*kt*
05-21-2006, 04:40 PM
A looong time ago I posted the prologue to my story. I just started working on it again since I'm on summer break. Here is the prologue again for those who haven't seen it.. as well as chapter one. The indentations didn't copy over when I copied and pasted..sorry. (its kinda long..)
A Soldier's Love
Prologue
What is love? Can anyone really answer that? It surely would not be a simple answer. There are so many different kinds of love. Love of family, friends or even a pet. Love of objects, activities and of course we all love certain kinds of foods. Many of us also believe in, and love God our Father, who obviously loves us very much in return. But the kind of love in this story, is the love that one has for a significant other, a love for someone that brings meaning and purpose into your life, a love that stirs within you. So what is this sort of love? I believe it is a feeling that is completely indescribable. I could attempt to explain it. It’s wonderful, amazing, warm, passionate…but no adjective, nor group of adjectives combined, could fully describe such a wonderful feeling. A feeling of comfort, longing, care and hope all rolled into one. A love such as this is not easy to find. When it is found, it does not fade quickly, but continues to grow stronger despite how others view it or even discourage it. I believe true love can conquer all things.
But you want to know about the story, right? Well, this story is based on the song “Travelin’ Soldier.” Though the song has been sung by multiple artists, it was the Dixie Chicks’ version of this song that is the base of, and the inspiration that attributed the following story. What is more inspiring than the thrill of young love? Just as the song, my story is set in the time of the Vietnam War, a time when emotions were mixed among the American people. Young men were being called to fight for their country, both by choice and by the force of the draft. The following story is a classic tale of love and war….
Chapter 1: The Café
Just two days past eighteen, William Turner was waiting for the bus ride of his life. The sun shown brightly on this early spring day, as he sat on the bench waiting in his Army green. Emotions were running through him, a mixture of excitement, anxiety and pure fear. He was so nervous that he had over prepared and ended up arriving at the bus stop three hours early. With no one to talk to, and very little to do he was stuck waiting on the bench in this small town with only his thoughts to entertain him; he didn’t particularly have the desire to do much else anyway. While thinking about his near future, a solemn loneliness began to grow deep within him.
Lost within a thought, something suddenly distracted William. He looked up, and across the street was a small café. Inside, a young girl caught his eye; she seemed to glide around the busy restaurant, taking orders and serving with a smile. He didn’t move, but silently watched her with much admiration. Her hair pulled partially back tied neatly in a bow, the locks of red curls that fell past her shoulders or her welcoming smile—something attracted him to her, and he wasn’t sure what. Suddenly, with his curiosity leading him, he gathered his belongings and decided to venture into the café. He slowly walked across the street, wondering the whole time if he should even go in. Did she see me? Does she know I was watching her? What will she do..or say? He doubted his decision more with every hesitant step he took. All of a sudden, he felt warm all over and began to sweat. Had it been this hot the whole time I was sitting on the bench? Surely not. Finally, with one last decision-making pause, he opened the door. The bell rang overhead, letting his entrance be known; caught off guard William stopped momentarily before finding a booth near the door.
The young waitress, Anna, had noticed the soldier sitting on the bench, and wondered if he would come in. She glanced at him quickly as he sat in the booth gazing out the large café window. The little café was swarming with people, as it usually was at this time of day, but the waitress found herself unaware of her surroundings as she looked at the soldier with intrigue. Who is he? I’ve never seen him around here before…I wonder how long he’ll be in town. “Table one ladies! He hasn’t got all day!” Her uncle’s order bellowing out from behind the grill pulled her back to reality.
“Yes, dear, we’re doing the best we can,” replied Anna’s aunt, Maria as she grabbed an order notepad and a pencil and started toward the table where the soldier was sitting.
“Wait—Aunt Maria, here you take table nine’s order back to Uncle Jim and I’ll take care of table one,” Anna practically ordered with a smile. Aunt Maria gave her a perplexed look; then, after glancing at the table she saw the young man and looked back at Anna who was still grinning. “Please?” She begged.
“Oh, all right,” Aunt Maria joked as she rolled her eyes and headed back to the kitchen. Anna was excited, but a bit nervous as she made her way over to table one to take the soldier’s order.
William looked up just as Anna began to walk towards him. He quickly sat up and nervously straitened his uniform, hoping to look the best he could. She was just about to his table when a man gently grabbed her arm; “excuse me miss, can I get a refill please?”
“Right away, sir,” she replied with a nod. She looked at William who seemed to be a bit fidgety and shy; she gave him a friendly smile and said, “I’ll be right with you.” After returning with the man’s coffee, she came to William’s table. “Hello, my name is Anna and I’ll be serving you today. Would you like to start with a drink, or are you ready to order?”
In a slightly hesitant voice, William replied, “Uh, I think I’ll just have a glass of water.”
“Sir, you’ve waited all this time just for a glass of water? Are you sure that’s all you want?” She gently questioned.
“Well, miss—”
“Please--call me Anna,” she interrupted with a smile.
“Well, Anna, what would you suggest?”
In her excitement, suggestions began to pour from Anna’s mouth, “Well, there’s always the classic burger and fries, our famous tomato soup, a BLT, or my uncle’s new chili, but let me tell you, it’s got a kick to it…” Anna began to realize that the soldier looked overwhelmed. “Sorry, for my ramblings, most customers are regulars here and know their order by heart. Would you like for me to get you a menu?”
“I guess I’ll have a burger and fries, but…”
“Something else you had in mind?” she gently probed.
“Well, what I’d really like is someone to talk to. Could you sit here with me for a while? I’ve really got a lot on my mind,” he said, hoping to convince her to stay with him.
Anna paused, as she looked at the hope held within the soldier’s eyes. It broke her heart as she managed reply, “I’m not sure if I can, we’ve just been so busy today.” She so wished she could stay with the soldier, but she knew her aunt and uncle would flip if either of them saw her sitting and socializing while there were customers to be waited on. She slowly walked back to the kitchen feeling as though her heart had sunk down into her stomach, and turned in the order for table one.
Thinking his one opportunity had been shot, William debated even staying for the food that he had just ordered, but where else would he go until the bus arrived? He sat there waiting for Anna to return, thinking of what he could say to her or if he should say anything at all. Lost in his own daydream, he didn’t even notice that she had returned until the plate of food was set in front of him, as well as his glass of water. Anna looked around briefly before sitting down at the booth, but only for a moment. She quickly apologized for not being able to talk with him while he ate, and slide a note across the table before suddenly disappearing back to the kitchen.
Very surprised at what had just happened, William sat there a moment to take it all in before looking down at the folded note and smiling to himself. He unfolded the paper, and written on the back of a café order form found these words:
I’m off work in an hour. Meet me
at the pier, if you can. I hope to see
you there!
-Anna
Anna couldn’t believe what she was planning to do. What would her parents think? She had no idea how long she be, or what she would tell her aunt and uncle as she left work. None of them would be happy with not knowing where she was; but that was better than them knowing that she as out talking with a boy—an older boy, especially one who was a soldier. Her dad and her uncle were extremely against the war; and her parents were always watching over their ‘baby’ and making sure she did what’s best for her and what is right—in their eyes of course. Which usually differed from Anna’s opinion, not that they would ever ask. For once, she decided to breakout of her shell and do something for herself. Besides, the soldier was cute, and she wasn’t used to this kind of attention.
The soldier was surprised and pleased all at the same time, after receiving the note. He ate silently as he continued to occasionally glance toward Anna or gave her a quick smile. He didn’t want to bother her or distract her from her job; with nothing better to do, he decided to leave the café. As he got up and moved toward the door, Anna smiled and waved; she silently watched him as the bell rang over the door as he left.
A Soldier's Love
Prologue
What is love? Can anyone really answer that? It surely would not be a simple answer. There are so many different kinds of love. Love of family, friends or even a pet. Love of objects, activities and of course we all love certain kinds of foods. Many of us also believe in, and love God our Father, who obviously loves us very much in return. But the kind of love in this story, is the love that one has for a significant other, a love for someone that brings meaning and purpose into your life, a love that stirs within you. So what is this sort of love? I believe it is a feeling that is completely indescribable. I could attempt to explain it. It’s wonderful, amazing, warm, passionate…but no adjective, nor group of adjectives combined, could fully describe such a wonderful feeling. A feeling of comfort, longing, care and hope all rolled into one. A love such as this is not easy to find. When it is found, it does not fade quickly, but continues to grow stronger despite how others view it or even discourage it. I believe true love can conquer all things.
But you want to know about the story, right? Well, this story is based on the song “Travelin’ Soldier.” Though the song has been sung by multiple artists, it was the Dixie Chicks’ version of this song that is the base of, and the inspiration that attributed the following story. What is more inspiring than the thrill of young love? Just as the song, my story is set in the time of the Vietnam War, a time when emotions were mixed among the American people. Young men were being called to fight for their country, both by choice and by the force of the draft. The following story is a classic tale of love and war….
Chapter 1: The Café
Just two days past eighteen, William Turner was waiting for the bus ride of his life. The sun shown brightly on this early spring day, as he sat on the bench waiting in his Army green. Emotions were running through him, a mixture of excitement, anxiety and pure fear. He was so nervous that he had over prepared and ended up arriving at the bus stop three hours early. With no one to talk to, and very little to do he was stuck waiting on the bench in this small town with only his thoughts to entertain him; he didn’t particularly have the desire to do much else anyway. While thinking about his near future, a solemn loneliness began to grow deep within him.
Lost within a thought, something suddenly distracted William. He looked up, and across the street was a small café. Inside, a young girl caught his eye; she seemed to glide around the busy restaurant, taking orders and serving with a smile. He didn’t move, but silently watched her with much admiration. Her hair pulled partially back tied neatly in a bow, the locks of red curls that fell past her shoulders or her welcoming smile—something attracted him to her, and he wasn’t sure what. Suddenly, with his curiosity leading him, he gathered his belongings and decided to venture into the café. He slowly walked across the street, wondering the whole time if he should even go in. Did she see me? Does she know I was watching her? What will she do..or say? He doubted his decision more with every hesitant step he took. All of a sudden, he felt warm all over and began to sweat. Had it been this hot the whole time I was sitting on the bench? Surely not. Finally, with one last decision-making pause, he opened the door. The bell rang overhead, letting his entrance be known; caught off guard William stopped momentarily before finding a booth near the door.
The young waitress, Anna, had noticed the soldier sitting on the bench, and wondered if he would come in. She glanced at him quickly as he sat in the booth gazing out the large café window. The little café was swarming with people, as it usually was at this time of day, but the waitress found herself unaware of her surroundings as she looked at the soldier with intrigue. Who is he? I’ve never seen him around here before…I wonder how long he’ll be in town. “Table one ladies! He hasn’t got all day!” Her uncle’s order bellowing out from behind the grill pulled her back to reality.
“Yes, dear, we’re doing the best we can,” replied Anna’s aunt, Maria as she grabbed an order notepad and a pencil and started toward the table where the soldier was sitting.
“Wait—Aunt Maria, here you take table nine’s order back to Uncle Jim and I’ll take care of table one,” Anna practically ordered with a smile. Aunt Maria gave her a perplexed look; then, after glancing at the table she saw the young man and looked back at Anna who was still grinning. “Please?” She begged.
“Oh, all right,” Aunt Maria joked as she rolled her eyes and headed back to the kitchen. Anna was excited, but a bit nervous as she made her way over to table one to take the soldier’s order.
William looked up just as Anna began to walk towards him. He quickly sat up and nervously straitened his uniform, hoping to look the best he could. She was just about to his table when a man gently grabbed her arm; “excuse me miss, can I get a refill please?”
“Right away, sir,” she replied with a nod. She looked at William who seemed to be a bit fidgety and shy; she gave him a friendly smile and said, “I’ll be right with you.” After returning with the man’s coffee, she came to William’s table. “Hello, my name is Anna and I’ll be serving you today. Would you like to start with a drink, or are you ready to order?”
In a slightly hesitant voice, William replied, “Uh, I think I’ll just have a glass of water.”
“Sir, you’ve waited all this time just for a glass of water? Are you sure that’s all you want?” She gently questioned.
“Well, miss—”
“Please--call me Anna,” she interrupted with a smile.
“Well, Anna, what would you suggest?”
In her excitement, suggestions began to pour from Anna’s mouth, “Well, there’s always the classic burger and fries, our famous tomato soup, a BLT, or my uncle’s new chili, but let me tell you, it’s got a kick to it…” Anna began to realize that the soldier looked overwhelmed. “Sorry, for my ramblings, most customers are regulars here and know their order by heart. Would you like for me to get you a menu?”
“I guess I’ll have a burger and fries, but…”
“Something else you had in mind?” she gently probed.
“Well, what I’d really like is someone to talk to. Could you sit here with me for a while? I’ve really got a lot on my mind,” he said, hoping to convince her to stay with him.
Anna paused, as she looked at the hope held within the soldier’s eyes. It broke her heart as she managed reply, “I’m not sure if I can, we’ve just been so busy today.” She so wished she could stay with the soldier, but she knew her aunt and uncle would flip if either of them saw her sitting and socializing while there were customers to be waited on. She slowly walked back to the kitchen feeling as though her heart had sunk down into her stomach, and turned in the order for table one.
Thinking his one opportunity had been shot, William debated even staying for the food that he had just ordered, but where else would he go until the bus arrived? He sat there waiting for Anna to return, thinking of what he could say to her or if he should say anything at all. Lost in his own daydream, he didn’t even notice that she had returned until the plate of food was set in front of him, as well as his glass of water. Anna looked around briefly before sitting down at the booth, but only for a moment. She quickly apologized for not being able to talk with him while he ate, and slide a note across the table before suddenly disappearing back to the kitchen.
Very surprised at what had just happened, William sat there a moment to take it all in before looking down at the folded note and smiling to himself. He unfolded the paper, and written on the back of a café order form found these words:
I’m off work in an hour. Meet me
at the pier, if you can. I hope to see
you there!
-Anna
Anna couldn’t believe what she was planning to do. What would her parents think? She had no idea how long she be, or what she would tell her aunt and uncle as she left work. None of them would be happy with not knowing where she was; but that was better than them knowing that she as out talking with a boy—an older boy, especially one who was a soldier. Her dad and her uncle were extremely against the war; and her parents were always watching over their ‘baby’ and making sure she did what’s best for her and what is right—in their eyes of course. Which usually differed from Anna’s opinion, not that they would ever ask. For once, she decided to breakout of her shell and do something for herself. Besides, the soldier was cute, and she wasn’t used to this kind of attention.
The soldier was surprised and pleased all at the same time, after receiving the note. He ate silently as he continued to occasionally glance toward Anna or gave her a quick smile. He didn’t want to bother her or distract her from her job; with nothing better to do, he decided to leave the café. As he got up and moved toward the door, Anna smiled and waved; she silently watched him as the bell rang over the door as he left.