ACKNOWLEDGEMENT - TWWW PART 3

"The nine most terrifying words in the English language are, I’m from the government
and I’m here to help”. – Ronald Reagan


Trouble tends to come when you think you’re almost done. He was 3rd from the last in line. A young man; 18 years old and very handsome. He had dark hair filled with freshly shorn curls and piercing brown eyes. Stacey looked back at stationary Charlie; “73624”. He repeated, “73624, Xavier Dicastro”

“You’re Xavier Dicastro?” she asked while loading the needle; so consumed with what she was doing, she never looked up. “Yes”, Xavier said calmly searching his surroundings. Stacey checked the forms he handed her, asking questions which were confirmed. She reached for his right hand and he instead grabbed her. “And you are?” he said, tucking his head to catch her until she was forced to look up. “Excuse me”, she said.

“My name is Xavier Dicastro, What’s yours?” “Your english accent is perfect”, Stacey remarked. It caused her to look at him more closely. “I watch a lot of American movies, especially the gangster ones. I like this old one by Quentin Tarentino called Reservoir Dogs. Have you heard of it?” he said.

By this time bouncing Bob had the nozzle of his semi buried somewhere in Xavier’s shoulder blade. Stacey couldn’t help but think what a good call it was to have given Bouncing Bob the downer, otherwise Xavier would have been minus a left shoulder. “Stand down young man,” Bouncing Bob said with unexpected authority. ‘Young man,’ Stacey mused to herself. Bouncing Bob didn’t seem much older than Xavier.

“Yes…I’ve seen it. It’s a classic.” She lied. She hadn’t seen it. Her husband liked it. As a matter of fact, she believed it was part of the home viewing collection buried somewhere between her unopened exercise DVD’s and romantic comedy’s. The other soldiers were coming around and they too had their nozzles aimed at various places on Xavier’s body. Yet, he didn’t seem phased. His eyes never left Stacey’s and he was still holding onto her wrist. “It’s alright”, she said to the soldiers. “It’s ok,” she said this time to Xavier, “It’s just an immunization shot.” She held up the piercing gun. “See, it’s just a shot”.

“I see” he said. “It’s to protect me from any diseases I might pick up from you white people.”

“Exactly”, she answered, trying to offer up a smile.