Be proud to wear you. - Dodinsky
He looked at the photo, smiling just a bit. His own image stared back, solemn, stern. Soldierly. His mother had already put it in a fancy frame, ready to hang on the wall in the living room. Place of honor. Not many parents could say their son had not only been accepted into West Point, but had graduated. He was quite sure the whole damn town knew about it, and the local paper hadn't even come out yet.
He sighed, laying the photo on the bed. He hadn't even been home a week when the call-up came. He was apprehensive, yet excited. This was, after all, what he'd trained for. Why he'd worked so hard to make into the military academy. He just hadn't expected to be sent to a war zone so soon. And Korea...
His mother was making frequent trips to the bathroom, hiding her tears from the rest of the family. As if they didn't know. Even his dad would occasionally disappear to the back porch. He said he was just checking the weather. His siblings were either confused or enthused, none of them really understand what Korea was like. What war was like.
But then, he didn't know either. He wouldn't know until he landed.
He'd just have to be deal with whatever was there. Like he always did.
*****
He stood in front of the mirror, straightened his tie, checked his hair one more time, straightened his shoulders, and stepped out the men's room. He took the bus that dropped him off at the back of the school and hurried around to the front entrance. Grinned and joked with his friends before taking his place in line. When his name was called, he stepped up smartly, put on his most confident smile, waited for the click of the camera. Stepping aside afterwards, he felt a strange sense of gratitude. This was the 'official' school photo. Seniors only. Paid for by the school. It would be the only one he had commemorating his final school year.
All his classmates took off after that, first heading to their homes to change. Senior Skip Day. Unofficial, of course, but tolerated by the admins. Most would meet at the beach later that afternoon, finishing the day with a bonfire, food, and beer. He waved them off before hurrying around the back of the school where he caught the bus to the main terminal and a locker there. Once again entering the men's room, he changed clothes, folding his jacket and slacks carefully before putting them in his duffle. Shoving that back in the locker, he waited for the next bus to the beach.
It had been a long four months since aging out of the orphanage. But another month and he'd officially be a high school graduate. That, and his birth certificate proving he was of legal age, should get him a better part time job. Maybe even full time. Hopefully enough to pay for a place to stay until he could move into his college dorm.
He smiled. Four months, and still no one knew he was homeless, sleeping in shelters, his closet a locker at the bus station. If he could do that, he could handle anything.
*****
"You best get moving or you'll be late for school. And make sure you wear that tie. They taking pictures today."
He sighed. "Yes, Mama."
He dutifully picked up the tie, clipping it securely to his collar. His mama probably knew it would go in his pocket as soon as he walked out the door, but he'd put it back on for the pictures. No way he wanted to face her wrath if those things came home without it. But wearing a tie in this neighborhood? Yeah, she knew as well as he did what that could do. At least the suit jacket would be hidden under his coat.
He didn't really know why this was such a big deal. Mama took enough pictures of him at home as it was. But every year since he started school it was the same thing. Hell, one wall in the living room was the story of his life, each year a new photo added. But it made her happy, so he'd wear whatever she wanted him to.
At least this would be the last time he had to do it. Next formal photo he'd be getting would be from the Army. He wasn't happy about that, but without that scholarship... Mama was madder than a wet hen when he'd come home with the paperwork, but she'd signed it anyway. Then sat in her bedroom and cried. It wasn't so much because he had joined up, but because they both knew she couldn't afford trade school for him, let alone college.
All that hard work so he could end up getting his ass shot off in some country he'd never heard of before. Well, at least maybe he'd learn a trade. And the recruiter said there was a new GI Bill for Vietnam veterans, and that would pay his tuition when he was discharged.
He kissed his mama goodbye and headed down the street, wrapping the tie neatly and stuffing it in his pocket. Army or college, it didn't matter. He'd make his mama proud.
*****
"Hey, Daddy - where's my blue shirt? The one with the wing thing on it?"
"What do you want that for? You're supposed to dress up nice today, for those pictures."
"But I want to wear that one. It's nice looking."
"You ironed that decal on yourself, buddy. And this is your senior picture - you want to look good."
"But Daddy -"
"No buts, boy. Your mother would want you to look nice, you know that."
"Gramma would let me wear it."
"Your gramma spoils you. Now you get your church clothes on and no more arguing."
Shooting a glare toward the living room, he shuffled back to his room and started pulling his good clothes out of the closet. It was always the same. Any time he wanted to do something his father didn't want him to do, it was "Your mother would want it". How would Daddy know what she would want? She'd been dead for almost fourteen years now.
And Gramma did not spoil him. Just let him be him. Even when he did things that made the other kids look at him weird. Not all of them did, after all. Just the assholes. His head jerked toward the living room. Even if he hadn't said that out loud, he knew what would happen if he had. Daddy wasn't a violent man, usually, but there were some things he just wouldn't tolerate. Bad language and disobedience were the two big ones.
Buttoning the dull, boring, nothing-good-about-it white shirt, he thought about what was coming in just a few months. After he graduated. He hadn't told his father yet. Was leaving that for the last minute, when it would be too late to back out. He smiled as he thought about it. He didn't want to hurt Daddy, didn't want to disrespect him, but...
He wanted to fly even more.