Travelin' Soldier

[shellybelly46]

Story Title: Travelin' Soldier

Story description: Jack and Martha

Type of story: Short - oneshot

BTTB rating: General

does story include spoilers: no

Is story being proof read: yes

Any warnings: -

summary: Jack and Martha meet when they're young. Complications happen when Jakc is sent to war.

Thanks to cutiepie29 for proofing.

Both out of character, as well. My story, I can do what I like, lol.

Travelin' Soldier

Jack sat in a red booth, in a red café, swirling his coffee in a red mug. He had only just turned eighteen; merely two days ago he entered his adulthood. It was quite scary. Because of the constitution Jack was already enrolled in the Australian Army. He was already a member of what has been previously named a heroic team of young men. Jack was single; he was a quiet, shy person who kept to himself. He’d jump in where there’d be trouble and help where help was needed.

A young, beautiful girl made her way up to Jack’s table. Her hair was fixed perfectly to her head and a bow was placed neatly above her ponytail. She smiled and winked at Jack was sat nervously in his booth. He was good around females at all. He’d tense up and become incredibly timid.

Jack coughed clearing his throat before placing his order with the girl who stood above him.

“Breakfast deluxe,” he said cautiously. “What’s your name?” he then asked. This girl was beautiful, gorgeous, very young but still stunning in everyway possible.

“Martha,” she giggled her reply. She looked at Jack who sat tapping the table anxiously.

“Would you like to sit down for a while? Only if your not too busy,” he pointed to the empty café. “I’m a little down.” He pouted.

“I’m off in about an hour, I know where we can go,” she told him smiling. Jack’s face broadened to a smile as he watched the gorgeous waitress tiptoe off towards the kitchen.

“So how old are you?” Martha asked Jack. Their feet dangled over the pier’s edge above the water.

“Eighteen, two days ago. How ‘bout you?” he asked in return.

“Sixteen, seventeen next month,” she told him. They sat serenely at the waterfront, it was amazing how spending time with someone, you had only just met, could actually feel. It was great! Jack and Martha just clicked immediately. Jack was shy, and Martha eased his shyness.

“Have you got a boyfriend?” Jack shot out interrupting the brilliant silence. “I go war next month, do you think it’d be possible I send a letter back here to you? I don’t care if you have a boyfriend or not, I have no one to send something back to,” he said getting down in the dumps again.

“Stop fretting,” Martha smiled grabbing Jack’s knee. “I don’t have a boyfriend and I’d gladly be the recipient of your letters,” she grinned at him.

Weeks passed pretty quickly. Jack stayed in-touch with Martha and they’d grown close, majorly close. They were in a proper, more than friends relationship and even felt secure enough to take their relationship to the next level, considering Jack was leaving for an uncertain amount of time. Jack also promised with his return would be a ring on her finger. They felt they were just perfect together. Two pieces of puzzle slotted rightly together. Matching.

The post came every Wednesday. Martha made sure she was home in time to receive any letters and news from the Army camp. Martha ripped one open. Jack’s handwriting covered the front with her name printed perfectly in black ink. She read his letter through numerous amounts of times. She pictured him saying every word written, in his very individual voice. He told her parts of his journey, the less gory parts. He was shamed, and scared to reveal how it really was in a war-zone. It was petrifying. Horrible. So damn wrong.

Jack signed off.

I remember that day down at the pier. My nervousness drowned out my own thoughts. Your smile, the only thing getting me through this horrid adventure, made me melt and still does. Every time I see something go wrong her, when times get rough I picture your face, just smiling happily. I need to see you so bad. I won’t be able to write for a while.

Another was delivered informing her that she and Jack couldn’t be together. She was too young to be a trooper’s wife. One year apart was like a lifetime. Little did they know, Jack and Martha had been together and will be forever. One thing Martha wouldn’t tell anybody ties their souls and heart together forever.

One year, just that one little small year, three hundred and sixty-five days was all it took to take Jack away.

The world spun madly by.

A little girl stood alone under stadium stand. It was Friday night football. The crowd roared at the Premier League game before the main game. She stood up straight, ears wide open listening to screams and cheers the crowd gave. Her hair was slicked back perfectly fitting into a long, straight ponytail, a bow placed amazingly balanced over the band tying her hair back. The game ended and a man stood up on the portable stage in the middle of the field.

‘Jack Holden’ he said as he slowly read the honors list from the war. ‘He was a brave soldier…he’d do anything for his country…’

The audience stood silent awaiting the ending to this speech. Sure they cared. But they didn’t care about all the individual names being called.

The man finished his speech and began a soft prayer. The audience bowed their heads.

The little girl under the stand stood up bravely no more. She was crouched up coldly against a pole. She buried her head in her hands sobbing quietly. No one cared whose names were called. No on cared that her daddy wasn’t here anymore. No one cared.

Travellin’ Soldier

Two days past eighteen

He was waiting for the bus in his army green

Sat down in a booth in a cafe there

Gave his order to a girl with a bow in her hair

He's a little shy so she gives him a smile

And he said would you mind sitting down for a while

And talking to me,

I'm feeling a little low

She said I'm off in an hour and I know where we can go

So they went down and they sat on the pier

He said I bet you got a boyfriend but I don't care

I got no one to send a letter to

Would you mind if I sent one back here to you

Chorus: I cried

Never gonna hold the hand of another guy

Too young for him they told her

Waiting for the love of a traveling soldier

Our love will never end

Waiting for the soldier to come back again

Never more to be alone when the letter said

A soldier's coming home

So the letters came from an army camp

In California then Vietnam

And he told her of his heart

It might be love and all of the things he was so scared of

He said when it's getting kind of rough over here

I think of that day sitting down at the pier

And I close my eyes and see your pretty smile

Don't worry but I won't be able to write for awhile

[Chorus]

One Friday night at a football game

The Lord's Prayer said and the Anthem sang

A man said folks would you bow your heads

For a list of local Vietnam dead

Crying all alone under the stands

Was a piccolo player in the marching band

And one name read and nobody really cared

But a pretty little girl with a bow in her hair

[Chorus]

Comments