-I've been doing an awful lot of thinking over the past couple weeks. I don't think I have to tell anybody about what. I debated on whether or not to post this, and I think it took me all but about three seconds to decide. This doesn't necessarily reflect all my opinions and my feelings, but a lot of it is. I'm not trying to offend anyone, and I don't really see how this story would, but just in case I thought I'd at least warn you before you read this. I meant for this to be uplifting, so I hope it has the same affect for you that it did for me. It's a tribute to the human spirit and resolve.
-This story isn't about any terrorist attack. It's about how it changed the life of one person, and how his change affected and changed the people around him. This story doesn't follow the normal storyline at all, and puts several of the characters in different roles and in a different location. I guess you could say this is an alternate reality fic. This doesn't take place in Japan, but in rural Southern America. The story just wouldn't have worked if the characters were Japanese instead of American.
-Paragraphs in italics represent narration from Kari as she expresses the thoughts and feelings of her and the people closest to her brother Tai. Paragraphs in bold italic print represent narration from Davis as Sora's reading his letter. Hope that prevents any possible confusion.
Always a Hero
"I'll never forget what happened on September 11 2001, but not as much for the tragedy that struck on that date. Don't get me wrong, it shook me up worse then most others for I just happened to be in New York on the morning it happened… I was on my Senior Class trip, and I couldn't tell you how excited I was. A little country girl running around the big city for the first time, and of course I had my little digital camera around my neck snapping pictures of everything in sight. Little did I know just what I was going to be capturing that morning… Smoking buildings, people fleeing in the streets, and pictures of the north tower actually crumbling… I even caught a picture of a poor man falling from a window, that I didn't even know I had until my film was developed. I promptly ripped that thing to shreds and through it in the trash rather then ever have to lay eyes on it again. Even if he did look like just a spec from the distance I was away when I snapped the picture. The thing that really creeps me out is that my class was supposed to visit those same buildings about ten o'clock that afternoon… Of course by that time the same towers that took my breath away when we first drove into town were nothing but piles of ruble on the ground."
"Like I said before, the attack will always be secondary when I think about that day. The one thing that will always stick out in my mind is the change my brother went through after it happened… I called home a few hours later to tell everybody what I'd seen. It didn't really cross my mind to call before hand, because I was too far away to be in any real danger anyway. I should've thought about it though, because I know I would've been worried to death about them if our situations were reversed. Hell, the first thing I did after hearing the explosion and taking in what happened was hunt down my boyfriend TK to make sure he and the guys hadn't decided to take an early trip to the Trade Center. Thank God he was still at the hotel. Anyway, when I called home my brother Tai answered the phone, and of course he freaked. He, mother, and TK's brother Matt had been nervous wrecks since they heard the news. They tried to get in touch with us and anybody else from our school, but became frantically worried when they couldn't get in touch with anybody. After cursing me out for not getting in touch with them sooner, and praising God about twenty times that we were alright, things finally got back to normal… Well, as normal as things could've been under the circumstances, but that all changed once I got back home…"
"I'd never seen Tai so upset and angry in my life. This thing really hit him hard. He took it very personal, and though I wasn't sure back then, now I don't think it would've mattered that I happened to be so close to ground zero or not. It was strange, but it kind of made me proud of him in a way. Strange because cracking jokes about the government was a daily routine for him, and he never had a nice thing to say about a New Yorker. He said it was because he'd always seen them as rude and uncaring people, but I really think it was more of a Yankee, Southerner thing. Of course that opinion changed once he saw how they all banned together after the disaster. I really think it changed his entire view of humanity in general, and his patriotism rose like I'd never seen it before. If it was there, he never showed it to even a 1/3 of the extent he was then. The first thing he did once we got back was drag us, his wife Sora, and Matt to the Red Cross to donate blood. It was the only thing any of us could do at the time anyway. He grabbed one of my Old Navy shirts that I didn't wear anymore, and cut the flag out of the middle of it. Somehow he managed to make a little armband from it, and I swear he wore it everywhere he went for weeks. I remember one afternoon when one of those news shows was showing some footage of some people in the Middle East celebrating the bombing, Tai literally threw the remote through the TV screen. He muttered something about anyone sick enough to celebrate the deaths of thousands of innocent people was… Well, on second thought I'd rather not repeat it. It all boiled over one afternoon when he and Matt took a trip to the mall. Tai overheard a couple of disgusting guys snickering and cracking jokes about the bombing, and I guess Tai just finally snapped. Tai literally beat both of them within an inch of there lives, and from what I heard, in front of a cheering and equally as angry crowd. I'm not sure if that part disturbs me or not… On both counts. Matt said he'd never seen Tai act like that in his life, and for the first time he was actually afraid of him."
"I appreciate that he felt the need to protect us, but I'll never understand why he felt he had to do it thousands of miles away. He had so much to live for right here! He and Sora had just celebrated their first wedding anniversary, and they had their first child already three months along the way… He said he finally understood his calling. He wanted to defend his freedom and his family from the same people that were so willing to take it all away from him, and he couldn't do that sitting at home on the couch… So he enlisted in the army. At least he managed to talk some sense into TK. TK was going to be eighteen in a few weeks, and he was more then ready to enlist right along with him. Tai convinced him, actually threatened, that he better stay behind and take care of me if he knew what was good for him. He told TK if he ever found him overseas he'd shoot him down himself. We all knew he never would, but TK got the hint. I'm really glad Tai did that too… It was hard enough to accept that he was going of to war. I don't think I could've been able to stand it if TK was to go to… Having to worry if either one of them was ever going to come home. I remember the day he left all to well… I hugged him good-bye, and I really didn't want to let him go."
"If I keep hanging on to you will you stay?"
"Sorry Kari. I've made up my mind, I'm going to do this." Tai put on his best smile. "Please don't make it any harder on me then it already is. Remember I love you, and I'll try my best to make it back for the wedding."
"I'm going to hold you to that." Kari gave him one last squeeze before letting him go.
TK put his arm around his brand new fiancée, with a solemn but understanding tint shining in his eyes as he looked at Tai. "Well, at the very least you'll finally get that haircut we've been bugging you about for six years now!"
Tai ruffled TK's hair. "I'm even going to miss you, you little runt! You better take good care of my sister now, understand me? And keep your hands off of her until your married! Just because I'm not here, doesn't mean the rules change. If I come back, your still engaged and I'm already an uncle, you're a dead man got me?"
Tai hugged them both one last time, and then took a long look at his long time friend Matt. "Well buddy… It may be a long time before we ever get a chance to tare up the town again… I'm going to miss you."
"Me too… You know I'd be right there with you if I could, but the army wouldn't take me after I hurt my knees playing football…"
"I know man. There's nothing you can do about that. Besides, I need you to take care of things for me back here."
Matt wasn't one to show much emotion, but this one time he was letting himself go a little. He was facing the grim realization that he may never see his best friend again. Slightly misty eyed, Matt threw his arms around his friend and patted him on the back. "You make sure to watch yourself okay?"
Caught off guard at first, Tai happily returned the display of affection soon after. "I promise I will."
Tai had one last obstacle to get through before he left, but sadly that one would be the equivalent to climbing a mountain. His wife's face was soaked and red, obvious signs that tears had passed down her lovely features not that long before hand, but she did her best to keep her eyes dry for Tai's sake during this critical moment. "Sora… I've tried to brace myself for how hard it would be to leave you, but no matter how hard I practiced I knew I could never be prepared when the time came."
"Dido… I know there's nothing I can do to stop you Tai, and I wouldn't try to if there were. Just remember we'll be here waiting for you when you get back." Sora smiled, and placed her hand on her stomach.
"Two more reasons to live." Tai gave her one last long and lingering Kiss. "I can't promise I'll live through this, but I can promise I'll do my best to make it back to you. I love you, and that goes for the rest of you guys too."
"As soon as his bus was out of sight, all four of us immediately started a long chorus of crying. At the time I really don't think any of us ever expected to see him again… Now all we could do was wait, and watch the TV as the war dragged. Eight long months dragged by… I lost count of all the days we spent waiting in fear… Nearly feeling our hearts stop every time we heard a knock on the door, wondering if it was someone coming to tell us what we thought was the inevitable. Then one day… The moment we feared most finally seemed to dawn…"
"Sora and I nearly broke into tears the moment we opened the door, and we saw the young man dressed in a soldiers uniform. We started to feel slightly relieved when he didn't give us the news we were dreading right away… In fact, he seemed kind of cheerful when he asked to come inside, and he kind of scared us when he called us all by name. TK held me comfortingly as Sora leaned against Matt for support as he looked around the house. His name was Davis Montoymia, and he walked with a rather obvious limp. He couldn't have been much older then TK and I were, so it was hard for us to believe this boy had just escaped from a horrid war zone. With his boyish features he really did look like an eight-year-old boy trapped in a man's body. He didn't say much except that he was a friend of Tai's, and only stayed long enough to give us a manila envelope. He told Sora to read it aloud to the rest of us, because he thought we'd find it interesting. We held our breaths, as Sora slowly ripped open that envelop. Sora's eyes widened as all she found was several sheets of paper that were written on only in the front. We never would've expected to hear what we heard when Sora began to read the words that were written there…"
"Hello Sora, Kari, or whoever else may be reading this. The following is a series of some old journal entries I've jotted down about my experiences in the armed forces. I'm sorry if I scared you at all, but I guess I owe you a bit of an explanation. I've gotten to know your Tai quite well over the past few months. We trained together, and we wound up in the same company when we were shipped off to the front lines. Actually we were bunkmates, and I've heard a lot about you guys because of it. There were many nights where I'd stay up late at night listening to him tell me stories about his life back home. He really thought the world of you guys you know. I'll admit that I didn't like him all that much the first time I met him. I thought he was just some hayseed hillbilly who chose fighting for Uncle Sam rather than sweat it out on daddy's farm. I thought he was arrogant, immature, self-centered, and flat out had no clue what real life was all about. After getting to know him better, and looking back at our past experiences, I realize that description much better described myself. Tai wasn't the most popular recruit around camp, but he was probably the most respected. He always followed orders, never complained, and always pushed himself to take that one last step even when his body refused to move. He never said a whole lot, and never got to chummy with any of the other soldiers. It's kind of an unwritten law in the military to stay close to those in your unit to more effectively work as one, but never get to close to one person for the emotional damage that would occur if you lost that person."
"Now that I look back upon those first few weeks I realize what my true problem with him was. I was jealous of him. He came from a good home, with family that loved him waiting back home for him. I was the son of a retired veteran turned steel worker, who saw nothing more in me then a way to relive his past glory days. The thing that really hurt me though was that I was there training for his war because I had to be. Sure I was angry over what happened, and like many others I was suddenly spoon-fed a strong dose of American pride. I wanted to think of myself as being there because I wanted to fight for my country, but I just couldn't feel that way because I was pressured into it. Tai on the other hand, was the exact opposite. Here he was for the love of his country, to protect the people he loved, and defend freedom. He left his pregnant wife, family, and friends all behind to fight for what he believed in. I didn't even bother to kiss my girlfriend goodbye when I left… He stood for everything I wanted to stand for, and was looked at in a way I wanted people to look at me. I realize that was why I hated him so much at first… He made me feel ashamed of myself."
"I'll remember the day my opinion of him changed forever, or for the rest of my natural life at least. It was only a few days after we got out of training, and our unit was almost immediately shipped off to the battlefront. This probably isn't very surprising, but spirits weren't very high among the group of men and several women. Sure we all talked tough, about how great America was, and how we couldn't wait to show the enemy who was boss, but of course once we actually got to the front lines that perspective dropped off the charts. You'd be surprised how fast pride and courage will disappear once your staring death right in the face. We knew we could be thrown into the pits of battle at any day now. A lot of us began to ask why we were here, and what were we really fighting for? Sure, we loved our country and we were pissed off to high hell over what they did to us, but was it really worth giving our lives over? Our commanding officer tried to rally us, but he wasn't much of a motivational speaker. He was a brave and heroic man, but had some well published flaws in his personality. What's that old expression we use to have for him?… Oh yeah! He'll save your life, then sleep with your wife. Anyway, he asked the crowd if anyone wanted to say a few words. You could almost hear crickets chirping there was such a hush over the crowd. Most just hung their heads, and wallowed in the incredibly somber mood in the camp. All but one of us that is. Though today I wouldn't have been so surprised, that night I didn't expect Tai to jump up on that crate so suddenly. Everyone's eyes fell on him as he just cursed us out in every possible way you could imagine. For those of us who were lucky enough to survive the battles that lay ahead, I truly believe the words he pounded into our hearts and minds will stay with us for the rest of time."
"What's the matter with you people?! Just a few nights ago you were all bragging about how we were going to run over these worthless bastards, and now ya'll look like your standing around waiting for someone to come along and shoot you! Are ya'll scared?! Are you guys afraid to die?! If you're afraid then say so!"
"Tai's rather somber audience remained quiet. There were several no's , of course not's, and other various patriotic lines that were halfhearted at best. Strong words but in reality, what use to look like a platoon of tough and gritty men and women now resembled more of a playground of frightened children. One particular soldier's comment managed to fuel Tai's fire more then anything. Of course that solider just happened to be me. I don't even remember exactly what I said. It just didn't seem important afterwards. He ignored responding to me directly, but somehow I sensed some of what he said next was directed towards me."
"Well, it's nice to hear that some of you aren't afraid… 'Cause I sure am. I'm scared to death. I don't savor a life where I have to wake up each morning wondering if this is the last sunrise I'm ever going to see. I don't want to die. When I think about what I got at home and how much I miss it back there, sometimes it makes me want to jump out of bed in the middle of the night and run and keep running until I see the light from my front porch glowing. I left my wife there one week after our 1st wedding anniversary, and it pains me to know I might not be around to celebrate a second. It kills me to know I have an unborn child on the way I may never get to hold, or even see for that matter! It hurts to think about those things… That I might never get to eat my mother's home cooking again. That I may never hear my best friend make fun of my hair or the way I talk again… That I might not get the chance to walk my sister down the aisle at her wedding like I always promised her I would…"
By then I think Tai had gotten everyone's attention, and in particular, mine. I think he caught a lot of us off guard with the way his speech started. I know this is mostly my opinion, but I do believe most of the others were thinking the same thing I was while listening to the words coming out of his mouth. Tai always had the image of being one of the toughest, most determined, and proudest of all of us. He'd always been looked at as someone who seemed rather fearless. To hear him share his own fears and doubts with us really made him seem, for the first time in my eyes at least, rather well… Human.
"No, I don't want to die… But I'm willing to. For them if anybody. I swore on my daddy's grave I'd protect them from anything, and that includes any shit eating bastard that dares to threaten them! Sure I can run away and live now, but I'd rather die out there protecting them rather then eighty years from now lying in some hospital bed wishing I'd done it differently. I wouldn't disgrace them, or myself by doing that! I think we forget why we're here sometimes. Whenever I start to ask myself what I'm fighting for, I always give myself the same answer. My friends, my country, my family, myself, and the thousands of people in New York and D.C. that died because some spineless son of a bitch that decided he wanted to play God! What did we ever do to them? Nothing! They think because we don't believe in what they do that that gives them a right to kill us! It's funny because I was always one of those guys who kept saying we need to leave Israel alone, but it's gone far beyond that now! That does not sell them a ticket to do what they did! This wasn't an attack on our government. This wasn't even an attack on our country, it was an attack on nobody! They didn't give a damn who they hurt as long as they took out a lot of people. It was an attack on every single one of us! It was an attack on everything this country stands for, and everything we believe in! They tried to violate our right to freedom, and infringed on our God given right to live! I remember the day it happened. I was shocked, upset, and angry. Then I looked at my wife… Then I looked at my sister… I saw how sad they were over what happened. How afraid they were that it might happen again. Then I started to think about all those people, and how easily it could've been someone I loved buried underneath that rubble. My sister was only a couple miles away from the Trade Center when the planes hit… Hell, her class was supposed to tour those buildings later that afternoon for God's sake! If those bastards had waited another hour or two, she would've been caught in there. That's what scares me to death it was so close, and that's when I knew I had to take a stand."
In some way I think Tai touched at least a little part of what everyone of us had been feeling since we left home. I felt my heart sink a little when I saw the tears well in his eyes when he started to talk about his sister. I'd never heard anything about this sister even being in New York at the time. That's when I realized that must be what lit Tai's fire so brightly. Maybe that's why Tai was so driven, while I couldn't seem to warm the thermostat to half that temperature. I noticed a couple of the guys I knew that had family and friends who were killed in the Trade Center bombings start to tear up slightly as Tai talked about it. I felt a slight wetness at my cheek when I noticed I was starting to cry as well.
"That's why I'm here. I'm here to represent everyone out there who can't represent themselves! If I would've walked into camp two years ago, most of you would've looked at me as nothing but a hayseed hick! I'm sure some of you even do now. For most people, things changes drastically a few months ago. I looked at the people on TV and the people around me. I watched the people working through the rubble, and lined up at the Red Cross giving blood. As I was watching them I noticed something. There were men and women, Black, White, and Asian. New Yorkers, Texans, lawyers, and hippies! I was wondering if anyone else really noticed, and when I got to thinking about it I had to say I don't think most people did. It just didn't matter anymore, except for the one thing that bound us all together. We were American! When everything fell apart we all pulled together like we hadn't since Pearl Harbor! Some might criticize that, and ask why does it take a disaster like this for the American people to pull together? That's the American spirit is what that is! When things are at there darkest we stop fighting each other and stand side by side one another, and that's what makes this the greatest country on Earth!"
Tai had to pause a moment when a wave of hoots and cheers filled the air, from some those particularly into the speech. For most of us though, including myself, I think we had lulled into a trance. You could literally feel the mood shift in the air, and do a completely 360. Right there I think we all realized we weren't just watching a fellow solider and fellow American standing before us, but were listening and watching a leader being born right in front of our eyes. I hate to be repetitive, but a lot of things became so much clearer to me that night.
"I also saw some things that bothered me too. I saw people lashing out at others who didn't deserve, just because they resembled the people who did this to us. I saw a lot of people running scared, stocking up on can goods, and barricading themselves inside their homes like they were afraid the Russians were going to bomb or something! Well, those who are doing that are only letting the terrorist's win! They want us to cower in fear of them, knowing they can get to us at anytime they want. What else could they have possibly had to achieve by this?! I for one will not live in fear! That can't break my sprit, and I will live everyday of my life just like I had before September 11th! They will not change me! They think they're sending a message! All they proved is that they're worthless cowards with no value of human life whatsoever! These bastards don't realize what they've done. They either thought we wouldn't find them, or we wouldn't be able to do anything if we did. Well, since the day this happened we already had the boot lined up, we just needed to find an ass to drive it into! They wanted to get our attention. Well, they got our attention. Now what the hell are they going to do?! An old Japanese diplomat stated after bringing the States into WWII 'I fear we may have awoken a sleeping giant.' Well, they didn't just reawake the giant, they flat out pissed it off! You see guys, you have to remember something. We're not the ones that have to be afraid here. We're the ones breaking down the door to their house. They're the ones shaking in their boots and huddling themselves in corners waiting for us to come. We don't have to beat them, they have to beat us! Oh yeah, you got our attention. Now they're going to have to deal with the consequences. The only difference between us is that when we hit them, they'll see us coming!"
I looked at the faces around me in the midst of another wave of cheers, and shouts. Everything was completely different. The sad and desperate expressions that dominated the regiment were long gone, but by no means were there any happy ones either. I could see intensity, pride, and clarity ravishing the features of every man and woman. Like reality had just slapped us in the face, and we all stared back at it in defiance. I could still smell fear, but it seemed to be a moot point at the moment. That's when my eyes caught a glimpse of the American flag waving about the fort. I think I might've been the last, but now I truly knew just why I was here. I clinched the rifle in my hands as I gritted my teeth, and joined in the rally with the others. We were all ready to literally walk straight into to hell.
"Some might say there's always another way. That we should think twice before retaliating for what was done to us. After all it's not our place to judge people, it's the Lord's place. We'll they're right, but it's just not as simple as that. We will not allow scum like this to kill innocent, and threaten the rest of us! We have to defend ourselves, and we can only hope and pray he'll understand and forgive us… Others may ask what's the point of taking out one guy when somebody just as bad or even worse might take his place? You can't kill them all. All I have to say to this is bullshit! This way we've taken down at least one of them, and we'll take on each and every one that comes after him if we have to! It also sends the message to everyone else that this is what happens when you try to spread terror and fear, and that we're sure as hell not going to stand for it anymore! The same thing goes for us. You can blow up our buildings and slaughter the innocent, but you can't kill the American spirit, it only makes us stronger! The exact same philosophy applies to us. They can kill me, but there'll be someone else right behind me to take my place. Sure as hell as they try, you can't kill America!"
That's when Tai fell silent, and a hush came over the rowdy crowd. Tai reached down his shirt and held out his dog tags along with the cross he'd worn around his neck since he was twelve. He stared at them for a moment before looking up at the flag. I wish someone would've had a camera on hand because that shot would've been perfect to describe the mood and ideals for Americans in this war. Not unlike the moment that was captured when our troops raised the flag at Iwo Jima during WWII. I don't know, maybe somebody did. It wouldn't surprise me at all it ends up in a newspaper somewhere. Of course it wouldn't mean half as much to anyone who wasn't there at the time, but that's besides the point."
"One of my neighbors use to raise the flag first thing every morning. I'll admit that I use to look at it, and ask myself what was the big deal about it? I understand what the big deal is now. It stands for everything we believe in and have fought for, and now it's under attack. My only dream is to one-day make it back home, and that dream may turn out to be too much to ask. However, it's a dream worth fighting for, and they're going to have to kill me to stop me. If they do, if God will allow me a little more time before he calls my immortal soul up with him, I'll chase them around from my own grave! I guess that's all I have to say right now. Just allow me to ask you one more question. Why are you guys here?"
"Tai couldn't have chosen a better time, for within the next twenty four hours we got our first chance to put that spirit to work. Apparently, there was a big battle going down near a little town not that far away from where we were stationed. The battle was ragging on neck and neck, but news had been received that a large force of enemy troops was headed their way, and we were called in for reinforcements. We arrived first, and when we got there our side had a clear upper hand. Only a few scattered enemy troops were left behind after their forces were driven out of town, but they were just enough to help boost our confidence and heighten our spirits. Something happened in that little village that changed my views on the world for the rest of my life. I had been attacked by someone I'd thought was an enemy infantryman when he started throwing rocks at me. I guess he thought he'd lost me, but I tracked him down as he fled into a small house. I screamed and pointed my gun in his direction only to find him covering up a woman and four rather small children. I didn't even really realize at that time he was just a local villager trying to protect his family. I'd like to think it was only the adrenalin that had my finger squeezing against that trigger, but lucky for me Tai just happened to storm in after me and prevented me from doing something I know I'd learn to regret."
"Davis! Stand down now!" Tai pushed my gun down, and stood in front of me. He pointed his gun at the man only to make sure he didn't make any sudden moves.
"He attacked me!" I shouted dumbly. "I thought he was one of…"
"Well he's not, so you can back off now! I'll handle this."
Suddenly, the man surprised us when he started begging off to us in perfect English. "Please don't kill us! We've done nothing to you! I was only trying to protect my family! We just want this nightmare to end! Please don't kill us…"
Tai's expression didn't change, as he motioned for the man to stand up. "Come on, get up! Nightmare huh? No, you haven't done anything to deserve this, but thousands of innocent people in my homeland were killed by people your government is trying to protect! They didn't deserve it, but they all lost their lives anyway! What's the difference between you and them?"
The man kept a straight face, as his knees shook violently. I felt a lot of my own aggression and hate diminish as I watched his wife and kids cowering in fear behind him. "If you have to then please just kill me, and let them go! Please, I'm pleading with you…"
"No, I'm not going to kill. Because that's not our way. I know what you're going through. The reason I'm here is to protect my family from the kind of people who came to my land and savagely killed thousands that could've easily been members of my family. They might place no value on life, but I'm not about to stoop to their level. I won't let them change me."
The man looked confused, but still trembled behind the barrel of Tai's rifle. "But I have no control over that… What can I do? We just want this nightmare to end!"
"You want this nightmare to end?! I'll tell you what you can do! You go and ask your government why they support murderers and criminals! If you're too afraid too, then that's your real problem right there. If you want to blame anyone for this blame them, and the scum they protect. They're the reason you're all suffering right now. Rally everyone you know and anyone that'll listen, go to your government and demand they give us who we want! It's not until then that his nightmare's going to end. The one you and I have been living for months now."
"That's when Tai lowered his gun, and walked out of the little hut. I followed him out dumbly, leaving the fearful family behind us. I'd like to think I would've at least let the children and woman live, but I'm not really sure in the charged up state I was in. After all, they seemed to represent everything I'd grown to hate and despise over the months. Tai had shown me something I never really expected to see on the battlefield. Compassion in the midst of a war driven on vengeance and anger. He refused to let the enemy change the way he looked at life. As he joked with me a little later about that old expression of fighting fire with fire, he said he'd always found that water was the best weapon for that. By watching him, I decided that's the way I wanted to approach this war and my life from then on."
"After that day, the jealousy and distain I originally felt for him gave way to respect and what really had to be awestruck admiration. He took me under his wing I guess you can say, and we became friends somewhere along the way. His views on life amazed me with their simplicity, yet they were so noble at the same time. He struck me as the kind of person who most people looked at themselves as, but very few actually were."
" The weeks past by with very little action to speak of, but eventually the day came we all knew would sooner or later. This wasn't going to be a little romp through a tore up town after the fact, this day we'd actually be thrust into the front lines. We all must've had at least a small sensation of fear and doubt in the pit of our stomach's, but moral wasn't much of a problem for our little unit. We hit that battlefield with our heads held high, and a spirit all the oceans combined couldn't douse. I swear we thought there was nothing that could kill or beat us. For a lot of us however, we'd find out in the hardest of ways that just wasn't true. I myself almost had to admit my own mortality that day. The stench of blood and death was so rampant in the air, it made me want to puke and I think I may have at least once. I knew things were going to be bad, but I never imagined they'd be like that… I guess I let myself think about it too much, and as it turns out thinking is one of the worst possible things you can do on the battle field. I let myself get lost in my thoughts, and I got a bullet in my side and another in my leg as punishment. I don't know how long I laid there, but it was long enough for me to accept the fact that I was going to die. I kind of got that impression when the intense pain suddenly stopped, and the sky above me suddenly seemed to freeze in time. I had all but excepted the cold hands of death to greet me, when guess who came along."
"Judging from the look I saw on his face, I guess I must've been in pretty bad shape. I would've told him to save himself and forget about me, but I only had enough strength to gurgle out his name along with a gush of blood. I couldn't make out what he said to me, but I could sense him tying something around my waist and leg. I suddenly felt some strength seep back into my body, at least enough to wiggle around my appendages. The next thing I knew Tai had me up in his arms, and hauled my carcass the heck out of there. As I would hear latter, I was one of several people he helped to see a few extra sunsets. I can remember telling him thank you right before passing out from all the blood I'd lost. When I woke up, I was lying in a bed at a nearby hospital camp. I'll probably have this limp for the rest of my life because of my wounds, but I was alive. Oddly enough it was the bullet that entered through my side and tore up a nerve that slightly crippled me, and not the shot to the leg which was relatively minor."
"I guess what I'm getting at is that Tai not only saved my life during our campaign together, but he just might've saved my soul. I was a punk kid going nowhere until I met him, and I do believe he changed my life for the better. He made me see what it really meant to be an American, and more importantly what it meant to be a human being. I haven't seen him since that day he dragged my but off the battlefield. The only news I've heard on his status was from one of our commanding officers that stopped by to visit the wounded men. He informed me that Tai had been slightly wounded when a bullet struck his shoulder, and they gave him the option of being discharged with the others once he healed. He turned the offer down flat, saying he was here to see this fight through to the end, or die while trying. I wouldn't have expected anything less of him. I don't know whether he's still alive or not today, but I have a good feeling. I just can't see God letting a man like that die, who has done so much good for everyone around him. Oh, and did I tell you that's another thing he did for me? I never held too much faith in God before I came into this war. Let's just say that I believe in him now."
"It happened while Tai was trying to hoist me up to get me to safety. As he knelt down to pick me up, my eyes picked up a fast streak of light and it hit Tai dead in the chest. I panicked as I heard him grunt, and collapse to the ground. Using all the strength I had left in my body, I flopped myself over to check on him while I screamed out his name. To my surprise he giggled softly, and sat up rather gingerly. I stared at him in disbelief wondering how in the hell he was still breathing. That's when he reached into his shirt, and pulled out the small bible he always kept in his shirt pocket. Lodged in the middle, where the inscription use to be, was a red-hot bullet. By all means the thin sheets of paper should've been no problem for the bullet to tare through, but somehow it stopped short of piercing Tai's skin. There definitely had to be something else at work there. I'll never forget the look Tai gave me, or what he said next."
"I'll have to remember to say an extra prayer or two, and thank the Good Lord tonight. I think he might've just taken a bullet for me."
"In case you guys are still wondering why I gave you this letter, then I'll give you my best heart felt answer. Just in case Tai doesn't make it home, I thought you guys deserved to know just what he's meant to this country, and just what a prime example he is of what a human being really should be. He's been an inspiration to the American spirit, and I'm going to try my damnedest to make sure everyone knows about it! I didn't think it would be right to let his legacy fade away without anyone knowing just what he's meant to so many people. Sometimes I think that may be the reason why I lived through that day. I often asked myself why he was the man he was, and I think I have to contribute that to you people. You truly must've been special people for the way he speaks so highly of you on so many levels. Despite what might happen over the next few weeks I wanted you guys to know that your husband, your brother, your friend, if anybody he truly deservers the tile of 'Hero'. I wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for him, and I wouldn't have matured into the man I am at this moment. Through what I've learned from him, I can now look in the mirror every morning and finally honestly say I'm proud of what I see. I'm sure you'll be proud of him as well."
Sincerely,
Private Davis Montoymia
"I watched the tears start flowing freely from Sora's eyes as she cracked out the last few words in the young man's letter, and it made me notice I'd been crying as well. I'm not sure how long I had been, or even really the reasons why. Maybe because I still feared for his safety, was relieved there was still a chance he was still alive, or whether I was that touched by what Sora read in that letter. TK and Matt stared into nothing, wearing two of the most stunned and thoughtful looks I'd ever seen from anyone. I could tell they were experiencing the exact same emotions we were, but were merely expressing them in a different manner from the way we had. The way men do it without breaking down and crying I guess. Whatever it may have been, something touched our hearts in a way we've never felt before making the feeling that much more difficult to comprehend. My best guess would be pride. Tai had accomplished the one goal he'd set for himself before he'd left home. He had made a difference in a way that we, anyone else, and even Tai himself may never fully understand. The only soul who may ever understand might be this young kid whose life Tai had touched apparently for the better. I know I'd never been more proud to call Tai my brother then at that moment…"
"A few weeks later we heard the news over the television that the war was finally over… I guess we'd accomplished whatever we'd set out to accomplish, but I could've cared less about that. Maybe it was selfish of me, but the only thing that mattered to me was that Tai was finally coming home. I wouldn't even allow myself to even consider the possibility he might not. I had TK to thank for that. He'd told me from day one that if I gave up hope then what would I have left to hold on to? Tai wasn't with the initial wave of troops that arrived home from all the nearby towns. We still didn't give up hope though. After all, we had heard that the government was leaving a few soldiers overseas for a while to try to keep things in order over there. We sat back and waited, praying to God that he'd come walking through that door wearing that stupid egotistical grin of his. I never thought I'd miss it so much, but after spending nearly an entire year without seeing it spread from ear to ear, I'd do anything just to see it one more time. Another couple of days went by, the longest of my life I'd say if I didn't know better, and finally someone knocked on our front door…"
"TK, you might want to get that." Matt pointed at the front door. "The girls are upstairs, and I've got my hands full with the dishes."
"Funny, you never use to do the dishes at home!" TK giggled softly as he casually strolled towards the front door. He wasn't in any big rush since he assumed it was those kids from the church that went door to door just about every other Wednesday collecting donations for families that had been affected by the events leading up to, or the actual war itself. What TK had forgotten was that the kids had made their rounds last Wednesday…
TK took a peek through the peephole, and his eyes beheld a young man who was dressed in what was clearly a US military uniform. TK's heart sunk as logic was completely taken over by paranoid delusions. In other words, TK feared the worst as he slowly crept open the door. "Good afternoon sir… Can I help you?…"
TK was looking directly at the soldier's side as he peered out at the quiet country neighborhood. "Am I going crazy, or did you actually just call me sir?!"
The young man turned his head slowly, and TK was met with an all to familiar set of brown eyes and a smug grin. TK's face lit up in shock. He realized that he'd never seen his friend in full uniform, nor did he phantom ever doing so, and that prevented TK from recognizing him at first. With his heart doing summersaults inside his chest, TK could only manage a few stupid and overly obvious words out of his mouth as he wrapped his arms around his friend. "Tai! You're alive!"
Tai laughed and patted TK on the back. "Still keen on the obvious I see! So, are we brothers yet?"
TK wiped a tear from his eye after releasing his grip on him. "No, you made it with three weeks to spare! Kari wanted to give you at least a year before we got married. To tell the truth I could've waited a lot longer for her." TK was amazed by how different Tai looked. He seemingly aged a decade in the year's span he was gone, but his youthful features still gave him the look of a twenty-one year old. TK assumed that with the things Tai must've seen out there, that was merely natural.
"Don't be ridiculous TK! Kari's been looking forward to this for too long for you guys to put it off any longer! Even if I wasn't here, I'd have expected you to go through with it as planned."
"And you could tell that from half way around the world? We had just gotten engaged a couple days before you were shipped overseas…"
"That's true, but she's been wanting you to ask her since she was fifteen." Tai had to laugh for TK's only response was a bright blush forming on his cheeks.
Matt had walked into the living room, curious to what all the sudden commotion was about. "Hey TK! Who was at… the door…" The plate Matt was holding fell to the ground, and shattered at his feet as he watched his long lost friend walk into the house. "You son of a…"
Matt and Tai locked each other in a big bear hug, as they laughed and greeted each other. "What did you guys do after I left Matt? Move in?!"
Matt laughed in agreement. "Pretty much. After all, you were the one who told us to watch out for your girls weren't you?"
"My girls…" A thoughtful and thankful look crossed his face. "Where are they anyway? It's been so long…"
"They're upstairs. I'll go call them for." Matt walked over to the base of the stairs. He took a moment to compose himself, and then called up to them just like nothing special was going down. "Kari! Sora! Can you two come downstairs for a minute?! I've got something I want to show you!"
They heard Kari's voice call down to them from the second floor. "Hold on a second Matt! We're busy!"
Tai motioned for Matt to step aside. He cupped his hand over his mouth, and allowed his voice to catch the ears of his sister and wife for the first time in months. "Kari Kamiya! Get your butt down here right now before I go up there and get you!"
Kari's heart skipped a beat, or maybe even two. She and Sora froze and stared at each other blankly, looking into the exact same expression of disbelief and shock. Not wasting another second, Kari just barely avoided tumbling down the stairs after shooting out of her bedroom. She regained her balance, and gazed down the stairwell to find her brother waiting for her at the bottom. Tai giggled softly to himself as he watched Kari race down the stairs, and laughed out loud when she jumped into his arms. He squeezed the rather slender girl tightly, truly thankful to see she was still healthy and happy. Kari rambled some words that were rather undistinguishable through tears of joy, and rolled her forehead along his chest. "Ouch!" Kari pulled her head away when her forehead scraped across something sharp and metallic.
Sora admired the reunion from the top of the stairs, but her eyes were obviously focused on Tai. There he was standing there after returning home, just the way he had been in almost every one of her dreams since the day he left. However, this time it was real, or a maliciously cruel and realistic joke if it wasn't, and it took her breath away. She decided she could wait just a little bit longer, and slowly backed into the bedroom.
"Are you okay?" Tai examined the small scratch that developed on Kari's head.
"I'm fine, I can barely feel it." Kari examined his uniform to see if she could find the culprit that had scared her forehead. That's when she noticed several metallic objects dangling just below his left shoulder. Kari smiled, as she examined one of them that look somewhat like a heart. "What are these? Medals or something?"
Tai's cheeks turned pink. He smiled inside as he was very proud of them, but he wasn't the type who bragged. "Umm… Yeah. I don't think I really did anything to deserve them though. Particularly that one.
I wasn't really wounded, I just got nicked in the shoulder. Granted it was while I was knocking somebody else to the ground but…"
TK pointed at the engraving on one of the medals. "Corporal?"
Tai's face burned even brighter. "Um… Yeah. That's a long story too."
"Never mind about any of that right now." Kari let go, and straightened out Tai's uniform. "I know you must be dying to see Sora, and the…"
Tai finished Kari's sentence for her. "The baby… I can't believe I nearly forgot!"
"They're upstairs in the extra bedroom. Now what are you waiting for? Go see your wife, and your baby."
Tai climbed the staircase slowly, as he prepared himself to greet two of the people he wanted to see more than anything. Sora waited patiently for Tai to open the door, but that was as far as her patience was going to go. Tai was ambushed by Sora before he could place one foot inside the room, and she drove him back to the wall knocking his barrette off his head. Their lips met in a long hard kiss, as they both cried tears that had been waiting months to fall. "Tai! Your home, your finally home… I've been so worried…"
"I've missed you so much." They were still clutching on to each other tightly, as Tai kissed her on the cheek. "The one thing that kept me pushing on and striving to get through all this was the thought of coming home to you sooner or later. Don't you worry, because now that I'm home I'm never going to leave you again. I love you Sora…"
"I love you too…" Sora reached her hand up, and rubbed his head. "Your hair… Did they have to shave you bald?"
"I'm not bald, there's still a little bit up there! Don't worry, it'll all grow back eventually."
Sora grabbed him by the hand, and led him towards the bedroom. "Now come with me. Don't you want to meet your daughter?"
Tai's eyes lit up. "My daughter…"
Tai stood still and watched Sora dumbly as she carefully removed the five month old from her crib, making sure not to wake her. Tai's knees went numb as she placed the infant in his arms. Tears filled his eyes, savoring holding the sleeping angel in his arms for the first time. He may have appreciated this simple dream more then most fathers, for he knew how easily that simple dream may never have come true. "God, she's beautiful. I've already missed too much of your life. To think I'm meeting you for the first time, but I've known I loved you for over a year now…"
Sora's heart soared to new heights as she watched Tai inspect the little life lying in his arms. Not that she had to mind you, but she fell in love with him all over again as she watched him cuddle her. Tai kissed his baby girl on the forehead, inadvertently causing the baby to awaken. Her tiny eyes opened, revealing the exact same shade of brown as her fathers. Instead of crying like babies normally do when they first wake up, she smiled at the stranger, causing him to fall even more deeply in love with her.
"Oh that's so sweet…" Tai turned around to find that Kari, Matt, and TK had followed him upstairs. His sister had been the one to make the comment.
Matt grinned and patted his buddy on the shoulder. "So, does it feel good to be a father? Don't be getting any wild ideas now just because she looks just like me."
Tai had his mind set to whack his friend, but Sora beat him to it. "She does not!"
Tai laughed happily right before returning his daughter to his mother. He wrapped his arm around his wife's waist, and pulled his sister close to him, holding on to the family he'd missed so much. "You guys are the greatest... I can't begin to tell you how good it feels to be back home…"
I have to rectify my past statement, because it was this moment that I'd never been more proud to call Tai my brother. I think he spent half the night sitting in that rocker and holding that child in his arms, making up for lost time I guess. Most who knew him may have been surprised to see how gentle Tai could get at times like this, but Sora and I knew better. As we'd learn over the next few weeks, a lot of people, like Davis, looked up to Tai as a hero for many of the things he did while he was at war. This may sound weird to you, but we never looked at him any differently from the way we did before he left. We didn't have to. He was always a hero to us. Only now, everybody else knew it too.
End.
This is basically something I came up with on a whim, and decided I really needed to do. I'm sure I'm going to get flamed by somebody for doing this, but I don't really give a rat's ass. Thank you for reading.