Bitches And Whores And The US Army

Sam Silva

Sam Silva

Bitches And Whores And The US Army

Sef was gazing out the open window to the kitchen The guys were enjoying themselves. They were talking mainly to Sara and mainly about how women wanted nothing but money for all of their sensitive feminist chatter.

     Fred said "marriage is buying a house for a stranger." His wife had just skinned him after staying in Colorado by herself for two years when his "duty" brought him here, to fort Jackson. "She wanted to part amicably" said Fred "be the kind of good friend who drains your account."

     "If women can be gratuitous in their interests," he continues "why do they object to being valued, measured, quantified for their sex appeal." Fred does not think that he'll find another committed woman. Sara tells him "You keep looking for a Barbie all the time ... it confuses the whole issue." Fred says "All men would like a Barbie ... if they don't have one its just because they ended up settling for second best."

     Sara does not try to argue this point, and come to that, neither does Sef. But Sef's sense of moral insight is much more flushed and annoyed by this military chatterwal. He thinks to himself "you have defined all life as an economic contract, then you get upset when your business partner enjoys a profit!"

     Sef lights a cigarette. He actually thinks a lot more than this, but he keeps his mouth shut, having wasted words in such fruitless discourse far too many times with far too many swine. Sara likes Fred ... thinks he's good for Sef ... and would like to see him unravel his baggage.

     Sef says to Fred as well as the rest of the GI's in this strangely solitary circle "Well, they're whores if they do it, and their bitches if they don't" knowing full well that the remark seems out of place ... and blows this callused smoke through the kitchen window.