Freedom Pt 2

I find the bar without difficulty. The third bumper and I hear my score going up. Inside PFC Thug, Doc Mom, some of the scouts, and more were already working on their boozing. I sit down, and a beer appears in front of me. The night begins to blur, I know that SPC Bongo and the other Silent Killer show up, Nord and his crew, SGT Trackstar and his car of guys. Soon there are tables full of drinking troops. A few are still in uniform, these are the ones flying out late tonight or early in the morning.

If I continue the roll down to Chicago I need to stay sober, less than one drink an hour. SPC Bongo wants to hit a strip bar, not surprisingly the scouts have a list of important questions. Where is it, how far, what is the cover, drink minimum, cost of a lap dance? Questions answered we begin to gather up the troops.

I do a head count, and realize that we are staying here tonight. I skip off from the strip club and get two rooms at the Holiday Inn. Whatever happens I will not be sleeping in the rental tonight. I pawn off the other room to SPQR and Heart Disease. Free from any real responsibility I go on the bar bounce. Yes we are supposed to travel in pairs. I set out to see what this college town has in the way of local bars.

I pop my head into the Animal House, crowd was a little old for me, the one with a nautical theme was a little stuffy, I would have done gone to “Then Library: an interesting place to drink” but they were closed. I end up in a little place called “Johns” About my speed, cheap drinks, and a dart machine. I prefer the metal pointed darts, but anything will do in a pinch. Another OIF vet in the bar and I start talking, then we team up to play, two girls.

Drinks are rolling, I stick with Jack and Coke, the official drink of OIF II and III. The stories roll, and then someone starts buying shots. Patron goes down so smooth. The games keep rolling, the booze is flowing, I seem to be able to hit my target often enough not to get too embarrassed.

At some point a glass is broken and I find out that it is no big deal, as the other team in a three way game of cricket is the manager. He buys a round for his clumsiness. By midnight I am listing at 15 degress and three sheets to the wind.

It is my sister’s birthday so I give her a call. Okay not the best of ideas, but she not only understands, but seems happy her little brother is having a fine time. I run across Nord and crew returning from the strip club, as it turns out the mission was a failure, and finish the night with a beer bought for me at Hooters again. Then I go and crash out in my wonderful hotel room.

For the first time in two months I sleep without the noise of snoring in the room (yes I snore but I never hear it). I am in a state of blissful silence. Five floors below all hell is breaking loose.

It would seem that crowding at least six troops have crowded into my other room. SGT Dragon showed up, killing time until his flight leaves. While SPQR and Wookie float around in the indoor pool (I wonder if they found a hairball in the filter the next day) the three suitcases of beer begin to disappear. Not fast enough for Dragon, even without his ever present partner SGT Nighthawk he is the life of the party. His favorite game seems to have been “Beer Grenade”.

Through speed, aggression and violence of action he manages to route at least two to the rental car, and leaves the rest of the crew bruised on the floor. When I show up to check up on them the next morning, it looks like and smells like a frat house on New Years Day. I require they leave beer, a tip and a note for the maid and hope that my credit card won’t be billed for water (I mean beer) damage.

Enough of this small time stuff, my pass is well and truly started. It is 250 miles to Chicago, I have a full tank of gas, a carton of cigarettes, it is quite bright and I left my sunglasses in the barracks. I hit it.

An hour later I want to strangle Tooth. He has bought the cheapest ear phones in the PX and is playing his music at full blast. I crank the stereo louder to block out the noise. Five hours to his hotel, the musical clinking of beer and wine come from the back at every bump and toll booth. WTF toll booths on interstates!?!?! We get to the Holiday Inn in Chicago. They didn’t have reservations, so in my last effort as an NCO I put the rooms on my card for the first night. Tooth is checked in, the rest of the guys will show up as hangovers and other perils of traveling in groups allow.

I make a point of not telling anyone my destination, as the car warms up I turn off the cell phone and remove the name tapes from my back pack and computer bag. SGT Pinball has left the building. Mr Pinball a civilian replaces him. For just a little over 72 hours I will live life to the fullest, then back to the army.