Date: Tue, 27 Oct 2009 11:21:37 +0800
From: Pedrick Oman <pedoman1975@gmail.com>
Subject: Story Submission - The Captive Boy, Chapter 12

Foreword: This story was a pure fiction.  It was an important story for me,
because I started to develop the main story line when I was about 10 years
old, and had been evolving in my mind for more than 20 years.  Now, in my
middle 30s, I finally wrote it down, and added many other elements to form
a complete story.  I do hope that you like it.  I'd like to get your
feedback, about your thoughts of this story, or any other things.

I received some feedbacks.  I'm really happy to know that you enjoyed this
story.  Most of you also told me that my English was not THAT bad.  I do
appreciate your encouragement. :-) Special thanks to Matt, who helped me a
lot proofreading and giving me many great suggestions.

-- pedoman <pedoman1975@gmail.com>


The Captive Boy - Chapter 12


Joey didn't pay attention to Jack's shock and continued.

"Kiddie felt that he was very dirty, too dirty to see you.  He was afraid
that you would never accept him becoming so dirty."

"I... uh..." Jack found that he could not say anything.

"Maybe you were too strict with him before?" asked Joey.

After a long silence, Jack sighed deeply.

"I'm curious about one thing, and Kiddie didn't know the answer," Joey
said, changing the topic.  "How did Kiddie come to be in the
anti-government army?"

"Air crash," replied Jack.  "We were fighting in the south then.  An
airplane dropped near our base.  When we got there, almost nobody survived,
but Kiddie was in the arm of a corpse, crying, but miraculously uninjured."

Joey listened quietly, and Jack continued.  "He was less than one year old
then, and just started learning to walk.  We shouldn't have let him stay in
the army, but he had taken to me quite a lot, and I liked him very much, so
we decided to let him stay.  I named him Johnny, and others nicknamed him
Kiddie.  His coming with us made us very happy.  He was quite active, and
liked to cuddle into everyone like a cat.  Everybody loved him very much.

"When he was four, he started to learn to shoot.  His gift for it made me
very surprised.  We just needed to teach him once, and he could remember
everything.  No matter whether it was the shooting skills, or knowledge of
guns, he just needed to learn it once.  He was only four years old, but he
could take apart a gun and reassemble it back again, without needing to
think about it or ask anyone.  He also invented some ways to shoot to make
up for his lack of strength."

"Yes," agreed Joey.  "I taught him how to set traps and alarms.  He just
needed to learn once and then could do everything.  He's really a talented
boy."

Jack nodded.  "At first I didn't want him to go to the front line with us,
but he insisted."

"So you arranged for him to be a sniper."

Jack nodded.  "I taught him many skills to survive in the jungle, and I was
more strict with him in order to increase his survivability.  I... I really
regretted that.  I shouldn't have made a concession at the beginning."

Joey thought for a moment, and decided to ask directly.  "I want to take
him with me back to the United States.  What do you think?"

Jack didn't answer immediately, but looked at Joey sharply, just like a
father who was wondering why this young man would take his son away from
him.

"Take him to the United States?"  After nearly a minute, Jack asked, still
with piercing eyes.

Joey nodded.

"Why?"

Joey smiled.  "Because I fell in love with Kiddie."

That direct answer surprised Jack.

"You fell in love with Kiddie?"

Joey nodded, and continued.

"Do you want him to stay here to fight again with you?"

Jack hesitated for a while, and said, "You're a mercenary too, aren't you?"

Joey nodded.  "But I want to retire after this mission completes.  I want
to go back to my hometown, and no more secret missions."

"How can Kiddie go to the United States?  He doesn't even have any identity
papers."

"I can handle that," said Joey.  "I sent a telegram to the United State
government and asked them to give Kiddie an identity and let him live
there.  I've completed so many secret missions for them that I think they
will agree."

Jack pondered.

Joey continued, "Besides, we all agreed that Kiddie is really a very
talented boy.  However, he is already ten years old, but is still
illiterate.  I want to take him to the United States for his education."

Jack didn't answer Joey, but just started to pace.  Joey stood still
quietly.

Pacing for a while, Jack stopped and turned to Joey.  "You just said that
you fell in love with Kiddie?"

Joey nodded again.

"Honestly, I don't want him to leave me again," said Jack.  "But I know you
are right.  I just wanna make sure that Kiddie can be well taken care of,
to make up for his unhappy childhood. You..."

"I was happy, Jack..." a tiny voice from behind the door interrupted Jack.

Jack and Joey jumped up, and turned their heads to the door.  The door was
opened with a small slit, and Johnny stood there.

Joey opened the door, and saw tears on Johnny's face.  Johnny was sobbing.
"I... Now I finally understand... what happy is...  I... I was really happy
with you before..."

Jack squatted and hugged Johnny.  Johnny continued to say with tears, "I
really wanna be with you all, together... like before... but... but... "

"Say no more, say no more," Jack stopped him.  "You are not dirty at all.
You will always be my baby, my angel.  I will never forget the moment when
I saw you in the crashed airplane the first time, and the moment you
cuddled into my chest.  I will never forget the moment you first called my
name, and the moment you were playing with the small handgun the first
time.  You seemed so interested in it; you were concentrating so
hard... Kiddie, do you know that?  The happiness you brought us, was much,
much more than we brought to you."

Jack's tears started to fall down again.  He embraced Johnny tightly, and
asked after a long time, "Do you really want to go with Joey?"

Johnny was still sobbing, but he nodded.

"That would be fine; that would be fine."

Jack and Johnny hugged each other and cried.

"It will take several days to arrange to get you two to the United States."
After several minutes, Jack released Johnny and stood up.  "Kiddie also
needs to recuperate in the hospital for a few days."

"I need to wait for the telegram from the United States too," said Joey.

Jack nodded, and held Johnny's hands.  "Go to the hospital and take a rest.
I'll bring you a good meal for lunch."


-- To be continued.