2.
Gordon
Germany a few hours later…
We had about two hours till our next training time and I say about generously. Since we have no clue about when the training ops will take place, where, or how long. So orders were passed down to give an hour and a half to get back, rest, eat, and be ready to go out.
I had eaten.
Showered.
Rested.
And was working on my weaponry. Putting my white rifle together. Adjusting the sights and playing with my new thermal scope. Randy sat on the floor, his rifle already in perfect condition just how he liked it, was busy cleaning out an almost healed wound. A few weeks ago in Chechnya he had ripped his calf on a piece of metal. It had required immediate attention. When we got on the helicopter the medic gave his leg some attendance and after a quick stop in Germany, twenty stitches later, his leg was better.
He sat on the floor picking at his second set of stitches with pliers. While I toyed around with a rifle almost bigger then my wife; we chatted. Whoever said guys never communicated was full of it.
"You don't think they'll be irreparably damaged? Seriously?"
While I worked on switching scopes, I shook my head, "No. Look at all the different military brats that travel around. Plus Angela is with them and she has a tutor to make sure they do all their homework."
There had been some debate as to what she would do with the twins, especially with them being in Kindergarten. Randy didn't want them to fall behind and Angela wanted to bring them with her.
She therefore hired a tutor to travel with her, Trey and Troy.
Randy hissed under his breath that made me look up. At first I thought he was taking the stitches out a little too soon. Nope. He had just pulled a leg hair out with the thread.
There was a small pile of threads at his side.
"Look at it this way Randy, they are getting to see with world with a maternal figure. How's that? If they are out doing stuff then they are busy and won't be missing you all the time."
Randy pulled a thread out of his calf and dropped it in the pile.
He then glanced up at me.
"Ok. Fine, yeah I get that part. But…never mind."
But…never mind was never the end of a conversation. I picked up my tiny screwdriver and heard the three jeeps that Sanderson and his drinking buddies had taken pull up outside.
I didn't know who drank more. Germans, Americans, or the Aussies. It was perplexing.
"But never mind nothing Randy. What's the problem?"
He stopped pulling his stitches out and looked me in the eye, so I stopped what I was doing and gave him my complete attention.
"You're aware of Trey and Troy's teacher? Stephanie?"
No.
I had never been to the school, forget meeting their teacher. On the rare occasion I dropped the two boys off at school I stayed in the hall outside their classroom. But Randy was my friend and I wanted to know what his problem was. So I asked, "What about her?"
He shook his head and rubbed the beard he had grown over our time in Germany. "It's going to sound really stupid. But, there was something there. Every time I see the woman for PTA or to pick them up, or whatever. There's a connection. Chemistry. Whatever you want to call it. I like her G."
Ok.
Randy liked a woman. This was excellent. He needed some female companionship.
So naturally I asked, "What are you going to do about it?"
He smiled almost bitterly.
The loud noises of the boys returning emanated as they came through the front door of our quarters.
"I'm not like Hoot. I can't just bed hop. I can't do casual sex and I can't just bring a female around that I'm not serious about with Trey and Troy. Plus there's the job too. I'm a pretty big package. How am I supposed to tell a female this on the first date…you know, hey baby, I can't tell you where I'm going, why, or what I do. I'll lie to you constantly until I can ascertain that you aren't a security threat and even then, you still won't get the truth. Oh! Also, I have two sons who you'll see more then me probably. Oh yeah…that'd go over well, who wouldn't want all that in a relationship."
I rolled my eyes.
He was so young and naïve. He wasn't but a few years my junior and yet, he was like a younger brother. "Randy, you're being too hard on yourself. Single female mothers find husbands who love their kids like their own. If this female is it for you you'll know. Give it time."
With a face that could have meant anything he looked back down at his calf.
I went back to work on switching scopes.
There was a soft knock on the door and Hoot came in. Wordless he simply got down and lay on the floor in jeans and a t-shirt. He lay on the linoleum floor and closed his eyes.
"Time won't be a problem," Randy murmured under his breath. Trying not to mope in his problem he looked to Hoot, "How's your love life going?"
I glanced down at Hoot who remained silent.
Not even a twitch.
Randy looked to me.
Being the highest-ranking NCO in the room even though rank meant nothing to us, it was up to me to burst the bubble. "Are you going to propose or what?"
Nothing.
Randy rolled his eyes and tugged at a string.
God I was so happy to be married.