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Authors: Robin Leigh Miller
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graduated from high school, I went down to the local recruiting office and signed up. Moms was proud. She figured in the service I’d get three square meals a day and stay outta trouble.”
“What about your sister?”
“She graduated two years ago. She’s goin’ to nursing school. Says when she gets a job and some money saved up, she’s moving moms outta the projects. I send money home each week for her to put away in an account to help her with that goal.”
Sam was humbled by his story. Just looking at him you only saw the military man. But deep inside was a more complicated man. She figured if she dug much deeper she’d find someone who wanted to become president.
“What about you Boomer?” she asked.
“My dad lives in Ohio. He owns a hardware store. I have a brother too. He’s five years younger than I am. My mom died after she gave birth to him, so my dad raised us alone. When my brother turned ten he got a real bad fever and spent a week in the hospital. When he came home, he was deaf. My dad didn’t know how to deal with a deaf kid so I took him to sign language classes and we learned together. I tried to teach my dad too, but he refused to learn,” Boomer explained.
Sam felt deep sorrow for Boomer. He hadn’t had it easy growing up either. “What does your brother do now?”
“He teaches in a school for the deaf. He’s good too. Was voted teacher of the year twice.” The look of pride on his face eased the sorrow in Sam’s heart.
When she looked at Kong, he was staring at her, daring her to ask him. So she did. “Tell me about your family.”
Kong leaned forward. “Unlike some, I didn’t grow up in the perfect two storey house. I grew up in trailer parks all over North Carolina. My mother was drunk and drugged up most of the time. My father was the local dealer and hauled women in and out of the trailer on a regular basis. One night neither of them came home. A social worker showed up and took me off. I spent the rest of my childhood being shuffled from foster home to foster home. When I turned eighteen, I joined. The rest is history.” When he finished, he leaned back against the crate, waiting for her reply.
Sam crawled over to him and leaned into his face. “I don’t have any parents either. They died when I was eight,” she said into his face. Then sat back in her spot between Ricochet and Boomer.
Chapter Six
Kong spent the next hour trying to piece her story together. Cannon had told them she started her training when she was eight. She just told him her parents died when she was eight. That meant Cannon wasn’t her father. That left either her brother or her lover. And what would make an eight-year-old start extensive training? There was much more to this woman than met the eye.
After an hour of sitting in the same position, Sam started getting bored. She rose and stepped over Boomer who was fast asleep, along with Ricochet. When she glanced over at Kong, she saw his eyes were closed too. Sam knew she should be trying to sleep herself, but she needed to stretch first.
She walked to the rear of the plane and started doing some stretches to loosen her muscles. When she finished she found some free space on the floor and lay down. When she closed her eyes, it only took her moments to fall asleep. Only this time she didn’t rest easily. Her dream came back with a fierceness she hadn’t experienced since she was a child. The dream started out the same, the sound of the wind chimes, the peaceful feeling. Then came the sound of men entering her home. This time everything was real. Too real. She could smell the night air, hear the words that were being shouted. She actually felt her hair being pulled by the man with the marking on his wrist. She felt the ropes as he tied her to the chair and saw a man raping her mother while the door was open.
Kong opened his eyes when he heard her whimper. He sat a few moments waiting, listening. When she began to get louder, he rose and
“What about your sister?”
“She graduated two years ago. She’s goin’ to nursing school. Says when she gets a job and some money saved up, she’s moving moms outta the projects. I send money home each week for her to put away in an account to help her with that goal.”
Sam was humbled by his story. Just looking at him you only saw the military man. But deep inside was a more complicated man. She figured if she dug much deeper she’d find someone who wanted to become president.
“What about you Boomer?” she asked.
“My dad lives in Ohio. He owns a hardware store. I have a brother too. He’s five years younger than I am. My mom died after she gave birth to him, so my dad raised us alone. When my brother turned ten he got a real bad fever and spent a week in the hospital. When he came home, he was deaf. My dad didn’t know how to deal with a deaf kid so I took him to sign language classes and we learned together. I tried to teach my dad too, but he refused to learn,” Boomer explained.
Sam felt deep sorrow for Boomer. He hadn’t had it easy growing up either. “What does your brother do now?”
“He teaches in a school for the deaf. He’s good too. Was voted teacher of the year twice.” The look of pride on his face eased the sorrow in Sam’s heart.
When she looked at Kong, he was staring at her, daring her to ask him. So she did. “Tell me about your family.”
Kong leaned forward. “Unlike some, I didn’t grow up in the perfect two storey house. I grew up in trailer parks all over North Carolina. My mother was drunk and drugged up most of the time. My father was the local dealer and hauled women in and out of the trailer on a regular basis. One night neither of them came home. A social worker showed up and took me off. I spent the rest of my childhood being shuffled from foster home to foster home. When I turned eighteen, I joined. The rest is history.” When he finished, he leaned back against the crate, waiting for her reply.
Sam crawled over to him and leaned into his face. “I don’t have any parents either. They died when I was eight,” she said into his face. Then sat back in her spot between Ricochet and Boomer.
Chapter Six
Kong spent the next hour trying to piece her story together. Cannon had told them she started her training when she was eight. She just told him her parents died when she was eight. That meant Cannon wasn’t her father. That left either her brother or her lover. And what would make an eight-year-old start extensive training? There was much more to this woman than met the eye.
After an hour of sitting in the same position, Sam started getting bored. She rose and stepped over Boomer who was fast asleep, along with Ricochet. When she glanced over at Kong, she saw his eyes were closed too. Sam knew she should be trying to sleep herself, but she needed to stretch first.
She walked to the rear of the plane and started doing some stretches to loosen her muscles. When she finished she found some free space on the floor and lay down. When she closed her eyes, it only took her moments to fall asleep. Only this time she didn’t rest easily. Her dream came back with a fierceness she hadn’t experienced since she was a child. The dream started out the same, the sound of the wind chimes, the peaceful feeling. Then came the sound of men entering her home. This time everything was real. Too real. She could smell the night air, hear the words that were being shouted. She actually felt her hair being pulled by the man with the marking on his wrist. She felt the ropes as he tied her to the chair and saw a man raping her mother while the door was open.
Kong opened his eyes when he heard her whimper. He sat a few moments waiting, listening. When she began to get louder, he rose and
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