Watching the news depressed William so much he forgot about Afghanistan until the news focused on Afghanistan. Then the cold mountain of war in the distance came roaring back loud and clear.
Memories of killing and dying sometimes seemed so far away. William could thank his doctor for that. But, when news that Trump knew about Russians paying bounties to Taliban sympathizers to kill Americans and didn’t do anything about it, William knew he would never escape.
As a student of history William knew his government could never be trusted to save American military lives. National elected and appointed leaders sacrificed lives as part of a strategic plan whether we won or lost. Too often we lost. Politicians and their corporate masters simply returned to their posh Washington fundraisers and extravagant cocktail parties. They rarely if ever respected the men and women in uniform who died on battlefields around the world.
William told his doctor he felt used. But he felt good because he finally knew what the system did to him. He could finally do something to control his own life. She nodded. William said he sometimes wanted to kill these leaders but with her help felt able to spare them the wrath of his sad revenge.
Then he cut ties with the doctor.
William breathed free.
America choked.
Socially distant at about 12-feet, the masked woman in the park spoke quietly.
You’re him, she said.
I’m sorry.
The guy on TV.
Seated like a stone Buddha in full lotus, William played nervously with a blade of grass he plucked from the lawn.
That’s me.
The police are looking for you, she said.
Not too hard, they’re not.
They have more important priorities, I guess, she said.
Yeah, like not killing black people.
The woman shook her head.
That’s some shit, she said.
Redneck warriors are everywhere, William said. I was just trying to do what was right.
You ran into the middle of that crazy cracker mob like Rambo.
I liked Rocky better.
I get the feeling you don’t want to hurt anybody, she said.
Killing and hurting is out of my system, history.
History’s never out of our system, she said.
My point exactly, William said. Yesterday unlearned means white cops keep killing black people.
Philosopher George Santayana said something like that, the woman said.
Those who cannot remember the past are doomed to repeat it, William said.
I worry about a race war, the woman said.
I worry about all war, William said.
The woman kept her distance.
Remember what Muhammad Ali said?
William wasn’t sure what she meant.
No Viet Cong ever called me nigger, the woman said.
Might be the most significant quote of the 20th Century, William said.
Thank you for saving my brother-in-law’s life, Chanise said.
You’re married to Darryl’s brother?
Was married.
I remember now. I’m very sorry about him and your child.
History, she said.
William looked up for the first time.
You want to maybe get a cup of coffee when all this is over?
I’d like that, Chanise said.