By the time we arrived, the Cova was dimly-lit and sustained a regular-sized crowd. Over our many trips to the Cova, we had grown accustomed to the occasional glares from our surrounding patrons. A steady downpour was beginning to form outside, and the sunlight all but peeked out from behind the cover of the colossal clouds. We followed the major to our usual spot near the fireplace which was somewhat isolated from the rest of the tables. The boy with the black silk bandage helped me into my chair, positioning my leg so that it extended straight under the table. Most days, while sipping on our beverages, we would repeat our most memorable stories from the war. As much as we thought of leaving our pasts behind, we knew we would never know a peaceful life again, for the war stayed with us even after we arrived back home. After we'd grown sick of remembering and regretting, we would ask each other about our plans for the future. That, too, often led to nothing but silence and the all-too-conscious sipping of our beverages.
“Sometimes I wish the corpsman would have sawed the whole lot off, ˮ said the major while eyeing his stiff hand.
“Have you visited your fencing team since your recovery?” I asked.
“No, and they would not care to see me anyway. All the trust we shared dissolved when I enlisted. Look …show more content…
The major, now more visibly calm, helped me up and handed me my crutches. I hobbled through the back door of the Cova into an alley filled with the smell of old food scraps and petrichor. Turning left, I entered the cramped bathroom, but the boy was nowhere to be found. I walked out of the bathroom only to spot him on the ground and slouched against the wall of the alley. Three of the kids who were seated by the counter conversed and smoked a few feet away from him. I cleared my throat. They looked at me with the same hate I'd seen before, then walked away and onto the dimly-lit
“Sometimes I wish the corpsman would have sawed the whole lot off, ˮ said the major while eyeing his stiff hand.
“Have you visited your fencing team since your recovery?” I asked.
“No, and they would not care to see me anyway. All the trust we shared dissolved when I enlisted. Look …show more content…
The major, now more visibly calm, helped me up and handed me my crutches. I hobbled through the back door of the Cova into an alley filled with the smell of old food scraps and petrichor. Turning left, I entered the cramped bathroom, but the boy was nowhere to be found. I walked out of the bathroom only to spot him on the ground and slouched against the wall of the alley. Three of the kids who were seated by the counter conversed and smoked a few feet away from him. I cleared my throat. They looked at me with the same hate I'd seen before, then walked away and onto the dimly-lit