Patriotic Charlie

Supplement Story IV:
Patriotic Charlie

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“Another day, another setback.”

Ethan Hunter tossed his pen down onto his desk, not really minding where it ended up. It was late out, though what time it was exactly he didn’t care to know. Despite the fact the majority of his staff had went home hours ago, he stayed situated in his not-so-comfortable office chair, finishing up the pile of documents on his desk. You would think he could just sign them electronically, considering how much society relied on computers. It didn’t matter to him either way – he much preferred paper and pen anyhow. There’s something about holding it in your hand, knowing it actually exists…

There was an envelope placed inside a drawer to his left. While thinking about how much he favored paper over a computer, his mind drifted to said envelope. He opened the drawer and removed the envelope, holding it in his hand to be sure it was real. For some reason, he just couldn’t believe what he held actually existed. It hadn’t been opened yet, because he was just too nervous to read what the letter contained. Legible, beautiful handwriting on the envelope claimed it was from her. If she didn’t completely avoid the question, the letter would either make or break his future.

Maybe it was a cowardly way to ask, but there wasn’t any other option. She wouldn’t be home for another seven months and he had to know now. Yet, with his shaking hands and unsteady breath, he was too afraid to open the damn envelope. After a hard days work, he wouldn’t be able to stomach rejection. If she had said yes, it would mean a new life, a new beginning, and a new set of troubles. But those were troubles he was more than willing to face! As if he didn’t already face such worries; if he received word that she was injured or killed, the newly elected senator wouldn’t be able to face tomorrow.

Through his open door, he saw someone rushing down the hallway. It was a tall lad, a little lanky, but with the spirit and ambition to one day be a very famous politician. “Hey, Charlie!” Ethan called out. The young man backtracked and stuck his head through the doorframe.

“Yes, Mr. Hunter?” he asked.

“Come in here a second,” Ethan said, waving him in. Charlie fully entered Ethan’s office and approached his desk. He wanted to make a comment how badly Ethan needed to organize out his stuff – his desk was a disaster. Instead, he bit his tongue and waited patiently for further instructions. “Sit, sit, for Christ’s sake boy! Are you always so stiff?” Ethan ordered, motioning to a chair. Charlie took a seat, still not completely relaxed. He was just an intern there, and Ethan gave off such a proud atmosphere around the office that Charlie always felt a bit nervous around him.

Ethan wasn’t too much older than Charlie. The senator was just over thirty, and Charlie was in his early twenties. But there was a completely different tone between the two. Ethan was a respected and well-known politician, very handsome, educated, and self-confident. Charlie was a recent graduate of political science, with no experience in such a haughty world, but with amazing character. Although uneasy around Ethan, Charlie was aware that he was truly a kind man, nothing like the other politicians he had met.

“Your younger brother is in the military, isn’t he?” Ethan inquired. Charlie nodded.

“Yes, Mr. Hunter. Infantry,” came Charlie’s reply.

“Infantry, huh? Well, God bless them. They’ll need all the blessing they can get, won’t they?” said Ethan. Charlie made no noise or motion in response. “Want to know a secret, Charlie?” Ethan asked. He didn’t wait for the lad to respond. The senator leaned forward on his desk, using his arms to support his upper body. He spoke in a quiet manner, as if he was about to explain the darkest of all secrets. “I hate war.

“I’ve flown over the battlefield before. You look over to your side, out the window just to your right, and there, down on the ground, was once a city. A massive city, home to citizens and businesses. The buildings have been destroyed, with smoke rising high into the sky. You catch a glimpse of bodies – hundreds of them. Maimed, destroyed, bleeding, burning – there’s always one or two still alive. The cries are so loud, so horrible you can hear them over the sound of anything, even the helicopter. I have walked on the same soil where blood has been spilled in the name of peace or patriotism. You can see in the eyes of those who walk with you that they want to go home. They don’t want to kill or die. I have visited hospitals in which there are men who have lost limbs and lives. No one, Charlie, who believes in democracy, believes in war.”

“Um, Mr. Hunter, if you don’t mind me asking,” Charlie nervously spoke. “What good is patriotism if one isn’t willing to fight and die for their country?”

“What is patriotism, Charlie?” Ethan asked. The lad took a minute to think.

“Well, I suppose patriotism is defending the nation, at all costs,” Charlie answered.

“Sacrificing something for the betterment of the country? Charlie, if the government is corrupt, is it patriotic to fight against it?”

“What!” Charlie yelped, surprised. It was an interesting question, but to hear it from a member of the government was very unusual!  “I- I suppose… I suppose the nation isn’t the government, it’s… well, Mr. Hunter, it’s what the people believe in. Patriotism isn’t about borders and the government. It’s about doing what is necessary to defend the common rights of the citizens. If the government is exercising too much authority, or taking away those rights, than a true patriot would fight against it.”

Ethan leaned back in his seat, placing his hands behind his head. He knew Charlie was meant to be a leader. There was something about the way the kid thought – how he was able to see beyond the nations and titles. Charlie looked at the human race in terms of individual people, not classes or nations. “You’re a smart kid. You give me a sense of hope for the future. Most kids these days don’t understand things – either they’re blind nationalists or idiotic anarchists. They tend to be war mongrels or pacifistic, never realizing that there is a time for harmony and a place for defending yourself. Humans are not simple creatures.

“There’s going to be a time, Charlie, I don’t know when – maybe tomorrow, maybe in a century – when the patriots will have to wage war against our government. They may fight with guns, they may fight with words, but as long as we have men like you, I’m not worried about a damn thing,” Ethan spoke. He grabbed the envelope that rested on his desk and held it up saying, “If you are willing to face the uncertain future, while being certain in yourself; if you can face the worries of your heart without losing ambition or longing; if you can believe in something greater than yourself, if you can fight doubters, swindlers, and contenders, you’ll be a leader yet, Charlie.”

The young intern said nothing. There was a reason why Ethan Hunter was so well loved by everyone. Suddenly, he didn’t feel so nervous around the senator. He watched as Ethan took the envelope, and with a bit of anxiety, opened it up to read the contents of its letter. Never before had such an expression etched itself onto Ethan’s face. It was some weird combination of tension and thought. But it was soon replaced with a smile that stretched from ear to ear. He looked to his clock to see it was just past midnight.

Carefully, he folded the letter and placed it in his shirt’s pocket. To Charlie, he said, “A new day means new hope. If the people don’t believe that, if you don’t believe that, then the future has already been decided – defeat. If you believe in democracy you don’t believe in war. If you believe in humanity, the noble side of all those who are born sinners, than you know somewhere in that vast heart of yours Charlie, that democracy and patriotism has nothing to do with it. It’s about… sacrificing something for the betterment of all mankind – believing that we are destined for things greater than war.”