My Knight in Uniform

Chapter 2: The First Letter

It'd been a month since that day on the dock with Cece and I was back in the small, boring town in Oregon that my dad's wife was oh so in love with. My step mom had grown up here, and after my dad had retired from the Coast Guard she demanded that we move up here. So here we lived, a seven minute walk from the high school and a twenty minute walk from Main Street.

The weather had been surprisingly good this year- for Oregon at least. It'd been a rather dry year, we hadn't gotten half of the rain during the spring as we normally would...that is until today. It was mid July but instead of the sunny, warm weather we'd been experiencing it was now a gloomy overcast sky- yet still in the mid seventies, causing it to be muggy and uncomfortable. As expected, I'd received no letter. I'd walked to the mail box and checked the mail everyday, and each time I walked towards it I'd prepared myself to leave empty handed.

This was exactly what I was doing right now. There's not going to be a letter, I kept telling myself. Don't get your hopes up, you know it's not going to happen. You're never that lucky. Besides, it would take a couple weeks for Cece's letter to get to Kyle, plus about a week for them to reply with their busy schedules, and then a couple extra weeks for it to get from Illinois to Oregon. I walked slowly towards the mail box, as if the extra time it took for me to get to the mailbox would somehow change the outcome. I hope it happens, I thought- then quickly knocked on the tree beside the box as my superstitious side took over. I slowly inserted the key into our spot and twisted it, closing my eyes as I pulled it open. I opened my eyes...

I sighed with disappointment. Nothing. Gar nichts. Zip. Niente. Nada. Nothing except junk mail. I collected my parents' mail and began to shut the small door of the mail box when something caught my eye. There, in the very back of the box was an envelope. It's probably just a card from one of Nancy's friends, I reasoned and grabbed it solemnly. I looked down to see which of my stepmother's friends had sent it but was caught by surprise at the name on the return address and to see that it was indeed addressed to me.

Anthony Reynolds.

I rushed into the house and into my room. I just the door behind me and sat down on my futon which was currently in couch form. My heart was pounding and I began to open the envelope and retrieve the folded letter with shaking hands. The handwriting within was neat, but still clearly written by a male probably with rushed fingers.

Madelyn,

I'm not sure how to start this thing out- I'm not exactly experienced with writing letters. I guess I should start out with an introduction... My name is Anthony Reynolds (I'm mostly called Tony, or Reynolds by my superiors here) and I'm nineteen. Kyle is my roommate here at boot camp- and I guess he's dating your cousin...? I don't even know.

Anyways, I'm from a town in Texas called Mineral Wells. It's really small and there aren't many people around or many things to do. I lived with my parents and older brother Austin before I joined the Army. I guess I'm considered tall, though all of my family is, I'm about six foot two. I'm blonde and I have blue eyes...

I'm sorry, I'm no good at this yet... but I promise to get better if we continue to be pen pals- or whatever this can be called. It does get a bit lonely out here with only these idiots to talk to and Kyle as my roommate- I'm pretty sure if it weren't for boot camp regulations forcing us to keep the bunks tidy he'd be the messiest roommate ever. He's still my best friend here though.

I just want you to know that sometimes the mailmen take longer to deliver mail and sometimes they get messed up, so if the letters get out of order or stop coming and then suddenly come all at once that's why- not too mention they have us really busy with training most days so it's hard to find time to write.

~Tony Reynolds

Somebody actually wrote to me? And his name was Tony Reynolds... and he wants me to write him back....

I didn't hesitate to grab a pen and paper and begin to write him back.

Tony,

Thank you for actually writing to me, I honestly wasn't expecting anybody would be willing to write to a stranger just because his friends girlfriend wanted them to. As you know my name is Madelyn Caldwell- but I prefer just Maddy. I've always preferred nicknames, though it's hard to get people to actually call me by a nickname- except for Cece and that side of the family.

I'm from Idaho, but I've lived in Oregon with my dad and stepmom (Nancy) for about eleven or twelve years- though most of my summer is spent with my family in Idaho. I love to travel and I read way too much. I'm a senior in high school and I turn eighteen in February- but don't hold my age against me. I live in a small town about half an hour away from Portland.

I have one biological brother (David, 21) and one step brother (Gabriel, 16). My biological mother (Anne) travels for her job so I don't really see her much. My dad (Harry) works with veterans and newly discharged men and women to help them find jobs outside of the military. I'm average height (about 5'4") and I have light brown hair and blue eyes.

Most of my family is military. My dad and mom were both in the Coast Guard- though when my mom had David she decided to do so full time, then joined the National Guard after my parents divorce. My dad retired from the Coast Guard shortly after he remarried when I was five. Both my maternal and paternal grandfathers were in the military (Air Force and Navy) and I currently have an uncle serving in the Coast Guard and a cousin in the Army. I actually know the entire Armed Forces Medley.

I'm not exactly sure what I want to do after I graduate, just as long  as I'm working with kids- maybe a preschool or kindergarten teacher.

Please feel free to write me about anything you want- tell me about yourself: your hobbies, your family...whatever you want, even if its rants or silly stories.

~Maddy Caldwell

P.S

Anchors Away

With the letter finished, I quickly put it in an envelope with the address written in my neat, loopy print and ran to put it in the outgoing mail slot. I leaned against the tree and sighed contentedly.

I actually got a letter.