Ephebic

Word of the Day: Ephebic (1,200 words)

Military Postal Inventory: Inspected contents of manila mailer

1. Miscellaneous photographs:

High school football team picture, “Class of ’09,” signed by coach with caption, “You’re a beast!”
Subject with mother and two younger male siblings
Glamour Shots portrait of brunette, “Joey” written on back with heart replacing the ‘o’

2. Hallmark card in unsealed envelope addressed to ‘Stacy’
Picture on front of a pug cuddled up on a teddy bear. Inside caption says “Miss you.”
Handwritten note inside, undated:

Stace,
Sending this so you know when I’m back safe and sound. Thinking of you every day. Six more months, that’s all. Soccer games and passing out candy, and a little keeping my head down. Then I’ll be home in your arms.
We can do this.
Joey

3. Gideon New Testament, with Psalms. Cover in camo pattern. Post-It note marking Psalm 91, page smudged with fingerprints.

4. Black leather notepad with elastic strap and silver Cross pen clipped to it:

Dec 28, 2011
On the flight from Ireland… 7 hours to go before we get to [REDACTED], so I figure I have time to get this started.
We landed after dark in Shannon, but we took off a couple hours after dawn. The hills were such a rich green, no wonder people talk like the land is alive. Hopefully we’ll stop here again on the way back. I’ll turn 21, so I can drink with the guys and celebrate coming home.
Tom’s drunk already. His third trip out. If an old guy like Kaz can do three tours- can’t be too bad, right? And things are winding down.
Can’t wait to see Stacy again. Maybe I can save up the money and take her to Ireland for the honeymoon.

Jan 3, 2012
Settled in, pretty much. Found a camel spider in the tent. Those things are wicked fast! And huge! I jumped, and it dashed seven feet or so before I landed. Ran right under me while I was freaking out. I tried to stomp it but it scurried out the door. Creepy, but still pretty awesome.
Happy new year.

Jan 24, 2012
FOB [REDACTED] is along a hillside. There’s a little ridge by our tent where I can watch the sunrise after my shift. Streaks of red and orange, violet shadows fading as dawn takes hold.
I didn’t get to watch yesterday… we got shelled several times. Hard to sleep after that. [REDACTED] got us a position on the mortar team and one of our patrols wiped ’em out.
This can be a beautiful country. Too bad people are trying to kill us.

Mar 9
Got shelled a couple times last month. I slept right through one of them. We took out three teams… every time they shell us, they give away their position. If they’re not quick enough, we get Reapers overhead to drop a Hellfire on them. One team is pretty good. They take potshots at us and then scatter.
Orders came down, we’re going to head east. There’s a small village about an hour from here. We have some building projects to complete, and they need eyes on. Materials keep disappearing in the night. So much for locals providing security.
I think I’ll miss our little hill.

June 6
Forgot about this thing. We’re prepping for morale leave in a week. Can’t wait to see Stace! We skyped a couple days ago and made plans for a special weekend trip to Dad’s cabin.
The school is coming along fine. So far no opposition out here. [REDACTED] is going to be the new teacher, and he assures us that the girls can attend classes too. It’s good to see us making a difference. The kids are excited. They play soccer with me when we visit… one of them ran up and hugged me yesterday. His eyes lit up when I told him my name. His name is Yusuf, which is close enough, right?
We’re giving kids like him something to look forward to.

Sep 20
OMG Stace thinks she’s pregnant. I don’t know how to tell Mom. I don’t know what to think. I can’t believe I’m going to be a father! I feel queasy, I feel awesome, I feel like this could be the most amazing thing. I can’t wait to talk to her next week. She’ll know for sure by then, and we can figure out what to do next.
The new chaplain stopped by our base making his weekly rounds. Maybe I’ll talk to him, but he seems a little too fire-and-brimstone for me.

Oct 19
Our old FOB got hit hard. They used a [REDACTED] and we think it was [REDACTED] helping them. Seven dead, nineteen wounded. One of them went through boot camp with me. They hit the mess tent. We’ve had other attacks out this way over the last week, so security is tight here.
Haven’t had time for soccer. Hope the kids are ok.

Nov 24
Happy Thanksgiving. We got a visit from [REDACTED], who flew in country last night. He served us sliced turkey that melted in my mouth, and we had green bean casserole. No MREs, thank God.
Stace looked distracted on Skype, but we had a good talk. Picked some possible names. She suggested Bella, I said “Hella no.” Screw Twilight.
There’s rumor that we might get home before Christmas. That would rock!

Dec 12
[REDACTED] told us we get another SIX MONTHS. Kaz says we get a flight home and two weeks for the holidays, and then we’ll be right back here watching the country tear itself apart. Now [REDACTED] says he won’t teach the girls anymore, and we hear that [REDACTED] have been threatening the locals. We rolled up an enemy position and found some of our relief supplies. [REDACTED] are living off our own freakin’ supplies, stolen from the village.
Man, screw this place. [REDACTED] can suck it.
Missed Stace on chat the other day. She’s been really cold lately. Chaplain gave me the “all things work together for good” line. He can suck it too.

5. Folded sheet of 8.5×11 inch paper. Handwritten note:

Mrs. Kendricks,
My company heard the news today, our first day back in country. Please accept our heartfelt condolences. We are shocked and saddened by Joey’s passing. He was our battle-buddy and brother-in-arms. And I miss him dearly. I wish we could have been there for him that night, to quiet the demons, to keep him from such a permanent choice.
I collected these personal belongings in his locker, and I thought you would like to have his thoughts about what we accomplished here.
The school he wrote about started its first semester.
Yusuf and the boys talked to [REDACTED] and he agreed to name it after Specialist Joseph Kendricks. A school in [REDACTED] is dedicated to the memory of your son’s sacrifice.
No words can take away the loss or answer the questions you must have. I don’t know why Joey made that decision. I just wanted you, and one day his child, to know that his accomplishments live on.
A grateful nation remembers.

First Sergeant Thomas “Kaz” Kaskiewicz

Contents reviewed, approved for forwarding to Home of Record.