Sacrifice Regardless

 

Sacrifice Regardless

Written By Eric Mangum

 

            “The true test of a man is not what he does in the line of duty, but what he does for the brother he never met or for the sister he never had…”

 

            Justin stood still just listening to the sound of the town as it slowly laid its head to sleep, the clock nearing eleven in the evening. This was the most appealing aspect of growing up in a small town. After midnight not a sound could be heard within the city limits but for the gentle hooting of owls and the chirp of grasshoppers in the knee high hay fields surrounding the outskirts of Sunset Dawn. A smile spread across Justin’s normally solemn face. After three years in the service, it was good to finally be home. The peaceful serenity of the small town eased away all the stress and tension from war. A war he had just left. Even the thirty-seven hours worth of flying and jetlag evaporated with the first hoot of a tawny owl. Justin was finally home.

            The first step off the hill from the bus stop felt monumental. It is surprising what makes you think back on your life. That first step brought back all Justin’s memories back like a whirlpool of pictures; until finally he had centered his thoughts and slowly analyzed everything that was crowding his mind. How much had he changed in the last three years? How much had his family changed? His sister Jenny would be twenty now. He wondered how she looked. When he had left she had just turned seventeen. How beautiful she had been then, he could only imagine her now.  Street lights came on as he walked down the main street. He turned left on Second Street and his pace quickened. He couldn’t wait to make it home.

            His mind was filled with thoughts of his family. His mother was not expecting him till the following day, but he had wanted to surprise her. She would smile from ear to ear when she saw him and the thought made him grin wider. His father was probably doing the dishes. It was a tradition from when his mother and father had first been married. If one cooked dinner then the other would do the dishes. His parents had been role models from a young age. What of Jenny? If Justin remembered correctly, she was in college now at Washington State University, but she had driven home to Sunset Dawn two days ago so that she would be home to welcome her big brother home. Before he left he had made so many mistakes, including abandoning his sister. Now it was time to right them all. Now he had the chance to. It all was so perfect. It registered to Justin that he was now only two blocks from home.

            “Get up you stupid nig…” an angry cry pierced the silence of the night. It was soon followed by the muffled cries of a stranger and the dull thud of fists and feet connecting with flesh. Justin tore his thoughts away from home and searched the darkness for the source of the disturbance. A block down the street, his eyes fell onto a group of high school students. Even though it was dark Justin could see four figures beating the hell out of a younger boy. The first emotion Justin registered was shock, then anger at the sight.

            “Hey! You guys! Stop it!”

            Justin began to run toward the scene, but the boys were not stopping their assault. Justin could now see that it was a young African American that the boys were brutally beating. He could also tell now that they were not kids but adults. None of them could be younger than eighteen. So why were they trying to kill the man on the ground? Why? It made no sense to him; until he was close enough to see that every boy had a swastika tattooed to their forearms.

            “I said stop it!”

            Justin grabbed the tallest boy by the shoulder and pulled him away from the kid on the ground and pushed his way into the crowd, shoving the others away with as much force as he could. By now Justin’s cry had woken up most of the neighborhood and lights were coming on. This did not persuade the gang from attempting to finish what they had started. Justin did not know who the man curled up in a ball was, but he knew by looking at him that he did not deserve what was happening. With the others pushed back for the moment, Justin began to kneel to help the man up.

            A scream of pain pierced the air as the tallest boy pulled out a switchblade from his pocket. Only it was not the boy who screamed but Justin as the knife was buried deeply in his back. Just before Justin fell to the ground and his life faded away, his eyes locked with a shadow two houses down. People had begun to swarm from their houses to see the commotion. Two houses down his sister had appeared. Tears filled her eyes as Justin fell…

 

            I know this is a sad story but it was necessary. Fact: the gang that Justin confronted had taken control of the town with fear a year prior. Fact: because of Justin’s actions, the town finally took back control and the murderers were dealt with. Fact: the young African American Justin saved was his sister’s fiancé. She later married and had a son who they named after the soldier who saved their town. A memorial now stands in town square for all to see. An engraving can be read at the base of the memorial. It states-

 

“The true test of a man is not what he does in the line of duty, but what he does for the brother he never met or for the sister he never had…”

 

Reviews

[Skelasoldier]

To sacrifice oneself for a complete stranger in the face of danger is a trait that decides whether one is considered to be a hero. This story, true or not, is a beacon that one man can stand up against cruelty and oppression.

[Gandré]

"The true test of a man is not what he does in the line of duty, but what he does for the brother he never met or for the sister he never had�" -------wonderful quote, respect! so we are all lovers managing to survive and we'll be more successful when showing more altruism.
I like the moral aspects of this piece, this is a rain of radiance blossoming forth of this text. It is good to write such fiction, people never shold forget holocaust so this won't happen again.
I liked this well-structured piece, it sounds like a sensitive writer who shared this with us. Always pleasure, something like this.
Thank you for reviewing my Rondeau, much appreciated.