Letters To My Soldier

Letter Four

November 2018

I received a letter two days later, on the last day of November. Dean had been right outside this Saturday morning-early-a rarity in itself. Our regular postman had been doing a drive by while Dean waited for the mail. When he walked back through the door and into the living room to commence our Saturday morning ESPN highlights routine, he had been shuffling through the stack.

I didn't think anything of it since I knew that the possibility of Captain Black ever returning a reply to my last letter was slim. But there I was, under the scrutiny of my overprotective father, warily handing me the letter with a gruff, "It's for you..."

"Oh, uh, um," I said and finally looked at the return address. "I'm going to open this up-"

"How about you stay down here and open it," he said interrupting me with a smirk, "It's not like I have to worry about the boy making moves on you, right?"

I felt myself blush and I suddenly wanted to throw my cup of coffee over his head.

"Shut up, Dean," he laughs and plops into his leather chair, turning on the TV. I inch open the envelope once he looks away, and when he glances at me, I stop.

"Continue," he waves at me.

"Continue," I wave at the TV as he snickers and finally ignores me for the time being.

I turn the letter in my hands almost dreading that a grenade is stuck in the inside and will explode if I open it.

"Just open the stupid letter, P" Dean says without looking at me.

"I'm getting to it," I reassure him and rip open the side of the envelope instead of the regular way-yes I'm paranoid-and unfold the letter.

Dear Miss United States,

Maybe I have misunderstood your intentions, which I displayed in my last letter. You seem like a nice girl and I meant no disrespect. I am impressed at your level of patience with me (especially because I do not deserve it).

You must think I'm the world's biggest jerk - besides Osama Bin Laden and George Bush - because I am a jerk. If you want to know the honest-to-God truth, I am not a nice person. I'm the most socially awkward, misfit, loner from the city of New York who belongs to risk his life everyday for the better good because I'm just not worth keeping alive for longer than necessary.

Why risk your life too?

In answer to your question: No it wasn't. My Thanksgiving started in the early morning of 2:00 AM when a sniper started shooting our auto-vehicles and ended with a grazed bullet to my right hip.

I took your words into consideration and viewed it from your side. So, I asked the guys to write something down that they could use from a care package. They asked who was sending it and when I told them about you, how you were some sort of pen pal, well, it surprised them because I never talked about any family or friends from back home. And you know something? It felt good. It felt good to say I got another letter from you even though you've only written two and only a total of one from me that wasn't too pleasant.

I don't know why you want to get to know me but I guess it's the same reason you want to send care packages and support our troops.

I want to know you too.

Captain Black U.S.M.C.