CHAPTER 3: WELCOME HOME?

Billings, Montana

The Ray family home

Kevin made it to a white house in a nice neighborhood. He had his belongings on him and looked like he knew the people that lived there. He knocked on the door and waited. An older woman came out of the house and looked at the AWOL soldier with some shock.

"Kevin?!" she gasped.

"Hey, ma," said Kevin.

"Your father and I got a call from the marines asking if we've seen you. What's going on?"

"Let me in and I'll tell you everything." And Kevin and his mother went inside. Once inside, she made him a cup of coffee and sat down in a chair in the living room. Kevin explained that after being bumped back to Private First Class, he decided to leave the marines.

"Unfortunately, unlike a normal job, you just can't quit the military," Kevin admitted, "but no one in the corps respected me. That apple-polisher Jennings got promoted to Corporal, probably on his way to being Sergeant himself!"

"Kevin, you need to turn yourself in," said his mother. "It's not wise to play with the marines."

"I have no intentions of doing that, ma," said Kevin. "I'm sorry, but that's how it is. I came to see if you had any cash you can loan me. I'm running low. When I make it to Canada, I'll pay you back."

"Your father figured you'd come see us. He told me not to-"

Before she could finish her train of thought, Kevin's father walked in the house.

"Martha, I'm home!" he announced. "Crazy day at the factory. You should have heard what Howie said to-" He noticed his son sitting on the couch. "What the hell is HE doing here?!"

"Good to see you too, dad," said Kevin, sarcastically.

"You didn't give him any money, did ya, Martha?!" he asked his wife.

"No, Garrett," said Martha. "Just as you were walking in, I was about to tell Kevin that you said not to give him any money."

"That's right!" snarled Garrett. "My own son, a goddamned deserter!"

"Let me explain, dad-"

"THERE'S NOTHING TO EXPLAIN! You took an oath to not only the Marine Corps, but also to this country to serve and protect! Now if you have any kind of maturity left in you, I doubt it, though, you'd do the right thing and turn yourself in. MAYBE, I'll return some respect then."

"You don't care to hear the reason why I left, huh?"

"You damn right, I don't. Now get the fuck out of my house before I call the military police myself. I'm still going to, but because you're my son, I will, at the very least, give you a head start. But, that ALL I'm giving you, because you're not getting one red cent from me or your mother! But, like I said, if you have any common sense left, you'd do the right thing and turn yourself in and deal with the consequences of deserting the marines. Now LEAVE!"

Kevin got up to leave, as Garrett opened the door. He looked back at his mother.

"Take care of yourself, ma," he said. After a brief glare at his father, he left the house. And Garrett slammed the door behind him. Kevin was now between a rock and a hard place. He had very little cash left, and his parents weren't going to help him. He didn't have any siblings, and most of his friends moved away from Billings years ago. He went to the abandoned barn he had sheltered in to sleep and then he'd plan out his next move.

NEXT CHAPTER: DINNER ANNOUNCEMENT