Cassandra

"Shoot, I don't need to run," he waved at them, "a slow walk is fast enough. MA!" he hollered, "what's for breakfast, hurry, there's a wild woman up here eating Charlie's face!"

Cassandra tried to turn furiously toward Pat, but Charlie held her tight and planted his lips on hers again.

"Call and tell your ma to pack you some clothes, 'cause you ain't leavin' my arms no more," Charlie pulled her close and nibbled on her pink little ear.

"Oh, Charlie! I got goose-bumps when you said that," she turned her face to his.

"What?! I've lost my loving touch already?" he teased.

"God, I hope not," she grinned, "but just the thought of me an' you together, finally, after all these years."

"What all these years," Charlie grinned again, "I only met you six years ago."

"So I was eleven," she smiled lovingly up at him, "I knew it was you for me then."

They turned and headed for the stairs arms around waists.

"Yeah, I thought you were pretty cute then, too," he smiled, "I wanted to keep you forever, but, heck, you wouldn't even give me the time of day, how can you say you wanted me back then?"

"Hey, I was playing hard to get," she giggled.

"I love you," Charlie whispered pressing his lips to her ear.

"Oh, Charlie," she stopped, turned into his arms and kissed him again, "Charlie, I love you so much! Don't go! Stay!" she gave a little sob of despair, "we can go to Canada, I hear they let American Soldiers stay."

Charlie's euphoric mood suddenly came crashing down and he looked down at his shoes almost apologetically.

"You know me better than that, baby," he gathered her close and she sobbed into his shoulder.

Dad came up to see what was holding up his breakfast, and saw her sobbing broken-heartedly on Charlie's shoulder so he quickly and quietly backed down the stairs, stepping over the squeaky one.

"What's keeping them?" Momma asked.

"I think they started saying good-bye," Daddy answered a little confused by his own emotions.

"The boy's going off to get hisself killed, that's why," her eyes suddenly watered and she sniffed, "I been praying and crying over it," her shoulders shook as she pulled her apron up to cover her face.

"Aw, baby doll," Daddy took Momma into his arms, tears running down his furrowed cheeks, "aw, sweetheart," he hurriedly swiped at his sudden tears, "he ain't gonna die," he lied bravely, "he'll do his three years and be home like he was never gone," his shoulders shook as his sudden sobs broke loose.

It suddenly hit Jonathon and Patrick, that maybe Charlie was going for good. Patrick stood up suddenly and flung his napkin on the chair.

"I gotta go," he sniffled, "Mike's always after me to stop by and drink some coffee on the way to work," he wiped his eyes and nose on his sleeve, "I'll just do that this morning and see y'all at the courthouse at eleven," he closed the screen door softly behind him.

Jonathon just sat, his big hands clasped helplessly together as he prayed to Jesus and God and anybody else that would listen, to bring his big brother home safe and sound.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The soldier rolled out of his pack, letting the thumping heavy machine gun lull him, he was tired and unable to keep his eyes open. He still felt no pain, just an overwhelming desire for sleep.

"MEDIC!" someone screamed very near his ears.

"God-DAMN! MEDIC!!"

"It's okay, boy, we gonna patch you up! Be as good as new in a few days, boy, just stick with me, boy, keep them baby blues open, boy, that way I know you're still listenin' to me! C'MON BOY!" a strangely friendly voice buzzed in his ears.

Charlie knew he was dying, he'd been hit too many times. And suddenly he heard Cassandra calling him.

"Cassandra," he moaned, "I'm coming, baby, be home soon."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Around nine-thirty, they all piled into daddy's Buick and, on the courthouse steps, they sealed their love for each other and got married. Mr. and Mrs. Charles M. Withers, Cassandra savored her name change. Momma and Daddy and Cassandra's Mom and Dad smiled benignly at them. Mr. Allen Johnstone, the owner of Al's Motel gave them a room, "comped" he said, for as long as Charlie was here, if he wanted it, and he'd have Wanda cater for them.

Charlie looked at Cassandra, she looked back at him and, at first, shrugged her shoulders, but then shook her head. They'd have what little honeymoon they were going to have at Charlie's parents home.

Epilogue:

Charlie came home. The lieutenant whose life he'd saved, personally led his body's escort, his mangled arm had been straightened and casted. He was supposed to still be on bed rest, his arm in support, but he owed the boy, and this last courtesy was his way of relieving some of the debt, the rest would come when he went back to exact revenge. They would pay with their blood, he swore. He would take his hero's weight in Viet Cong bodies, he swore, this boy that he didn't even know, this boy had given his life for him and his platoon. This boy had heroically won them those few precious minutes they needed to set up and gain the advantage and he swore he'd exact a revenge for it.

The Guard of Honor, led by this injured lieutenant slowly and gently lowered his casket onto the gantry. They saluted and held it as the seven guns sounded three times. Cassandra flinched with each volley, then, as his casket was slowly lowered, a very pregnant Cassandra screamed out in a piercing howl of pain and disbelief, screaming his name again and again. Suddenly, she threw down the flag that had covered his casket, and took two running steps toward the bier, wanting to throw herself onto it, wanting to lie with him for this last time, forever. The Lieutenant, unprepared for this, blocked her and held onto her with his one good arm as Daddy Benjamin and her own Daddy caught up to her, holding her as Momma knelt, picking up the flag and hugging it to her breast, weeping in devastated helplessness, her heart broken and her children all standing around her also weeping. The lieutenant, dropped to his knees, the pain of the sudden exertion too much for him in his condition. He was down on all three points, the pain from his destroyed arm sweeping through him dizzingly. Danny Oliver, an old alcoholic Korean War Veteran, helped him to his feet and onto a quickly offered chair. A black-headed young boy picked up his hat and dusted it off before handing it to him. The lieutenant found himself face to face with the future as he touched the boy's face before accepting his hat.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

A few months later, Pat joined the Peace Now movement, his twin brother Jon more or less following his lead. A couple of weeks after Charlie's funeral, Cassandra gave birth to a big, happy baby boy whom she named Charlie Withers. No need to add the Junior, she'd said. She smiled gratefully at Momma Jenna for being there, her own mother having passed away just after Charlie departed for Viet Nam.

"He's got Charlie's lips," she whispered.

Momma nodded agreement.

"I hope he's got Charlie's eyes," she smiled again a little more joyfully, "guess we'll see when he opens them."

Momma nodded mutely, trying not to let her grief mar this wonderful occasion. She just ought to be happy that they had another boy, and please God, she sobbed, don't let him die in some godforsaken country in some stupid war.

The next memorial day, Charlie's name along with a dozen other boys from the county that had died in Viet Nam, were memorialized.

187 Charlie, RVN

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