Marine Corps Stories: Provisions

Water licked at the stones on the small fountain in Marine Major General Paul Brandt’s office. It wasn’t too cozy but it displayed a relaxing appeal. Prayer stones and digital evangelical writings occupied the space. He had a little space heater for the winter months and enough room for his virtual golf set. He sat down at his desk and lifted words up to the unknown and the unknowable. He then cracked his knuckles like snapping crab legs. He wrote what he felt.

Then, an interruption arose. Captain Abby Turner knocked at his door. She was brown skin with sharp features and a slight build.

“Enter,” Brandt said.

“Sir, General Wainwright has some provisions that she would like to be included in the new Constitution.” The young woman clutched a device full of digital documents that spilled from her hands like the water in the fountain: slowly and with care.

“Thank you, Turner,” Brandt said.

“Yes, sir,” Abby said and left the room.

He looked at the computer screen. He looked at the stack of words that descended to his desk. He used the digital communication device to summon Abby back to the room. The youthful captain aged thirty, sprung to her superior’s office.

“Did General Wainwright want all of these provisions to be included?”

Abby’s brown-grey eyes widened. “Why, I was not briefed on that. These documents just showed up on my desk and I was instructed to give them to you, sir.”

“But I mean you didn’t see who left them there or anything?”

Abby grew slightly frustrated but kept her wits. “I’ve only heard the sounds of the military news program out in the hallway and looked at the device that sits right there,” Abby said pointing to the digital files on Brandt’s desk.

“I want to let you hear some of the lines in one of these documents,” Brandt said.

“Okay….”

“‘The nation of Iran will have a just government. It will be a constitutional republic, not a democracy. It will exhibit only the highest of standards of abiding by the rights of men and women.’ What does that tell you?”

Abby’s eyes narrowed. “I would say, sir, that those lines are to show how Iran must comply with the ideas that a free nation rests on founding documents. Those documents must rest upon the nature of man and be in accordance with the facts of reality. That’s what I got from it anyway.”

Brandt flashed a grin. It looked like a teacher who just saw a student answer a problem that he had tried to make as difficult as possible.

“That’s good, Captain,” Brandt said.

‘Thank you, sir. Is there anything else that I can help you with this morning?”

“I’ll Let you know.”

“Thank you, sir.”

Abby closed the door and the major general returned to the screen with the pages of work found on it. He became an ascetic. His hands glided over the keyboard like a hockey player over the ice. By typing with just two fingers, he enabled himself to speed up the process in tackling the material. His attempts at utilizing ten digits to accomplish his goals failed. Instead, he focused on actually laying down the specific words with all the intention and idealism that he could muster. While the provisions remained mandatory, Misha gave Paul ample opportunities to craft his own script. He read back aloud what he just wrote: “The Iranian people ought to be delivered by a faith-based government.”

Brandt finished his first draft and sent it to Misha.

Once she read it, she became livid. She remained in Delaware and Brandt’s office sat in Washington. She blasted back with a simple,

“What the hell, Paul?”

Brandt darkened. The communications device didn’t serve him. He felt his heart thunder in his chest. He screamed, “Turner!”

Abby walked down the hall. She entered Brandt’s office once more.

Brandt looked sullen.

“Yes, sir,” Abby said.

“Do you believe in….” he trailed off into a whisper.

“Pardon me, sir,” Abby said.

“Do you believe in a higher power?”

“Why, the executive branch of the United States comes to mind,” Abby said with a straight face. No trace of insolence painted her words.

“That’d be all, Captain. You’re one of the good ones. Honest,” Brandt said.

“Yes. Thank you, sir,” Abby said at last. She walked out of the room and back to her desk.