On the other side of the city, a young man in his early twenties was walking around the city, with a German Shepard at his side. The young man had groomed brown hair, fair skin, and green eyes and was dressed in a black police uniform and hat. This young man was Jacob Bramble, and he came back to New York after finishing his services in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The German Shepard, named Achilles, walked like a soldier lifting up his legs with grace and had a stoic expression on his face.
The two stopped by a sign and the young man looked cautiously around, making sure the scenery was safe. Jacob was bored to see everything was the same as before.
"Well Achilles," the young man said. "Everything seems to be the same everyday. Nothing exciting just yet, but maybe we could both use some peace and quiet."
Achilles looked up to his master and gave him a nod. The German Shepard had recently been paired up with Jacob, shortly after the man received a promotion. The two continued to walk until they came up to a poster reading, Dumbo's Flying Circus has landed in the Big Apple! Performances start tomorrow until Sunday!
"Well what do you know?" Jacob said, smiling for the first time. "Maybe my buddies and I can pay a visit to watch the show? What do you think Achilles?"
The German Shepard rolled his brown eyes, as he was not clearly interested in having fun. For the past two years, he worked with other experienced police officers and worked well with them. When Jacob got transitioned, and got paired with the dog, the German Shepard resented being paired with a rookie, as he thinks rookies are lazy and have no great potential of working with the NYDP.
"Look boy, I know you're not a party animal; but every once in a while, we could all use some rest and recreation to enjoy life for a little while," he said.
Jacob and Achilles continue to walk around the streets. The young man looked around; people were walking, cars and trucks driving through the streets, and vendors were selling food and newspapers to passerby's. He came up to a peanut stand and bought a bag, paying the seller and began to sing;
"Rest and Recreation"
(Jacob)
"Four years at the front
Give a man a zest
For a little rest
And recreation
For the chance to hunt
For the spiciest
In the way of rest
And recreation
Give me your girls of pleasure
Your grapes of Merlot
Show me your wares and measure
One large sample
Sample them at my leisure
This three-day furlough
Should be ample"
He came up to a hobo sitting on a bench. The young man felt sympathy and gave the bag of peanuts to the hobo. The ragged man looked up and gave him a thankful smile.
"I have born the brunt
Of a copper's test
Now I've made my way
Where I get to play
At rest and recrea-"
Jacob stopped singing, and his mind was flashed back to the year before. He remembered the day as if it were yesterday. Last year on December 7, 1941, the military base in Pearl Harbor received an unexpected attack from Japan. It was a perfectly clear Sunday filled with clear blue skies and crystal clear oceans. He remembered seeing the enemy planes flying above, dropping torpedoes and bombs, the explosions of ships in the harbor, the smell of sulfur and the smoke growing larger in the air like tornadoes. His friends and mentors he knew had died and deeply devastated him.
(Jacob)
"Four years at the front
Four years at the front"
(Voices)
"Cannon fodder lying in the waters below the harbor
Is this the third week or the fourth week of the attack?
The air filled with a stench of bodies in a trench"
(Jacob)
"Whoever pays the most I call 'Leader'"
(Voices)
"Summoned here to New York now
I'm far away from battle
From clotting blood and rotting wounds
Of dead and dying men"
(Jacob and voices)
"And whatever I do
I'll make sure this is true…"
Jacob made a firm face, promising himself never to face tragedy and war, sang;
"I will never go back again!"
Jacob came back to his reality, and encountered a young lady with pale skin, brown eyes, and short curly black hair styled in a bob. She wore a pretty sky blue dress and simple black heels. He took her hand and kissed the back, making her blush as he sang;
"Darling, to be blunt
You are with the best
That's why I've been blessed
With this promotion"
He walked away encountering every lady, admitting about his plans and how he promised to do his best to be a police officer in New York City. He ended his song as he saw the entrance into Central Park, and decided to head in there, hoping to find something there,
"The crème of the crop
Now I'm gonna be
This city's finest cop
Ain't that a notion?
Like other true cops
I've got ambition
But for a few nights
Fun is my mission
So what do you say
Care to share a day
Of rest and recreation!"
The law enforcement duo continued along the sidewalks of Central Park, absorbing in the fresh air and admiring the peace and quiet. The young man took a deep breath through his nose to smell the fresh cut grass, and the sweet scented flowers from the gardens. Their moment silence was then shattered by a woman's cry.
"Stop! Give me back my purse!"
Jacob and Achilles hurried over to see a thug pulling away a lady's purse. The lady was fearful and attempted to keep a tight grip on it, but she lost her grasp and the thief held the purse in his hands, giving an evil laugh! With that, he ran away in the opposite direction of the defenseless woman.
Jacob grew angry at the sight, and looked down to see Achilles growl and turned into defense mode. The young man unclipped the leash off from the German Shepard's collar, and commanded, "Achilles, sic 'em!"
Achilles obeyed his master and began to run after the purse thief. The dog was growling and barking angrily, his growls sounded like thunder rattling a person's bones. The adrenaline in his sympathetic nervous system made him pick up his pace and only told him to focus on catching the thief. Jacob followed after his canine companion, picking up his pace faster, and prayed that the thief wouldn't get away. Little did Jacob know that he would not only meet new friends, but he would meet a certain woman that would be his soul mate.
The song "Rest and Recreation" is from the musical, The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
