Only minutes after processing into what may very well be their death camp for the next 9 weeks, Raja got into a fight with a tiger who showed him who was top cat around here. Despite an onset of despair, Raja soon realised that though we may seem alone, we rarely ever walk the path by ourselves. And someday, our children may very well walk in our pawprints…

Today’s story is the second and final part of “Fathers to Sons by MikasiWolf, a Singaporean Wolf Mercenary writer. “Fathers to Sons” have formerly appeared in the Dogs of War and SPECIES: WILDCATS anthology, published by FurPlanet Publications and Thurston Howl Publications. His works have been published by FurPlanet, Rabbit Valley, Goal Publications among others. You can find links to more of his stories on his FA or WikiFur page. This story was inspired by MikasiWolf’s time in the Army.

Read for you by Khaki, your faithful fireside companion.

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https://thevoice.dog/episode/fathers-to-sons-by-mikasiwolf-part-2-of-2

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You’re listening to The Voice of Dog. I’m Khaki, your faithful fireside companion,

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and Today’s story is the second and final part of

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“Fathers to Sons by MikasiWolf,

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a Singaporean Wolf Mercenary writer. “Fathers to Sons” have formerly appeared in the Dogs of War and SPECIES: WILDCATS anthology,

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published by FurPlanet Publications and Thurston Howl Publications.

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His works have been published by FurPlanet,

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Rabbit Valley, Goal Publications among others.

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You can find links to more of his stories on his FA or WikiFur

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page. This story was inspired by MikasiWolf’s time in the Army. Last Time (MISSING)

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“Fathers to Sons”

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by MikasiWolf, Part 2 of 2

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No one moved for a moment.

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Then as if on cue,

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everyone turned their bags over,

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pouring the contents out before them.

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Many, like Raja, had brought generous amounts of snacks and consumables with them,

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knowing that a provision store on Pulau Saikang

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was too much to hope for.

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A sloth bear had brought plastic bottles of what looked like honey,

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but could easily be mead or other forms of moonshine.

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On the other paw,

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a komodo dragon had brought shrink-wrapped steaks,

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and Raja briefly wondered if he was hoping for fridge space in the barracks or cookhouse,

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or intended to eat the meat half-rotten.

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Komodos had a reputation for bad breath, after all.

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From where he stood,

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Raja noted that the small-clawed otter in the second row of the platoon

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had brought along several cans of shellfish,

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including expensive Abalone.

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Sergeant Ming picked up one of the cans, scrutinizing it with interest.

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“You guys planning a party or something?”

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demanded Sergeant Ming.

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“You do know that recruits are not to bring food into camp, right?”

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“No, Sir,” clarified a Labrador recruit.

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“The list only mentioned camera cellphones—” “‘SIR’?

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WHAT THE FUCK ‘SIR’?”

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yelled Sergeant Ming,

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causing everyone to jump.

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The splat of steak on brick could be heard.

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“DO I LOOK LIKE AN OFFICER TO YOU?

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YOU WILL ADDRESS ME AS ‘SERGEANT’,

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IS THAT CLEAR?” “Yes, Sergeant!”

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the Labrador whined.

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His fur had stood up in his shock,

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giving him semblance to a sandy pincushion.

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Before him were several packs of the dry pellets dogs seemed to enjoy.

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Cats had their own variety of them.

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“And flatten your fur!”

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commanded Sergeant Reski sharply.

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“And what the hell is this?”

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demanded Sergeant Ming,

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pulling out what looked like a sleeping cap out of the Labrador’s pile of junk.

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“Did you think that you are allowed to wear your own pajamas and shit?

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No one is to wear any non-issued equipment

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as long as you’re here!

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You better not let me catch you with this again!”

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Sergeant Ming’s hackles were bared to the full,

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increasing his size twofold.

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It would have been a comical sight,

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to see the smaller cat terrify a far larger golden retriever,

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but Raja did not dare laugh.

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He was sure that in the real world—that is,

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the world outside the Army

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—the Labrador would have thumped the cat six feet into the ground, civil laws be damned.

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But this was the Military,

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where the number of stripes,

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bars, crests and stars counted first.

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One’s species didn’t factor into it,

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unless you were both carnivore and superior.

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Sergeant Ming muttered a murderous

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“I’ll be watching you” to the recruit before making his way to the sloth bear

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who looked about to piss himself.

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He never got his bottles of stuff back.

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After the 2-Sergeant customs inspection, Raja and the rest of the recruits made their way up to their bunkrooms,

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relieved of every possession

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that had the slightest chance of allowing one to enjoy their time in BMT.

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Raja had fared the worst,

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losing his PS4,

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IPad, IPhone and gaming laptop to the Sergeants,

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along with four kilograms of beef jerky and coffee powder.

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That stuff wasn’t cheap.

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Raja had believed he could have had self-control,

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but the way Sergeant Ming had mocked his maneless form

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despite regulations

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was totally unforgivable.

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It was known among lions that one’s mane was to be respected,

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and yet the cat dared to call him a lioness before everyone else!

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He was bristling with rage by the time he reached the 3rd floor of the Company line

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—which had a lift they weren’t allowed to use, by the way

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—and had to clamp his claws hard against the steel post of his double-decker bed

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to stop himself from throwing a nearby chair out of the window.

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The otter, who had been posted to the same bunkroom of 8 double-decker beds

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looked nervously at the lion

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before placing his near-empty personal bag into his locker.

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Raja glared at the drab cupboard before him,

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and without warning,

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gave it a swift swipe with unsheathed claws.

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The screech reverberated around the spacious bunkroom,

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startling everyone.

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Raja roared, attacking his locker viciously,

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footclaws out as he kicked.

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Recruits yelled, and two of them caught hold of him.

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Raja snarled, flinging them aside.

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As he made to confront a nervous mousedeer,

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who should come towards him

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but a snarling tiger.

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Tackling Raja around the waist,

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the tiger slammed him against the badly scratched and impacted steel cupboard.

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Before the lion could so much as blink,

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the tiger flipped him around,

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pinning the side of his head against the cool metal surface.

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Raja wriggled and tried kicking backwards,

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but another slam of his head stunned him.

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“The fuck you’re playing at?”

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demanded the tiger.

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“You dare do your gang routine on your first day?

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Well, not when I’ve got something to say about that.

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Just what the fuck’s your problem?”

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“Are you both blind and deaf?”

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snarled Raja, trying to break free of the paws holding him down.

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He’s a lion, and yet he couldn’t even break free from this striped thug.

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“We just had everything we’ve worked hard for taken away from us!

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And the Sarge insulted my honor!

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He called me a lioness!

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Don’t you all feel the injustice?”

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“Well, I feel you’re a pussy,” snorted the tiger, and Raja stiffened. “A lionessy pussy. This is the Army,

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not a holiday camp for cub scouts.

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If you can’t accept that,

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tough,” His own claws flexed against Raja’s pelt.

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“But as long as you’re here,

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you will keep your bloody temper under control.

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I swear, if I catch you jeopardizing the section again,

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I’ll drown you with a bucketful of water.”

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“I’ll like to see you try, asshole!” swore Raja,

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trying to pull loose.

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In that moment, he knew this was someone

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he could never be friends with.

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Lions had a saying;

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“No two kings may walk the same street”,

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with many examples proven in history.

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It was believed that was how the first street fights started.

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There would be disagreements and fights, threats and promises broken,

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but no lion would bow to anyone.

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A rumble grew in the tiger’s throat.

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“You’ve been warned.

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Guys, get on with your business.

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We have a schedule to keep.”

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He shoved Raja once more

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against dented metal,

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disengaging as he did.

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The rest of the bunkmates scattered and resumed their previous activities.

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No one dared to speak to the lion now.

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He had just singled himself out from the rest of them,

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the greatest mistake a recruit could ever make.

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The weasel he had smacked inside the truck earlier gave him a sickly smile

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before sticking his nose back in his cupboard.

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Raja eased his claws back

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and changed slowly into the green shirt and black shorts he had been issued with.

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Sitting down heavily on the uncovered mattress,

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the lion stared wordlessly at the sky outside the window.

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Already he could hear Sergeant Ming grilling another batch of recruits downstairs,

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and it took all his control not to chuck the now-useless cupboard three floors down to the parade square.

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Raja felt nothing but hopelessness.

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In the months leading up to his enlistment,

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he had always envisaged

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being brave enough to face the truth every male citizen had

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ever since Pura’s independence.

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But he had only gone through the first

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—no, half a day—of his military service before breaking down into a violent mess,

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angry at the world for putting him into this.

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Was he really Raja Jayakumar,

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the lion who had achieved a gold award for his pre-enlistment fitness test?

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Did he really deserve being posted into the leadership training course in BMT based on that,

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or was he the very reason for his undoing?

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There were countless enlistees who cheated the system, failing their medical physicals

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in the hope of getting downgraded.

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Somehow Raja had never considered going that route,

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believing he had the courage to face anything that would be thrown at him.

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He had to admit that he was ill-prepared psychologically,

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for his own relatives had never seen fit to share their own experiences.

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Cultural Honor, as his father had called it,

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for true courage comes only from adversity without expectance.

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A whole load of preyshit.

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And to make matters worse,

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he had no one he could talk to on this godforsaken island of despair. He had

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tried speaking to his girlfriend Salrina about his fears a week before his enlistment,

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hoping for her support.

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This was the first of unanswered calls.

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He couldn’t quite say he blamed her,

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for how many would want to wait two whole years for their future mates?

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Not Salrina certainly,

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for she was always all about greener pastures and all that.

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His mother wouldn’t be of much help with all her fussing,

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and he couldn’t take back what he had told her about him being a man after reaching his 20th birthday just a week ago.

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Admitting that he needed her help went against everything he knew about personal pride,

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and it wouldn’t do for his father to hear he was nothing more than a cub of a lion.

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Raja, he would drawl.

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You disappoint Puja himself!

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“Raja?” said someone behind him.

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The lion snort-growled.

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Great, he’ll now have to put up with crap from others.

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He kept his eyes and ears trained forward,

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refusing to meet his challenger’s gaze.

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If anyone wanted to mock him,

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they’d better do it in front of him. A pressure could be felt on the mattress

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as his challenger sat beside him.

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Raja turned to glare at the newcomer,

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what little fur he had left rising.

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It was Jian. Jian was examining him with a tilt of his head,

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his coal-black nose twitching at Raja’s scent.

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The only acknowledgement he made of Raja’s expression

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was the skewing of his ears.

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Behind him, Raja saw that most of the bunkmates had already left to assemble downstairs.

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Only Jian and the small-clawed otter were

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still around, with the latter seeming to have difficulty with his short’s drawstring.

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Many sizes smaller than any of the other recruits,

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Raja wasn’t surprised.

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“You look like there’s something bothering you, Brother Lion,”

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observed Jian. “Problem getting over it all?”

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“Yes!” spat the lion,

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making no effort to keep his voice down.

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The otter scuttered out of the bunkroom,

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stumbling as he did.

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Jian merely nodded.

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“You want to talk about it?”

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asked the wolf quietly.

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“Surely there’s more to it than the shit from earlier—?”

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“Damn right there is!” burst Raja.

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Unable to hold back,

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he, a grown lion, placed his face into his paws.

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He felt the dampness seeping out through his paw pads,

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with his ears flushing.

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He felt angry against

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everything. Being conscripted against his will because of a constitutional quirk.

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How as a male of his family, he was expected to uphold the family tradition.

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The loss of his future mate.

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Being treated like shit, and surrounded by strangers

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who may make good on their vendettas.

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How many generations of conscripts had lost their love because of something they had no control over?

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How many had gone into the army with carefully guarded smiles,

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only to have them dashed when they realized the many personal sacrifices they had to make

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for the service of the nation,

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only to have it go unnoticed?

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To be scorned for a service they had no choice in serving.

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There were cases of job-seekers not being able to turn up for job interviews,

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all because the Military couldn’t spare them for the afternoon.

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It wasn’t their fault they had to serve, and it sure as hell wasn’t because they took national defense over their hopes and ambitions,

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and loved ones lost.

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Jian was silent throughout the whole of Raja’s tirade,

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pausing only to nod when he understood what ailed the large lion.

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Despite having the look of a goody-two-shoes,

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who wouldn’t still be here,

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Jian was an attentive listener,

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stopping to clarify the parts he didn’t understand through the cultural barrier.

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Raja knew the wolf was taking a big risk

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not going down to the parade square to assemble with the others,

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but somehow he couldn’t bring himself to tell the wolf to do what the Sergeant had commanded.

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“So, tell me, Jian, what is there to look forward

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to?” whispered Raja. He had given up dabbing his tears, and instead took to staring into blank space.

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“I might as well jump these three floors down.

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Who knows? I might even land on the Sarge.

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The others would be more than pleased.”

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“The weekend break.

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The loving family you will return home to.

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Like-minded comrades.”

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replied Jian. Raja glared at him.

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“Are you fucking serious?”

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“You might not see that about your father,

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but we both know your ma cares,” Jian pointed out. “I saw her with you.”

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“You don’t know her!” said Raja, throwing his paws up.

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“She’s always fussing and telling me what to do! Doesn’t

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she know I’m already old enough to make my own way to this death camp?

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She even cleaned my whiskers

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right after I was done with lunch!

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All in front of the other recruits!”

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“But she took the time out of her busy schedule

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to come all the way to see her son off,”

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said Jian softly.

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“Did you know what mine told me? ‘Jian,

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you’re a big boy now, so you’ll make your own way to camp.

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Don’t call me at night,

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as I might be meeting someone.

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I can’t take any calls on weekdays.

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I love you.’” Raja stole a glance at Jian,

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who had a sad smile on his lips.

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It took a full minute for those words to sink in,

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and everything he knew came rushing back.

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He had been as fortunate as anyone could ever be,

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despite what he had endured.

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Salrina was the only lioness he met, but did that really mean she was for him?

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After all, if one truly loved another,

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wouldn’t care and understanding bind them both,

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even in the span of two years of on-off visits?

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Sure, his mother could be insistent in the manner in which she behaved with regard to him,

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but despite the embarrassment she might have caused,

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hadn’t it all been for his own good?

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All that fussing and checking on him

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was to make sure he looked and felt his best.

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Raja didn’t like admitting it,

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but it took a complete stranger and tumultuous events

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to show him what he truly had.

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His girlfriend was merely a passerby in his life,

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having left him when she was needed the most.

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The sound of her name was enough to make him realize how foolish he had been all these months,

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a moth chasing a dying flame.

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Even after the flame had burned away,

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wouldn’t the moth need to find another?

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He would probably be burned again,

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but hey, no one said the circle of life was without its own share of preyshit.

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But first, he would need to find himself.

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He was now in the greatest challenge of his life,

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but he had the support of those he cared about,

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with a new friend to face it with.

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The caterwaul of the Sergeant down below could be heard,

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followed by the chorus of Raja’s name.

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The recruits would now be in push-up positions until they arrived.

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Jian cocked an ear at Raja,

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a sense of calm emanating from him.

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“You know, they’ll punish you for being as late to assemble downstairs,”

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said Raja carefully.

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“You shouldn’t have waited for me.”

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“To me, it isn’t every wolf for himself,”

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replied Jian calmly.

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“It looked like you needed me more than Sergeant Asshole did.”

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For the first time that day,

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Raja smiled. The wolf and lion ran down the stairs in quick succession,

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their ears flat as the yelling downstairs intensified,

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warning of hell to pay,

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The greatest of problems could never be solved in a day,

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but Raja knew that no one was ever alone in the sharing of this journey,

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which had been braved and surmounted by many generations

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of those who came before. #

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One generation later.

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later... Raja shuffled his feet

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from boat to concrete pier,

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stepping under the shade of the sheltered jetty.

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Past him, old and young alike moved,

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all walking the never-ending stretch of the all-too-familiar jetty.

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It had changed little

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since the last he’d been here.

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The electronic signboard had been smashed,

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supplanted by a full-color banner

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extolling the virtues of having a positive

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mindset. On it, the photos of a lion,

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panda, tiger and small-clawed otter

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stood in the respective service uniforms

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of the Army, Air Force, Police and Navy.

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Muzzles set in a confident line,

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they stared off into the distance

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towards the right of the viewer,

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framed by a caption:

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Together We Defend.

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Raja had to admit it was rather comical. The panda couldn’t possibly fit into the cockpit of all those sleek, new aircraft, and the otter didn’t look like he could withstand the average wave without getting bowed over.

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But hey, inclusivity was part of what the Armed Forces was all about, right?

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“So you got all that?”

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said an older wolf to a younger tiger.

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“Always be helpful,

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don’t talk bad about your superiors,

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and remember to wash your underwear...”

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“I know, Pa,” growled Tyrin.

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His striped brow creased in a frown.

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“Stop embarrassing me.”

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“It’s all for your own good.”

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Jian snorted. He grimaced towards Raja,

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one of his ears skewing as he did.

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The lion had to admit,

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even after all these years,

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he had always found that cute,

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and a smile broke on his muzzle.

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Conscription brought people from all walks of life together,

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for better or for worse.

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Having to deal with prejudiced bunkmates,

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and an overbearing control freak of a tiger was a major downer during his training all those years back.

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But Raja knew he would gladly brave ten times worse

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if it meant that he met Jian.

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He and the wolf got through thick and thin together,

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supporting each other during the highs and lows of their training.

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But graduated they did from Basic,

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making right all those moments of despair.

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They were then posted to their new units,

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where they would remain till the end of their two-year cycle.

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Raja, to his father’s dismay,

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ended up as Technical Specialist instead of OCS.

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On the plus side,

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he did get to test out the cool new equipment before everyone else in the service.

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With that experience under his pelt,

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along with his polytechnic diploma,

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the lion found a job with a military supplies contractor when he completed his term.

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He still had to deal with the military,

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but at least he didn’t answer to them.

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After Jian was posted to OCS,

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along with the top 5% of the recruits following

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completion of BMT,

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Raja hesitated to stay in touch with him.

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Rumors were abound of those

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hailing from OCS being as hoity-toity as befitted those

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who could now lord over others,

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and he didn’t hear from him for months.

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But Jian was full of surprises.

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Right after completing his 9-month stint,

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he celebrated by inviting Raja to a celebratory dinner in his apartment.

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The wolf hadn’t contacted the lion earlier, as he didn’t want any distractions to interfere with training.

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Only recently, he had moved out from his cubhood home

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after signing on as a career officer,

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not that his mother cared.

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For all his support for serving the nation

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and doing the best one could,

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deep down, Raja realized the wolf

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was someone he was comfortable with.

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He helped others simply because he wanted to,

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not merely because of duty to country, or anything like that.

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They laughed, they joked,

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and talked about trials and tribulations faced. One thing

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led to another,

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as life had a way of doing.

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Get-togethers became meet-ups,

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and meet-ups became dates.

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And soon, Raja realized that for all that had happened,

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things eventually worked out for him after all.

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His ex-girlfriend was just a bad memory,

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and his time with Jian

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was the present. Raja was initially nervous when Jian suggested they adopt a cub.

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They were only 26 then,

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with Raja having left the service

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only four years prior.

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Such a disruption might affect their own careers.

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But the lion could never say no to the wolf,

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especially when he showed those puppy eyes,

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so they checked into the adoption center together.

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It wasn’t easy for two young fathers,

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but with love and determination,

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anything became possible.

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And here they were,

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sitting before their son at the cookhouse,

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where Tyrin ate his last meal.

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The young tiger scowled as he chewed,

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and Raja couldn’t help but wonder if it matched his own expression 27 years back.

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The smell of the chicken rice was even similar,

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and Raja briefly pondered if the recipes were passed down from one generation of cookstaff to another.

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“All recruits, please say goodbye to your parents and report to the parade square.”

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growled an officer over the PA system.

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A bear, by the sound of it.

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A piece of chicken hung from one’s of Tyrin’s fangs before it fell.

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Averting his face from his parents,

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the tiger got up from his chair,

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turning towards the parade square.

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His black messenger bag slapped against his side,

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not much larger than his hips.

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“Raja, don’t you have something to tell Tyrin?”

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asked Jian, nudging Raja’s arm.

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Tyrin cocked an ear back, angling his head back slightly. Raja cleared his throat.

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“Of course. Tyrin,

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please hang on a moment.

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This won’t take long.”

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Tyrin turned towards him,

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letting out a sigh.

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Despite his frown, Raja could see a hint of moisture in his eyes.

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“What is it, Raj Pa?” He breathed.

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Raja clasped his son’s fingers in his paw,

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taking a breath before he spoke.

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“I want you to know

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that your father and I are proud that you made it into training with a gold fitness award.

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In life, you will meet many kinds of people.

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Some are passing whispers to be forgotten.

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But others are there for you to learn about yourself.

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But remember that whatever happens,

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we will always love you.

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Go now. Enjoy your time here.

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Nothing will go wrong.”

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Tyrin stared at Raja for a long moment,

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then reached over the table

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and hugged him and Jian both.

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And then he was off.

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Off to join the many others

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who had come from separate paths,

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coming together to partake in the same journey.

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A journey that had been traversed by so many before them.

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For Tyrin, this included both his parents.

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Jian leaned against Raja

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and smiled. “You didn’t tell him what problems he might face, such as that control freak in our section.”

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giggled Jian. “I’m shocked.”

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“I might not have met you then.”

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Raja nuzzled his mate

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in response. This was the second and final part of

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“Fathers to Sons” by MikasiWolf,

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read for you by Khaki,

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your faithful fireside companion.

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As always, you can find more stories on the web

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at thevoice.dog,

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or find the show wherever you get your podcasts.

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Thank you for listening

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to The Voice of Dog.