Fort Bragg, city center
The bar was dark.
A few feet further away, some men were playing billiards in silence.
“Hi John. Sit down” said Messner.
“Let's drink together”
Rambo sat down beside Messner, and the two drank in silence, watching the men's game.
“They are gambling heavily” Messner said.
“Yes. They are”
The two drank another sip of their beers, in an almost embarrassed silence. They had talked various times before, during the selection process as well as after it, but they didn't really know each other, not yet.
“Where were you stationed? I mean... Back in 'Nam”
“Sui Tre, army. Rifleman”
“I was in the infantry too: combat medic”
The billiards balls smacked in the distance.
“You are young, John”
“Just three years younger than you”
“I only said that you are young. Do you have any family?”
“A father”
“Brothers? Sisters? Women waiting for you at home?”
“A father. My mother died when I was too young to remember. I am an only child. And you?”
“I had a girlfriend. Maybe I still do, I don't know. It's complicated”
Rambo smiled.
“How can you not know if you have a girlfriend, or not?”
“She left me. You know... She was married already.”
“Really.”
For a while, Rambo looked as if he was going to let the subject go.
But then he said:
“Did you love her?”
“Love is a big word. I don't even know what it really means, being in love”
Rambo drank another sip of his beer while reflecting about it for a while.
Then he said:
“But you liked her”
“Yes, I did.”
“How much time has passed since the last time you heard from her?”
“Since before the selection... A few months”
Rambo reflected again, then said:
“You should write her something, I think...”
The two drank their beers.
“Maybe I will do, John. Maybe...”