You know, they didn’t have a
choice then.
he spoke with a white towel over his head hiding his face
Didnt have a choice They certainly did
No. The country was at war. When your country’s
at war it’s your duty to go.
that was breathtaking
he let the moment drag
he wanted him to digest his words
the fat man pulled the towel down
and let it hang across his shoulders
he looked up into the fat mans
face vapid
his words exhaled were gone evidently in casual conversation he felt they
carried no weight
words all carry weight and harm and happiness they confer respect or disrespect
he knew the fat mans name once
names are important
however in an offhand
mannerdeparting the sauna some weeks back the fat man made a remark to another man sitting with
them he alluded that the president was
finally shaking things up in America at last the country was going to be what
it should be
he interjected rudely to the fat mans back Your remark incenses me
nearly as much as your television reality presidenthack does I take no pleasure calling him a cunt an
never thought Id ever call an American president cunt
he promptly dismissedpurged the
mans name from his memory
So Youre gonna stand on your words Be careful here
Be careful?
Yes
I don’t understand.
You should understand
The country was under the pretext
of war It wasnt a war The drafteeswhich you insist otherwise they all had a choice Had those young men challenged the old men I
dont think the nation would have incarcerated a generation
The choice you insist they didnt
haveyou had You exercised a choice
Excuse me?
You said as much
You’re mistaken.
Mistaken Be careful again
And again I don’t understand.
Awright Lets bring you back home
You said when you were drafted after
college SixtyfourSixtyfive you were classified
Four F Four F because you were too fat
In SixtysevenSixtyeight when all hell broke in Namthousands of GIs
killed the Draft Board changed your class to One Y qualified to service in case
of a national emergency
Yes.
I remembered correctly
Yes. You’re correct.
Then I would also say Im correct
that your choice was to remain fat to retain your Four F status
You chose to be fat to beat
induction
1420, Day-between-Two-Ts, 7 2.
18
2210, Thursday,
8 2. 18
1067
days remaining or less
