Nerd and the Marine (6 page)

The guys riding along in back held on
without comment as they bumped along the path to the base. While
they had flown out on this assignment, they'd ended close to the
base. Hoping they'd have a little down time, Mitch's heart swelled
as he saw the lights from the base at a distance.

The men riding with him were too well
trained to cheer, but Mitch heard their excited murmurs and joined
them in their glee for a semi-decent meal, a bed, and a shower. How
easily they were appeased. Once they drove through the gates of the
base, Mitch parked and with ease the men spilled out and collected
various items.

“
Mitch, you got a few
packages waiting,” a fellow officer informed him. With a nod of
appreciation to the messenger, Mitch turned and headed off in the
direction of the base post office.

Carrying the packages across base,
Mitch’s heart beat unsteadily the entire distance. To not ever have
received packages to then receiving them regularly was still
astonishing to him. He managed to contain his excitement, since the
guys would harass him otherwise.

There’d been a librarian at his school
who’d taken a grandmotherly interest in him, offering him cookies,
not fining him for overdue books, checking his homework, little
things like that. She’d always made time for him.

But he’d never had an
entire family doing things like this, who seemed to want to
incorporate him into their fold. He was enticed by such an
incredible network. Did he want Lainy or her family? Her image
filled his mind.
Her
. But did he have what it took to be a part of a family? His
past said no. Still...

He put off the shower a bit longer as
he checked the dates on each carton. Opening the older of the two
he savored the tumbled contents as he gazed into the seemingly
never-ending depths for a moment. Then, with the eagerness of a
child at Christmas, he tugged items from the box.

Three huge packages of assorted
cookies. He found a bundle of pictures which he set aside for later
viewing. More drawings from the herd and some baseball cards, too.
He looked at the cards, remembering how precious each one had been
when he'd been a kid.

Growing up in an orphanage, baseball
cards hadn’t been plentiful. He'd earned them by trading other
things, or by working for the landscaper down the street. He also
extracted deodorant, soap, shaving cream, phone cards, razors, a
blanket that looked homemade, socks, underwear, t-shirts, a vast
supply of comic books, and a bag of assorted candies.

A smaller package, wrapped securely in
bubble wrap felt odd in his hands, so he unwrapped it with care.
And found a used Game Boy, complete with several cartridges. Also
used. A note, written in an unfamiliar hand, but similar to Lainy's
explained.

Greetings
Mitch,

My son, Steven, upon
learning that you were willing to give up Bentley so you could
fight for our country, felt he should also be willing to give up
something equally as precious to him. This is his Game Boy,
probably the one thing he cherishes the most. He heard Marines
enjoy these during down time.

Please don't feel guilty
about this, but enjoy his gift. There is a brand new Game Boy
wrapped and waiting for Steve for his birthday next month. We felt
you'd enjoy the used one more, because of the sacrifice attached
and the fact a little boy cherished this machine. (Incidentally, I
think Lainy added some upgrades. Which is why Steve loved it so
much. Lainy tampers with most of the kids’ electronic
devices.)

Oh, by the way, I'm
Lainy's sister, Laurie. My husband, Greg, and I have seven children
with the eighth on the way. Steve is number three of the bunch and
probably our most sensitive. He's nine, ten next month and takes in
the world with an adult perspective already. He's got an older
sister, fifteen, and five brothers, twelve, seven, five, three, and
eighteen months.

Grandmom also sent cookies
and various other necessities, the kids some drawings, comic books,
and baseball cards, and I'm hoping there are no live animals. This
package could be a bit stinky otherwise. Hope you're doing well and
please enjoy this Game Boy, Steve will be thrilled if you do. (And
it’s helped to teach him a valuable lesson, too.)

Sincerely,

Greg, Laurie, and
Family

Shaking his head, Mitch stared down at
the precious Game Boy in his hand. A little fellow who didn't even
know him had given up his favorite toy so Mitch wouldn't be bored.
A young man who already understood the implications of war and the
sacrifices sometimes necessary for freedom. Wondering at young
Steve's parents and their evident wisdom in raising such a child,
he looked over what had been Steve's most prized
possession.

Turning the button on, he watched the
screen dance and dazzle and saw the first of Lainy's improvements.
He was vaguely familiar with Game Boys because of the few times
he'd been able to wrest Al's machine from his hands.

He sat on the bed and something
clunked to the floor. Peering over the side, he saw a battery pack.
One unlike any other he'd ever seen before - the granddaddy of all
battery packs. It held all the earmarks of Lainy. Smiling, he gazed
in wonder at the most amazing contraption and upon further perusal,
noticed a patent number. Something clicked in the back of his mind
and he remembered her mentioning how she held several patents and
therefore was free to invent at her leisure.

Staring at the battery pack, Mitch
nearly let out a whistle, which he stifled. No need to bring Al
running. There'd be a lot less cookies that way. And he might lose
the Game Boy, too. Of course, this one was his, so Mitch decided
he'd pull the territorial male thing.

He turned his attention back to the
battery pack and with a small screw driver, removed the back cover.
He ogled the insides in wonder. From his perusal, he concluded his
Lainy was one smart lady. He realized he probably held the
prototype of her patent and reveled anew at the great gift bestowed
him.

Steve had given up a coveted toy and a
patent prototype. All because he'd understood the price many of the
military personnel here paid. Not one of them wanted or longed to
be overseas. They'd gotten called and had gone because going was
the right thing to do. Others had gone because they had family they
loved and wanted to protect.

Glancing at the bounty littering his
bed, Mitch realized, while he'd been in the former category when
he'd been called, he now fit the latter. Swallowing, he stared at
the gifts before standing to his feet. He booted up his computer,
hid the cookies, and took himself off to the shower with his new
toiletry items, whistling something without a tune, but joyful
nonetheless.

Chapter Nine

Mitch opened the second package after
his shower and found more cookies, more pictures, and more
drawings. This carton included more cookies, some containing what
smelled like cinnamon and too many others to try to determine what
they were. Not even in a bakery had he seen such a vast array of
enticing creations. With a sigh of contentment, he selected a treat
at random and bit down. And savored every flavor as it burst onto
his taste buds.

To:
[email protected]

From:
[email protected]

Subject: I got two
packages!

Dear Lainy,

I got back from our job
and discovered not one, but two packages. (Nice.) And both
contained cookies. The big one, I'm assuming from your grandmother,
held every toiletry necessity we've been in sore need of here, as
well as some much needed clothing I wouldn't have thought to ask
for. In addition to those things, did you know Steve added his Game
Boy, battery pack, and some cartridges for me?

Laurie included a note
about how Steve realized the Marines over here had to sacrifice and
he couldn't do any differently, so he sent this most prized
possession to me. I'm overwhelmed. I couldn't believe he'd send me
something like this.

By the way, his mother
said there's a new Game Boy already wrapped and waiting for his
birthday, so don't worry about that. She told me, so I'll tell you,
in the event you hadn't heard.

Your Steve sounds like a
very mature young man. I don't know many nine-year-olds who would
do such a thing. As a matter of fact, I don't know many adults who
would sacrifice like that.

His mother didn't include
an e-mail or snail mail address, so if you could be so kind? I plan
to send him a personal and heartfelt thank you. I'm sure I'll get a
lot of use out of the thing. Providing Al doesn't figure out I have
it, first.

I've decided I'm going to
be possessive, but that doesn't mean I still won't lose the Game
Boy. He's pretty persuasive. Of course, the problem will be that he
has his own and will want to play me all the time. And he's had
about ten years more practice than me. I can't let Steve down.
Think he can give me some pointers?

Or you can give me some
pointers? Laurie mentioned how you added to Steve's device and I
definitely saw some evidence of this. I'm assuming the battery pack
is one of your patents? It's amazing by the way. I had to take it
apart, as these things intrigue me.

I'm a civil engineer. Did
I forget to mention that? I'm a Marine reserve, but in my civilian
life I work as an engineer for the federal government. I enjoy my
job, so anything that takes engineering genius, like your battery
pack, interests me.

Unfortunately, I'm not an
electronics guy, so I can't say I understand much except that
you're a genius. This pack is a revolutionary marvel. Please don't
tell me you designed this while still in high school. I don't think
my male ego could take it. What got you interested in
electronics?

I had a really
inspirational physics teacher in high school who steered me into
engineering. He said my mind worked along engineering lines. I
don’t know. He helped me get into Penn State and directed me in the
classes I needed. I’m grateful to him as I really enjoy my civilian
job. (Guess he was right.)

Please tell the bakers
thank you for me. I'll send along e-mails, too, as I think I know
most of them now, but I don't think it hurts to express one’s
gratitude several times when one lives in a sandy, dry area and has
less than stellar cooks in the kitchen. We survive, but trust me,
I'm not about to gain weight, even with your family's
largesse.

Al just showed up. He
smelled my cookies. It's sad to see a grown man cry every time I
get these packages, but he seems to appreciate my bounty, too. His
mom sends packages from time to time. He's a bit jealous at the
number I receive, so I have to share.

I need to run (I’m late!)
to a debriefing. Hoping this finds you well. Give Bentley a big hug
for me. I assume he’s earning his keep by freeing your yard of
vermin? And The Terror. You haven’t explained exactly why this cat
is so called.

Yours,

Mitch

He snorted to
himself.
Yours
. If
only she knew that he really was hers. Somehow, through her
kindness, brilliance, sense of humor, and utter lack of artifice,
this woman had wowed him. She was everything a woman should be. At
least everything he
thought
a woman should be.

Lainy Morrison seemed to have nothing
lacking. Of course, from the little he picked up from her family,
he wondered if she considered herself different than the rest of
them. How this was possible with eight hundred relatives, he didn’t
know, nor did he have time to contemplate.

Before he left he checked the bottom
of both boxes and was grateful he had. At the very bottom of the
second carton, he found several DVDs. Each of them was labeled with
a family event, and with a sense of anticipation, Mitch’s hand
tightened on the discs. These must be those family home videos
Lainy had warned him about. He’d never seen ducks poop, but he
figured it must be more interesting than watching sand
blow.

*****

To:
[email protected]

From:
[email protected]

Subject: Steve!

Attachment

Dear Mitch,

Thank you for telling me
about Stevie giving up his Game Boy. That sounds exactly like him.
He's very understanding. Perhaps too understanding in some
instances. But such a sweetie. He did love his Game Boy. I'll
improve the new one for him, too, so no worries.

He's so going to be like
me when he grows up. He loves anything electronic. Like me, he
always has. I don't remember a time when I wasn't fascinated by
circuitry and electricity. (Don’t ask my mom about the earlier
years, it wasn’t pretty.) This utter wonder has always been with
me, and with Stevie, too. He's a great kid. Not too good at sports,
like me, but a good sport. Unlike me...

He actually gave me the
idea for the battery pack, so unbeknownst to him I set up a college
fund for him. Actually, I've set up college funds for all the kids.
Many of the older rellys have contributed, which is nice. This way,
the kids won't have a really nice car payment worth of student
loans awaiting them. (And can therefore buy the really nice car
upon graduation from college.)