The Cabin

By Herman L. Curtis

The life of a war hero that moves back home with his new bride and is accused of terrible crimes against woman and of dealing drugs in his community. He is arrested and tried for the crimes and sent to prison but later escapes and is on the run where he meets a young woman and her son alone, lost in a snow storm he befriends them and a whole community until he is captured and sent back to prison.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Mar 14, 2012
• ISBN: 9781469180212

Herman L. Curtis

My life is a simple one I grew up in a small town in Missouri the oldest of seven brothers and sisters the son of a hard working man and a devoted woman that did the best they could to provide for us. I married at an early age and have three wonderful daughters who gave us twelve fantastic grand children so far. I became unemployed and went back to school and was encourage by my literature teacher to write. I’ve always had a lot of stories to tell and this is one.

Book preview

Chapter 1

Charlie had been in prison for about seven years of his twenty year sentence when he finally gets approved for a work detail outside of the prison. He is very anxious to see the outside world with his own eyes not just from the television. The work crew loads into the truck and heads out the gate, the air outside of the prison walls even smells different to Charlie he knows it is just his imagination but he saviors every moment he has because after this week of working outside the prison his next chance may not come for a long time.

The prisoners are picking up trash along highway 19 which has plenty since it is a major highway from Missouri to Arkansas it gets plenty of traffic. Charlie watches the cars go by without the guard seeing him because he doesn’t want to get his work privileges revoked for such a small infraction.

He notices a lot of families on the highway going places probably to visit loved ones or to other fun destinations, he can remember back to the days before his arrest when he was at home with his wife and son, it brings a tear to his eye the thought of never getting to see his son again. His wife had divorced him 4 years earlier and taken his son out of the country, probably back to Panama her birth place. Charlie had met his wife while he was in the army and was stationed in Panama.

Charlie had joined the military when he was 18 mostly just to get away from his father who was very strict and abusive at times to Charlie and Charlie’s mother until he finally got up enough courage to stand up to him. They ended up in a fist fight which neither, Charlie or his father winning but both promising they would never speak again to each other.

Charlie left and moved in with a friend and his family for a few weeks until one day while he was out looking for a job he came across a military recruiting office he stood there contemplating going in, then he thought, what have I got to lose as he entered the office he could tell it was a place of discipline and respect for our country, he thought this just might be what he has been looking for, something to give him meaning and a direction in life something he hasn’t had in a long time. Charlie spoke to the officer about careers in the military, the officer told him he would probably be best suited to the army because he hadn’t really studied anything in particular in the community college he attended for one year after he graduated high school, so he joined. It was a few weeks before he went away to boot camp, he spoke to his mother and told her he still loved his father but he couldn’t respect him for how he had treated them and what he had done to them literally ruining their lives making his mother feel like she was in a prison and him being treated as if he were too stupid to do anything on his own.

His mother said Charlie you know that is just the way your father is, his father treated him that way and he doesn’t know any other way to treat you.

What about the way he treats you mom I can’t just sit around and let him get away with what he does.

I know he is a very physical and stern man, but I truly believe he will never hurt me.

I hope for your sake you are right mom I love you so much and if he ever hurt you badly I don’t know what I would do, so I think it is better if I join the army and get away from him before something happens I’ll regret. Said Charlie

Well I want you to promise me you will be careful and if you get sent overseas to some foreign country you will be really careful and come back home to me because you are all I have besides your brother Adam up there in Farmington in the mental facility but he is so bad off he’ll never know who we are no matter what drugs they try I think he is gone to us.

I know mom the last time we went to visit him he never even spoke to me just dad, I still love him and I always will but you and dad are all I have so I’ll be real careful and maybe dad will change if I’m not around to blame all his problems on, but I want you to go to see the sheriff if dad starts beating on you I want you to promise me you will?

I promise but don’t you worry I’ll be alright you just come back home safe and in one piece.

Charlie attended boot camp at Fort Leonard Wood and after all his basic training he received his orders, he would be leaving for Iraq in a couple of weeks. Charlie lay there in his bunk thinking about his mom and dad and he felt really alone he wished he had not broken up with Sandy, his high school girl friend but he knew he would be going over seas so he told her not to wait for him. She cried and said she wouldn’t date anyone else but Charlie told her he couldn’t ask her to wait because he never knew how long he would be gone and it wasn’t fair to her.

Now as he lay there in his bunk the day before he goes to war he wishes he had someone to write to besides his mama. His best friend Kenny had moved away to college back east and he hadn’t heard from him since he left, he figured he was probably busy with college life and hadn’t got around to writing or calling.

Charlie left for Iraq in July of 1994 he was in a military company outside of Baghdad, while he was on patrol with a couple of other soldiers in a hum-vee they ran over a land mine the vehicle was destroyed two of the soldiers were killed, Charlie was severely wounded but he still managed to help the other soldier who was injured worse than he was to get out of the line of fire and take cover in a building until another group of soldiers could get there and help them get to safety.

Charlie recovered from his injuries and was discharged from the army he was awarded the Medal of Honor for bravery and the Purple Heart for the injuries he sustained. He arrived home to a hero’s welcome and even his father shook his hand and told him he was very proud of him.

Thanks dad I thought you said I wasn’t capable of doing anything right? Charlie said with a sneer in his voice. Now Charlie you aren’t still carrying around all that resentment, are you? said Charlie dad

I guess not if you aren’t still being an ass?

What do you mean I was never anything but supportive of you, if I was a little rough on you it was because I wanted to make you tough, a man so you could make it out in the real world.

I know you meant well but you don’t treat someone like trash and expect them to respect you for doing it.

I know now I took the wrong approach with you but look you turned out ok.

Not because of anything you did the army taught me how to be respectful and to stand up for what I believe in and to know the meaning of honor and duty.

Well, now that you are back, and on your way to a full recovery, you can come back to work for me at the mill.

I don’t think so dad I never liked working there before I left when I was just a dumb kid so I know I won’t like working for you now that I know I don’t have to.

Why I always gave you the easy jobs I’ll even make you a lead man, maybe a foreman on second shift if you want.

No I don’t want any hand out job from you I’ll find a job, I got a lot of training in the army truck service pool so I’m sure I can get a job at a garage somewhere.

Suit yourself but this is a one time offer, don’t come whining to me for a job when you can’t find one anywhere else.

Don’t worry I won’t I’ll find something even if I have to go back to Piggly Wiggly and bag groceries.

You can’t do that, Jerry’s boy Derrick has that job and it looks like he’ll grow old there, you know he’s not smart enough to work anywhere else after he had that heatstroke he was never right again.

Yeah I remember I wouldn’t take anyone’s job anyway. Said Charlie

Charlie looked for a job every where he could think of, first he tried for the jobs he thought he was best qualified for when he wasn’t getting any results he started looking other places for a job, he signed up at the state employment office and both hiring services in town but after a few weeks passed and he wasn’t having any good results he started to worry that maybe his dad was right that he wouldn’t be able to find a job in this town.

He was doing a few odd jobs around town for family friends, most of the jobs where given to him by his friends because they felt sorry for him because he had been looking for a job for so long with no results. Charlie stopped in at one of the local diners when Millie the waitress asked him How the job search was going?

Charlie said Not so good I went on one interview this week so far that was at the newspaper office Monday but I don’t think that’ll pan out because they wanted at least a bachelor’s degree, and I don’t have any college education to speak of.

Yeah but doesn’t your military training count for something?

I thought it would but I guess times are so tough employers can wait and hire the cream of the crop.

Did I hear you say you had military training? said an officer that was sitting in a booth

Yes I was just discharged from the army back in May, why?

Well I know the job market is pretty tough out there, have you thought about re-enlisting?

Re-enlisting I was discharged because we hit a land mine and two of my buddies where killed and a third was seriously wounded and I didn’t get away completely injury free I had my right leg seriously damaged which took a long time to heal plus weeks of physical therapy so I could walk more than 100 feet without having to stop and rest.

Well you look like you’re doing pretty good now, the military would probably take you back if you’re interested, it’ just something to think about, you know where to find me I gotta go.

Charlie you’re not thinking about going back into the army, are you? Said Millie

I don’t know I hadn’t even thought about the military that is a job I can do.

Chapter 2

Charlie left the diner and walked around town thinking about what the officer had said when he found himself outside the recruiting office he sat down on the bench for a few minutes when the officer came out and said Charlie is it?

Yes it’s Charlie.

Well did you make up your mind to come back to us?

I think I have there isn’t any work out here and I have to do something.

Well come on in and we’ll talk about it.

Charlie went in and sat at the desk the officer went in the back to look for some papers while he was in back Charlie started looking at some of the brochures he was interested in the Air force because his grand father had been in the Air force when he was about Charlie’s age.

The officer came back and said The Air Force, you interested in the fly boys?

Well my grand father was in the Air Force and I think I would like it too, do you think I could get in?

Maybe, since you were in the Army and got a medal of honor for bravery and a purple heart I think they may take that in to consideration. Said the officer

Good that’s where I want to go then.

Ok I’ll get all the papers filled out can you came back and sign everything tomorrow?

Sure I’ll see you about nine if that’s ok.

Charlie left and decided he wasn’t going to tell anyone until it was official that way they wouldn’t try to talk him out of it. Charlie went back to Larry’s house that is the friend he had been staying with since he and his dad still weren’t seeing eye to eye on everything, he was trying to read the paper and thinking about how it was going to be going back into the military he knew it would be a little different being in a different branch of the service but he was a little nervous not knowing where he would be stationed, he slowly fell asleep sitting in the chair.

Charlie was awakened by Larry coming home from work at midnight.

Hey wake up sleepy head I thought you might want to go drink a couple of beers.

Naw I’m kinda beat walking around town all day looking for a job.

How’d that go any luck?

Not a thing I ended up back at the military recruiting station.

What, why did you go there?

I don’t know I kinda have a connection with those guys, I can’t explain it.

Well what are you going to do?

I think I’m going back in the service.

Really, why would you do that?

There aren’t any jobs around here and I don’t want to move so I think I’ll just go back in the military at least I’ll be busy doing something, but don’t tell anybody I don’t want them to try to talk me out of it.

Ok if that’s the way you want it I won’t say a thing, when do you leave?

It’ll take a few weeks before all the paperwork is processed; I’m going into the Air Force this time just like my grandpa. Said Charlie

Well I hope you come back feeling better about yourself and you get this military bug out of your system. Said Larry

"I’ll be ok I think who knows maybe I’ll meet a woman, get married and have a bunch of kids when I come back.’

Yeah that would be something Charlie Sloan with only one girl that’ll be the day. Larry said laughingly

Charlie told his mom the day he was to board the bus headed to the airport, she was crying saying the LORD sent you back to me once and I hope he will watch over you and do the same again.

Don’t worry mom I’ll be fine I’ll be back before you know it just take care of yourself and remember what I told you, tell dad I love him and I’ll see him when I get back.

The Air Force sent Charlie to Panama he was stationed at Howard Air Force base he had a desk job in the pay roll dept it wasn’t anything fancy or heroic but it took his mind off his troubles back home with his dad.

The days went by slowly at first but as Charlie got to know some of the other soldiers things got a little easier. He and some of the other guys went to a night club regularly mostly just to have something to do Charlie wasn’t a big drinker but he liked to be out with the guys it always helped the time go by faster.

Charlie met a few girls while he was out at the clubs he knew most of them were just out to have a good time and that was fine by him but there was this one girl he had seen a few time that really caught his eye he hadn’t talked to her but he noticed she was watching him at the bar.

Charlie walked up to her and asked if he could buy her a drink.

I guess that would be alright I saw you watching me from over there at the bar.

Yes I saw you in here before I wanted to talk to you then but you left so suddenly I didn’t get the chance.

Yes I had an emergency at home, my father is very ill.

Oh I’m sorry to hear that is he ok now?"

He is doing better he had pneumonia and it was a hard battle for him.

Well I’m glad he is feeling better now.

Do you want to dance?

I’m not very good at it. Said Sandra

That’s ok I’m not either this way both our feet will be getting stepped on. Laughed Charlie

Sandra was a small, very petite girl with dark hair and dark eyes she was very pretty and soft spoken. She was almost too shy that is why a lot of the guys never noticed her much, but that is exactly what drew Charlie to her he never liked the bold, forward girls they were always to loud and attracted too much attention.

They sat and talked for a very long time just getting to know each other better, Charlie wasn’t trying to impress her with big stories about all he had done and seen in his life like most of the guys do he was just talking friendly to Sandra and that is probably what attracted her to him.

They danced two or three slow dances this was one way Charlie could get to put his arms around her but then a fast dance song came on and they immediately sat down.’ I’m really no good at fast dancing; I look like I’m having an epilepsy attack. Said Charlie

They both laughed then their food was served and they started to eat. Charlie said So how many brothers and sisters do you have?

I have 5 brothers and 2 sisters and they are all younger then me.

Well I have 1 brother and he is younger than I am, but he is mentally retarded and lives in an institute I only get to see him about 2 or 3 times a year.

That’s terrible they won’t let you see him more often?

Yes they would but he doesn’t recognize us so we don’t go to visit that often.

Your parents don’t visit him much either?

My mother does more often than any one she rides with my aunt Margaret to visit him at least once a month.

That’s better at least he knows someone cares.

He doesn’t know when she is there it is very sad but that is the way it is. Said Charlie

They got up and left the bar and were walking along the street towards Sandra’s house Charlie asked her if she had ever been away from Panama. Sandra said Only once but I didn’t go far we went to visit one of my fathers brother in a village.

Do you think you would like to come to America?

Oh yes that would be fantastic I have seen many pictures of America, the Empire State building, the Arch in St.Louis, Chicago but I have only dreamed of seeing them in person.

Well I haven’t seen all of those places either but maybe you can come visit the U.S. after I get discharged.

That would be a miracle if something like that happened.

Chapter 3

Charlie and Sandra dated for the rest of the time he was stationed in Panama