Abe's Misadventures 3
C-School
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Derrick and Abe high-fived as the test results were handed out. They were number one and two, respectively, once again out of seven students in the Navy C-School class specializing on the latest digital telephone system onboard ships. Their merriment rankled a couple members of the class, who felt intellectually superior, which in turn amused the rest. Letting others see reality get under one's skin was a huge weakness. It opened a target for the pecking order to poke at.
The two were top of the class academically, and well-liked by most, possessing charisma in motion, interacting with all types, students, instructors, administrative staff. They exuded confidence, emanated an aroma of positivity. It was a novel experience for Abe, he'd never been the top of anything.
They took a smoke break and discussed plans.
"Let's get off base and celebrate," Derrick suggested.
"I would, but I'm not of age and you know they are going to card me. I'm stuck to the base club," Abe replied.
"Oh, fuck that," said Derrick, "Tell ya' what, I'll grab a bottle, and we can head out to one of the jetties. Watch the ships come and go. Nighttime is trip out there."
"You're on," answered Abe.
They met up after evening chow in civilian clothes, Derrick toting a small cooler, and headed for the jetties as nighttime fell. They toasted one another with shot-sized amounts of Vodka, moving to Black and White Russians. The conversation started with the basics. They were from opposite sides of the country in opposite settings. Derrick from the East Coast near a big metropolis on the ocean, Abe from a small rural town on the West Coast in the woods.
"What made you enlist so early?" asked Derrick.
"I sucked at high school, outlook for community college was bad. I've got an older brother going to university. My parents are helping him financially where they can. Me being out frees them up to focus on him and not break the bank."
"Damn, that's awfully grown-up thinking for a seventeen-year-old. I've got two brothers and two sisters. My parents signed off on a lot of student loans."
"You join for the same reason?"
Nah, I wasn't going' anywhere. Had to get out of the city somehow—Whoah, check it out," exclaimed Derrick, changing the subject and pointing at a ship gliding out to sea. It was well lit, the occupants of the bridge visible through the windows.
"That's us soon, continued Derrick.
The idea disturbed Abe. He'd be rudely pushed out of his comfort zone, tested, ridiculed. A-School all over again. It was the newness that scared him the most, weakening him on the other fronts.
They watched two more ships departing and one returning, lit up, casting dozens of dancing reflections on the calm waters. As the bottle emptied, they tried to turn back to chatting when an eerie sight materialized.
One by one the lights on the far side of the jetty-lined channel disappeared, leaving only the darkness of night. It took a moment for the two to realize a ship was gliding silently past, inaudible to the ear even at the short distance, invisible to the naked eye without a single light lit. Judging by the lights on the far side of the channel, the ship was bigger than the ones passing by earlier. Not long after the lights across the channel came back in view one at a time.
"That was cool," commented Abe.
Derrick agreed.
As they packed up and headed back to their barracks, Abe thought back on his journey here. The beginnings of his adventure would invade his thoughts and dreams that night.
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