Chapter 12: The Jungle
Big Man opens the stall door, walks in.
Pukes.
Half in the toilet, half on the floor.
Whole toilet starts spinning, water splashing out of the pisser.
Puke climbing up the wall.
Toilet paper roll be unrolling.
The only overhead light starts blinking.
Light goes off, toilet dark.
Big Man sitting now but holding tight to the handicap bars on either side of the crapper.
It is dark.
It is spinning.
Dark.
Spinning.
Eyes closed but tears still leak out.
Big man knows, Big Man know not to open his eyes.
But the Big Man Does.
Big Man with open eyes no longer in the toilet.
Big Man he elsewhere.
Big Man, he in the jungle now.
Jungle all he sees.
Jungle looking back.
Jungle sees too.
“Stay close, Rog.”
“Damn right Big Man, in fact I’ll stay right behind you.”
It is early morning.
10 men patrol.
Hunting VC.
Hunting NVA.
Search, Find, Destroy.
One silent step at a time.
Big Man suddenly puts his right hand up.
Nine men freeze.
Big Man raises left hand, four fingers up.
Four men behind him move silently left.
Right hand with five fingers up.
Five men ease right.
All are spread out now.
All stop.
All waiting for a noise ahead.
All waiting for a branch ahead to move slightly.
All waiting for a smell not their own.
Comes the smell.
Comes the language not their own.
Comes the hunted.
Big Man lowers right hand.
Nine men kneel…
Big Man on the toilet in the crapper starts sobbing.
Snot running from his nose.
“Please no…”
“…no.”
But he can’t stop it, never can.
Even now.
56 years later.
CAN’T STOP IT.
The movement ahead stops.
Ahead goes silent.
It is time.
“Big Man what’s up…”
Big Man swings his head around, “Shut up, SHUT THE FUCK UP ROG…”
Bang.
And as the Big Man watches the back of Roger’s head blows off.
Sniper was just waiting.
Hell erupts on earth.
And then, quiet.
The worst part.
In moments crying breaks the silence.
In moments moaning breaks the silence.
Ahead is quiet.
Not so around the Big Man.
Three men on his left, hit.
Two serious, one not.
On his left Roger lying in the tall grass.
His best friend.
Big Man signals to move forward and secure the enemy.
Big Man puts his rifle down, kneels down and lifts and cradles Roger.
Big Man sees brain stuff in the grass behind Roger.
Roger opens his eyes.
Roger sees Big Man.
Roger smiles.
Roger dies.
Took two of the soldiers with the Big Man…
…to get Big Man to let go…
…of Roger.
