One You Can't Forget Read online

  During their growing conversations, Terry had told Brad of his mother’s recent move to Stanford and how he planned on visiting her over his next leave period. Brad then shared how he was from Daytona Beach which was nearby and how it would be great to take leave together. Terry pulled some strings, calling up a favor from his Commanding Officer which allowed Brad to take leave at the same time. Terry had only been to Florida once before, but it was during a family vacation when he and his brothers were younger so he wasn’t familiar with the state at all and would appreciate Huff’s hometown knowledge. He also figured it would be refreshing to have his war buddy to hang out with, someone who knew the stress and chaos of the war. Brad had insisted on the leave date which they put in for and received. Their two-week stint would coincide with Spring Break week.

  Terry tuned into a local radio station that was playing AC/DC and he cranked it up. Brad squirmed around in the front passenger seat of the car in an effort to remove his dessert camo shirt and he peeled off his underlying t-shirt as well. Screaming over the song’s lyrics, he said, “Man, you are gonna love Daytona Beach! The girls that invade during Spring Break are hot, young and ready to par-tay!” Brad let out a shout as he ran his fingers through his short, sandy brown hair.

  Terry cut his steely, dark brown eyes over at Brad, smiled and let out an accompanying “Oorah!” as Brad began playing air guitar to Angus’ riffs. The harsh cruelty of the war had sapped a great deal of enthusiasm from Terry’s personality. He had always been the calm, cool and collected type, but the fighting and loss of his brother and father had caused his emotions to retreat even deeper within him. He didn’t… almost couldn’t… show his emotions anymore. He really needed this break away from the drudgeries of the Iraq arena and he was hoping his leave with crazy Huff and the equally insane partying of Spring Break week would help lighten his spirits. He had observed how depression had caused his mother to basically shut out life and he didn’t want to go down that path. Hell, he thought to himself as he focused on the road ahead, I’m only nineteen years old.

  Before long, the pair of marines arrived in Stanford and Terry turned the car down the neighborhood street lined with palm trees that led to his mother’s house. They had chosen Stanford for their mother because it was a quiet town with a population of roughly 54,000 people yet was located close to Orlando. It also sits on Lake Monroe with access to the St. Johns River and is a short distance from the ocean without being directly on the coast. Patricia particularly liked visiting the Central Florida Zoo and Botanical Gardens located there. She had made friends with a neighbor, Sally, and they would often go together. Sally was also a widow with a big heart and she knew that getting Pat out of the house was a good exercise for keeping her mind off of her two boys in Iraq as well as her loneliness. Growing up in eastern Kentucky, Pat loved animals, “critters” as she called them, so the zoo with its gorgeous gardens was an oasis of healing for her. Their other favorite activity was walking along the lakefront, stopping for a cup of coffee or brunch. They would go early in the day as the Florida sun could often become hard for the two older women to bear.

  Terry pulled into the driveway and turned off the car. The first thing he did after exiting was to take off his sweat stained shirt. It was approaching noon and the sun was pounding down. Even though it was hot by Florida standards, Terry hadn’t become uncomfortable because he was used to the extreme heat of central Iraq where he had been stationed most of his tour. The two retrieved their duffle bags from the trunk and headed along the walk to the front door, Huff stopping long enough to pull on his t-shirt to look more presentable when meeting Terry’s mom.

  They hadn’t arrived to the door before it opened and the two wayward marines were greeted by Patricia who offered wide open arms and a big smile. Pat was tall and thin with bright blue eyes that sparkled from an aging face bearing crow’s feet and wrinkles around her thin lipped mouth. She had lost weight and her hair had grayed since Terry last saw her. He supposed it was from the stress and sorrow of losing two loved ones so close together. Terry welcomed her embrace, returning it by wrapping his slightly taller frame and muscular arms around her. Pat then wiped tears away from her face before offering Brad the same generous welcome. After raising three boys, everyone any of her sons brought home were simply considered extensions of the family. Terry and Brad carried their duffles inside and Terry showed his buddy the guest room. Pat excused herself to go and prepare lunch for the new arrivals.

  It was Tuesday, the last day of February and Terry and Brad were on leave until they had to report for their flight back to Iraq on March 8th. Even though the Daytona Beach Spring Break festivities actually lasted an entire month with various colleges and universities breaking at different times, Huff said that the second week was usually the best according to his experience and he had attended several years in a row prior to his enlistment. He actually thought he would miss this 2006 event due to his detachment to Iraq, but he felt fate had smiled on him via his friendship with Tomahawk and the leave he obtained for them. The short eight months he had been in Iraq were incredibly grueling, not only from a combat aspect, but also due to the absence of schmoozing with hot, young Florida women. Spring Break week was like a jackpot, adding to the Florida babes a host of girls from all across the country. They planned on staying a few days with Terry’s mom so he could visit with her and then they would head to Brad’s place in Daytona Beach in time for the kickoff of the second week of Spring Break festivities the upcoming Saturday.

  The next three days were mainly spent at Pat’s house, but Terry and Brad did accompany her and her friend Sally each morning for their routine morning walk along the Lake Monroe waterfront. Friday, they joined the ladies for a trip to the zoo and botanical gardens and treated them to lunch at a top restaurant and bar in the historical section of Sanford. Terry was pleased that his mother was doing better and it seemed her friend Sally was playing a big role in her recovery. He was more relaxed by the end of the week and felt more comfortable with leaving her to join Huff at Daytona Beach. The place they chose for lunch had excellent food, but more importantly it served beer. The two marines had resisted their urges to drink before that point, but their call for true R&R was beginning to tug at them. They were itching to get the party started.

  That night, Terry and Brad left to pick up a pizza and couple of six packs of beer before returning home to relax and spend their last night with Terry’s mom. Pat’s countenance had brightened with having the two boys with her and, although she was a bit sad about their leaving, she understood that young men needed time to spend socializing and unwinding with their peers. She also knew that their duties in Iraq were extremely stressful and they needed to live it up before returning to the drudgery. Terry didn’t talk to her about the war. For one thing, he figured that she had enough on her mind and it was also his nature to keep troubles and hardships to himself. However, on Kurt’s visit a few weeks prior, he had filled his mother in on more of the details of the war. Kurt had a tendency to share his experiences more openly, even though some of the horrors he even refused to pass on to her.

  Terry and Brad stayed up late that night drinking, talking and laughing with Pat who even joined them with a couple glasses of wine. Terry thought how good it was to see his mother smiling and laughing again, even though he sometimes suspected a large part was an act for his and Brad’s sake. They finally turned in just after midnight, but bounced awake at 6:30 a.m. Terry and Brad were both still accustomed to rising early and couldn’t sleep in even if they wanted. Pat arose after hearing them moving around and prepared a large breakfast of pancakes, eggs, sausage and bacon with fresh squeezed orange juice. She knew boys loved to eat and marines especially had ravenous appetites. The two gorged on the generous spread of food, packed their duffles and stowed them in the trunk of the car. Terry would stay with Brad over Spring Break week, but planned to return alone the following Monday to spend the last couple of days with his mother before shipping back to Iraq.<
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  After shutting the trunk, Terry asked, “You ready to roll, Huff?”

  “Ready? Hell yeah, I’m ready to hit the beach and even a few of those girls!” came the reply. Brad then received a sharp jab in the ribs from Terry’s elbow and dropped his head in embarrassment after realizing Pat was standing on the front steps. “Geesh man, sorry about that. I guess I got a little carried away.”

  As was his habit, Terry turned his head and cut a sharp look at Brad and said, “Ya think?!” He then produced a mischievous smile that he knew his mother couldn’t see. He then headed back to Pat for a last minute hug. “I’ll be back next Monday. Take care of yourself till then.”

  “Aw son, I’m learning to get along in this empty house by myself. Besides, Sally is great company and she keeps tabs on me. You boys go sow yer wild oats, or whatever it is that young, tough marines do. Just be careful and try not to get any of those young beauties pregnant. You sure don’t need that in yer life right now.” Pat gave Terry a wink and sly grin before embracing him long and hard.

  Terry returned the hug, taking care not to squeeze her much frailer frame too hard. He then whispered in her ear, “Don’t worry maw. I’ll be as good as can be expected.” He then gently pushed her back to look at her face and gave a returning sly wink and smile. Pat smiled broadly as a tear rolled down her cheek. “I’ll see ya soon, maw.”

  Terry turned and strolled back to the car where Brad was standing and waiting with the passenger door open. Brad raised a hand for a short wave and said, “Don’t worry, Mrs. Howard, I’ll take care of Tomahawk.”

  Pat smiled at the mention of her son’s new nickname as much as the fact that Terry had such good people watching out for him. “Have a good time you two. And Brad, you’re welcome her any time,” Pat called out as the two entered the car.

  As soon as they pulled out of sight of the house, Terry switched on the radio to the rock station they had found on the trip from Patrick Air Force Base. The trip to Daytona Beach would only take about 45 minutes, roughly half the distance from Patrick. Terry felt the tunes pouring out of the speakers beginning to pump him up. Rock was a main staple for many of the marines since it helped them to ease the stress of the many dangers they faced daily. It was a necessity as much as food that nourished the body or equipment that provided for the job. Rock, however, offered emotional strength during disturbing combat operations as well as those equally dire times spent at base where thinking and remembering are the enemies. Staying pumped was an important strategy against fear and depression.

  After they had been driving down Route 4 awhile blasting one rock hit after another, Terry reached over and shut off the radio before saying, “So, tell me more about Spring Break week. You’ve already caught my interest, but now I want some detailed intel.”

  Brad shifted in his seat to better face Terry, adjusted his sunglasses and began providing the requested info, “Hawk, you are gonna love this coming week. Spring Break actually started last weekend, but it runs through the entire month of March with various schools breaking at different times, like I told ya. This second week is da bomb though, at least in my opinion. Some of the best schools break next week and the girls are absolutely wild. And dude, now that I’m a marine, I can’t wait to flaunt that shit on the beaches and in the clubs. Girls dig guys in uniform!” Huff let out an energetic “Oorah!”

  Terry looked over his sunglasses at Brad, “I’m countin’ on you knowin’ the terrain. You know, the best spots.”

  “Hawk, man, relax. I guarantee to provide you with one of the very best times in your life, brother. Not only do I know the best joints and beach parties to hit, but I got peeps there, bro, that will keep me filled in on any new moves.”

  Terry just nodded his head, thought for a moment and continued with the interrogation, “So, you expect high casualties?” He couldn’t help speaking in military terms. War procedures, routines and terminologies have a way of sinking deep into a warrior’s psyche. It’s one of the major reasons why many soldiers find it so difficult readjusting to civilian life.

  Brad gave a slight chuckle and said, “Man, let me put it to you this way. I was fifteen years old when I went to my first Spring Break and I got laid by four different girls.” He swung his head around to look at Terry, gave a broad, sly smile and continued, “And it only got better each year after that.”

  Terry turned briefly to meet Brad’s gaze and gave a returning grin, “Oorah!”

  The experience sounded great to Terry. Growing up in the small town of Morehead, he hadn’t been exposed to such large displays of free-for-all debauchery. He had known several friends and acquaintances that had either gone to Morehead State University or knew people who did so he had been invited to some parties on campus. He thought at the time that those events were awesome, but they didn’t hold a light to the Spring Break event where literally thousands of screaming, fun-loving college kids went to bask in a week of unbridled freedom. To top it all off, this bunch was totally unsupervised and mostly naked. He loved the thought of it all.

  Once they arrived in Daytona Beach, Brad instructed Terry to go north on I-95 and then take the off ramp onto Dunn Avenue. They continued down Dunn until Brad pointed to a house they were approaching. It was a two-storey home with gray siding and metal wire fence surrounding it. Various palm trees and tropical plants were situated in front, along the sides and in the back. Terry mused how it all had a very “Gilligan’s Island” look to it.

  “This is it. And the best thing about it,” Brad said while displaying a growing excitement, “we’re only blocks away from the beach.” He produced a drum roll on the dashboard with his two index fingers to finish the comment off with flare.

  “Awesome,” Terry injected, catching the strong, positive vibe of his brother in arms. “What about your folks? Are they gonna be cool with all this?”

  Brad motioned Terry to turn into the driveway next to the house which Terry did, stopping and turning off the car engine. “My mom and dad divorced half a dozen years ago so it’s only my mom and sister living here now. Mom’s cool though. Hell, she spends as much time as possible at the beach when she isn’t working. My sis is two years younger than me and can be a pain in the ass, but she has her cool moments too.” Brad opened his door and said, “Come on, Hawk. Time for you to meet my gang. We’ll get settled in and then I’ll make a couple calls and find out what’s going down tonight.”

  Terry pulled himself out of the driver’s seat, reached his arms over his head and gave a long, much needed stretch. As he made his way to the trunk to get his duffle, he noticed the front side window curtain open slightly and then snap back to a closed position. There wasn’t much that got by Tomahawk Howard unnoticed. His instincts were naturally sharp, but they had been fine-tuned during Marine training and combat. Any subtle movement could be an Iraqi resistance fighter or Al Qaeda member trying to get an attack advantage. He felt a rise in the nape of his neck.

  “Seems someone is curious about who’s here,” he said while waiting for Brad to retrieve his bag.

  “Well, it’s gotta be my sister since mom would be all over us by now.”

  They walked to the front door and Brad tried opening it, but it was locked. He rang the bell and knocked several times afterwards. A chain could be heard sliding from its secured place, a lock turn and then the door cracked open. A face peered through and a soft voice said simply, “Hey Brad.”

  Brad pushed his way into the house providing a chiding reprisal as he entered, “What the hell, Meagan? You aren’t glad to see your big bro?”

  Meagan sulked over to a coach across the room and plopped down on it. She pulled her shoulder-length, reddish hair around her ears and said, “Yeah, whatever. Who’s your friend?”

  “This is my Gunny Sergeant, Terry Howard, but you can call him Hawk. Everyone else does. Where’s mom?”

  Meagan didn’t respond right away. She pulled her bottom lip into her mouth which had an excessive amount of lipstick on it. Her makeup was a
lso overly applied, but Terry could see a patchwork pattern of freckles lying underneath. She eyed Terry from head to foot and began twirling her hair with one hand. “Mom had to work. She’ll be home around five,” she finally said without taking her eyes off of Terry.

  “Come on, Hawk, I’ll show you to your room,” Brad said as he began down a hallway towards the back of the house.

  By the time Terry arrived at the room Brad had entered, he was on his cell phone. Terry sat his duffle on the single bed and waited. He could tell by Brad’s questions and responses that he was conducting intel on Spring Break.

  After ten minutes of chatting, Brad hung up and began giving Terry the rundown. “Ok Hawk, my bud tells me that one of the main gathering spots will be at Hank’s Ocean View which is a bar on the beach that has an advantageous location of being close to the MTV setup. He says they already have crowds gathering, but the best time to interact with the chicks will be tonight. Most breakers will arrive today and tomorrow so the weekdays will have a lot of daytime activities that we can hit as well as crazy nighttime parties.” Brad gave Terry a few moments to soak it all in and then asked, “So bro, you wanna hang out until tonight or are you itchin’ to check things out?”

  It didn’t take Terry long to respond, “Simper Gumby Huff, but I got to say, my definition of R & R includes a lot of beer and beautiful babes.”

  “Rah that, Hawk. So deck out in something cool and casual and we’ll hit the beach. You can get a feel of the energy of the place and we can start the par-tay early. Besides, mom’s working so it will be both boring and aggravating to hang here with no one but my sis around. I can tell she’s already set her radar on you, man, but keep in mind she’s only 16… jailbait, you know.”