a comrade in arms with a sharp wit and a no nonsense approach to life.  Most of all, he was my best friend.  A man I greatly respected and admired.  My hero.  I never told him that.  He would have been embarrassed.  I know he’s laughing that I had to get up here and say good things about him but he's scowling about now at what I’ve said.  Well, as a Marine to a SEAL, I will embarrass you one more time.” I turned to his casket and came to attention.  “You've paid your dues…..Rest well, my friend.” And I saluted him.

I was stunned that people rose to their feet, applauding, and it embarrassed me; he had the last laugh after all.  His mother took my hand in both of hers as I sat back down and leaned over to kiss me on the cheek.

At the end of the service the Marines took their positions as pallbearers and I followed the casket out to the hearse. Again, I was asked to ride in the limo with Jason’s parents. Again, Allen wasn’t with us.

“It’s so sad that Allen feels the way he does,” Mrs. Seaborne said.

I wanted to add reprehensible and inexcusable but I didn’t say anything.  He was, after all, her son. Neither I nor Mr. Seaborne said anything.  I thought it was more than sad, it was a personal insult and a disgrace, showing disrespect even to his parents.

The procession from the gym to the cemetery was so long that they had the local police and the sheriff’s department directing traffic and parking in the little country cemetery. Looking back, I saw no end to it.  They said there were still cars in the school parking lot even as the cemetery was filling up. 

Allen looked more angry than sad while standing behind his parents at the grave with who I presumed to be his girlfriend who looked like she’d just left her lamp post to attend.  Jason wouldn’t have minded one bit….he would have been first in line to fuck her brains out… but it was a disgrace to his parents. I was having a tough time keeping my composure.  I almost lost it, as much from rage as from grief or sadness. When the honor guard fired the twenty-one-gun salute, the two peaceniks actually turned their backs to the casket.  It was all I could do to hold my rage in check.  But it was not the time or place to vent it.  Through the playing of taps I could see the anger on the faces of the other Marines, their jaws tight, the muscles in their faces bulging.  Allen glared when the flag was presented to his mother.  She took it warmly and held it to her breast before she laid it in her lap. Her husband put his hand over her hands on the flag.

The guys who had turned their backs walked away as the flag was being presented. I was getting more pissed by the minute. I waited for the priest to say his final words and extend the invitation on behalf of the family for everyone to go back to the church to eat, with a special invitation the military contingent, then I stepped back and followed the protestors walking across the cemetery.

"Hey, scumbags," I called quietly.

They stopped and turned around with a surprised look.

"Hold up, assholes," I said.  We were far enough away from the gravesite that no one could hear me. I half expected them to run.  I didn't know if it was defiance or fear that kept them from it.

"The man in that casket won you the right to wear that Goddamned cowardly arm-band," I said.  "The least you could do is honor that service and show some respect for his parents."

"We’re only trying to stop more of them from coming home in a casket," one of them said angrily.

"That arm band is going to stop the war?" I scoffed.

"This wasn't the time or the place for it," someone said from behind.

I glanced around and there were four of the Marines.

"Wherever we can be heard is the time and place for it," the other young man said.

"Why don't you all take off the armbands and put on the uniform and help end it?" one of the Marines said.

"It's not our way," the youth said.  

"You're right.  It's not the coward's way," the Marine said, and he spat on the youth's shoes.

"If this wasn't a cemetery, I would tromp your sorry, cowardly asses into the ground," one of the other Marines said.

"I'll bet you're good at it. I'll bet you're all good at it," the youth said with contempt.

"I'm damned good at it," one said.  "I just wish I could show you how good I am."

Tempers were going to flare and I intervened before things could get out of hand. "Guys we need to keep this dignified," I said.  "You're making a scene.  Go back with your unit. I’ll take care of it."

We had moved behind a large private mausoleum.  Grudgingly, three of the Marines walked away.  The fourth one lingered close by.  I didn’t need his help but it was called having my back.

"I suppose you expect us to thank you for saving our asses," the youth said.

"No, you don't thank me for a damned thing," I snapped.  "You owe your thanks to the guy in the casket.  I just want to say, I hope you don't live around here, because if you do....well, you see, I'll be here for a couple more days, and if you see me, run.  Run like hell, otherwise, they're going to be gathering up body parts.  For now, I’ll settle for the armbands."

I thought I’d made my point but neither of them made any move to take them off. The other Marine came up and looking all around, he suddenly he grabbed the protestor who had been doing the talking, around his neck and brought his knee hard up into his groin.  The youth doubled over in excruciating pain. Whatever the reason he didn't cry out and I gave him credit for that.

"Just wanted to see if you had any balls," the Marine said, leaving the man to slump to the ground, back against the mausoleum.  “Now take off the fuckin’ armband like the sergeant said.”

The other one blanched, removing the armband as he crouched down with his friend. He took his friend’s armband off as well and tossed them both at me.  I let them fall to the ground then ground them into the ground with the toe of my boot.

“You’re damned lucky that’s not your face,” the Marine said.

I grabbed the Marine by the arm and we left them there looking pale as ghosts and went back to the gravesite.  The other Marines hadn’t gone far. 

"We thought we would hang back and see if you needed us for anything," one of them said.

"No, it's taken care of, all it can be," I said.  "Are you guys going to the funeral dinner?"

"We were waiting to see if you are."

"Yes.  I think his parents would be honored," I said.

"Then we'll all go."

"Just keep your cool," I warned.

"We will, Sarge. Do you want to ride with us?”

I saw Allen was walking with his parents to the limo so I told them yes. The workers were standing back a respectable distance as if they were waiting for me to leave.

"We're waiting for you to give the okay, Sergeant," one of them said.

“Hold up for a minute,” I said.        

I went to tell Mr. and Mrs. Seaborne that I would be riding with the honor guard back to the church.  I waited till the limo had pulled out of the cemetery then told the workers they could finish their work. I stood at attention and saluted as the casket was lowered into the ground.  When it sank out of sight into the gaping maw of the grave and I dropped my salute, I saw the men of the honor guard dropping their salutes as well. The worker handed me a shovel.  First I took the handkerchief out of my breast pocket and shook the dirt from Vietnam into the grave.  It landed like dry raindrops on the casket. I stuffed the handkerchief back in my pocket and took the shovel. I slammed it into the freshly turned earth and tossed the shovelful into the gaping hole.  I'd heard that sound only once before, of dirt landing on a casket, at an uncle's funeral.  I did not remember it being so loud or harsh.  I handed the shoved back and thanked the worker, then walked away toward the black SUV without looking back. I waited while the other Marines did the honor of shoveling dirt onto Jason’s casket.

We Marines didn't mingle at the dinner, but stood aside, being inconspicuous as possible in full dress blues. I was surprised how many of the younger people our own age avoided us while the older people came up to us with their gratitude and respect. One exception was the young athlete I'd met at the football field.  He came right up to me with his hand out.

"Damned impressive service," he said.

"Yes, it was."

"He would've been proud of that."

"No more than I was proud of him," I said.

"Too bad his brother is such an asshole," he said.

"Jason didn't hold that against him."

"If I ever join the military... and I expect I will... Jason and guys like you will be the reason," he said.

“No, it’ll be because of something deeper than that.  It’ll be because of who you are,” I said. “But thank you, from both of us, and the Marines would be proud to have you."  I looked him up and down, openly.  "And I don't think you would have any trouble handling the Marines."

Two very hot young women I’d seen at the wake were at the dinner but not with the boys they’d been crying on. Every time I looked their way they were looking at me.  At one point I nodded and smiled to recognize their presence. They finally came over to me.  That in itself was an event.  By that I mean it was an event just to watch them walk in their modestly short, tight skirts and high heels. They introduced themselves—Madeline and Courtney—as friends with Jason in high school.  They were in town from Cincinnati for his funeral.

“We wanted to thank you personally and privately for bring Jason home to us,” Courtney said, taking my hand in both of hers.

“It was my honor and privilege,” I said. She wasn’t letting go of my hand and I felt her draw her fingers across my palm several times.

Madeline took hold of my arm.  “We’re in town for another night. We would like to invite you for a drink at our hotel if you have time before you have to go back.”

“I don’t know if I can arrange that but I thank you for the invitation,” I said, very aware of her hand squeezing my bicep. I flexed it for her and she squeezed harder.

“It would be fun to have the opportunity to talk with someone who knew him better than anyone on the planet.  You must have some wonderful stories to tell,” she said.

“Not many that he would want me to tell in polite company,” I said.

“No one said it had to be polite company,” Courtney said.

“You can bring any or all of your other Marine buddies,” Madeline put in.

“Oh, we’re not together,” I said. ‘They’re from a Marine detachment in Dayton or Columbus. They probably have to get back.”

“That’s all right, you’re the one with all the stories,” Madeline said.

“If I can……”

“The hotel is downtown,” Madeline said.  “Call room 124, we’ll meet you in the bar.”

When the girls had left one of the honor guards came up and asked, “Where are all the peace-pricks?”

Allen was there but the rest….nobody knew and nobody cared.

I was pondering the girls’ invitation, trying to decide if it would be inappropriate, even disrespectful, to take them up on it. What would Jason say or do if the situation was reversed. I had to think only for a moment to answer that; he would do it in a heartbeat, especially with the other Marines involved.  I went over to where the Marines were standing off to the side; four corporals--Landon, Foster, Smith and Atlee--a PFC Campbell and Sergeant Manley.  They gathered round when I approached them.

“Listen, I’ve got an invitation from those two girls I was talking to, to meet them at their hotel for a drink.”

“So, do you want us to hang around for a while longer in case those peace pricks come back?” Sergeant Manley said.

“No, the invitation extends to you guys, if you can make it,” I said.

Their eyes lit up and they looked at their sergeant. He had a serious look and was shaking his head.

“I don’t know, we really need to get back and get the vehicle and the rifles checked in,” he said.

I could see their disappointment.  “From one Marine to another….that mission doesn’t take six men, does it, Sarge?” I said.

He thought for a brief moment.  “No, I guess it doesn’t. But how do my men get back?”

“I’ve got a military vehicle, I’ll drive them back,” I said. 

“Okay, but one of you has to come with me.  Which one is going to be?”

That put them in a bind, till Corporal Atlee said, “Well, these things are usually settled according to rank.”

I saw the young PFC’s face fall.  There was a brief moment of indecision as the sergeant waited for them to agree on the corporal’s solution, then Corporal Atlee said,  “Aww, fuck it, I’ll go back with you, Sarge.  This might be a good time for Campbell to lose his cherry.”

They all laughed and PFC Campbell’s turned red but there was also relief on his face that he was being allowed to stay back.

We paid our respects to Mr. and Mrs. Seaborne and excused ourselves early from the gathering at the church.  Mrs. Seaborne thanked each one of us and hugged and thanked me for bringing her boy home.  Mr. Seaborne was able only to shake our hands.  As the others were leaving I was surprised that Allen had the decency to come over to me as I was walking to the door. The others paused just outside the door. I didn’t think they trusted me to stay back by myself.

"Despite our differences, I thank you for seeing my brother home," he said.

"I did it for him," I said coolly.

"I see how much you hate me, but someday soon, you'll see that we were right."

"I don’t hate you, I just don’t respect you.  But you know what? I would rather come back like my buddy back there than to ever see the day you are right," I said. "Just one more thing.  The flag that draped his casket; if it were ever to disappear and catch on fire....as long as it takes, I will hunt you down, along with every one of your asshole friends, I will cut your balls off… if I can find any... and I will feed them to you.  I hope you hear me, mister, because a Marine does not make idle threats."

He cocked his head back in surprise then he quickly turned and walked away.

We all piled into the car and Sgt. Manley drove us back to the house.  I asked Manley if I might have a couple of the empty cartridges. He reached into his pocket and brought out a handful. 

“Aren’t these supposed to be accounted for?” I asked.

“They got lost,” he said.

I accepted the cartridges and thanked him.  There were six in all.

The other four Marines and piled into my military vehicle and I drove downtown to the hotel. 

“You owe me big time, Campbell,” Corporal Atlee said just before they drove off.

I drove downtown and found the hotel and parked in the small lot to the side.

“You guys need to wait here till I go in and check things out,” I said.

I got out of my car and went inside. I checked out the bar first.  There was no sign of them so I went back to the desk.

“Would you call room 124, please.  Madeline or Courtney,” I asked the desk clerk.  “Tell them there’s someone waiting in the bar.”

I went into the bar and ordered Jack Daniels that the guy wouldn’t let me pay for.

“I know there’re a lot of protestors but nobody in uniform pays for drinks here,” he said.

“Sure beats being spit on,” I said.   

“You brought Jason Seaborne home.”

“Yes, sir.”   

“How does that work? Do you get assigned that duty, or was he a buddy?”

“He was my best friend.  He left instructions.”

“Must be tough.”

“But an honor,” I said. “I noticed you didn’t ask for ID.”

“Marine, I don’t care if you not old enough to have a drivers license, as long as you’re wearing the uniform, you get served. You waiting on somebody?” he asked.

“Yeah, a couple of girls upstairs, they’re meeting me here.  They wanted to get together and reminisce about Jason.  You might know them.”

“What’re their names?”

“Madeline and Courtney is all I know.”

“Madeline Kessler and Courtney Black,” he said with a wide smile. “Yeah, I know ‘em.  They were cheerleaders.  Among other things.  The town wasn’t big enough to hold ‘em, they moved to Indianapolis after graduation.”

“That one thing you slipped in there…. among other things?”

“I shouldn’t be talking about them,” he said. “They were cheerleaders.  They just happened to take it more seriously than most.”

“Meaning?”

“Well, let’s just say they took good care of the team.  So you’d better be ready for a long, rough night,” he said.

“Thanks for the heads up.”

“No problem.”  He poured me another drink.  “Do your buddy proud,” he said.

“Actually, I’ve got backup,” I said.  “There are four more Marines from the honor guard waiting in the car.  Do you think the girls will mind?”

He laughed heartily.  “Mind?  You’ll all need recussitation by the time those babes are finished with you.”

The girls came in looking even hotter than before.  They greeted Sam, the bartender as they came up on either side of me and put their arms around me.

“We’ll have what he’s drinking,” Madeline said.

“You know I can’t serve you,” Sam said as he drew two glasses of water and set them in front of the girls. Then he set the bottle of JD on the bar and pushed it toward me.  “Why don’t you take the ladies to that back booth there where they won’t be so noticeable?” 

We went to a booth in back of the place where it was dimly lit and deserted.  The girls motioned for me to slide in first then Madeline slid in beside me; Courtney sat across from us.

“Sam’s a sly one,” Courtney said, taking a drink of water. Madeline did the same then they shoved their glasses toward me.  I took my cue and refilled them with two fingers of Jack Daniels.

“Tell us about Jason,” Madeline said.       

“I’ll be glad to but....you remember you said I could bring along the guys from the honor guard?”

“Yes. You brought them?”

“Four of them.  They’re waiting in the car.”

“Oh my God!  There are four of those hot Marines waiting outside!” Madeline exclaimed excitedly. 

“So I should bring them in?” I asked.

“God, yes!” Madeline said.

“No,” Courtney said, holding up her hand.  “We shouldn’t attract that much attention.  We’ll go back up to our room, you bring them up there.  Take the stairs.”

They left and I went out to get the other guys.  I passed by the bar on the way told Sam to send up a fresh bottle of JD and laid a fifty dollar bill on the bar.  He shoved it back.

“Naw, I’ll add it to their room,” he said.

As I approached the car I waved for the guys to get out of the car.

“They agreed to have us all up?” Corporal Foster said, wide-eyed.

“Yes. We go inside, quietly, and take the stairs,” I said.

The door was unlocked and I held it open for the four Marines to go in.

“Oh….my….Godd!” one of them said under his breath when he saw the girls. 

I was the last in and closed the door behind me. Courtney was sitting on the arm of the couch with one spike heel on the floor, her other leg cocked up revealing more thigh than would be allowed on the street. Madeline was at the small table pouring JD into the glasses.

“Welcome, troops,” she said, handing two of the glasses to Courtney to pass on to the Marines.  The boys stepped up to take the glasses, their eyes raking over her body sheathed in a tight, super short dress.

“Drink up,” Courtney told them.

“Yes, Ma’am!  Whatever you say,” Corporal Landon said with a leering smile over the top of his glass.

Landon was the biggest of the four Marines, easily six-two and probably 230 pounds.  He had the typical close dropped hair—they all did—that left barely enough on top to know he was blonde. The buzz down the back made his neck look even thicker.

His big hand wrapped around the glass like a ball glove.

Corporal Smith was the smallest at what I guess to be about five-nine, 165 pounds. Small but you could tell he was well put together under his uniform, from his shoulders and thick neck and the way his thighs filled out his pants.  What little hair he had was coal black, matching his thick, back brows and dark eyes.  He was clean shaven, of course, but still had a dark hue of a heavy beard.

Foster and Campbell were about equal in height and weight, I judged at nearly six feet and 190 pounds. Both had brownish hair and blue eyes. They looked as collegiate as they did Marines. Campbell had a look in his young eyes that couldn’t hide his excitement and it made me think that he probably was, indeed, a virgin.

“So, tell us about Jason,” Courtney said as she settled onto the couch with her legs crossed as women do, revealing her thighs nearly to her butt.  Madeline parked her sumptuous butt half on the back of the couch.

“You probably knew him as well as I did, if not better.  Why don’t you tell me about Jason,” I said.

They opened up, dabbing tears from time to time and smearing their mascara. They’d known him all through high school.  He was a super athlete, popular with everybody, not just the girls.

“He wasn’t a snob jock. He treated everybody the same,” Courtney said.  

“Well, not exactly the same. He never put anybody down or anything like that. He had a way of treating you special,” Madeline said.

“Oh, did he ever,” Courtney said.

“He took Courtney’s virginity,” Madeline said.

“Madeline! You don’t have to tell everything you know!”

“Well, hell, Court, it was never a secret.  You told everybody in school.”

”I did not!”

“Well Jason didn’t tell. You blabbed it at that sleepover.”

“Then you and the other girls must have spread it all over school.”

“If we hadn’t, you would’ve taken out an ad in the school paper,” Madeline said.

I knew it was all in fun and it made me reconsider my doubts about whether I should’ve come.  The Marines were still wide-eyed and smiling that she had announced the news about her friend’s virginity.

“He never talked about stuff like that,” Madeline said to me. “He didn’t have to brag.  He was all action.”

“For the record, he got your virginity, too,” Courtney said.

“Yes. Mine and probably half the girls in school.  Girls were lined up to give it to him.  If they gathered up all the virginities he got, they wouldn’t be able to fit them all in the gym. And that body.  Godd, he had a body!” Suddenly she took on a different mood.  “Oh dear, you must think we’re total sluts, talking like this, just hours after you buried your best buddy.  And we don’t even know these Marines. But you asked us to tell you about Jason.”

“No, no, I’m not offended, not in the least,” I said.  “I think he would somehow be honored that you’re talking about him like this.  And you’re right, I did ask.  And I’m sure these guys aren’t offended.

“No, not at all,” Landon said and the other’s nodded in agreement.

“He was just an all-round great guy,” Madeline went on.  Not like most of the other jocks.  He took his athletic prowess all in stride; it was no big thing for him. They convinced him to run for the president of the student council and he was running against Joy Brown.  It was going to be a hands down win for him, he was so popular, and Joy was sort of a nerd but smart as hell.  At a rally—sort of a campaign rally—in the gym, after Joy had given her speech, Jason stood up and withdrew from the running.  He was so humble about it.  He said he was embarrassed after hearing her speech, to even be running against her and hearing her ideas.  Joy was embarrassed and stood up and told him he did not have to withdraw, and shouldn’t.  Jason sort of reared back and told her, “Joy, I am intimidated by you!”  Everybody laughed, him standing there, twice as big as she was.”

Courtney chimed in with another story. “I remember the Valentine’s dance, all the girls were waiting to see who Jason would ask. He’d put the word out that he wasn’t sure he was even going, but everybody still hoped.  Well, two or three days before the dance he decided he would go.  My locker was right beside Joy’s and Melissa Grant’s locker was on the other side of me.  Here comes Jason down the hall. That he was even on our floor was excitement enough because his locker was on the first floor.  You could almost hear Melissa’s heart pounding.  I was a little excited myself, thinking he just might ask me. I couldn’t accept because I already had a date but it would’ve been nice to have him ask me instead of Melissa.  He spoke to all of us, just an acknowledgement, then he sidled up to Joy.  I’ll never forget it.  He said, “Joy, I know I’m a little late asking, but would you go to the dance with me?”

She laughed, remembering.

“Godd, I you could almost hear the steam coming out of Melissa’s ears.  There she was, the sexpot bombshell, and Jason, the stud, was asking nerdy Joy to the dance.  Joy was taken aback and even a little embarrassed I think, and she told him he didn’t have to do that. He said, “I know I don’t have to, nobody’s making me, but I’m asking, if it’s not too late, would you please go to the dance with me?”

“She was so flustered but she managed to accept and he thanked her profusely and walked away happy as hell that she’d said yes.  It was one of those go-figure moments. Joy was so nervous that she’d accepted, she didn’t even have a dress and she didn’t know if she could get a hair appointment.  I told her I was sure I had something she could wear and I would get her into my aunt’s beauty shop.  So the stud took the nerdy girl to the dance and they had a great time.  I think it must have been the greatest night of her life.”  She paused and wiped a tear from the corner of her eye.  “He was just that kind of guy.”

“So now you tell us about the Jason you knew,” Courtney said.

Oh, if only I could, I thought. “There’s not a lot I can tell you that you would understand or want to hear.  He was in the business of killing.”

“Well, I’m sure he was very good at that, too,” Madeline said.

“That wasn’t a nice thing to say,” Courtney admonished her.

“No, it’s okay,” I said.  “He was very good at his job and he was proud of what he did.”

“Jason always put everything he had into everything he did,” Madeline said rather solemnly.

“And he had a lot to put in,” Courtney said, more under her breath.

“Courtney!”

Suddenly Madeline began crying.  “I just miss him so,” she sobbed. “We almost never saw each other after graduation, he went right into the service, but I knew he was here, somewhere on this earth, and that was like comfort and hope, knowing I would see him again eventually. I just never thought it would be like this.”

Courtney put her arm around her and I reached over and squeezed her hand.

Suddenly, with a toss of her head, she shook it off.  “Oh God, I hate it when I do that.  And he wouldn’t like it at all, me carrying on so over him.  He would want us to get over it   and remember the good times.”

“Yeah, he didn’t like anybody making a fuss over him,” I said.

Courtney went over to the table and grabbed the bottle to pour another round of drinks. “I love it when we’re sneaking behind the law like this,” she said.

“You all must be about the same age as Jason.  How do you get served?” Madeline asked.

I patted my stripes and said, “They don’t usually card a man in uniform.”

“What is your rank?”

“Sergeant.”

“What was Jason’s rank?”

“He was a corporal.”

“Is a sergeant higher than a corporal?”

The others laughed at her ignorance.

“Yes, but that takes nothing away from Jason, believe me.  He was Navy, I’m Marines, they do things differently.”

“Back to the good times,” she said.  “I’m going to tell one more story then I think we should hear some Marine stories.” She took a long sip of JD.  “Courtney blabbed that Jason got my virginity, which he did.  But it’s where it happened that makes it even more special,” she began.

“I don’t think you ever told me where it happened,” Courtney said.

“Well, it wasn’t on the team bus like happened with most girls.”

“Where, then?” one of the Marines asked.

“In the locker room.”

Courtney muffled her gasp with her hand.  “He came into the girls’ locker room?”

“No, silly, in the boys’ locker room.”

“You went in the boys’ locker room!”

“He had it all arranged.  It was after a game, after everybody left. Adam Cole came out with his gym bag and told me it was safe, Jason was waiting on me. He let me in and told me to be sure and slide the bolt on the door.”

“Weren’t you scared?” Courtney asked.

“Weren’t you, the first time?  Yes, a little, I’d heard the rumors about Jason.  But I was more nervous than scared.  There were hardly any lights on in the locker room, and I could hear the water running back in the showers. I went back there and there he was under the shower in his jockstrap.  I told him I didn’t know guys showered in their jockstraps.  He said they didn’t but he didn’t want to scare me right off.  He asked me if I wanted to join him but he didn’t wait for an answer.  He came over and started pulling up my sweater.  He took off everything but my panties.  Even my bra.  I was shaking but he told me not to be nervous or scared. He was so nice.  Then he led me under the shower with him and started kissing me and making out.  Oh, Godd, I didn’t think my legs were going to hold me up. I’d never been with a boy before and now I was in the shower with Jason Seaborne.  The boy with the body!”

“Madeline, I don’t know if you should continue this story here,” Courtney whispered, her eyes darting around the room.  “These Marines are getting glassy-eyed.”

But Madeline ignored her.  “When it was time to take my panties off, he peeled them down and stayed down there. I don’t have to tell you what he did then.”

“Oh!  He did that to me too!” Courtney blurted softly.

“He was the only boy who ever did that.  Shows you how much of a man he was,” Madeline said.  “Anyway, he had some wrestling mats over in one corner of the shower that he dragged over under the shower spray, and he laid me down on the mats and that’s where it happened.”

“Oh, that is so romantic,” Courtney said. 

“And now, I think we should hear Courtney’s story.  The whole story.”

Everyone agreed, holding up their glasses in a salute. Courtney’s story was short and sweet. It happened on the team bus with other football players hovering around to hide them, and to watch.

To be continued...  

Posted: 02/20/15