29-03-2019, 05:43 PM
He pulled the op-rod back on the Garand and inspected the chamber before loading a cleaning patch onto an obstruction remover, attaching it to a cleaning cable, and pushing it down into the bore.
"Well, Troy," The Colonel said as he slowly pulled the cable from the muzzle end of the gun. "I wanted to have a little word in private with you. You and my daughter have been close friends forever, haven't you?" Troy took a sip of his coffee.
"I think it'd be safe to say that we haven't ever NOT been friends, Tom." Col. Andrews nodded as he flipped the cloth patch over and repeated the process.
"Mm-hmm. And she's a very beautiful young woman, isn't she, Troilus?" He dropped some oil onto a cleaning brush and sent it through the bore as well. Troy nodded back, admiring one of the pistols on the coffee table; a Walther PPK.
"I know I'm biased, sir; however, I'd be inclined to say that Julie is the most beautiful woman I know."
"Then dammit, boy, why the fuck haven't you ever made a move," Tom asked, handing Troy the Walther and a pistol cleaning kit. "Shit, you two got that apartment together the summer after high school, still don't know how you talked us and your parents into that. I figured you two'd be goin' like rabbits together, but it never happened!"
"It's like we explained, Tom," Troy said, staring into his eyes. "Two 18-year-olds just out of high school, having one big summer blast before college? There was GOING to be partying and loud music and being up all night, better to have it happen there than in your home."
"Yeah, see, always made sense when you talked about it, son. Well, I've seen some of the jackasses she's brought in my door before and since. I've always respected her privacy as long as she didn't get herself knocked up or thrown in jail. And I know all that jewelry hasn't come from being a sweet kid. But all those boys, and during what I hope was a phase, a couple girls; came and went, and my daughter never even talked about most of those pieces of shit again."
Troy checked the Walther to make sure the gun was empty and couldn't resist pointing it at the wall with his left arm raised and his palm outstretched and rocking back and forth a little before reaching for the kit to begin cleaning it.
"I've just never thought of her like that. I guess she's like my sister at this point."
"Well, like I say, we almost never hear a word about those losers. But she's never shut up about you. Her school was a thousand miles from yours, but every time we called to see how she was doing, she made sure to give us an update on you, too. You kids still talked most every week, if not every day. Lemme ask you: How many of those calls were the 3 AM 'just need to hear your voice' kind?" Troy took a drink and thought about it before responding.
"Oh, every couple months. Most of the time, she wouldn't give me details and I wouldn't push, just ask if she was ok, and she'd just say 'I am now.' She seemed all right after that. I'd have been on the next plane if I thought she wasn't."
"Well, I know some of them were just Julie being Julie, but every once in a while... well, she still gets the nightmares sometimes, you know."
Troy set down his cup and closed his eyes with a deep sigh.
"I have to have told her I forgave her a million times now."
"So has everyone. You two were six, it was a dumbass kid mistake, and you lived; but she still looks back and thinks what might've happened. You know my little girl walks between the raindrops, but shoving you into the pool twenty years ago; that's what wakes her up at night. And you've always been a good kid, son. Your parents were our friends for five years before either of you were born. Losing them both was hell for me and Vanessa; I can only imagine what it's been for you and your Propappy. Oh, he always had a big smile on except when he went round and round with that Helen girl's dad; but the man fought in the first big one and buried a son in the second, and then a grandson too. That's enough to wipe the smile off anyone's face, but he kept going and kept that smile up to raise you right."
"Well, Troy," The Colonel said as he slowly pulled the cable from the muzzle end of the gun. "I wanted to have a little word in private with you. You and my daughter have been close friends forever, haven't you?" Troy took a sip of his coffee.
"I think it'd be safe to say that we haven't ever NOT been friends, Tom." Col. Andrews nodded as he flipped the cloth patch over and repeated the process.
"Mm-hmm. And she's a very beautiful young woman, isn't she, Troilus?" He dropped some oil onto a cleaning brush and sent it through the bore as well. Troy nodded back, admiring one of the pistols on the coffee table; a Walther PPK.
"I know I'm biased, sir; however, I'd be inclined to say that Julie is the most beautiful woman I know."
"Then dammit, boy, why the fuck haven't you ever made a move," Tom asked, handing Troy the Walther and a pistol cleaning kit. "Shit, you two got that apartment together the summer after high school, still don't know how you talked us and your parents into that. I figured you two'd be goin' like rabbits together, but it never happened!"
"It's like we explained, Tom," Troy said, staring into his eyes. "Two 18-year-olds just out of high school, having one big summer blast before college? There was GOING to be partying and loud music and being up all night, better to have it happen there than in your home."
"Yeah, see, always made sense when you talked about it, son. Well, I've seen some of the jackasses she's brought in my door before and since. I've always respected her privacy as long as she didn't get herself knocked up or thrown in jail. And I know all that jewelry hasn't come from being a sweet kid. But all those boys, and during what I hope was a phase, a couple girls; came and went, and my daughter never even talked about most of those pieces of shit again."
Troy checked the Walther to make sure the gun was empty and couldn't resist pointing it at the wall with his left arm raised and his palm outstretched and rocking back and forth a little before reaching for the kit to begin cleaning it.
"I've just never thought of her like that. I guess she's like my sister at this point."
"Well, like I say, we almost never hear a word about those losers. But she's never shut up about you. Her school was a thousand miles from yours, but every time we called to see how she was doing, she made sure to give us an update on you, too. You kids still talked most every week, if not every day. Lemme ask you: How many of those calls were the 3 AM 'just need to hear your voice' kind?" Troy took a drink and thought about it before responding.
"Oh, every couple months. Most of the time, she wouldn't give me details and I wouldn't push, just ask if she was ok, and she'd just say 'I am now.' She seemed all right after that. I'd have been on the next plane if I thought she wasn't."
"Well, I know some of them were just Julie being Julie, but every once in a while... well, she still gets the nightmares sometimes, you know."
Troy set down his cup and closed his eyes with a deep sigh.
"I have to have told her I forgave her a million times now."
"So has everyone. You two were six, it was a dumbass kid mistake, and you lived; but she still looks back and thinks what might've happened. You know my little girl walks between the raindrops, but shoving you into the pool twenty years ago; that's what wakes her up at night. And you've always been a good kid, son. Your parents were our friends for five years before either of you were born. Losing them both was hell for me and Vanessa; I can only imagine what it's been for you and your Propappy. Oh, he always had a big smile on except when he went round and round with that Helen girl's dad; but the man fought in the first big one and buried a son in the second, and then a grandson too. That's enough to wipe the smile off anyone's face, but he kept going and kept that smile up to raise you right."
Like, Comment and Give Rating.
![[+]](https://xossipy.com/themes/sharepoint/collapse_collapsed.png)