Letters From a Friend
Rafe sat on the porch overlooking the farm. It was early, the sun was just rising and there was a slight breeze in the air. Rafe often got up early now a days, to be alone with his thoughts, and morn, so that his new wife Evelyn wouldn't see him. He felt a light hand on his shoulder, not bothering to turn around
"Hey." He said quietly.
"Hey……What you doing out here." She said
"Just thinkin"
"Bout what?"
"Things" he said staring at the open field
"Wanna talk about it?" she offered
"Thats okay."
"Goodness Rafe! I don't know what I'm gonna do with you. You've been so distant since……."
"yeah?"
"Well….. since…….since Danny died." She finished almost in a whisper.
"Ya think?"
"Now Rafe I didn't mean it like that, and you know it…… I was just trying to---"
Just then a car pulled up, and a familiar face stepped out from behind the wheel.
"Boy was it hell trackin' you two down!" Colonel Doolittle smiled.
"Sir?" Rafe asked, half confused and half relieved he had rescued him from Evelyn.
"M'am." He nodded, acknowledging Evelyn.
"Colonel." Acknowledging back.
There was an awkward silence.
"I'll get started on breakfast." Broke Evelyn turning to go in the house. "Will you be joining us Colonel?"
"Don't have the time m'am but I sure do apprieciate the offer."
She smiled, looked at Rafe then walked in the house. It was quiet again.
"How are ya doin' son?" Doolittle asked, not looking at Rafe.
"I'm fine sir, but I reckon that ain't the reason you came by today, is it?"
"Always a wise ass" he smiled then got serious "But your right, thats not why I stopped by today" he paused then changed the subject "Uh. How is Evelyn doin'?"
"She's doin'…better, sir."
"That's good." He said quietly.
"Sir, I've never you to be a man to beat around the bush."
"No son….. neither have i….. However this…..this is somewhat more difficult." Doolittle finished.
"and why is that sir?" Rafe replied, looking at the ground.
"Because, I know how close you and Danny were." Doolittle said, removing his hat.
Rafe looked up at him when he spoke Danny's name.
"Sir?" Rafe questioned.
"I have some of Danny's belongings….. in the car, he had no family listed. And I thought prehaps, prehaps maybe you would like to have them?"
Rafe stood up ready to go to Doolittle's car.
"Yes sir….. I would."
"Alright"
They walked over to the car and Doolittle opened the door to the back seat, there, lay a duffle bag that looked like it was almost completely filled. As Doolittle handed the bag to his former pupil, Rafe's eyes teared.
"Thank you, sir." He said only staring at the bag, and gripping it tightly.
"Its my pleasure." He said knowingly.
After a long pause.
"Son, things happen in this life that none of us can help! No matter how we try or wish, we can't change it! They…..they JUST happen! No one knows why, but what ever reason, you gotta trust it." He finished, yelling in a whisper. Rafe continued to stare at the bag. " Its NOT your fault,---"
"Yes sir, I know." he whispered.
"No! you don't! You don't get that! And my fear is that you may NEVER get that." He continued. "you gotta go on livin', DANNY would want you to." He finished
"Yessir," Rafe said looking up at him, seeing the conviction in his eyes. "I really do appreciate you dropping this by personally." And he held his hand out, Doolittle reluctantly did the same. Rafe returned his focus to Danny's bag and started toward the house.
"And son!" Doolittle yelled after him "You know how to get a hold of me."
Rafe gave a stiff mouthed smile and a nod, as Doolittle started his car and drove away.
Rafe sat on the porch overlooking the farm. It was early, the sun was just rising and there was a slight breeze in the air. Rafe often got up early now a days, to be alone with his thoughts, and morn, so that his new wife Evelyn wouldn't see him. He felt a light hand on his shoulder, not bothering to turn around
"Hey." He said quietly.
"Hey……What you doing out here." She said
"Just thinkin"
"Bout what?"
"Things" he said staring at the open field
"Wanna talk about it?" she offered
"Thats okay."
"Goodness Rafe! I don't know what I'm gonna do with you. You've been so distant since……."
"yeah?"
"Well….. since…….since Danny died." She finished almost in a whisper.
"Ya think?"
"Now Rafe I didn't mean it like that, and you know it…… I was just trying to---"
Just then a car pulled up, and a familiar face stepped out from behind the wheel.
"Boy was it hell trackin' you two down!" Colonel Doolittle smiled.
"Sir?" Rafe asked, half confused and half relieved he had rescued him from Evelyn.
"M'am." He nodded, acknowledging Evelyn.
"Colonel." Acknowledging back.
There was an awkward silence.
"I'll get started on breakfast." Broke Evelyn turning to go in the house. "Will you be joining us Colonel?"
"Don't have the time m'am but I sure do apprieciate the offer."
She smiled, looked at Rafe then walked in the house. It was quiet again.
"How are ya doin' son?" Doolittle asked, not looking at Rafe.
"I'm fine sir, but I reckon that ain't the reason you came by today, is it?"
"Always a wise ass" he smiled then got serious "But your right, thats not why I stopped by today" he paused then changed the subject "Uh. How is Evelyn doin'?"
"She's doin'…better, sir."
"That's good." He said quietly.
"Sir, I've never you to be a man to beat around the bush."
"No son….. neither have i….. However this…..this is somewhat more difficult." Doolittle finished.
"and why is that sir?" Rafe replied, looking at the ground.
"Because, I know how close you and Danny were." Doolittle said, removing his hat.
Rafe looked up at him when he spoke Danny's name.
"Sir?" Rafe questioned.
"I have some of Danny's belongings….. in the car, he had no family listed. And I thought prehaps, prehaps maybe you would like to have them?"
Rafe stood up ready to go to Doolittle's car.
"Yes sir….. I would."
"Alright"
They walked over to the car and Doolittle opened the door to the back seat, there, lay a duffle bag that looked like it was almost completely filled. As Doolittle handed the bag to his former pupil, Rafe's eyes teared.
"Thank you, sir." He said only staring at the bag, and gripping it tightly.
"Its my pleasure." He said knowingly.
After a long pause.
"Son, things happen in this life that none of us can help! No matter how we try or wish, we can't change it! They…..they JUST happen! No one knows why, but what ever reason, you gotta trust it." He finished, yelling in a whisper. Rafe continued to stare at the bag. " Its NOT your fault,---"
"Yes sir, I know." he whispered.
"No! you don't! You don't get that! And my fear is that you may NEVER get that." He continued. "you gotta go on livin', DANNY would want you to." He finished
"Yessir," Rafe said looking up at him, seeing the conviction in his eyes. "I really do appreciate you dropping this by personally." And he held his hand out, Doolittle reluctantly did the same. Rafe returned his focus to Danny's bag and started toward the house.
"And son!" Doolittle yelled after him "You know how to get a hold of me."
Rafe gave a stiff mouthed smile and a nod, as Doolittle started his car and drove away.