The conversation.

(Tuesday, January 28, 2001)

Alex PV's

It's been a week since I took my first walk in this village, and I must say I still haven't gotten used to such direct women.

Today I was sitting on the edge of a river outside the village, it is a very popular river that the village people use as a water source, I was bored so I decided to take a look, Kim had gone to the village to get a snack and at this moment I was alone sitting on a rock with my bare feet in the water.

It didn't take long and Kim came back with old grandpa Jair, I was surprised since, since our first conversation he hasn't appeared or had any contact with me, it seems that Kim told him something.

"Then old man, to what do I owe the honor of his esteemed presence?" I ask sarcastically.

"Nothing young man, I just want to know when are you leaving?" says jair

"It must be for the next few days, I'm already fine and I feel that soon I'll be able to travel"

"That's good! May I ask you, how do you know I was once in the military?" Jair asks quietly.

"I knew the moment I said my full name to you.

You didn't fluctuate when I gave you my first name, but when you heard my second and my family's name, you waved! Tell me old man, what's your story with my grandfather?"

"Aah... I got old, it seems like yesterday I met your grandfather, he was the captain of my unit at the time of WWII, he got us out of a lot of shit, we were the first to set foot in France free from the Germans, your grandfather was a great man and a great commander!" Says Jair gently, his voice dripping with vicissitudes.

This time I was surprised and asked. "What do you know about my grandfather, what was his full name?"

"Oh, you're a pretty suspicious kid. But okay, your grandfather's name is Charles Fitzgerald Swagger, am I right?"

"Yes, tell me that story there, of the first to walk in a free France?"

"Well, when I met your grandfather, he was a war veteran, and we were a new unit, I was only 19 at the time, like most of my unit mates.

Our unit was established shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 10th, we fought on many fronts, many members of our unit died in the nearly 4 years we were together, we went through many difficult situations, and more than once I thought who was going to die, but Captain Swagger always led us out of the worst fields of war in relative safety."

"He was amazing, grandma talked about him a lot!" I say with a smile.

"Yeah, he was amazing! My strongest memory of him was the greatest act of courage I've ever seen from a man.

This story began on the morning of D-Day, June 6, 1944, with the landing of American soldiers in the "Dog Green" sector of Omaha Beach, as part of the operation to liberate German-occupied France during World War II, our unit was given a mission, which was to enter enemy borders and is defending a strategically important bridge over the Merderet River in the city of Ramelle.

After several setbacks, our unit finally finds some soldiers alive, together our unit decided to protect the Ramelle bridge. Captain Swagger combines our Ranger unit with the paratroopers of the 101st Airborne Division to defend the bridge.

He plans to ambush the enemy with several.30 caliber machine guns, Molotov cocktails, anti-tank mines, and improvised explosive charges made from socks, we fought tooth and nail, we did our best, many lives were lost.

It was chaos, the captain was mortally wounded, morale plummeted and the captain gave an order, we were going to retreat and he was going to stay to blow up the bridge, his attitude made all of us soldiers who had morale in the bottom and we were outnumbered, instantly change attitude and disobey a direct order from a superior, we were going to fight to the last man along with our captain.

Fortunately, the allied soldiers arrived just in time to save our lives and secure the bridge! To this day I have never met a braver man than your grandfather!" Says Jair excitedly.

"Damn! Truly a Patriot! He bled and almost gave his life for the freedom of an entire country! Grandma did honor the Swagger's name!" I say excitedly.

"Yes. He did! I hope you don't do anything to tarnish that honor!" Jair says seriously.

"I think anything less than that attitude would tarnish the Swagger's honor," I say seriously.

After this story, he told me many more, our relationship deepened and I came to understand this rigid and serious old man more, the days flew by and the day to say goodbye was coming, my injuries were almost good enough to travel.

__________________________________________________________________

(A/N: This chapter was heavily inspired by the great movie. 'Saving Private Ray' hope you like it, and sorry for the delay.

PS: Give me your POWER STONES or Geoff will eat all your cookies!)