[ WP ] We never went back for that harmonica ...

“ And we never went back for that damned harmonica did we? ” 
 
 Tears stung his eyes, and gun fire rang in his ears. Only the former was real. “ How many years you said we would, but we never did. ” 
 
 
 
 Back then he had been young. Liquor was his best friend, so long as there wasn ’ t a woman to garner his attention. Sadly, both have a habit of being scarce on the battlefield. The gunfire had stopped, it usually did after a short period but even at a distance it was chilling, perhaps even more so. It didn ’ t help that their platoon had set up shop along the water. While the far side over the wide river was anything but a warzone, the sharp sounds from automatic weapons to the Northeast carried down its open surface for a great distance, coming with the current and the wind. 
 
 Gunfire was now replaced with a far more deafening sound that was static from the radio set off to their side. “ Dammit Rob, would you shut that thing off? ” 
 
 “ Not supposed to. You know that. ” 
 
 “ You know I don ’ t give a fuck. ” 
 
 “ You give tons of ’ em, I talked to those girls the last little fishing village we went through. ” 
 
 “ Ancient history, and now I ’ m all out anyway. ” 
 
 “ Time flies when you ’ s having fun, huh? Here, how ’ s about this instead? ” Rob then gave him a toothy grin and set his fishing rod between his legs to search out something from his shirt: a plain aluminum harmonica that sounded like a cat with cancer. 
 
 “ Oh not that shit. That ’ s worse! ” 
 
 “ You just don ’ t appreciate fine music, Adam. If I weren ’ t out here with all the percussion I would be back home playing a sweet, sweet melody at center stage. ” 
 
 “ You ’ ll scare the fish! ” 
 
 “ You already did that. ” Though they both knew there were better reasons for the water to be empty this far downriver. Rather than argue it anymore, he had rubbed his face into his hand and then waved his friend on. “ I knew you wouldn ’ t turn me down! ” Rob exclaimed with triumph. 
 
 He would never know what the hell it was his friend had played. It was probably just the cat with cancer singing the blues because it didn ’ t want to die without another good meal… after the last good one of course; you could never have enough good meals that cat would have said, with a jolliness that was uplifting if a bit ear splitting. “ Alright that ’ s enough. ” He reached over and snatched the harmonica out of Rob ’ s hand and shoved it to the ground between them, but there was still a buzzing that refused to quit. “ Look what you did. You broke my damned ears! ” 
 
 “ Shut it, they was already broken if you didn ’ t like that one! ” Rob then took his rod, and while working his tongue in his cheek he started to reel it in. Then he grumbled a curse. “ Fucker must be snagged. ” That ’ s when Rob stood up and waded partway into the water to try and get a better look, but he had stopped. “ Adam, ” he ’ d said. “ Da fuck are our boats doing way up there? ” 
 
 “ Boats? What boats you dumbass? We don ’ t go on the water. ” Now he waded down to look too. His grime coated hands became a makeshift visor to cut the glare. “ Dem boats? ” 
 
 “ Yeah, dem ones. ” Rob nudged him with a laugh. 
 
 After a few more moments the buzzing had cut, and the eerie silence was disquieting. “ They ’ re coasting… ” 
 
 “ Hey Adam…. You said we don ’ t have none boats, but who the fuck else is this far out on the water with an MG at their bow like that. ” The boats were close by then, and Adam did confirm; those were some hefty MG ’ s there. Another thing struck him as odd, why would they decide to coats just then? Not to mention their formation, a jagged line about as close up to shore as they could get. So close that the two of them only spotted the damn things leaning farther out over the water to see. 
 
 Realization hit them harder than the concussion of gunfire that would erupt in the next few minutes. They pushed and shoved and scrambled to the shore splashing all the way. Rob had grabbed the radio pack and start shouting off information into the talker. “ Come on you fuck! ” He had grabbed his friend ’ s arm then, yanking him up away from the water as the radio buzzed. He had been shouting too, waving his arms to the other soldiers there. 
 
 
 “ Lot of good that did us, huh? ” In the present he chuckled and shook his head. 
 
 
 By the time any semblance of urgency had been instilled in their platoon the boats had smoothly coasted to the shore and opened fire. Not even a minute after that, explosions erupted from forest edge directly opposite the coast on the far side of their camp. Gunfire rained from there too and those who didn ’ t get cut down darted madly to find cover. The only cover left were the remaining two edges of their camp not transformed into machine guns. Had Rob and him been some of the few that made the mistake of running in the direction that ran upstream along the water front, then they wouldn ’ t have had anymore of story at all, because in this mouse trap that was the hole the cat wanted them to scurry to. 
 
 They had made a southward charge cursing about as best they could given the circumstances. The remainder of that day had been a slow fighting retreat. No more than ten of them still clutched firearms by the time the sun hit the Earth, and by the time they had reached the rendezvous Rob had managed to get from the radio, they were stumbling in the dark with their hearts in their throats. No one spoke for a long time, until: 
 
 “ Adam. Adam, you fuck! ” 
 
 “ What!? ” They growl at each other in harsh whispers, though Rob ’ s was far more playful and chiding he now remembered. In the face of his friend in this memory, he saw the old man that was before him now. 
 
 “ You bastard. ” He ’ d chuckled. “ You fucking made me leave my prized possession! ” 
 
 “ You saying they shot you in yer… ” 
 
 “ You fucker. I left my harmonica! ” 
 
 “ Good riddance… ” 
 
 “ Bastard. We ought to go back and get it. ” Another man had even laughed at that. They needed the humor. 
 
 “ Later. We ’ ll go back and get yer fucking blowstick later. ” 
 
 “ That best be a promise now. I was fond of the little thing. ” 
 
 “ Not the only little thing you ’ re fond of… ” And he had laughed again, in the present. 
 
 
 
 “ But we never did, did we? ” He voice was choked up and he blinked away the stinging tears. “ Probably still sitting there on the water, I bet. ” As he spoke, fished through his suit pocket and laughed softly. “ That makes me one hell of a bastard, really. I had told you I would go with you to get it. ” From his pocket he had pulled a small blue box. It was rectangular and simple. A large lid slid down over the body which housed was a plain white cloth that was the bed to a shining new harmonica. “ How ’ s about this then? Let ’ s hear you play your song about the sick cat. ” Reaching forward, Adam set down the small box on the satin pillow that rested his friends head. “ Can ’ t you break my ears no more than time has. ” He rested his hands on the wooden frame then. He thought he ought to say more, but shook his head and held his tongue. At that point he stepped back and gave his old friend one final look while he rest in his casket. “ That ’ s goodbye then. ” 

