Warrior's Refuge Ch. 01

Saturday morning Craig showed up again and the two friends sat chatting. Jack said, "It's sure the pits to see how the old town has died. I wonder why no one ever tried to revitalize the place?"

"Hell, you know how the council was when we were kids. They didn't want anyone under 30 on the streets and treated all us kids like little criminals. It's no wonder most of us moved off, especially since there was no work or night life. By the time the old farts died or got kicked out of office it was too late."

"Are you sure it's too late? Its nice and quiet here, no traffic or crime to speak of. You would think a lot of folks would like to live here even if they worked in town. A lot of the people around drive to town to work now."

"Yeah because they have to. They either can't afford to move or the husband farms and the wife works in town or they each work in a different direction and this town is in the middle. Thats why Betty and I are still here. We both drive almost the same distance to work from here. Same with most of the rest of the guys."

"Yeah, I suppose but I ate to see all the empty buildings. If someone doesn't do something soon most of them will just fall down. I saw several that are already too decrepit to repair."

"Hell, if it bothers you so much why don't you do something about it? You found a job yet?"

"Naw, I have my VA Disability and I stayed in the reserves so I have a little coming in. I think I'll go back to college in the fall so I will have my GI Bill benefits too. I'm doing ok right now and so I'm just going to hang around this summer. I'll work on the house and store and catch up and relax before I put the nose to the grindstone again."

"Yeah, well good luck. I gotta go. I'm supposed to be getting gas so I can mow the yard and till the garden. Betty'll be on my ass if I take much longer. Later."

After Craig left Jack sat thinking about what he wanted to do. He was happy here and wasn't looking forward to high pressure work for a while. No, he was just going to fix up the place more and chill out this summer. While he enjoyed the cool late morning breeze he reminisced about his friends from the army. Most of them were either getting out or had already got out. It would be good to see or talk to them again. Jack got up and headed into the house to fix a sandwich for lunch. While he was eating he wrote letters to three of the guys from his old unit. He hoped they would get them. He sent them to their Home of Record that they had exchanged when they separated.

For the next several days Jack worked on his house, yard or the store. He really didn't know why he was working in the store but something pulled him to it. He had been at the store working when he became hungry. It was well past lunch time so he locked up and walked home. When he got in sight of his house he saw an old beater truck sitting in the driveway. As he got closer he saw two figures sitting on his porch drinking beer. At first he was angry and slightly curious about someone with the gall to just sit on someone else's porch drinking. He finally recognized one of the men and broke out in a large grin. It was Rat, one of his friends from the army. He didn't know the other man but damn, it was good to see Rat.

Jack rushed onto the porch. Rat stood and held his hand out to shake, then pulled Jack into a man hug. He said, "Damn Gimp. I sure was glad to get your letter. Me and Puss here was going stir crazy looking for something to do when it came. I decided, what the hell, it was only six or eight hour drive so we just jumped in the ole truck and came down to see ya. That was OK wasn't it?"

"Hell yeah!"

"Oh, hey, you don't know ole Puss here do ya? I think he came after you got banged up. We both lived close to the same place and got out the same time. We just sort of stuck together after we got home. None of the home folks understand and many of 'em treat us like shit. Hell, some of them spit on us and call us baby killers. We've had to knock a few heads over that I'll tell ya."

"Well I've not had much trouble 'round here. Most folks are pretty laid back and patriotic here. Ya know, I have to ask. I know how Rat got his Nic. It's his initials, but why does he call you Puss?"

"Ah, well it's sortta like with Rat. My name's Ronald Beaver so the assholes began calling me Puss. I never could seem to stop that so I finally just gave up. Don't seem like they could have called me eager or nothin' like that. Oh, no, it had to be Puss."

"Ok, I guess that makes sense knowing GI's like I do. So, what do you guys have in mind now?"

Rat said, "Aww, just hang for a while I guess. You're not working or anything are ya? I was hoping we could just have a few and screw around for a while."

"No, well, I'm not working for pay. I'm fixing up this place and my grandpa's old store this summer. I think I'll go to college in the fall. Between my VA and the GI Bill I'll be living pretty high and the education will help sometime I'm sure. "Course I did stay in the reserves so I have a little come in every month from that. Have to go to a meeting one weekend a month and two weeks in the summer though but it's nothing like the army was."

"Hell, that sounds pretty pud. Maybe we should do that too. They need more folks in the reserves here 'bouts? Don't know about that college though. I never was too good in school and don't know what I'd study anyhow."

"Heck Rat you can get the GI Bill for trade school too. You were a mechanic. Why don't you sign up for Auto Mechanics at the local Vocational school or something like that. Get your certificate or whatever they call it and work in a garage or open your own."

"Hey, that's a good idea. Since I now a lot about cars and such the school shouldn't be too hard. I'll look into that. Do they have someplace for us to live if we go to school at the Vocational school or will we have to find a place?"

"I don't remember dormitories at the Vocational school but there are all kinds of apartments around for rent. They fill up fast with students though. You need to decide fast if you want to go to school and get one."

"Naw. I don't think I would like an apartment. They're too much like a barracks for me. Maybe I can find a small house somewhere to rent if I stay."

Jack thought again about all the empty houses in town and smiled before he said, "You know, you might be able to do that, especially if you didn't mind a short drive. If you decide to go to school let me know. I might be able to help you with a place to rent."