The Story of Ann Chapter 8 Learning the Truth from Jack by ann jack

The Story of Ann Chapter 8 Learning the Truth from JackI borrowed Janet’s car to drive into town to get Jack. Susan had told me on the phone that he had been there since early afternoon. She explained to me that he just sits there drinking from a bottle of Jack Daniels. Susan also explained when she went to talk to him she did not understand his reply as it was not in English.

“Ann, he keeps looking toward the door as if he is expecting someone and from the look in his eyes I think it is trouble he is expecting,” Susan said to me on the phone.

“Take that bottle from him,” I replied to her into the phone.

“I tried too but he just shook his head no at me when I did,” Susan said.

I told her I would be right there. I drove into town not knowing what or who I was about to face. I hoped it was Jack. The man I was falling deeply in love with back then. However, I was not sure of his past or of him. It seemed that at one time during the Vietnam War he was a different man.

He never had explained to me or to grandma about just falling off the face on the earth when he went to Vietnam. He had also done the same thing when he found out I had married Rick. Jack then suffered his wounds and it was almost a year before grandma heard from him. Where and what was he doing?

I thought about Susan telling me he acted as if he was waiting for someone to come through the door at the bar. Those men called the Devils entered my mind along with Captain Bob’s words about Jack seeking revenge.

Either it was a slow night at the bar or Jack had run everyone out of there. I parked around back entering the bar from the back door. I saw Jack sitting at his normal seat at the end of the bar. Susan looked at me then looked away as Jack sat there with his back to me. I slowly walked up behind him stopping a ways behind him. I had not made any sound when I walked up to him from behind. I watched as he picked the bottle up in front of him and took a long hard drink.

Jack placed the bottle onto the bar as he said, “Xin chào Ann,” without turning around to see who it was behind him. He then asked, “Ban Ä‘ã Ä‘en uong voi ma guy?”

I turned Jack on his bar stool as I asked, “What did you just say to me?”

Jack replied, “Hello Ann, have you come to drink with the Devil?”

I looked into his eyes and those eyes were not Jacks. They filled with sorrow, despair as well as anger. His eyes did not sparkle or shine as I looked into them. Jack turned back on his bar stool taking the bottle into his hand once more. He took a big long drink then sat it back down in front of himself.

I sat down by him as I said, “Jack, come home I am sorry about what I said.”

Jack grabbed the bottle again to take a drink. I grabbed it from his hand before he could. He stared at me, which was almost more of a glare than a stare.

“If you are not drinking I would like my bottle back Ann,” Jack said to me almost sweetly.

I saw two shot glasses sitting in front of him and as I reached for one Jack blocked my hand as he said, “Those are taken,” as he stood up and asked Susan for another shot glass.

Jack did not sit back down as he said, “Excuse me Ann; I have to drain my lizard.”

I watched him walk to the bathroom. Jack walked straight and true all the way there. Susan came over with the shot glass and I asked her just how much he had to drink. She told me that bottle was full and was two thirds of the way gone now. I asked her about the two shot glasses in front of him.

“He told me he had a feeling someone would be joining him,” Susan said. “I thought he meant you until I called you,” She added.

Susan walked away as Jack returned and sat down. I poured myself a shot and I kicked it back. It burnt all the way down and I started to cough and gag. Jack smiled and he told me it was an acquired taste. He took the bottle and placed it back in front of himself.

“Jack why did you say, “Men are not punished for their sins, but by them?” I asked him.

Jack turned toward me as his started to say “Because of my past,” but then his eyes went to the front door of the bar. His eyes seemed to fill with blackness as he stared at the door. I turned to see the door opening and a man walking into the bar. The man entering the bar was the one who shot him.

“Jack,” I said turning to him in panic and in fear.

Jack got up from his bar stool and he stood in front of me blocking me from the man as he walked toward us. I looked down to see Jack’s good hand clinched in a fist. The man walked over to Jack until he was almost toe-to-toe with him. They stared into each others eyes just glaring at each other.

“Hello, Jack,” the man said finally never taking his eyes from Jack.

“Hello Daniel,” Jack replied. “I would shake your hand but I seem to only have one good fucking arm at this time,” Jack added with a lot of anger in his voice as his eyes focused on Daniels eyes.

Daniel stepped back from Jack as he hung his head for a few seconds then said, “That is why I am here Jack,” “I am sorry for shooting you,” Daniel looked around Jack as he added, “I believe I own you an apology as well Miss,” looking at me.

Jack stepped up into Daniel’s face as he replied, “She has no part in this as it is between you and I.”

“Then let’s have our toast and get on with it,” Daniel said reaching for the shot glasses and the bottle.

Daniel poured two shot glasses full. He sat the bottle back down looking at them with his hands on the bar. I thought he was thinking rather to just strike Jack and for go their drink. But then he handed oneshot glass to Jack and took one himself.

He turned to Jack as he held his shot glass up he said, “May the Devil himself fear us when his own ride into Hell,” his eyes black as Jacks.

Jack raised his shot as he replied, “May all Devils be allowed into heaven someday.”

The two drank their shots then slammed their shot glasses onto the bar counter. I saw Susan reaching for the phone. I guessed she was calling the police as it looked like the two men were going to fight to settle the score for the last time.

“Susan, put the phone down there will be no trouble here this night,” Jack said to her.

“Jack, I am sorry that war turned good men into Devils.” “I can only thank you for not pressing charges.” “I also wanted to tell you it was not me who shot you but this Devil I have turned into.”

“I too was once a Devil until I found something worth loving again more than death,” Jack replied looking back to me.

Daniel hung his head for a second then lifted it as he looked to me as he said, “Miss, you have a good man here see that he stays that way.” Daniel turned to Jack as he added, “So she is the one who purged your soul.”

“Yes and I returned to Vietnam to purge all of yours souls too,” “But it was to late for any of you,” Jack replied in a bitter tone of voice.

“Jack, I swear it was not one of us who shot you in Vietnam at least I know it was not me,” “If it was one of us I would have killed that person where he stood.” “We all were brothers over there Jack with you as the leader of the Devils.” “Each of us had a reason for what we did or did not do,” “Men are not punished for their sins, but by them,” Daniel said holding out his hand to Jack.

Jack stared at his outstretched hand, as he replied, ““No evil dooms us hopelessly except the evil we love, and desire to continue in, and make no effort to escape from”. Jack took Daniel’s hand into his as he added, “The time has come to put this evil to an end.”

“That is why I am here Jack,” “You led us into that evil and now you must led us from it.” “The time has come to disband the Devils and purge our souls as you have,” Daniel said to him.

“I was never the leader for men lead only themselves to hell and hope they don’t live to regret it,” Jack replied.

They shook hands then the two big men embraced. As they embraced I noticed Daniel’s eyes were not black they were the loveliest shade of blue that went with his long blonde hair. The men broke their embrace and faced each other again.

“You made me realized our souls might belong to the Devil but our hearts never will.” “Thanks for not pressing charges as we both know that caging an animal is not the way,” Daniel said to him.

“Let today be the day you stop being haunted by the ghost of yesterday.” “Get the help you need and if you need to talk you know where to find me,” Jack replied.

Daniel shook his head yes, as he turned walking from the bar. Jack grabbed the bottle from the bar taking it back to his seat. He screwed the cap back on to it then handed the bottle to Susan as he told her he would not need that any more.

“How about bringing me one of my usual instead,” Jack said to her. “Make that two of them,” he added as he looked to me.

“Jack, what is all of this about?” “If I love you and you love me do I not have a right to know?” I asked him.

“You have every right to know and you shall,” Jack replied as Susan placed two tall glasses of ginger ale in front of us.

Jack lifted his glass taking a sip then said, “Life without love is a shadow of things that might be.” “I learned that as a young boy growing up on the streets.”

I was a boy of seven unloved by his parents and dumped into the streets like garbage. I was neglected and beaten as a boy at home if you could call that a home. I was better off on my own in the streets. The streets harden me into an adult without enjoying a childhood quickly as they were my home now. I stole to survive on the streets.
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The cop who walked that beat at the time was Captain Bob. He was but a rookie back then and had caught me stealing newspapers that I would then sale on the next block. He was the first person to have showed me any compassion. He took me to breakfast and asked me who I was and where I live.

“They call me Jack and the streets are my home,” I replied to him.