The Blessing: A Second Chance

The Blessing: A Second Chance Chapter 6: Last Ties

The Captain stood in silence with the rest of the funeral goers.

A coffin with an American flag draped over it was being carried by six marines to its final resting-place.  As the coffin passed by the Captain he saluted.  He had to clench his jaw to keep the tears from falling down his face.  It wouldn’t have mattered, anyway, because it was raining.

He wasn’t crying for just any marine, although it still made him emotional every time one of their boys was lost, he was crying for his friend.

John Makins.

The Captain had discovered the fate of his friend when he looked at the roster of the downed helicopter.  He had dropped the clipboard in disbelief, but now he had come to terms with what had happened.

John was gone.

The Captain supposed it was a sort of twisted blessing in disguise.  John had been existing in a living hell ever since…

The Captain didn’t need to finish the thought.  He simply looked at the three gravestones beside John’s.  Peggy, Sherryl, and Katelynn Makins.  John’s wife and two daughters.

John had always told him that he always held on to the thought of coming home to his babies.  Even after their deaths in the fire, he had wanted nothing more than to come home and visit their graves.  This little plot of ground, and the three stone slabs, were all he had left in this world.

Now, he was going to join them.  Maybe in death, his soul would finally find peace.

The chaplain began to give the usual speech, but the Captain didn’t hear him.  The only noises that really got through his grief were the gunshots of the 21-gun salute.  The honor guard commander, a young Sergeant, came forward and presented John’s flag to the Captain.

Usually, the flag of a fallen Marine was given to the soldier’s wife.  In the event that the Marine was unmarried or in the case of John, a widower, the flag was given to the next of kin.

The young sergeant handed the flag toward the Captain and he accepted it.

“I am truly sorry for your loss, sir.” The sergeant spoke reverently.

The sergeant took a step back and saluted.  The Captain nodded and the sergeant turned away.  As the honor guard marched off, Captain Todd Makins took a step forward and watched as his brother’s casket was lowered into the ground.

“Good-bye, brother.  Say hello to the girls for me.”

Captain Makins turned and began walking through the rain back to his car.

He had to find the men who killed his brother, and bring them to justice…