The Grave

It is interesting to think of all of the stories floating all around us. I think this one could be from past present or future. It is short and the characters are nameless. 

I guess I was the only friend the old man had. Hell, I didn’t even know him that well. See, he used to come into the station from time to time and I’d do stuff to his car, like check the tires oil and so on. He’d talk about the places he’d been and all the things he had done. He was in the marines all of his life and he fought in wars and been all over the world. A lot of people who talked as much as he did got on my nerves somethin awful. He was different. The stuff he talked about was worth hearin and a lot of times kinda funny. He talked about his buddies that never came home one day and the best cat houses anywhere the next. It was always somethin new. Most assholes I know ain’t worth hearin, always say the same ole shit and take themselves too damn seriously. So, I listened to all his crazy stories about wars and the world. I think he’d been everywhere at one or another time.  I’ll never forget that day he pulled in for the last time. I knew somethin wasn’t right. He had a look I’d never seen in him before, fear.

“Boy, me and you gotta have a little talk. What time do get out of here

“Six o’clock.”­

“I’ll drop back by.”

“See ya then.”

Now, we never did anything before this. I knew whatever was on his mind was awful damn important. There was no way I could have said no. The only livin friend he had was me. I wasn’t worth a shit the rest of the day. Well, sure as hell six o’clock rolled around and he was right there. I got in the car and we didn’t say a word. The countryside rolled by and I watched the spring green trees and fields. They did not comfort me much. The heavy air, my own sweat and the whiskey bottle we passed back and fourth made my head swim. I still did not know what he wanted. But his unusual silence said a lot. I was not ready for what was to come. Finally, he spoke.

“Boy, the doc says I gotta a little problem. I haven’t been scared of much of anything until now... He told me I have bone cancer and it is all through me. There is nothing they can do. I’m gonna die.”

I was stunned.

He went on. “He says I got six moths to a year. Well, I been thinkin... I didn’t go through three wars and all the rest of it just to wither away in some VA hospital. I know what I want to do, and I need your help.”

I mean what the fuck else could I do. There was no way I could turn him down. It was just so damn strange. We finished off a bottle, and all the sudden he came out and told me what he wanted to do. It was like he was ordering grits or something. He told me his plan and where I was needed. I laid there awake all night. It was all so fucking unreal. I skipped breakfast, knowing what I had to do.

The smell of spring was in the warm morning air. I looked up through the trees admiring all the shades of green. It was a long walk. At last, I came to the grave. Well, everything was all there just the way he said it would be the pickaxe, shovel and a blanket. He was there slumped over to one side. Oh shit, oh shit, this was real!  The poor ole fucker did it, really did it. It was almost too much. A shiver ran up my spine, I dropped the tools and fell to my knees. All I could do was look at the poor old man and cry. I knew he was gone and that was all there was to it. I had to finish it for him. I got up picked up the blanket and went over to him. I spread out the blanket like we were gonna have a picnic. I saw the .45 in his hand and fought hard as I knew how to keep the tears from starting again. I took the gun from his hand and tossed it in to the fresh dug hole. Gently, I pulled him on to the blanket and wrapped him up. I placed him in the grave and struggled with the shovel until it was done. This was his funeral. I cried one last time for him. It was okay now, he was with all his buddies. There was nothing else to do but return the tools to where they belonged as he asked.

See, I promised him I would never tell anyone about this. But... Someone must remember him and I didn’t go back on my word. We can never forget them that gave everything so we could have something as great as freedom. I’ll still take his grave to my grave as he wanted.