“I suppose I knew it was coming, is it because of a wee girly called Simone. Dunc, don’t tell me your all loved up?”
Duncan couldn’t look at him; Rubin had it bang on the button. She hadn’t been staying at his all that much, due to the fact that he shared a house, and she felt a little awkward running into Rubin, or some floozy. He completely understood, somehow, his old life didn’t give him the thrill it used to, however Simone well and truly did. He watched Rubin light up.
“So what if I am,” he smiled, knowing full well what that statement meant. “Anyway, you’ve been keeping low yourself. What have you been up to, or should I say who have you been up?”
“Ahh no-one, you know me Dunc,” He held the butt in between his teeth as he joined his fingers together stretching upwards until they cracked. “You know me old man, I’m a wild animal, and I’ll never be tamed.”
And he let out a rapturous belly laugh as he threw his packet of cigarettes at Duncan, as he caught them mid-flight. He needn’t have worried as when he was just about to light up his cigarette, he heard the key turn in the door. He looked at Rubin alarmed. He and Rubin were the only ones to his knowledge that had keys. He looked intently at Rubin, nodding his head repeatedly with his eyebrows raised. Rubin was up to something, knowing the innocent look Rubin was faking. And in walked Jessica.
“I thought you said he would be out?” She folded her arms as though sulking.
“Charming,” replied Duncan, “Nice to see you too Jessica,” laughed Duncan.
“Hi, sorry Duncan, I don’t mean to be rude,” she kicked off her shoes and walked over to Rubin in her tight navy pencil skirt, white blouse, and neck scarf perfectly tied that was her uniform, and draped herself around his neck and down onto his outstretched lap, and proceeded then to kiss Rubin quite intently. She then turned her attention back to Duncan. “So you not seeing Simmy tonight then I take it?”
Duncan shook his head no as he exhaled his plume of smoke, as she carried on adorning Rubin’s chin with an array of soft kisses and teasing licks.
“This sexy beast,” she grabbed his jaw shaking it playfully. “Promised, to do me in every room, bar yours of course, for the next several hours.” She pulled his face to her so he was looking her straight in the eyes. ”Isn’t that right Rubin?”
Rubin looked over at Duncan, smiling like a Cheshire cat, while cupping her arse in the palm of his hand.
“Yes I did promise that, but Dunc....”
“Uhh uhh,” she placed her finger on his mouth silencing him. “Now listen here Miller, I’ve just come from a twelve hour flight, and I am gagging for a shag. Now a promise is a promise. And if I remember correctly, you’re an officer, and your word should be your honour. However, if you’re not up to the challenge,” she teased as she purred, and pretended to get up from his lap as he stopped her with his strong arm which had now encircled her waist stopping her mid motion as she knew he would.
“Ahh now, a challenge you say?” he lifted her up and threw her over his shoulder fireman style and started to walk out of the room. “Sorry old boy, a promise is a promise, and everything’s cool Dunc, don’t sweat it.” He gave him a wink and the couple were gone.
Duncan could hear Rubin climb the stairs and Jessica’s giggles of naughtiness, no doubt to whatever Rubin was whispering into her ear.
Duncan laid his head back onto the couch, and swung his legs out across it relaxing. That had gone very smoothly, he didn’t know why he had worked himself up over thinking it. Of course Rubin would have been cool with anything. Then it dawned on him.
Rubin had given Jessica a key!! Sneaky bastard, he had kept that quiet.
Three months came all too quickly, it was time to say goodbye to Simone. Hard as it was, he was pretty chuffed to know Simone was waiting at home for him. And what he meant by home, was the new house he had purchased in Ellerslie Road just literally around the corner from Rubin’s. They had only moved in two weeks before he shipped off. He wished it could have been sooner, but with one thing or another, that’s the way it turned out. They had spent a month shopping, or should he say Simone did. He just followed her around, agreeing with her on her choices. Those two weeks were perfect. They had walked into a brand new house. Thankfully he had contacts with his fellow buddies who did a little bit of moonlighting like painting and decorating, plastering, rewiring and so on, on their down time for extra money. That’s what army buddies did, they looked after each other.
The day they were able to pick up the keys, was a great day. He had carried her in after she had opened the door in between the kisses. The place had been in complete disarray with wall paper from the 1970’s hanging off the walls; however it could have been falling down around them for all they cared. They were deliriously happy. They had spent nearly every waking minute, making sure it was ready for before he left for his tour. It would be four long months before he was home. Yes home, just saying it felt good, and it sure had been a while, since he had a proper one, not that living at Rubin’s was bad, it was just right now. And Simone had made it a lovely home indeed. They choose there, not only due to the extreme convenience it was to Rubin’s, but because Simone had a new appointment at a local primary school nearby. For once everything was falling into place.
Rubin had picked him up in his MG, beeping at him on the street as he revved the engine, for him to ‘Move his arse’ and they set off for base. It was only on the way there, he found he was not the only one who had left someone at home, so to speak. Apparently Jessica was playing house around at Rubin’s when Rubin accidently let it slip in conversation.
“What happened to ‘I’m a wild animal, I’ll never be tamed?” Duncan laughed sarcastically at his trusty friend.
“Ohh my friend, you know I’m a wild animal.” Rubin laughed
“What! Like a tiger?” Duncan looked over at Rubin, who smiled proudly nodding his head, in agreement with his statement. “Yes but more like Siegfried & Roy tiger Rubes, and on a much, much shorter leash?” Duncan laughed as Rubin’s face dropped momentarily, before bouncing back.
“Well, I’m still a wild fucking animal Dunc; you have to give me that at least? I’m a fucking manly beast!”
Duncan could only continue to laugh at his friend, which made matters worse, as Rubin went into overdrive trying to defend himself.
“Ahh man, you know how it is? Jess, just needed a place to stop over in between flights; it’s only a temporary thing, she’s hardly there.” He semi pleaded, trying to vindicate himself. “Her flat mates moved out and it’s a hassle trying to find new ones. You know how it is old man!”
“Is that what she told you? When was that Rubes? When you gave her the key to the house? Because that Rubes, was ages ago. I’m just saying my friend.” He teased.
“Ahh fuck off Dunc, I’m still a wild beast, plus you’ve forgotten something very, very important. I’m shocked. No, I’m disappointed, yes that’s it. Well, I never thought the day would come, when the brilliant Duncan Peters would miss something,” and he started to tut.
“I’ve missed something?” Duncan looked at his friend intrigued.
“Yes man!!” an astonished Rubin exclaimed. “Oh Dunc, you disappoint me old man. The duty free!! An endless supply of duty free fags and scotch! That’s pure heaven mate, plus she intrigues me. She can do this thing...”
“Noooo Rubes, I so don’t need to hear this,” he waved his hands in protest.
“Ohh sorry, am I talking about a future sister-in-law. Hey think of it this way. Me being best man, I’ve already shagged the chief bridesmaid well before the wedding.” He laughed loudly, he then paused. “You know what that makes me don’t you?”
“No Rubes, what does that make you?” Duncan had perched his elbow up on the window panel, God only knew, what would come out of that man’s mouth next with Rubin, being Rubin.
“That! My good man makes me a fucking legend.” He pointed at his chest, and then turned his finger to Duncan emphasising his words. “You, righ
t now, are sitting next to a fucking legend. I tell you what man; they will be singing ballads to my name in years to come. ‘Rubin Miller’ aka the ‘Fucking Legend’. Yep I like that. I like how it rolls off the tongue. Or... or... What about ‘Rubin Miller ‘Putain légende’ ’ or....” and he said the Russian equivalent, his linguistic abilities shining through as he switched between accents.
“Now you’re just showing off, and the Russian really doesn’t do it any justice,” laughed Duncan. “Mind you, I think ‘Rubin Miller ‘baiseur sale’ sounds much better.” He laughed.
“Dirty fucker?” Rubin shrugged his shoulders before nodding his head. “Yeah I can live with that too.” "He laughed as he turned into the base, and stopped the car at the MP checkpoint.
*****
Days later, Duncan and Rubin were on their way to Bosnia, on a NATO/UN Peace keeping mission. They were there to Enforce Compliance, to assist the United Nations, in monitoring compliance with the sanctions established under United Nations Security Council resolutions. The war was characterized by bitter fighting, haphazard shelling of cities and towns, ethnic cleansing and rape.
Events such as the ‘Siege of Sarajevo’ and the ‘Srebrenica’ massacre that would later become iconic images of the conflict and are often referenced in films such as ‘Behind Enemy Lines’ (2001- staring Owen Wilson).
After the horrific Srebrenica and Markale massacres, NATO intervened in 1995 with ‘Operation Deliberate Force’ targeting the positions of the Army of the Republika Srpska, which proved a key factor in ending the war. The war was brought to an end after the signing of the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina in Paris on 14 December 1995. The accords are now known as the ‘Dayton Agreement’. A 1995 report by the Central Intelligence Agency found that Bosnian Serb forces were allegedly responsible for ninety percent of the war crimes committed during the conflict.
As of early 2008, the International Criminal Tribunal for the former ‘Yugoslavia’ had convicted forty-five Serbs, twelve Croats and four Bosniaks of war crimes in connection with the war in Bosnia. The most recent figures suggested that, around 100,000 people were killed during the war.
In addition, an estimated total of between 20,000 to 50,000 women were raped, and over 2.2 million people were displaced, making it the most devastating conflict in Europe since the end of World War II.
7..
Bring me To life..
It was going to be a hard Christmas for Simone. She was staying with her parents, she felt utterly defeated sleeping in her and Jessica’s old bedroom, complete with its nostalgic pink and lilac walls. The night she had returned home to her parent’s house four days previously, was pitiful. She had driven to the house with blurry eyes, which burned with the hot wet tears that soon spilled out, in constant trickles down her cheeks. Thank God Jessica would be here soon for Christmas, and when she arrived Simone hugged her tightly almost squeezing her. Jessica must have sensed something was wrong as she dragged her by the hand, up to the privacy of their old room armed with a bottle of wine and two glasses.
As normal, Jessica took charge of the situation, sitting Simone down on the bed, as she poured the two glasses, handing one to her little sister before sitting herself down armed with a cigarette in one hand and a glass in the other.
“What the fuck’s happened?” she asked while lighting up the cigarette. “So, what’s with the swollen eyes?” She waved her finger pointing at them as she blew her smoke up into the air indignantly.
“Ohh my God Jess, I can’t believe it, I caught David in bed, in fact our bed with some tart.”
The thought of David and that other woman, galloped around her head. She felt so stupid, standing there watching them, but she was like a deer in headlights. She couldn’t take her eyes off them,
“Ohh God I feel so stupid,” she buried her face in her hands and started to cry.
Jessica moved in, instantly wrapping her arms around her little sister. Simone just caved in, her shoulders heaving as she cried hard, as she unburdened her sorry story. After she finished Jess decided that they needed a good drink, so the two snuck downstairs retrieving a bottle of the ‘Good red’ as their mother called it, and crept back upstairs. Along with several handfuls of the freshly made ‘Gingerbread men’ their mother had only made that night.
They scurried back up to their room like kids. The bottle was opened and the story recommenced.
“I swear to God Jess, I stood there frozen to the floor. My jaw must have been hanging on the ground.”
“Hey I’m surprised you didn’t clobber her one. I swear Simmy if that was me. I would have battered the Bitch!” She sipped on her wine, and threw her eyes up to the heavens. “She was lucky she got you Miss. Prim and Proper and not me.”
“Well,” Simone dragged her teeth across her bottom lip.
Jessica caught her doing so, it was only brief, but she saw it.
“You’re not telling me something Simmy.” She tilted her head at her sister, staring her down. “Hmmm, you’re definitely not telling me something. I know that look.”
“Well I wasn’t Miss. Prim and Proper! I’m sorry to disappoint you, but the poor cow must have had the fright of her life.” Normally Simone wouldn’t have behaved like this. She prided herself on being ‘Prim and Proper’ as Jessica called it. But she couldn’t just stand there and do nothing. She felt this almighty anger just course through her, actually, it over took her. It was like a curtain of red. “Not even when I had grabbed the blonde by her hair and dragged her off David.” She looked at Jess’s reaction which was now Jess curling up into a fit of laughter. “I almost pulled her skanky hair extensions out of her head. Actually if my memory services me correctly I did. I had clumps of it still in my hand when David made me let go. Oh my God Jess, I could die.” She placed her hand to her head, embarrassed by her unlady like actions. “The thing is… He’s not even worth fighting over. I mean look at him. And he’s shit in bed too.”
That was it, both her and Jess fell about the bed laughing their arses off, until their dad shouted at them to “Pipe down,” which just made matters worse. They eventually dozed off to sleep after Jessica had told her; that, “1993 would be her’s and Simone’s year, just you wait and see!”
The run up to New Year’s was quite eventful. Jess and Simone, moved all of her stuff out of the house she and David rented. That itself was quiet eventful as David was there at the time and begged for Simone to take him back. It was quite sad really, he even dropped to his knees, but that could have been due to the successful knee to the groin, administered by Jess with a “And that’s for cheating on my sister you fucking prick. She was always too good for you, you tiny dick wanker.”
She and Simone drove back in fits of laughter at the sight of the crumpled heap that was clutching his groin screaming “My Balls” like a girl. The story still had them in hysterics even while they moved everything into the two car garage that was attached onto the side of the 1930’s semidetached house that her parents called home. Three days before New Year’s Eve they went back to Jess’s apartment she shared with four other air- hostesses.
“We have plans for New Year’s. I have an Officer friend, who has a lovely swanky ‘do’ for us to go to, and as luck has it, he has a friend looking for a date too.”
“Ohhhh Jess, no, I’m not doing any kind of blind date thing, seriously. NO!”
“Don’t be like that, I promise you, it’s nothing dirty or anything like that so keep your knickers on and stop getting them into a twist. Jesus I’m not pimping you for God’s sake, so wind your neck back in Simmy, seriously I’m offended you think that.”
“Oh Jess, I’m sorry,” she looked at her sister who was obviously offended. “Jess, it’s just been five years, since I was last on a date, and I haven’t a clue, and to be totally honest with you, I don’t like the idea of blind dates Jess. I think they are creepy.”
“Oh hun relax, seriously, you have been playing house for too long and
have forgotten to have some fun. I’m only here until the end of the first week of January then I’m off again for two weeks on then off for two weeks with the rota they have me on and that’s if I don’t do standby flights as well. Plus Simmy, we haven’t been out together in years.”
She pulled a sad face at Simone knowing all too well she would have her mind changed in no time. She moved to her wardrobe and slid open the mirrored doors, her fingers almost walked across the shoulders of the hangers until she came to what she was looking for.
“Anyway this dress is begging to be worn,” and she pulled out this amazing floor length silver hand beaded gown. “An Arab prince bought me this,” as she held up the dress that shimmered and twinkled delicately, a very proud smile on her face.
“I couldn’t Jess, I would look stupid in something like that, it’s perfect for you.” She touched the dress, “I could never wear something as beautiful as this. Anyway, why did an Arab prince buy you a dress?” She looked at her sister questionably.
“Oh Simmy, it’s not like that. He said when he saw it, he immediately thought of me. And NO, I have not, nor would I sleep with him. He is one of our regulars from first class. He has offered me and another one of the girls, jobs working for his private fleet of planes.” She looked at Simone, who was now looking at her disapprovingly. “Chill out girl I said private fleet of planes and NOT his harem. Christ sake Simmy.” She cut her young sister a look.
“I’m sorry Jess, I didn’t mean to…”
“Yes you did, but I love you for it. I know you’re only looking out for me. You think I’m a good time girl. I suppose next to you, and you have to be honest Simmy, you are the stereo typical infant school teacher. You and me are very different, yes I am wild compared to you, but that’s only compared to you Simmy, to anyone else’s standards I’m a normal twenty-six year old, with only the ties of renting, hell I share an apartment with four other women.”
Dragonflies The Duncan Peters Files Page 7