A father’s pride ~ By Dragon
“Stop hitting him honey, he’s had enough!” The woman screamed standing on the staircase to the den. The large man panting heavily finally stopped. Rolling up his belt he eyed the crying boy on the floor. “Your never amount to anything you little chicken-$#!^”; he said as he grabbed up his beer and pushed past his wife on the stairs leading to the kitchen. Upon the drunken brutes exit the woman nervously looked over her shoulder before making her way to the young boy. Kneeling next to him she brushed back his hair from his tear stained face. “Billy Jr; I told you not to upset your father, especially after he has been drinking sweetie”. Shrugging off his mother’s hand the little boy looked towards the stairs where his father had gone and a glare of hatred could be seen in his eyes. “I wish he was dead”; Billy Jr thought to himself in his silent rage.
Billy Jr, as he was known; had rushed home to tell his father the ‘great news’! Even though a sophomore and second year member of the wrestling team, he had earned a spot on the junior varsity team... Again. That would not be news that his father would have been proud of; but the coach had told the other boys at the academy that Billy Jr would be the ‘Captain’ of the squad this year. At this news the young man beamed with pride and thought surely his father would see what a great accomplishment it was! ‘Big Bill’ as his father was called was not as excited at the news as his son had hoped; “You blew it again? Captain of the JV squad? That is just your damn coach’s way of calling you the captain of the losers”! He bellowed just moments before the first blow was struck. “Someday, young William thought. Someday I’ll show that old man”.
Two years after high school was nothing but a memory, William looked across the crowd for his parents. The graduation ceremony of class; #27-076 was on the parade field waiting to receive the commandants handshake and the little tab that was proof you had made it as a Colonial Marine. “All the Marines looked splendid indeed standing in their formation”; his mother thought. The ceremony was brief and the families soon mingled with the newly graduated Marines. Seeking out his mother, ‘Billy Jr’ approached her noting his father’s absence. She could see in his face the disappointment; “William, your father stayed up drinking all night honey. You know it was best he not come”.
Later in the barracks as he packed up his belonging a fellow private told him he had a phone call at the CQ’s desk. Picking up the phone moments later he heard his father’s drunken slur; “Well, least ya graduated ya little piece of crap. 76th of 80... what a joke. If ya were worth your salt you woulda been accepted to the officer’s trainin’...” A belch followed and some other drunken words, but the young Marine pulled the phone away from his ear and left it dangling on the counter.
Eighteen months later, as he prepared to go into the stasis chamber for his hyper sleep; he received an incoming trans-space message on his computer terminal. He stared at the message from his mother but said nothing. It read:
Dear William,
Your father passed away last night. God bless his soul. I know you cannot attend his services but I am sure your father will know you are there in spirit. His last words were to tell you he was always so proud of you; but I think you knew that.
Safe trip,!
Love Mother
Hitting the reply button, the young Private sent a brief message back.
Mom,
Dad can burn in hell for all I care.
It was signed his full name:
PFC William Hudson
USCM
Warship Sulaco
~ Fini
Author
Topic: **The Further Adventures of "Bubba the Predator"** RATED MA (Read 185 times)