JUST GOT BACK ON FRIDAY… EXHAUSTED… WILL COME SEE YOU SOON. LOVE YOU!
“Push PLAY, sailor, or I’m going to clobber you over the head,” Raines said. “No more interruptions.”
Camp pushed the button and grabbed his wine glass. The DVD began.
“Hello son… this is your daddy… Seabury Campbell, Senior… that makes you Junior… well, I’m not sure how to start this so, here goes… I’ve got some bad news… the doctors say I have Alzheimer’s… your mom thinks they’re probably right, so does Leslie… by the way, son, between us two men… you’re a fool if you let that one get away… mom’s already been telling the doctors that Leslie’s her daughter-in-law so, don’t make her a liar, okay? I’m an old man, Junior… the good news is that this disease hit me late… the bad news… they say it’ll take me faster… Leslie wanted me to make this damned video so I said yes… God only knows when you’ll get back from Vietnam to see this.”
Camp’s face fell blank as Raines grabbed his hand.
“I’m a proud old Scotsman, Junior… I don’t like to share my emotions with anyone, not even your mother… but Alzheimer’s gives you a gift that a sudden heart attack can’t give… it gives you a few more moments where you can think straight and say all the things you want said.”
Raines reached over and leaned her head on Camp's shoulder. She had seen the DVD a hundred times before.
“I am so proud of you, Junior… I love you with all my heart… I know, I was tough on you, pushing you, and pushing you… Son, I was trying to push you to greatness and you got there… I love you, boy… I love your sisters, and they have fine husbands and have given me wonderful grandchildren… but oh, sweet Mother of God how I love my boy… I’ve never told you this son, and hopefully you won’t see this until I’m dead, gone and fertilizing the beans, but… you’re my hero. Every night that you were working those 20-hour shifts, trying to save the lives of young soldiers, I stayed awake with you, too, every minute of the day. Ruth called your XO, that Colonel Ferguson, every other damn day. We knew your hours, we knew what you were doing… I was so proud of you. Do you remember those nights when you thought you couldn’t move another inch, when the rockets and mortars came flying in, the IEDs kept blowing your buddies up? That’s when I prayed for you the most, boy. That’s when God gave you the strength to work another shift, another day, do another surgery. That strength from God was His answer to my prayers. You are my hero, son… I have never met a man with more courage or more strength. I am not worthy to be called your daddy…”
Old Seabury started to cry on the video. Raines looked over as tears gushed out of Camp’s eyes too.
“Don’t cry for me, son. I have lived a long and wonderful life. Your mother was smokin’ hot, so that made it easier to endure! They say I might not even know you when you come back from the war. My mind is foggier than it once was… but my heart is as clear as ever. I love you, Seabury Campbell, Junior… I will always love you… you’re my boy… you are my hero.”
Camp and Raines watched old Sea Bee get off of his milking stool and move to an extreme close up as he fiddled with the camera’s buttons.
“How do you turn this damn thing off?” Sea Bee said as the picture finally went black.
Raines threw both of her arms around Camp as he collapsed in her arms.
“I don’t know what to say,” Camp whispered as Raines held him tightly.
“I didn’t know what to do, Camp,” Raines whispered back.
Her arms released him and Camp sat up and looked at her tender eyes.
“You were there for me, Les. You stepped in and took care of my family. I don’t know what to say.”
Raines wiped the tears from Camp’s face and stroked his squared chin.
“Are you mad at me? For not telling you?”
Camp closed his eyes and smiled. “Mad? How could I be mad at a woman as selfless as you? A woman who took care of my parents with such incredible and unselfish love; Leslie, I am beyond grateful. I’m in love with you.”
Leslie’s lower lip started to quiver. Her smile emerged as her tears welled.
“Look at the two of us. We’re a mess,” Raines said as she reached for Camp’s hand. “Tired?”
Camp nodded. Standing up, she took him by the hand. He grabbed his phone as she led him into the bedroom where two vanilla candles were burning on each night table. Camp sat on the edge of the bed as Leslie pulled the button-down white dress shirt up and over her head. He removed his NAVY t-shirt as she tugged on the running shorts that quickly landed on the bedroom floor. Leslie pressed her body against his and kissed away the tears that soaked his face as they made love.
Lightner Farms
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
A car pulled up outside of Lightner Farms Bed and Breakfast. It was almost eight o’clock at night, but the lights were still on even though there were no other cars in the parking lot.
The dome light was turned on and as the address on the envelope was verified: Eileen, Lightner Farms, Baltimore Pike, and Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
The traveler grabbed a bag from the trunk of the car and stepped up to the door and knocked. An attractive woman in her mid-40s walked through the kitchen and turned the porch light on at the side door by the parking lot.
“Can I help you?” Eileen asked as she opened the door and greeted the stranger.
Eileen’s face coiled ever so slightly as she looked into the badly disfigured face of another woman who wore a head scarf and was carrying a bag.
“I’m sorry to bother you so late, but I was hoping to rent a room for the night.”
“Actually, it’s pretty late and I—”
“I’m from Afghanistan. Captain Campbell said you had a beautiful lodge.”
Though polite at first, Eileen demonstrated renewed hospitality and warmth now that Camp’s name had been dropped. She welcomed the lady into Lightner and got her new guest settled into room number seven and went back downstairs to put a kettle of water on the stove for hot tea.
The guest sat at the long wooden table while Eileen put the tea bags in the porcelain cups on top of the saucers that had once belonged to her grandmother. She carried the tray full of tea, milk and sugar and put them down on the table. Eileen went back to the kitchen and emptied a box of Girl Scout cookies onto an antique white dish.
“Tell me your name,” Eileen asked softly.
“Miriam… I was Captain Campbell’s interpreter… before the fire.”
Eileen looked at the scars on Miriam’s face. She was heartbroken. She had seen many burns as an ICU nurse in Texas, but burns on the face were the most dreadful.
“Oh, you poor thing… my heart breaks for you, Miriam.”
“Captain Campbell saved my life.”
“That doesn’t surprise me… he saved hundreds of lives in Iraq.”
Miriam took a bite of a cookie and pulled the tea bag out of her cup and squeezed it out.
“Is that your phone?” Miriam said pointing to Eileen’s iPhone on the table.
“Yes, yes it is. Do you need to call someone?”
“I was wondering if Captain Campbell is home yet. I would like to thank him in person… but I’d like to keep it a surprise.”
“Well, let’s send him a text message on his phone and see if he responds.”
“Don’t tell him I’m here… I want to surprise him.”
Eileen pulled up Camp’s last text message, the one he sent after Jane’s funeral and before he deployed to Afghanistan.
HEY THERE… ARE YOU STATESIDE?
Eileen showed the message to Miriam and then pressed send. Within seconds the response was received.