Siler’s Secret
“Now, remember this is a team-building exercise, people so let’s see how much you CARE for your team mate. Write about your team mate tell how you feel about them, why he or she is your friend. And ’tis the season for caring, so let’s make it, festive, too and have every sentence start with the first letters of the word “Christmas”, wouldn’t that be fun?”
The instructor heard a lot of groaning from the room. “I said, won’t that be fun?”
Now it had changed to less groaning and a few, ‘oh yeah, yeahs’. He’d take it.
“Okay, gooood. Get to work, and when you’re done we’ll break for lunch, then when we come back, we’ll feel all relaxed and happy so we can feel good about spending the rest of the afternoon together.” That brought a lot more groaning. He should have expected it. “Pencils… GO!”
Master Sergeant Siler’s Entry:
C – Crafty, Caring, Charismatic
H – Handsome, Hardworking, Handy, Helpful
R – Reliable, Ravishing, Riveting
I – Invincible, Integrity, Intimate
S – Sure, Sincere, Sturdy
T – Top-of-the-line, Touch, Torque
M – Mine
A – Able, Agile, Attachable
S – Stable, Steadfast, Smooth, Scratch-resistant
I love you, BD
The group turned their work into the instructor and broke for lunch. As the instructor looked over everyone’s letters as they were turned in, one of them was a bit disturbing and bespoke a desired relationship of more than just friendship, yet it was also… odd.
“Uh, Master Sergeant Siler, a minute of your time, please?” Siler, who had been heading for the door, stopped, hesitated momentarily and then walked slowly back with hunched shoulders, like he carried the weight of the world on them.
As he neared, the instructor tried to read the man’s facial expression, but since there wasn’t one to go by, he realized he’d have to try something else. What he saw on the Master Sergeant’s face was a blank, humorless stare and a slight frown, like everything perturbed this man, but since he couldn’t fix it all, he just lived with it.
Siler stood silently in front of the instructor… patiently waiting.
“I noticed some of your word choices seem to be inferring toward something more than just friendship”. He looked at Sergeant Siler expecting some type of reaction… there wasn’t one. He decided to try a different approach.
“For example, you choose ‘Intimate’, ‘Ravishing’, and ‘Mine’ for your words. By the way, who is BD?”
“My wrench, Sir.”
“Y-y-your wrench?”
Siler grimaced. “Yes, Sir. BD is my wrench, Black-N-Decker.”
“Um, you wrote that you love BD, Sergeant.”
Siler grimaced again and shifted his stance, “Yes, Sir.”
“And Intimate, Sergeant?”
Siler gulped but did not look away. “Yes, Sir.”
The instructor stared at the Sergeant until he realized that his mouth was hanging open. Then he shut it with an audible snap and readjusted his pose. Siler frowned, as usual, and waited.
“Right. Okaaaay. Thank-you, Sergeant. You can leave.”
Siler turned and began to walk away.
“Oh, Sergeant?” Siler stopped, sighed, and turned again.
“You may be receiving a call from Dr. Mackenzie.”
Siler swallowed hard and fought the urge to roll his eyes. “Yes, Sir.” Then he turned and trudged out the door.
Siler headed down the hallway until he was pulled to the side by an outstretched arm. He found himself facing Colonel O’Neill, who had a mischievous gleam in his eye.
“Did you do it, Siler?”
“Yes, Sir.”
“D’you use the words I asked you to, ‘Handsome, Mine, Ravishing, and… Intimate’?”
“Yes, Sir.”
“And d’you sign it ‘I love you, BD’?”
“Yes, Sir.”
“Did he call you on it?”
“Yes, Sir.”
Jack waited for Siler to continue. Siler stared at him, frowning, which was normal for Siler as far as Jack was concerned. Jack made hand gestures for him to continue. It didn’t help. “A-a-and?”
Siler sighed deeply, “And he made the call to Dr. Mackenzie.”
“YES!” Jack clapped his hands together then raised them above him doing a little hallelujah dance.
Siler had had enough. “Sir, I wish you would stop including me in your pranks.”
Jack looked back at Siler. “Don’t forget there’s a new toolbox for BD in this. Besides, it’s a slow week. I gotta do something for entertainment. So, when did he say Mackenzie would call you?”
Siler sighed again, “He didn’t, Sir.”
“Okay, we’ll just play it by ear. Hey, I know! Maybe we could set it up for him to find a discarded paper doodle that has a heart with Siler loves BD in it. Ooh, even better, he could catch you kissing your wrench in a darkened hallway. How are you at groping and fondling?”
“Sir!”
“Shhhh! Quiet, Siler! I’m thinking.”
Siler groaned.
The End
