Sergeant Okumu was a Kenyan, who currently was waving a razor-sharp hunting knife in the air. It was almost tranquil in a psychotic kind of way. Still, I was beginning to have second thoughts about joining the legion.

'This is what we call a tambourine,'� the sergeant said as he held the knife in his palm for the whole platoon to see. 'We have six different ways of throwing a tambourine.'�

'It looks like a Goddamn knife to me,'� Hicks said standing next to me. Hicks was a good ol' boy from Backwoods, Texas and his accent was almost as thick as the Kenyan's.

'Shut up,'� I hissed. 'Or he will hear you.'�

'All I am saying is that don't look much like a tambourine.'�

'Cadet Hicks,'� Okumu yelled.

Within the private confines of my mind, I looked down at the concrete and shook my head. In real life, my body was rigid and my eyes never left the horizon.

'Yes sergeant,'� Hicks twanged.

'Do you think that you can teach this lesson better than I can?'�

'Sir, no sir.'�

'I think you do. Otherwise you wouldn't be running your trap now would you?'�

'Sir, no sir.'�

'Cadet Hicks.'�

'Sir, yes sir.'�

'How would you like to come forward and show the platoon how to throw a tambourine.'�

'Sir?'�

'You heard me. Get your maggot-eaten behind up here and show the platoon how to throw a tambourine.'�

'Sir, yes sir.'�

Hicks swaggered up to the sergeant and took the knife out of the sergeant's palm. The Texan hesitated a moment before throwing the knife. I am not sure if he knew quite what to make of the situation.

'Well throw the damn thing already you goddamn redneck. Show the platoon what you are made of.'�

Hicks sized up the target, a dummy dressed in rebel camouflage, and raised the knife. As he did so, the knife flew backwards out of his hand and landed in my neck just about my left shoulder. Warm liquid began to spill out from my neck and a thousand tiny specks covered my eyes like static on a television set.

The last thing I remembered before passing out was Sergeant Okumu bashing his bamboo stick across Hicks kneecaps. And then my vision faded to black.

Want to comment on this Flash Fiction? Sign up to Edit Red and you will be able to comment on Flash Fiction and get access to: Upload your own stories and poems, get readers and their feedback, promote your work...