Lost Battles

A cold and dark night at a bar, and a young man walks in wearing a green three piece suit and heads to the counter for a drink. The bartender behind it briefly stares at him, seeing that he recognised him. The young man starts to light a cigarette.

“You can't smoke in here, Joel” the bartender said while filling up a glass.

The young man is Joel Jordan. He is sporting a goatee which made the bartender remember him easily. He was one of four men the bartender spent years in the same neighborhood although he is older than all of them. Joel puts out the cigarette on a ashtray that has been sitting on the counter all day.

“I knew you were coming” said the bartender referring to the ashtray.

“Can you be less demanding?”

“At least can you respect the place?”

Joel knew that the bartender worked there ever since he came home back from Operation Desert Shield. His name is Maurice Cole and has owned the bar after being discharged.

“So when did you came home?” Maurice asked him.

“I came back last month.”

Joel has been away for the last six years in Iraq. His three friends followed him into the army. Brandon Wheeler, coming home with a change in his look at life, had first met Joel in kindergarten. Joel walks by Brandon's apartment later on after taking a cab there. He knocks on his door three times waiting for Brandon to answer.

“It would be best if you leave me alone right now” Brandon said through the door.

“I need to talk to you.”

Brandon opens the door for Joel, seeing that he was not going anywhere. As Joel enters the apartment, he sees a pizza box and empty cans on the floor. He could tell Brandon has not left his house in the last few days.

“When was the last time you left?”

“Never did. The others. We left them behind. And Ralph. He is not the same.”

“Nobody knows where he is.”

Ralph Campbell is a mutual friend of Joel and Brandon. They served in the same unit together after Ralph married Catherine Hutchins. She was a simply beautiful woman whom Ralph couldn't help but stare at all day during lunchtime in high school. On their wedding day, she wore a white gown and Ralph had a black three piece suit. He had Joel as his best man giving him the rings. It was a perfect day for both Ralph and Catherine. Within a year, Catherine prepared to give birth to a girl named Jade Marie Campbell and Ralph signed up for active duty along with Joel and Brandon. Ralph kissed Catherine and Jade goodbye before flying off to Iraq.

Upon entering Iraq, Joel, Ralph, Brandon and their best friend Lieutenant Frank Guzman were stationed in a isolated area. Their first two months were filled with action. Ralph was able to get contact with Catherine through a computer.

“Did she walked yet?” Ralph asked Catherine.

“Not yet but she's teething.”

“I miss you guys.”

“We miss you too.”

Ralph and Catherine said goodbye once more before being into battle. It was different from when he was a quarterback from the high school football team and she was one of the few cheerleaders shouting out his name. He took her to Homecoming wearing a tan suit with a blue shirt as she wore a sky blue dress.

He came to her side when the first guy who asked her cancel at the last minute. Ralph saw her alone on the stairs highly upset.

“May I have this dance?” She gladly accepted knowing at that moment she had found her person.