Semper Fi Good-Bye(Mary Eileen Callan) SEMPER FI GOOD-BYE


It was against everything Ramon believed to return to the place he had buried her. His gut was watery, like it had been in boot camp. He needed to be sure he hadn't forgotten anything. The night he put her body in the hole he was desperate. As the week went on the thought kept nagging at him there was something he'd left behind.
Pine trees shade the backyard. It isn't completely dark, but it will be soon. He pulls up in the shadows of a giant oak tree and parks. Somewhere a dog is barking. The smell of grilled hamburgers fills the air. Muted conversations float from open windows. Across the street a child practices scales on an out-of-tune piano. Everything is normal except for the terrible secret hidden near the back fence.
Ramon stands by his truck one hand rubbing the curved scar over his left ear. Bracing his shoulders, he straightens the shirt of his Marine battle dress uniform and steps into the yard.
He keeps to the shadows of the old tree; acorns snap under his boots. If he walks on the grass he will be more visible from light spilling out the Taylor's side window. It is his yard; he doesn't need an excuse to be here; yet his sixth sense tells him the police might have been asking questions; he can't be too careful. One last look and he will be gone, leaving behind the Corps, the only family he ever felt a part of, that felt worse than the fear of being caught. The murder of his female co-worker was an accident. They had dated a few times, and then he wanted more. Ramon misunderstood her friendliness for a willingness that wasn't there.
“I'm pregnant, the father's an officer.” She laughed, looking at his corporal's stripes, at him thinking he could have her. “My baby's father is going to get a divorce as soon as his deployment is over. He hasn't loved his wife for a long time.”
“So, you date while he's away?” He shook his head. “Plenty of women would love to be with me. I don't ask a second time.” He spit the words out as he grabbed the doorknob; he banged the wall as he stomped down the stairs.
He'd lost it. He came back and raped her in her own apartment that same night.
Ramon left the next day on TDY for two weeks. When he returned, his commanding officer called him into the office.
“Jessica filed a sexual assault complaint against you.” Ramon kept his mouth shut willing away the headache.
“You have a clean record, son, I'll do whatever I can to help you but if this is true you're in deep trouble.”
Jessica was transferred to a different office. The anger inside Ramon built with every reminder of the danger he was in. He thought about her a lot; he had to convince her to drop the charges.
One afternoon he followed her red Celica keeping a couple of vehicles behind. There were so many pickup trucks at Camp Lejeune he blended in easily. As she came out on the highway he watched for a chance to motion her off the road.
“Jessie, I apologize for what happened the other night, I was way out of line.”
“That's what you call it?”
“Let me finish, please. When I was in Iraq an IED blew up our Hummer, I got hit in the head; it still affects me when I get angry. I'm begging you to drop the sexual assault case against me. If you don't I'm finished.”
“You know even if I wanted to, and I'm not saying I do, I'm not allowed to once the charge has been made.” Jessie flipped her blond hair away from her face and drove off.
Ramon pounded the steering wheel and burned rubber as he drove home. He had to find a way to end this. He couldn't stand the sneers from the men in his unit. The first thing he did was buy five 40-pound sacks of mulch and a dozen golden chrysanthemums. The hole was twice as deep as he needed but no one could see that. He sprinkled mulch around, laid the shovel in the hole and placed the flowers on top. It would work.
Two tours in Iraq had hardened him to death but Jessica wasn't a rag-head terrorist. He hadn't planned to kill her; she hit her head on the tile floor when she fell and never woke up.
She hadn't been at work for two weeks. People were anxious to find her and they were looking his way. Time was running out.
The new flowers were all in place; they had sunken a bit into the ground. He saw the golden yellow even in the dark. Through his night-vision glasses he searched the area; nothing was out of place, he slipped them in his pocket.
“Looking for something Marine?”
Ramon couldn't see who was speaking; the glare from the mega-flashlight blinded him.
“Your mums are doing well, I hope you don't mind me watering them. New plantings need lots of moisture.”
“Thanks Mr. Taylor, I appreciate it.” He covered the trembling in his voice with a cough. “I better be going, it's getting late.”
“Aren't you staying at your place here anymore?”
“No, I'm going back to Camp; I've got an early day tomorrow. Good-night, sir.”
“OK, son, carry on. It's good men like you that make me proud to be an American.”
Ramon drove his truck down the block and turned toward the interstate, opposite the road to the Camp, the Corps and everything he loved.
Mr. Taylor watched him go and then picked up the phone.

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