Personal Narrative: Home For The Inter-Planetary Military
The rest of the ride was, thankfully, uneventful. After our stop at the recharging station, it took all that I had to stay focused on the moment, and any thought drifting elsewhere would send waves of panic through my body. My heart hurt acutely, so tenderly, that I couldn’t look directly at Charles for the rest of the trip. A ring of acid ate away at my throat, and the coffee I drank to recharge only made it worse. Charles, however, looked completely at ease with the arrangement. He tapped away at his tablet, periodically looking up and grunting at the scenery before going back to his device.
When we finally made it to his house, a standard government issued flat within the city, I felt thankful to no longer be moving. An elderly lady opened …show more content…
I sat next to her.
“Well, his wife died,” she started.
“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that,” I said, hoping it wasn’t an arranged marriage on that contract my mother, Tamara, signed.
“We need you to sign up for the Inter-Planetary Military.”
Carrie’s face remained passive and stoic. I couldn’t tell if she was serious or not.
“You can’t, I can’t” I started. Words sometimes stopped in my mind before I could put them together out loud. Carrie shrugged.
“Your mother agreed to sign you over with our last name,” she continued. “No marriage necessary. Take the name, sign up, do your best, and in four years, come home or stay there. Keep our name. Get your name back. Whatever.”
I frowned. Technically if it was part of the contract, there was nothing I could do to fight it.
“Here’s the papers. Bring them to breakfast.”
“I don’t, I don’t understand,” I said. Carrie stood up and didn’t turn towards me until she stopped in the door way.
“I don’t understand why you need me to sign up in your name,” I said.
Carried didn’t say anything, just stared at me like I was speaking gibberish.
“You’re bought and paid for. See that you get your job done,” she replied, then closed the door behind
When we finally made it to his house, a standard government issued flat within the city, I felt thankful to no longer be moving. An elderly lady opened …show more content…
I sat next to her.
“Well, his wife died,” she started.
“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that,” I said, hoping it wasn’t an arranged marriage on that contract my mother, Tamara, signed.
“We need you to sign up for the Inter-Planetary Military.”
Carrie’s face remained passive and stoic. I couldn’t tell if she was serious or not.
“You can’t, I can’t” I started. Words sometimes stopped in my mind before I could put them together out loud. Carrie shrugged.
“Your mother agreed to sign you over with our last name,” she continued. “No marriage necessary. Take the name, sign up, do your best, and in four years, come home or stay there. Keep our name. Get your name back. Whatever.”
I frowned. Technically if it was part of the contract, there was nothing I could do to fight it.
“Here’s the papers. Bring them to breakfast.”
“I don’t, I don’t understand,” I said. Carrie stood up and didn’t turn towards me until she stopped in the door way.
“I don’t understand why you need me to sign up in your name,” I said.
Carried didn’t say anything, just stared at me like I was speaking gibberish.
“You’re bought and paid for. See that you get your job done,” she replied, then closed the door behind