Five Minutes---Five Days---Forever
Posted: Sunday, July 06, 2008
by Sandra E. Graham
My Books and Articles
The taste of dust never left his mouth; nearly gagging he refused to allow himself to cough. Smoke stench filled his nostrils as dust filled sweat burned his eyes-sweat he couldn't raise a hand to wipe away. His thoughts scurried around in his head like so many hyper squirrels. Were there sand fleas crawling under his clothes or was his imagination working over-time again? Desperately he wanted to scratch an all-too-real imaginary itch. Looking down he watched in abstract fascination the trembling of his hands. Slowly, making no sound he minutely shifted his weight off the tiny sharp stone that had irritated his right buttock all this long time.
He didn't feel brave, strong, invincible, now. Now he just wanted to be somewhere else, anywhere but here. This time. This moment. How long? Five minutes? Five hours?
He didn't even dare to look at his watch. But what matter, the time? Where did he have to be? Stifling a hysterical giggle; he had no date, no appointment, no promise to be-there-or-be-square. ‘Misery loves company.' How often had his mother used that quote?
Why had he thought of that? Company. He wanted no company; no one to see him like this-his face covered with sweat and dirt, his clothes covered with dirt, looking as though he had slept in them-had he?--and his boots scuffed. His hands shaking; fear turning his stomach to mush. Who would have faith in him at this moment, if they could see him now, if they could read his thoughts? Would they trust him to save them, to save their country? Was he the best they had? Six months of training and a birthday that turned him twenty made him one of ‘a few good men.'
A FEW GOOD MEN-that's what the sign read. It had all sounded so good, so heroic, so-there it was again-invincible.
Oh, God! A cramp in his calf! Another movement without movement and with a slight upward tilt of his boot toe, he stopped the cramp before it became a full-blown muscle spasm. Relief surged through his entire body as the realization dawned that he had gained one more second of secrecy. Glancing down at his hands once more, he felt another power surge to see there was no trembling now. Tick tock, tick tock. Was that really his watch ticking? Were the other guys having these crazy thoughts? Maybe he wasn't cut out for this after all. What if someone depended on his clear-headedness and it wasn't there-he was too busy going over a grocery list?
A small stone rattled down the slope beside him and his mind froze along with his body.
Without turning his head, his eyes picked out the stone. There. Finally. A signal to move out! How long had he sat there? Five minutes-Five Days-Forever?
All fear gone as though it had never been; he rolls away from the rocky sloped ridge and rushes across the opening from one obstacle to the next as unseen projectiles tear away at the fabric of his barriers. Explosions heard long after the damage has been done. He is back in the game and no longer is there time for thoughts-only action.
One more stop; drop off his package; and then back the same way he came. In and out, how hard could it be? Movement he could deal with; it was the stillness, the waiting, the sense of time lost that made him crazy. Now he could do what he had been sent here to do-his job. So what if he was but a twenty-year-old kid; he was a soldier first and a kid second. The kid had had his five minutes-now the soldier took over. He completed his mission and made it back to base in one piece. One more day in the life of one of America's finest. One of America's soldiers in a foreign, dust covered land-where five minutes or five days could be forever--that holds no love for its own people and less for the people who give all they have to help in their bid for freedom. Maybe he doesn't even understand his real reasons for being there; all he really knows is that he could die there. His country said go and he goes. ‘Need to know' may not be in his realm of information, but he accepts his duty, his orders, his time and carries through without complaint.
To all our boys and girls in foreign countries, I have added you to our church's prayer list and may God be with you for all your minutes, your days, and your forevers.
Sandra E. Graham, author, AMOS JAKEY and NICOLINA from American Book Publishing. I also write book reviews for Bookpleasures.com
Visit my website for more information about my books and articles
http://www.sandragraham-articles-books.com
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Top-level comments on this article: (7 total)hi sandra, this was as powerful and interesting an article as i'm sure you planned it to be, or it wouldn't have been. my son is 20, will be 21 on the 11th, and another son is 17. i have been more afraid of this travesty of war than of any other for obvious reasons, and i will be until it's over. thanks for sharing such sharp and imaginative thoughts, beautiful animation. best regards, sueThank you Sue for reading and giving your kind comments. I have no children envolved in this war, but I have many friends who do and I have concerns for all our boys and girls over seas during these trying times. There will be wars and rumors of wars until that final war of salvation. Sandra
Sandra: Another good article. And from what I have seen you are right on. Thanks for all your good reading. Venessa Wallis Franklin ArkansasThanks, Venessa. It is readers like you that make the writing more pleasurable. I try to put my heart into everything I write. I love to write and I love to read---and I especially love to write for people who love to read. Thanks again. Sandra
Great article. I have friends and a brother in law that are over there. This article brings back lots of memories for me, my husband spent almost 2 years over there and you are right on the spot . kimThank you for reading and commenting. My heart is with all our service boys and girls, wherever they are and whatever their circumstances. I pray every day for their safety and their safe return. Sandra
A really hearfelt article. Yes these brave young men in harms way, horror all about. True American hero's. God beless them and may god hav emercy upon all who cause war, death, destruction, evil in His name or for otehr reasons.Thanks, Robert, for reading and commenting. Not a day goes by that I don't think about and pray for our soldiers.Thanks.Sandra
That was truly good writing Sandra. and I wholeheartedly agree with you that our soldiers need and deserve our support. Thank you for putting the thoughts into words.Thank you, Jay. I'm sure our entire country is of the same sentiment when it comes to our service boys and girls.Sandra
Sandra, you did a good job of conveying how a young soldier must feel. It is an experience I can't even imagine. I am grateful and indebted to those who have accepted a call to serve our country. God bless America and our troops. My prayers are with them and the leaders of our great land.Thanks, Lorrie, for reading and commenting. I was hoping to convey what I thought might be going through a young person's mind and they fight in these horrible battles for freedom.Sandra
Once again, Sandra has given us a chance to be drawn in to her characters feelings and actions.I will say this again, an authors job is to grab us and make us want to read that article evewn if we are in a hurry. She has accomplished this again in this article. My palms were sweaty and my heart raced. I was there right beside the soldier as he was waiting to pull out.I am very proud of the men and women who serve in our armed forces here and abroad. I keep the in my thoughts and prayers and they are heroes to me.I salute them and pray for their safe return.I loved this article.Sincerely,Thanks again, Nancy. I too am proud of our soldiers and pray for them every day. They are always on our prayer list at church. May God watch over them and protect them and bring them home soon.Sandra
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