A Day to Remember

Private Marcus Mahoney fell against the cold earth. The hot sun pressed against his sweaty forehead. He was a small man at five foot five with short sandy blonde hair that hung in his sky blue eyes like thick tan foliage. He was only nineteen years old, though he looked younger. His weak arm muscles strained to raise his body enough to see what hit him. It felt as though he'd been punched in the back. When he looked around, he saw nothing but the stillness of the jungle.

The warm, humid air was unbearable, so he pulled himself to his feet. Or at least he'd tried. He must have hit a nerve when he fell, because his legs were suddenly numb. Summoning his strength, he pulled his small frame to the shade of a nearby tree, and rested against its dark trunk. Wow, was he ever tired. He glanced slowly around at the silent unbreathing jungle.

This was far better than the waking nightmare he had been stuck in less than twelve hours ago. Flashes of light would erupt from all sides, followed by the sickening thud of bodies hitting the ground. Every second was a second he was lucky to have. Boy, was he ever glad to survive that night. Patton was right. War is hell.

Marcus closed is eyes for a moment as a cool breeze danced across his face. The sudden temperature on his wet body made him shudder with the chill. Thinking back, he couldn't remember ever feeling a breeze as cool and refreshing as this one. He sighed deeply, filling his lungs with the sweet air. Softly in the distance, he heard the chirping of birds. Opening his eyes, he scanned the canopy until he saw the source of the music. A nest of chicks sat high on a branch across the clearing. Their bright plumage stood out against the shadows of the trees. The radiant sun shined softly down from the velvet blue sky onto the verdant grass. He'd never seen the soft carpet of the earth so green and beautiful. Like hypnotic emeralds, the blades would sway back and forth in the rustling wind. They felt so good to the touch. He brushed his hands along delicately, and smiled as their cool touch tickled his skin so. The bark at his back, in an uncomfortable way felt so inviting. Yes, the jungle was much more bearable now that it wasn't as hot.

"God," thought Marcus to himself, "this is the most beautiful day I've ever seen."

Another sigh escaped his lips as he sat peacefully against the tree. He closed his eyes so that he could better take in the sounds and smells and textures of the area. Things were so peaceful now. The terror of last night seemed so far away. It wasn't last night. It must have been years ago that it had happened. Yes, years ago and miles away.

How he wished Marie was here. She would love this. They could picnic right there in the clearing. They'd lie there on that blanket she loved so much and imagine the fluffy white clouds in the sky to be animals of all shapes and sizes. They'd laugh a little bit, have a bite to eat. Maybe watermelon. A nice, cold juicy watermelon would really make the picnic better. Afterward, who knows? Maybe they'd make love under the very tree he was sitting against.

A sudden sound pulled him from his daydream and pulled him back to the fears of last night. A crack of a twig not too far off. Maybe ten feet. He opened his eyes half expecting a squirrel, but smiled wide-eyed as a wave of surprised disbelief washed over him.

"Daniel?" he cried out. "Daniel, is that you?"

"Yeah, little bro. it's me," the tall figure replied. He was ruggedly handsome at six feet three inches. He was built, but not too strong. Just enough to make him look good in the tight tan t-shirt he wore. His camouflage jacket hung over his shoulder like a model out of one of those magazines that they used to always joke about. His dark hair accentuated his green eyes, making them seem brighter than usual. He always did look more like dad.

"Daniel! I'm so glad to see you! I thought you were dead!"

"Nah. You think they could kill me? I just got transferred to another company, that's all."

"Mom will be so glad to hear that! We got news you'd been shot."

"Must have been a mistake, kiddo, because here I am."

"I'd stand up and give you a hug or shake your hand or something, but my legs fell asleep. You know how that goes."

"Yeah, I do."

Daniel stood there for a moment, smiling at Marcus. Marcus smiled back at him from his seat against the tree. He chuckled lightly and pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pocket. Slowly he took one from the pack and placed it to his lips.

"Hey Danny, got a light?"

Daniel reached into his pocket and pulled out a zippo. In one smooth motion, he flicked it open and had the fire burning. Marcus always thought it was so cool when he did that.

"Well look at you all grown up and smoking. Don't you know those things will kill you?"

"If this war doesn't kill me, nothing will."

Danny chuckled as he pulled out a cigarette of his own and began to smoke. He puffed slowly away at it as he stared thoughtfully on Marcus. Neither brother spoke. They just let the profound silence of an unexpected reunion sink in.

"Who would have thought we'd ever be here?" said Marcus, more rhetorically than to anyone in particular.

"Yeah..." sighed Daniel, the smoke flowing past his lips as he spoke. "Remember that time when we were playing war in the tree house? You were trying to get in and I pulled up the ladder real quick."

"Yeah, I remember," said Marcus. "I was on the ladder at the time. I nearly died. You're lucky I only broke my leg. Man, was mom pissed."

"Yeah, she was," chuckled Daniel. "Boy, I thought I was a goner."

"You? I was lying on the ground screaming. What do you mean you thought you were a goner?"

"You remember what mom did when I used to hit you."

"Oh yes. I remember the switches. We had to pick them out ourselves."

“We were too afraid to pick out the big ones, but the small ones stung like nobody’s business.”

“Finding the just the right size was an art…”

"I didn't want to even think about what she was going to do for breaking your leg. I thought she was going to make me get a whole tree."

"No doubt. Heh, who'd have thought I'd ever be laughing about breaking my leg? I thought it was the end of the world at the time."

"Yeah..." breathed Danny. "Hey, remember swimming in the lake?"

“Yeah. Jumping off that rope swing on the old sycamore tree that should have broken fifty times over. It’s a miracle we made it to puberty.”

“Near death experiences seemed to be the best way to spend an afternoon back then, didn’t it?”

"At least looking for raspberries in the woods was a safe activity," sighed Marcus. "Man, I wish I could be a kid again. Things were so much easier then."

"No kidding. Playing war and real war are nothing alike. Looking back now, I dunno...war just seems like a sick game to play."

"Yeah...I don't think I'll let me kids play war when I get married."

"Speaking of, is anything happening between you and Marie?" asked Daniel.

"Well, I did tell her I wanted to marry her as soon as I got home again," Marcus said. "I didn't really have a ring to give her, but she accepted the engagement just the same."

"She's a great girl, Marc."

"I know, Danny." Marcus stared off into nowhere for a moment. "How about you? You gonna settle down when you get home?"

"I don't think I'll be going home, Marcus."

"What do you mean, Danny?"

"Well, hell, I don't know...it's this war. We're fighting and dying and to be honest, I'm not even really sure I believe in what we're fighting for anymore. I mean, we fought the revolutionary war so we could rule ourselves how we wanted, and now we're over here stopping someone from ruling themselves they way they want? It's a little hypocritical, in my opinion, Marc."

"Yeah..."

"Seems like it's been going on forever."

"Yeah...one day at a time."

"One bullet at a time."

The truth of the words caused both of them to reflect for a moment. They'd both been there for two years. Daniel joined a couple months before Marcus, but as soon as he turned seventeen, Marcus enlisted as well. Had it only been two years? "Time drags by when you're always hanging by eternity," thought Marcus.

"Know what I miss?" said Daniel, breaking the silence. "Nice cold vanilla ice cream cones. If it was a hot day like today, we'd just go down to the store and get a cone from Mr. Dobson."

"And then when we'd eaten all the ice cream from the top, we'd bite a hole in the bottom and suck out what was left."

Marcus stared nostalgically into the trees. He could almost taste the creamy flavor of it as it used to run down his sticky fingers. He could really go for an ice cream cone right now. The thought of one gave him a shiver. My, how vivid the memory must be to make him so cold in such a hot climate. His mind began to drift.

"I wonder," thought Marcus aloud. "When we were little, we used to always play dead all the time. I wonder what it will be like when it finally comes."

"I dunno...maybe it'll get black and dark and cold or something like it always does in books, or maybe it'll just get real peaceful, you know?"

"I dunno...I guess I'll find out when it comes..." sighed Marcus.

"Maybe..."

"Hey Danny? What brings you here, anyways?"

"I've got your transfer papers. You're in my company now."

Marcus smiled, his face beaming with joy.

"Do you mean it, Danny?" he asked with jubilant disbelief in his eyes.

"I've got the order right here."

Marcus rolled his head back and smiled. This had to be the greatest day of his life. The weather was perfect, his brother was alive, and now he'd be right along side of him. He felt his heart would burst with gladness.

"You feel up to walking, little bro?"

"I think so," Marcus said, slowly climbing to his feet. He felt rested and refreshed, as if the weight of the world had been lifted from his shoulders.

"Come on, Kid," said Danny, as he put his arm around his brother's shoulder. "We've got a long way to go before sundown."

Marcus bent down to pick up his gun.

"Leave it," said Danny. "You won't need that where we're going."

Marcus released his grip on the weapon. He wouldn't need it. How those words made him smile. He could leave this war-torn landscape behind for someplace more peaceful. He wondered to himself as they began to head slowly west, could life get any better than this? Slowly and ceaselessly, the two walked onward to the horizon, towering like kings.