coming from the kitchen.
Jamie turned and went toward his father’s office without a word to their long time housekeeper, which was very unusual. “Pop!” he yelled coming through the door.
“Jamie! What’s wrong? What happened?” Mercer asked his eyes full of concern.
“What was your relationship with Sassy Stephenson? Did you really let mom run her out of town? How could you allow that to happen?” Jamie accused.
“OK, OK. Slow down, slow down,” Mercer cautioned coming around his desk, placing his hands on his son’s shoulders to soothe him. The same way he had all of Jamie’s life.
After getting Jamie seated in one of the chairs in his office, he poured him a sniff of whiskey. “Okay, what has your cockles raised up?”
“I just got done having a very enlightening conversation with Momma Geri and Suzy about why they left town, seventeen years ago.”
* * * *
Mercer had prayed no one would ever know the truth about what happened back then, mostly because he felt guilty, he hadn’t done more back then to help Sassy. He’d been so wrapped up in his PTSD which he didn’t even know he had at the time. He hadn’t been able to take care of himself, let alone anyone else. He took a deep breath and dove in, “I’m sure momma Geri told you the truth.” Mercer looked away from his son in shame of the man he hadn’t been.
“Pop!” Jamie yelled jumping up. He slammed the drink down on his father’s desk. “How could you let that happen?”
“The only thing I can say is I was a broken man who couldn’t see anyone’s pain but my own. I prayed for years I would one day get to apologize to Sassy. When I heard she died a few years back, I knew that would never happen.”
Jamie turned and stared at him with eyes so cold he felt a chill. “Do you know what you and mother did to my life?” he asked in a low threatening tone. His fists clinched at his sides while he was vibrating with rage.
“What does this have to do with you?” his father asked feeling the heat of his son’s anger.
“Pop, I loved Suzanne! In a way that I’ve never loved and will never love anyone else. I went to war because I lost her. Because I thought she didn’t want me! And it was because of what YOU allowed my mother to do to that family. I let a man die…” Jamie stopped realizing what he’d let come out of his mouth.
“You what?” Mercer asked with concern. “Jay what did you do?”
Jamie gazed into his father’s eyes filled with love and concern as he fell to his knees in tears.
Doing the only thing he knew to do, Mercer went to his knees and held his son as he cried.
“I let him die, Pop! I let him die. I lost my leg, my fingers. I—I lost her…”
Mercer let him cry while saying soothing words to him. For Mercer, his son’s pain was like looking in the mirror at the reflection of himself. It brought him back to the support and kindness Sassy had given him. Even after he’d allowed Sally to ruin her reputation. After he hadn’t stood up for her.
It took three glasses of whiskey and time of silent support before Jamie was able to compose himself. “I’m sorry I yelled at you Pop,” he finally mumbled.
“Hey, that was nothing compared to your momma when I restrict her black card.”
They both chuckled having memory of the first time Mercer had done that.
“You ready to tell me what happened?”
* * * *
Jamie leaned against the wall resting his head in his hands.
He was quiet for so long Mercer started to think he wasn’t going to answer.
“Pop, I shouldn’t have gotten that medal. I don’t deserve it. I’m nobody’s hero.”
“It seemed like you never really wanted to talk about what happened, so I never asked. Those four boys you saved seemed to think something different.”
“Yeah! They were so glad to be alive. I was glad for them too. Hell, I didn’t care then and I don’t care now about my leg, all I cared about was those boys going home to their
Jamie turned and went toward his father’s office without a word to their long time housekeeper, which was very unusual. “Pop!” he yelled coming through the door.
“Jamie! What’s wrong? What happened?” Mercer asked his eyes full of concern.
“What was your relationship with Sassy Stephenson? Did you really let mom run her out of town? How could you allow that to happen?” Jamie accused.
“OK, OK. Slow down, slow down,” Mercer cautioned coming around his desk, placing his hands on his son’s shoulders to soothe him. The same way he had all of Jamie’s life.
After getting Jamie seated in one of the chairs in his office, he poured him a sniff of whiskey. “Okay, what has your cockles raised up?”
“I just got done having a very enlightening conversation with Momma Geri and Suzy about why they left town, seventeen years ago.”
* * * *
Mercer had prayed no one would ever know the truth about what happened back then, mostly because he felt guilty, he hadn’t done more back then to help Sassy. He’d been so wrapped up in his PTSD which he didn’t even know he had at the time. He hadn’t been able to take care of himself, let alone anyone else. He took a deep breath and dove in, “I’m sure momma Geri told you the truth.” Mercer looked away from his son in shame of the man he hadn’t been.
“Pop!” Jamie yelled jumping up. He slammed the drink down on his father’s desk. “How could you let that happen?”
“The only thing I can say is I was a broken man who couldn’t see anyone’s pain but my own. I prayed for years I would one day get to apologize to Sassy. When I heard she died a few years back, I knew that would never happen.”
Jamie turned and stared at him with eyes so cold he felt a chill. “Do you know what you and mother did to my life?” he asked in a low threatening tone. His fists clinched at his sides while he was vibrating with rage.
“What does this have to do with you?” his father asked feeling the heat of his son’s anger.
“Pop, I loved Suzanne! In a way that I’ve never loved and will never love anyone else. I went to war because I lost her. Because I thought she didn’t want me! And it was because of what YOU allowed my mother to do to that family. I let a man die…” Jamie stopped realizing what he’d let come out of his mouth.
“You what?” Mercer asked with concern. “Jay what did you do?”
Jamie gazed into his father’s eyes filled with love and concern as he fell to his knees in tears.
Doing the only thing he knew to do, Mercer went to his knees and held his son as he cried.
“I let him die, Pop! I let him die. I lost my leg, my fingers. I—I lost her…”
Mercer let him cry while saying soothing words to him. For Mercer, his son’s pain was like looking in the mirror at the reflection of himself. It brought him back to the support and kindness Sassy had given him. Even after he’d allowed Sally to ruin her reputation. After he hadn’t stood up for her.
It took three glasses of whiskey and time of silent support before Jamie was able to compose himself. “I’m sorry I yelled at you Pop,” he finally mumbled.
“Hey, that was nothing compared to your momma when I restrict her black card.”
They both chuckled having memory of the first time Mercer had done that.
“You ready to tell me what happened?”
* * * *
Jamie leaned against the wall resting his head in his hands.
He was quiet for so long Mercer started to think he wasn’t going to answer.
“Pop, I shouldn’t have gotten that medal. I don’t deserve it. I’m nobody’s hero.”
“It seemed like you never really wanted to talk about what happened, so I never asked. Those four boys you saved seemed to think something different.”
“Yeah! They were so glad to be alive. I was glad for them too. Hell, I didn’t care then and I don’t care now about my leg, all I cared about was those boys going home to their
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