Post by Jaime | Anastacia on Jul 13, 2018 19:29:08 GMT -5
Another day in this carnival of souls
Another nights ends, end as quickly as it goes
The memories are shadows, ink on the page
And I can't seem to find my way home
As Jaime drives his rental car into the gates of the hallowed ground of Arlington National Cemetery, he feels a giant lump into his throat. He doesn’t even look over at Xaria beside him. She knows he needed to make this journey. She’s heard the stories from everyone else how Jaime never got to say goodbye to his closest friends. The one regret that keeps eating him alive. It’s one of many things in his life that he’s constantly running from. Jaime has always hated to say goodbye. It’s always seemed fatally final for him. Everything he’s said goodbye to has gone away from him.
And it's almost like
Your heaven's trying everything
Your heaven's trying everything
To keep me out
As he’s found the right section off of York Drive, he grips the steering wheel tight. His breath seems a bit shallow, and his heart races almost a million miles per hour. He remembers everything from back then. The days before he was Jaime Alejandro, the legend. He was just Staff Sergeant Jaime Alejandro, Weapons Sergeant in the 5th Special Forces Group. The days when life was simple as can be. It was him and his buddies, who survived a year of hell at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina.
All the places I've been and things I've seen
A million stories that made up a million shattered dreams
The faces of people I'll never see again
And I can't seem to find my way home
Without blinking, he opens the car door and steps out onto the ground. The air around him almost swirls. Most superstitions call a fierce wind, “The Devil’s Wind.” This wind was something different. It seemed to welcome him, actually. He sees the vision of their Engineering Sergeant, the man they called “Big Bear.” He was an imposing figure who took in a young Jaime, as he came in after receiving his first rocker. The large man put an arm around the young Cuban… Jaime still remembers his first words. “In this world, kid. All you got is your word and your balls. Don’t break both for nobody. The second things, you can’t control when we all gotta go. When it’s our time, it’s our time. The last thing, don’t marry the first good looking piece of ass you see. That bitch will try to take half. I’m down to being paid twenty five dollars a month, son.”
'Cause it's almost like
Your heaven's trying everything
To break me down
As Jaime reaches the grave, he sees the name on it.
XAVIER TAYLOR
SFC US ARMY
VETERAN SERVICE DATES: 10/19/1990 - 9/11/2002
DATE OF BIRTH: 6/04/1972
DATE OF DEATH: 9/11/2002
PURPLE HEART
MEDAL OF HONOR
Without even thinking about it… Jaime looks at the grave and gulps down a breath. “Sorry, I took so long, Big Bear… I didn’t want to say goodbye. I didn’t get a chance to when you were around. I went and got my dumb ass shot and…” He doesn’t seem to be able to control the tears when he goes down to his knees…
“If only I had one chance to say it when you were still here, boss. Thank you…”
He puts a quarter on the man’s grave and without knowing it, he starts sobbing. Without a sound, Xaria puts her small arms around his chest, rocking him gently. Nothing she could say right now would help, all she could do is let him empty the anger and sadness out. In order to kill his past...
I’m sorry I missed the party, Adrien. It’s not anything against you or the folks there. In fact, it’s nothing against anyone. I saw the shenanigans on Twitter, and everyone told me about it. But I’m going to get down to the meat of things, because I think we both don’t like to waste a lot of time, right? I had to go visit hallowed ground. Ground that I refused to step onto for a long time. I didn’t want to say goodbye to the people that never came home with me, little brother. Because it seems when I do say goodbye… Everyone goes away. It’s the same every time.
You’ve always told me, along with Xaria, that I’ve gotten good at running from issues. It’s not far from the truth. I have. This time, I have to come back and go head first into those issues. And it’s not going to be easy. I have to go back into battle head first and clear minded, right? You’ve got that 25 pounds of metal and leather that’s dangling around your waist now. You believed in it. I believed in it. The world finally got behind it. Everyone got behind one word. But, now, Adrien. What happens now?
I have a pretty good idea, sadly. You become the hunted man. The world stops believing. The rumor mills start up. How long can Adrien defend? How much time before Adrien becomes the bad guy? Before the chants start up they were sold a bill of goods. But you have faith in man, right? Faith that your fellow man is not the cynical vision I have of them. It’s all fine and good, little brother. I once had faith in my fellow man.
I also have seen the ugly of man. I’ve seen brother turn on brother because of belief. I’ve seen children harmed because their family didn’t believe what the evil ones wanted. The beacon of decency in a crowd of folks that aren’t in a hurry to be decent anymore. That’s something you’re trying to change. Will it work? Does it matter?
In a way, it does. You decided to jump into the flames and make me your first defense and your first test. I think you know I’m up for the challenge, little brother. Are you ready for the first test, Guardian? I’m at the gate. If you fail, I have your title. And I have to become the standard bearer. At your expense… Prove to me that my belief is not ill founded, Adrien.
Your heavens trying everything
Your heavens trying everything
To break me, down...