Choices

Posted on 04 Apr 2022 @ 11:44 by Chief Warrant Officer 2 Kemo Paahao

Episode: Our Path
Location: Mooseheart, IL
Timeline: January, 2008

Mr. Kemo Paahao
120 Legion Lane
Washington / N. Idaho Residence
Mooseheart Illinoise, 60359

Kemo stared at the letter. He hadn’t gotten many during his years at Mooseheart, but this one had him apprehensive. He was sitting in classroom three of Godfrey Hall. The lights were off but the afternoon sun was filtering through the room’s vertical blinds giving him plenty of light to see.

He was seated on the edge of the chair back, feet in the seat as he looked at the envelope resting on the desk top. Part of him felt like Snoopy pretending to be a vulture. The door opened and he saw Ms. Kettle entering.

Susan Kettle, (USN Retired) Science Teacher and ROTC coordinator smiled as she saw Kemo perched on his desk. “The day’s nearly over, Kemo. Why are you here and not getting ready for afternoon drill?”

“Hi, Captain Kettle,” Kemo replied, automatically coming to his feet in respect. “I know…just trying to decide if I should open this.” He nudged the letter his eyes meeting hers as she walked toward him.

Susan tilted her neck to read the return address of the cream colored envelope, “Registrar, University of North Dakota? You applied there?”

Shrugging and feeling slightly embarrassed for some reason, he nodded. “Yes ma’am. They’ve got a pretty good ROTC (he pronounced it ROT-C instead of spelling out the letters individually) program there. Aeronautics. Part of our requirements…”

“Is to apply to various colleges as part of Moose Heart’s Life Skills program. I know, I know. Just…North Dakota?” She asked, her green eyes searching his face, traces of a grin catching the corners of her mouth. “I didn’t think my stories were that compelling, Kemo.”

He could feel his face flame and he looked away as a blush burned through his tanned skin. “I. Well. Yeah, I guess. You always said it was a nice place to be from…and. Well. I don’t know,” Kemo said lamely.

Then he cleared his throat and said, “You’ve been a real inspiration to me, ma’am and I dunno. I guess it made sense in my mind at the time.”

She smiled fondly at him then and touched his shoulder before looking down at the letter and back up at his eyes, which met hers fleetingly. She knew many of the young men found her attractive but she and Kemo had moved through his boyhood infatuation and she’d taken a real liking to him through the years. If truth be told, she saw him almost as a nephew. “It won’t bite and it’s always your choice, Kemo. Open it,” She urged.

He nodded and reached for it, picking it up and began to tear at one of the corners so he could get at the seam and open an end with his small finger. “I know it’s silly. It just popped into my head that I’d disappoint you if they turned me down,” he said as pressed the top and bottom of the envelope together, causing it to crease open and allowing him to pinch out the crisply folded paper.

“Not silly,” Susan told him, patting his shoulder again, leaving her hand there as she moved beside him and looked at the paper with him. “I’m really flattered, Kemo. But very little you could do would ever disappoint me.”

She knew Kemo, like most of the children at Moose Heart had, at best, unstable home lives. Some didn’t know a home life at all while others came to the home abused and almost as bad, forgotten. At Moose Heart, Susan and all of the other staff and care takers worked hard to give the children a home and a family.

“Still,” Kemo said, shyly smiling as he unfolded the letter, “It’s how it hits me. I’m a weird kid.”

“Not so much a kid anymore, Kemo,”she told him fondly. “You’ll be seventeen in a couple of weeks and graduating a month after that. You’re supposed to be nervous. Silly. And wondering what’s coming next. Looking back you’ll miss this.”

“Now you really sound like a country song and harkening back to your roots, Captain Kettle,” Kemo said, a grin spreading across his face. What you know, they’d actually be happy to have me as a student. Mr. Andrew mentions scholarships too.”

“Nice. Good job Kemo she said,” even as she nudged him with his hip. “And the closest I’ve been to my roots in North Dakota she told him, a smile spreading over her own face. “Is touching up the grey you and the others have been putting into my hair. I’m proud of you. So what now?”

Kemo blinked and his face went blank for a moment and she stepped away, moving in front of him and chuckled. “Hadn’t thought about that, did you.”

“No, I guess I didn’t,” Kemo admitted, glancing down at the letter. “It’s weird. Them actually wanting me surprised me.”

“Even after your experience here and the three Other schools that made offers. You’re a smart, talented young man, Kemo. Why is this…oh.” It was her turn to blush as he looked at her and her head tilted as her heart swelled as she realized he loved her.

And he was the closest thing to a son she had.

“Very nice of you Kemo. But I grew up in Piedmont North Dakota. Even after we moved to Williston my opinion didn’t change. It’s barely a good place to be from.”

“Go Coyotes?,” Kemo grinned at his mentor.

“Yes. Go Coyotes,” she laughed. “So, what’s next”

“I still think I’m going enlisted,” he said. “Sounds dumb I know, based on this and everything else. And what people keep telling me.”

“But, it’s what you want to do. You’re not doing this because I mentioned that I kind of wish I’d went that route, did you? It’s a shame you didn’t get into Annapolis, but the heart of the Fleet really is the enlisted personnel. And especially the chiefs. But that’s me. Being an officer will make you more money in your career and you’ve the talent to go really far.”

“Yes, ma’am. But I thought it out and while the acceptance to UND is nice, I want the family feel I’ve gotten here. Some of your stories didn’t make it seem like…”

“Like being an officer gave you that kind of closeness with your peers and contemporaries?,” Susan said, stepping back and sat on a nearby desktop. Some of that is because of my gender and personal life choices. I said that as well as the stories, you know.”

“Yeah, I get that. I talked to others too. Like Lieutenant Crisp and Petty Officer Sanders. Still seems to be more of what I’m looking for. And I can always go officer later, if I want.” Kemo said.

“True,” Susan agreed. “But it’s a tougher row to hoe.”

She stopped then, shaking her head and said, “God that sounded country.”

“Other officers,” she continued, after shaking her head at herself. “Those that have been in the Officer Corp from the get go, especially the upper brass will look at you funny. They may think you’re lazy. Looking for an easier route because they don’t know what it’s like.”

“That’s fine,” Kemo said, “I don’t really want to forget how that feels. To have your family not really want you. Then say they’ve changed their minds, but look at you funny still.”

Susan looked at the young man who was looking out the window at the early January snow, but not seeing it. She felt a pang of anger and then got a hold of herself. A lot of the children had the same sort of story as Kemo. She couldn’t understand what people were thinking, making children feel unwanted. But family dynamics were what they were.

“Kemo,” you know you’re loved and have tons of friends. Your family reached out and you met them halfway. Things will be what they are…it takes time. Unfortunately it’s the best I can tell you. Hope for the best, but I think you’re right about your going Enlisted. Your hard work here will see you, once you get through Basic, you’ll be a rank or two ahead of the majority of sailors your age.”

“My family’s kinda like Piedmont, ma’am,” he told her then. “Nice to visit, but I have to do what’s right for me.”

“Yes you do. You’re sounding way to grown up, Mr. Paahao. And you have Drill,” she reminded him, checking her watch. “Let’s roll.” She stood and straightened the desk and ask, “What are you going to do with the letter?”

“I’ll write Mr. Andrew and thank him,” Kemo said, plucking his jacket from a nearby desk. “And maybe tell him a little more, explaining why I’m turning them down.”

“Good plan,” she said, ruffling his hair as he moved to open the door and hold it for her. “Now, I think the kiddo’s are going to enjoy a run in this brisk weather, yeah?”

Rolling his eyes as they headed toward the building’s door, Kemo said. “Oh yes, Captain. That sounds amazing.”

“Very good, Cadet Captain Paahao,” Susan said. “You’ve a lot of running in your future. Great Lakes is just spectacular during the spring.”