Copyright: 01/2016_
Fan-Fiction based on TV Show Combat! Copyright Selmur Production, Inc., ABC, Image Productions etc. Disclaimer: Combat! and its characters do not belong to me, this WWII story is a piece of fan-fiction and I am not being compensated in any tangible way for this story.
KIRBY'S GIFT
He sat in his recliner and opened his gifts. His family was all around him, smiling and laughing as he opened his them. His hands didn't work as well as they used to. He complained that sometimes his fingers ached so much that the only thing that made them feel better was to soak them in very warm water. His wife said it was arthritis. He told his wife that arthritis was for old people. She told him that they weren't that young anymore and he told her that he wasn't ready for a nursing home either.
His sons thought it was funny to give him a grilling apron that said over the hill. He was only forty-five but the way they acted, it was like he had one foot in the grave and the other on a banana peel.
"Who's over the hill?"
"Come on Dad, it's just a joke. We didn't mean it. I mean forty-five isn't that old."
"John stop it! You guys are really dumb."
"Oh Julie, lighten up!"
Laura had enough of the bickering. "That's it. Stop this bickering, I have had it", she yelled.
"This is your Dad's birthday and I swear by the All Mighty, we are all going to have a good time, if it's the last thing we do!"
Kirby began to laugh so hard tears started to roll down his cheeks.
"What's so funny?"
"You are. You'd think that after almost twenty years of marriage, if there wasn't some kind of commotion going on, it wouldn't be our family. Honey you're still lookin' for that perfect family and believe me we ain't them. First of all you married me, then we had kids. And let's face it, half of their genes come from me. That perfect family isn't gonna happen here."
Laura began to laugh. "Tell me about it. Ever since I was a little girl I dreamed of a fairytale family but what I got was real family and I wouldn't change a thing."
"Hey Mom, where's your gift to Dad?"
Laura reached under the sofa and pulled out a shirt-sized box.
"Mom you didn't buy Daddy another shirt, did you?
All of a sudden Julie looked embarrassed. Maybe her Mom didn't know what men liked anymore.
"I mean a shirt is very nice."
Laura smiled over at her daughter as she handed the package over to Bill.
"I think shirts are nice too but it's not a shirt. What do you think about sweaters?"
Bill smiled when he felt the weight of the package. As unwrapped the gift, he knew it wasn't a sweater but decided to play along.
"I love sweaters. What color is it?"
"I hope you'll like it. It has orange and grey stripes."
"Oh it sounds nice honey."
The kids looked at their Mother and Father in horror.
As he opened the box he saw a photo album.
For a closer look, their youngest daughter, Paula sidled over to Bill and sat on the arm of the sofa.
"Mom what is that?"
"It's almost three years of your Dad's life."
Bill was surprised as he opened the album.
It was more than a photo album. It was letters from the men and their remembrances.
Bill cleared his throat.
Laura realized he was getting emotional. She leaned over to Julie and whispered, "Go get the cake from the kitchen and take your sister and brothers with you."
Julie nodded. "Come on guys let's get Dad's other surprise."
"Geez, can't you do it yourself?" asked Mike.
Julie stood up and gave them her best imitation of their Mother. "Let's go!"
The three younger Kirby's also stood up and followed their sister into the kitchen.
"How, where did you get these letters and pictures?"
"It took me over a year to find and contact the guys in your platoon. I started with the Chip, Caje and Littlejohn and the others in your squad. I'd ask them if they had addresses of other guys and then I would write to them. It just sort of steamrolled."
Laura had carefully opened the envelopes and attached them to a page in the album. Next to each letter were pictures of the man. One of the pictures was from when he was a soldier and another was a current picture.
Kirby flipped through the pages and stopped as he recognized an older version of a man who had once been part of the squad. The man was surrounded by his family. Kirby slowly pulled out the letter from the envelope. A winsome look appeared upon his face as he read the letter.
"I can't believe it. It's from Eddie Cain. He said if I hadn't told him the truth about Tony, he would have never turned his life around. He would have continued being a punk, never growing up. Eddie says he would have probably been dead by now if I hadn't shown him what he had become. He said when he got out of the Army, he found himself a good job and settled down with a nice girl. He and his wife have three kids and it's all because of me."
Kirby looked confused. "The only thing I did was get really mad at him. He didn't want to help save Sarge. I told him off. I said he was a punk and I didn't owe him anything. I owed the Sarge, I owed him my life. "
Laura gently caressed his face. "I believed he needed to hear it. He thought he was some kind of hotshot and you put a mirror up to his face and showed him what he really was. You helped him turn his life around."
"It looks like he's got a good life and a nice family but that's not because of me."
"Honey, whether you want to believe it or not, you did have something to do with it."
Kirby shook his head, he hardly could believe what his wife said and what he had just read. He carefully folded the letter and replace it back in the envelope.
"Bill, there are quite a few letters from men who were in your squad that said you helped them. It's a good thing you did and you should be proud of what you did."
Kirby was misty-eyed as he looked up at Laura.
"I just tried to help them."
"From what I read you did much more than that."
Kirby leaned over and kissed his wife. "Thanks Sweetheart, it's a wonderful gift. I'll treasure it always."
"All I did was put it together. You gave of yourself, you helped them when they needed help. They wanted to let you know it meant something to them, that's the gift."
Julie and the rest of their tribe walked in with a cake and placed it on the coffee table.
"Oh my gosh! I told you kids to put a few candles on that cake! Bill hurry up and blow them out or those darn things are going to burn a hole through my table!"
"We gotta sing Happy Birthday to Daddy," said Paula.
"Sing fast kids!"
Kirby looked over at his wife and smiled. "I told you honey, it's never a dull moment around here. Half of their gene pool comes from me."
"I give up. Happy Birthday babe."
"Thanks. By the way," he whispered, "I hope you aren't tired; this old man is feelin' pretty spry. I hope I get another gift!"
Laura winked as she stood up.
"You better hurry up and blow those candles and eat your cake. I'm kind of tired. I think I'm gonna go to bed."
Kirby blew out the candles and looked at his kids. "Kids, I'm tired too. Just save me a piece. Goodnight, see ya kids in the morning."
As their parents leave the room, John looked over at Julie. "I think our parents are crazy. Who goes to bed at 9 p.m.?"
"I'll tell you when you are older."
Between mouthfuls of cake Paula spoke up. "You don't have to explain it to me.
"They vant to be alone."
"That's the worst Greta Garbo I ever heard," laughed Julie.
"I still don't understand, why?" asked John
"I'm the youngest and I can't believe you don't know. They're in love."
Mike looked shocked. "You don't mean they're gonna make out? They're so old, I don't want to think about it!"
Kirby had gone into the kitchen for a bottle of champagne and some glasses, when he overheard his kids talking.
He stunned his children into silence as he walked into the living room.
"Mom and I fell in love with each other a long time ago. As we grow old together, each day we grow more in love with each other. I hope you find that kind of love we have."
As he walked away, Kirby couldn't help himself as he turned back towards his kids.
"Oh by the way kids, you never get too old to make out! See ya in the morning"
THE END