From a Boy to a Natural Born Killer
Introduction:
This is a book about a small boy who comes from a very sad background and upbringing up, to fight through his tough whole past by himself.
The boy goes from a school nerd, very intellectual, clear A student, slim, and not interested in sports, training, or anything to do with physical effort of any kind at all.
From that background, to a man who has friends, family, and brothers in the army, that he never ever had before.
An army he spent twelve years in
He is taught and trained to be a Natural Born Killer.
A book that keeps you spellbound from chapter to chapter.
A book that is very easy and enjoyable to write and very interesting and spellbinding to read.
From a Boy to a Natural Born Killer
Chapter One
The cool breeze made me shiver. The early morning chill before the sun showed its face, was always unpleasant. The thermal vest under my shirt and webbing sent by Helen, my mother was always a comfort. Here I sat, Max the soldier, 22 years of age, tall, dark, tanned from years in the sun, built like a brick shit house, 32 battalion unit warrior, hero, killing machine.
The battalion emblem tattooed on my shoulder bound me to the unit. My family, my best friends, my brothers in arms, my brothers for life. Brothers that would die for each other at the blink of an eye.
Here we all sat on the manmade run way. The sun was just about to show its face on the horizon. It was a very early rise for all of us after a night of drinking and drugs. We all missed home so much, but taking some time out with alcohol and drugs always helped a lot. Made the pain go away for a while.
We all knew the mission we were going on, a tough one, one we all knew could be the ending for one of us, but so fucking what, it was in my blood what we were going to do. I loved it, the rush, and the adrenalin that raced through my body for a period of time during the mission. Something I got used to now. I had grown from a nerd of note to a natural born killer. I had no idea I would turn into that one day.
Then I heard it, the choppers were in coming. Two Alouette gun ships and the puma helicopter that would transport the team of ten. Ten of the best soldiers in to the unit. Known for their success in all missions. The choppers that would take us into the unknown, to kill and destroy another Gook camp. Just another camp, just another mission. When is this all going to fucking stop? How many more times were we going to go and seek and destroy? How many more times were our lives going to be in danger? How long were we going to push our nine lives each?
As the choppers landed, the ground turned into a dust storm. I squinted my eyes and ran to the door of the chopper. The dust was blinding. Suddenly everything came alive. The killing machines sprang into action, it was time, the rush and adrenalin had started in all of us. There was so much noise shouting and screaming, actually, total chaos so it seemed, but this well-tuned and oiled group of ten men knew exactly what to do, how to do it, and how to stay alive. We had to, we were brothers for life, and a life we chose and loved.
All in ready to go, sitting on the floor of the chopper legs dangling outside, it felt so good. The fresh air after the sand storm felt good. I was going to do what I loved, I knew nothing else, and so this was me. Something I lived for every day. I had become a brother that was loved and cared for. I knew nothing else. This was my life, my third and last time on this earth, how was it all going to end.
I turned my head to the left and turned my head around to look at all my brothers. Faces that were marked with green and black camo paint. Faces that were almost unrecognisable, but I knew every face. Staring into those eyes, I could see so much pain and suffering, but beyond that I could see deep into those eyes and into those souls, these brothers I loved so much, my concern was, as with every mission we had done so far, who was coming back seated in the chopper again, and who would be lying in a body bag? There were ten black bags stacked at the back of the chopper, they always got the occasional glance. Always.
That thought always crossed all the brothers’ thoughts. All was good, we were on our way, co-pilot put up his hand and showed four fingers. Four fingers meant, forty minutes to ground zero, to our destination, our next port of killing. I sat there and closed my eyes. I had forty minutes to reflect, time to have some quite time with URIEL, for guidance courage and strength. I knew that all these years we had been together, he was the one I loved and trusted so much. URIEL, never ever let me down. He was put in my life and by my side for a reason and a purpose. I loved URIEL so much, more than my own life. URIEL was my guardian Angel.
Suddenly my past flashed through my mind, and I thought where did this all begin…..How did I get from being a school nerd, a teenager who passed matric with seven distinctions, to be sitting here on this vehicle of death, so we called it. This machine and its occupancies, caused nothing but pain destruction disaster and finally death, to those we were forced to end their days and life on this earth.
It was 1972 and I started high school. I was put into boarding school, as my parents wanted me to start my journey of life as an independent man. To learn life’s lessons, to lay down a good foundation for a great future for myself.
Boarding school was cool. I stayed in a room with John, nice boy, we immediately clicked and got on very well together. We both were regarded as nerds because we both hated sports or any physical effort what so ever. We were book worms, we lived for our studies day and night.
As the years went by, I became a stronger more independent man. John and I stayed together year after year. We passed every year with lots of distinctions, it was a test and challenge to see who got the best report at the end of the year.
My home life was okay, as always, I enjoyed being in boarding school more than being at home. Home to me was just like a business arrangement, so formal, so perfect, no love shown to me. So I went home when I was allowed, did my best while I was there and longed to go home to boarding school again, to my room, to my best friend and Brother John.
I remember clearly the weekend I went home. There was a letter for me. A brown envelope. My name and address on the front. I was excited and a little nervous to open it, but I built up the courage and tore it open. The letter was from the government, my call up to the SANDF at the end of my matric year. My heart raced as I knew it would come soon, this letter, this call up. I now not only had a name, now I had a number 75312348BG.
I felt good, I now felt part of something big. I felt as if I had gone from boy to man overnight. That letter had changed my life. If only I knew what I was going to turn into then, I am sure if I knew my thoughts desires of my life to come, my life would have rejected that letter from the start. But I never knew what I was going to become, or how my life was going to change forever.
That Sunday being taken back to boarding school by my dad, only he fetched and took me, as Helen never wanted to take the journey, she was always too busy, with busy. Dad chatted about my new adventure in time. Dad never went to the army as he was a sickly man, there was always something wrong with him. He had lots of stuff in his past and present. Hence his emotional state and continuous depression that he suffered with. But he did his best to encourage me about the days I would be in the army, and did his best to give good advice for the future. How my life was going to change forever. Only URIEL knew.
As I got out the car and kissed my dad goodbye, I was excited to see if John had got his call up papers and if we were going to serve in the same unit. I prayed for that because the thought of us being separated from him, did not please me. We were literally bound at the hip. I walked into our room and he was lying on his bed. John’s eyes were red from crying. Immediately I knew there was something wrong. We chatted and he told me he got his call up papers and he was going to do duty in Potch. I was going to do duty in Bloem. We were going to be miles away from each other. We were going to be separated after five long years together. This was truly very very sad. I sat on the bed, John still lying down, we cried together. We shared tears, we had done so many times together.
John was heartbroken, he did not want to do army service because he had a different outlook about army life, than me. I was excited to go and train and learn and have a weapon. Always was fascinated about weapons and the thought of having my own rifle was a huge turn on. I wanted to carry a rifle all day. Like a third arm. I wanted it. John on the other hand wanted nothing to do with the army. To go and fight for your country, he wanted nothing to do with it. John was a very soft man, I was also a very soft emotional man, but, I had a dark side, only I knew about. That secret I never let John know about.
I sat on the bed, we chatted a very long time. We missed supper that night because of the duration of our talking. John and I could talk for hours. Communication between us was always the best. I tried to make army duty sound better by telling him that he did not have to be an active soldier, he could be a clerk or something that would just be like a job not an active fighting soldier. A killing machine.
It was October, two months of high school left, then the big change to the big wide world for all of us. Studying for matric exams was hectic. John and I wanted to pass our matric exams with as many distinctions as possible. We both wanted to please our parents, family and friends so much.
It was the last weekend pass before the matric exams. Friday came and I said goodbye to John before my father picked me up the afternoon. Both of us really did not want to go home, as we wanted to put every last minute into our studies as we wanted to make these exams the very best ever. We hugged each other goodbye, and as always kissed each other goodbye on the cheek, we only did that in private as we did not wanted to be branded as gay. But that was the love we had for each other. As I drove away with my father, I turned back and saw John standing there waiting for his parents. I put my arm out the window and waved goodbye. Instantly, my whole body was covered in goose bumps. That feeling I knew very very well. That was the sign that URIEL immediately wanted to tell me something or talk to me. I put my arm back in the car. I just stared in front of me as my father started asking all his normal questions when he picked me up. I half heard his voice. But I knew there was a reason URIEL was all over me. If only I knew the reason at that time. That reason was one that was going to change my life forever.
The weekend was good. The parents did their best to make me feel good and relaxed before the exams. They gave me such moral support, continuously telling me all was going to be alright as I had put in so much time and effort into my high school years. Helen baked my favourite milk tarts and I had that for pudding after every meal. But the whole weekend all I could think about was John. He never left my thoughts. All I could think about was him. URIEL and I spoke a lot that weekend, and I sensed he was preparing me for something big. I was under the impression, it was either the exams or the future army commitments. So I went with both, as that was truly the only thing that URIEL could have had on His mind. At times URIEL had a very calming effect on me, and other times He was a warrior of note.
The weekend finally came to an end. I was so glad as I wanted to get back to the dorm and John. Helen packed extra eats and sweets for me to take with as she thought the goodies would help make me feel better for the long haul ahead. I would not be seeing them for a month during the exams, so she did her best to make sure there was lots of extras for me. We left the house and I had ants in my pants, my father could not drive fast enough.
We finally arrived at the dorms. I kissed my father goodbye in the car, shot out the car, went to the boot, grabbed my stuff, briefly waved goodbye and ran to my dorm. The distance felt so long, because I had to see and be with my friend, brother and confidant John. I ran up the stairs of the dorm building, two stairs at a time. I ran down the passage on the second floor, our dorm was on the right.
I got to the room, as I entered, I stopped breathing, and my heart skipped four beats. I was faced with John hanging by the neck from the rafter of the roof. He had broken away the celling of the roof to expose the rafter, tied two school ties to the rafter, and he had hung himself. John was blue in the face, there was a puddle beneath where he had hung. His grey school pants was wet. I stood there and stared, not knowing what to do. John was dead. Tears filled my eyes. My best friend and brother was dead, gone forever…………
Chapter Two to Follow..........
Created Composed & Designed By:
Author Writer Novelist & Poet
Mr. Marius F Robbertze
AKA Capt. "M" ™ © ®
