A New World Begins

The letter

Nathan put down his sterling silver Cross rollerball and glared across the dorm toward the door as the handle rattled and the sound of someone kicking against it echoed around the room. Will, Travis and Shane, all just a few seconds ago quietly engrossed in private study at their desks, looked up too, first towards the door and then at Nathan, their dorm senior. Their visitor was not about to get off to a good start.Nathan didn’t tolerate fools gladly and, with Kyle away at a Cadet Officers’ meeting, there was no restraining influence in the room either.

Travis grinned slyly at Shane and whispered “Set him, Nat,” then unleashed an imaginary dog towards the door causing Shane to struggle to suppress a fit of giggles as he tried hard not to attract Nathan’s attention. Cadet Sergeant Nathan Bauer might be focussed on the door but that didn’t mean misdemeanours elsewhere would slip under his radar.

The door swung open, noisily clattering against the empty bed to its side. The bed that had been Craig’s until a short while ago. The flak magnet’s bed, the first seen and most accessible in the room. The bed whose occupant was the victim of every inter-dorm prank going. Especially during The Great Water War a few months previously when raiding parties from the other dorms had taken to flinging the door open and hurling water bombs into the room before running off.Yes, they’d learned to run away quickly when it became apparent that Craig was more than willing, and quite capable, of taking the fight back to them.Those days seemed so long ago now. Craig had been gone for over three weeks.

As the door rebounded on its hinges, two large, stacked, cardboard boxes entered the room, obscuring the figure carrying them whilst struggling valiantly not to lose the large Jiffy bag perched on top of the boxes. Nathan relaxed visibly.

“Will, help Noah. They’re probably for you anyway. Noah, put the boxes down on Craig’s bed.”

Nathan paused, then corrected himself. “The spare bed.”

Noah turned around as Will leapt to his feet and dashed to help him, the two of them carefully placing the boxes onto the empty bed. As Will eagerly pawed at the boxes to check their address labels Noah smiled towards Nathan: “They weren’t heavy, Nat, just awkward. I didn’t drop them anywhere.”

Nat smiled. “No problem, Noah, but you shouldn’t have struggled. You could have come and told us they were waiting in the Admin Office, and Will or someone would have gone back to help you carry them.” Nat made a mental note to be even more careful with his instructions to Noah in the future. Simply telling him to call by the Admin Office on his way back from tea to see if there were any messages or parcels for the dorm was clearly far too ambiguous. Noah needed precision.

Noah just smiled, wandered over to his bedspace and removed his jacket, carefully placing it on a hangar and putting it in the wardrobe by his bed. Will was already asserting ownership and shifting the two large cardboard boxes over to his own bedspace and then, having glanced at the label on the large Jiffy bag, threw it across to Travis. “It’s for you, Travis. Feels like more tubs of your protein powder.”

Travis caught the package skilfully with one hand and reached into his pocket with the other, slipped out the small pocket knife that Craig had left for him, the knife he now carried everywhere. Travis carefully slit open the end of the padded envelope. Will was correct: inside were two more tubs of his preferred body building protein powder to mix in with his milk.Nathan smiled. “You know, some day I’m thinking we should check that. Just to cover our backs for when we’re asked why nobody wondered why you were getting packages of white powder every month.”

Travis laughed, then hesitated and glanced nervously across at Shane, causing Nathan to redden in turn and then say, awkwardly, “Sorry Shane, I wasn’t thinking, I didn’t mean anything by it.”

“That’s okay, Nat,” said Shane softly, “I know that.”

For a moment no-one spoke, then Noah turned around from his wardrobe and walked the few steps across the dorm from his bedspace to the admin desk at which Nathan was working on the following week’s Duties Roster. He held out a pale blue envelope towards Nathan:

“There was a letter too, Nat. It’s for you. A real letter. Airmail. From England.” As Nathan reached out to take the envelope, Noah continued. “The address is in proper ink. In Craig’s handwriting.”

* * *

*Ping*

You have a new online chat request waiting, Craig.

*Accept*

Nathan:  Hi Boots, guess who?

Craig:  Guess? It’s bloody you, Nat. I’m not from Dakota…

Nathan:  LOL.

Nathan: Okay, you got me there. Maybe pinging you at a pre-arranged time was a bit of a give-away.

Craig:  Yes, that and the user name. Total OpSec failure, Sergeant.

Nathan:  OpSec?

Craig: Operations Security, Nat.

Nathan:  Oh, right. Something I’ll get taught at Westpoint?

Craig: Possibly. If you’re on the advanced course. Dad started teaching it to me before I could even talk. When I was a baby, every time I started crying, apparently, he told me to shush up in case anyone was listening…

Nathan: PMSL!!!

Nathan: Craig, it’s good to chat with you again. I’m so glad you wrote. I was beginning to think your dad hadn’t told you I was trying to get in touch.

Craig: It’s okay, he told me right away. I was going to get in touch anyway. I just needed a bit of time to think about things.

Nathan: I hoped you might email or even phone, but the letter was way better. Kind of more personal. I’ve kept it. It’s made all the guys curious. They are dying to know what is in it. I’ve left it on my desk just to tease them. They’ll never look in it, but it will irritate the hell out of them to see it sitting there. Noah picked it up from the Admin Office along with a stack of boxes of stuff for Will from some weird webstore called Amazon.

Craig: Typical Will! I reckon he or his family must have shares in the delivery companies. He orders tons of stuff online.

Nathan: Mrs Woodleigh was impressed too by your letter too. When I went to collect the weekly College Orders she told me that years ago everyone used to get letters from home and it was a big thing every day to distribute them around the dorms. Now, with everybody having phones and email and online chat, no-one bothers with letters anymore. The one you sent me was the first letter she can recall seeing for ages. She recognised your smart handwriting straight away.

Craig: Bloody hell, more OpSec down the drain. I’ll have to use a stencil next time…

Nathan: LOL! Can’t you ever be serious?

Craig: I was serious about what I said in the letter, Nat.

Nathan: I know that, Craig.

Craig: *Blush*

Nathan: The guys are missing you too, Boots. Hardly a day goes by without somebody mentioning you and joking about what you’d do about whatever situation they’re in. You really seem to have sparked them. Travis carries that pocket knife you left for him everywhere. And Noah’s slicing himself to pieces with the razor every morning! I’m still not sure he actually needs to shave yet…😊

Craig: I miss them too, Nat. I wish I could have stayed. Say “Hi” to everybody for me.

Nathan: You shouldn’t have left, Craig. I know you said in your letter about why you did, but you shouldn’t have been concerned for me, or the guys. I’d hand my stripes in right now and not care about becoming College Captain if I could get you back here. I mean it…

Craig: It was for the best, Nat. I talked it over with dad and with Jackson and the Commandant. Anyway, things are good back here. I even got a promotion when I re-joined the marine Cadets. I’m a Lance Corporal now.

Nathan: *Lance* Corporal? What’s that?

Craig: It’s the British rank before a full Corporal, so it’s about the equivalent of a US five-star General.

Nathan: LOL!

Nathan:  Should I be calling you ‘Sir’?

Craig: Don’t you bloody dare! Lance Corporals are gods. We work for a living.

Nathan: And you wonder why we revolted…

Craig: Nope…

Craig: It’s in your nature… Tecumseh said so. You lot revolted him 😉

Nathan: Speaking of which, do you know that your essay on Tecumseh is being published in the College magazine next month? It gets circulated to all the parents and alumni.I had two guys down in the gatehouse on extra duties last weekend putting almost a thousand copies in envelopes ready for posting when they weren’t booking people in and out. Jackson wrote a foreword to it too, saying how the college always promotes independent thinkers who will challenge the status quo.

Craig: Basking in reflected glory?

Nathan: Jackson is always ready to do anything that looks good on him 😉

Craig: He’s not a bad guy, Nat. I quite like him.

Nathan: He’s pretty buff, I’ll give you that!

Craig: * SHOKKED *

Nathan: LOL !!!!

Craig: Did he win his qualifying match for the New England Schools’ Championship?

Nathan: Yes, the referee stopped the fight in round three to stop his opponent getting a battering.Jackson was smashing him to a pulp, even though he was actually taller and a few pounds heavier than Jackson.

Craig:Jackson has skill too, not just muscle. He’s going to win the championship. How about Connor and Jayden ?

Nathan: Both through to the next round. Nine of the eleven boxers the college put up have made it to the next round. It could have been ten if you were still here.

Craig: Like I said, it was for the best, Nat. Anyway, I’m back in the boxing club here.

Nathan: Maybe, but I can’t see you box there can I?

Craig: You’ll just have to have a sly wank over that picture of me boxing that Noah drew for you then😊

Nathan: * SHOKKED *

Craig: 😊

Craig: What are the guys up to this weekend, Nat? Is everyone there?

Nathan: Nice change of subject, Boots.

Nathan:  But no, I’m actually alone at the moment. Kyle is away in town, staying over with the Millers, and Shane and Travis are in town too. They got a lift in with Kyle but will have to make their own way back on the minibus later tonight. Noah and Will are away on a special mission, won’t be back until late tomorrow night.

Craig: What are they doing?

Nathan: It’s all part of The Great Plan. I had a word with pop, got him to fix it so half a dozen of the artillery cadets could go and visit the National Guards and learn about underslung loads. You know how the big military competition at the end of the year ends with a display for the parents? Well, I suggested an idea to the Commandant and he’s agreed it. This year there will be a ‘changing of the times’ theme to the display. The Artillery Detachment here will wheel their cannon on to the field and fire it, just like it was in the Civil War, then a National Guard detachment will fly in a modern gun under a Blackhawk helicopter, land alongside them and fire some blanks from their gun.

Craig: Wow! Sounds impressive!

Nathan: It certainly won’t harm my chances of becoming College Captain in due course.I fixed it so Jackson leads the visit this weekend, but made sure he took Will and Noah and ensures that they will get the training to help marshal the helicopter onto the Landing Zone. It will be good for them to be seen doing that.

Craig: You do know the pilots land where they want and usually ignore the marshaller?

Nathan: I expect so if they are flying a $20 million helicopter, but the parents won’t know that! It’ll look as though Noah and Will are in charge and directing the whole thing, and that’s what matters.

Craig: Actually, I’m sure Noah will learn the drills perfectly and the pilot won’t ignore him.

Nathan: I’m banking on it…Now there are only four students in the dorm there was talk of amalgamating them with another dorm, just for the military training, but Kyle got that stopped when the guys objected. They are really keen to win the prize even if they are only at half strength compared with other dorms. You won’t believe the effort they are putting in to keep up that head start you gave them.

Craig: Did Travis get some rifles for drill or are you all busy making tomahawks like he threatened?

Nathan: Oh, we’ve managed to get our hands on the drill rifles a couple of times. Jackson can be pliable when you let him have a good idea…

Craig: Always the way! Make the boss think he thought of it…

Nathan: Craig, can I ask you something?

Craig: Sounds ominous…

Nathan:  Be serious for once, Boots…

Craig:  It’s being serious that worries me….

Nathan:  It’s going to be Thanksgiving here soon. Travis has invited everyone to his place, and they are all mad keen to go. We’re just waiting for permissions from their parents but I’m sure it will happen. But I’m probably not going. My parents want me at home for the public, you know, put me on show as part of the wholesome all-American family crap. But I was thinking. Your dad is going to be over here on his own at Thanksgiving. I was kind of thinking of getting pop to invite him to stay with us over Thanksgiving. I wanted to ask you first though, see if you are okay about it.

Nathan: Boots?

Craig: Sorry Nat, I was just thinking.

Nathan:I spotted the symptoms. Heard the shutters come clanging down.

Craig:  Sorry.

Nathan: It’s okay, it was a dumb idea. I should have thought better.

Craig: No Nat, it’s not dumb. It’s a nice idea. I’m sure dad would like it, even if he’s busy and can’t make it. He’d appreciate the invitation at least.

Nathan:  So I can ask? You don’t mind?

Craig:  No, it’s fine. He probably won’t be free but it would be nice to ask him. I think he actually does like you, you know.

Nathan: That kind of brings me back to your letter. About what you said about liking me. And what we said at my house before you had to go home. I meant it all, Craig.

Craig:  I meant it too, Nat. But that’s why I couldn’t stay. I don’t just like you.

Craig:  I love you, Nathan: