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Gus Kotka and Johnny Reb Somewhere On Our Way: In-Between Time

6/30/2018

In-Between Time

5 of 13

“Reb?”
“Yeah Gus.”
“The sun, it doesn’t seem to be moving.”
“Right.”
“What’s up with that?”
“It appears we’re In-Between Time.”
“Sounds like a problem.”
“Not really.”
“Did you do it?”
“No Gus.”
“Something higher?”
“Something higher.”
“I thought maybe as a composite spirit, I mean, I’m not always sure what you can and can’t do.”
“Me either.”
“So how does this work, this In-Between Time?”
“Maybe think of it as we’re between Tick and Tock.”
“So there’s been a Tick of Time …”
“Right.”
“… And you’re saying there’ll be a Tock of Time.”
“I can’t stop the sun Gus.”
“So what do we do?”
“Deep water.”
“Time to weather our storms you're saying.”
“You were gonna tell me something else about 11 August.”
“You were gonna tell me something about Kyd.”
“How shall we proceed?”
“I’ll begin, I mean, I’ll say my peace Johnny.”
“Thanks Gus …”

Next Up: Part 6 on 2 July of the summer series Gus Kotka and Johnny Reb Somewhere On Our Way: Gus’ Peace.

Posted by Bryan W. Brickner

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Gus Kotka and Johnny Reb Somewhere On Our Way: Books

6/28/2018

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Books

4 of 13

“… How about you Johnny, what’ve you been up to?”
“Reading.”
“Here?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“We can Gus.”
“We?”
“If you want to.”
“Why?”
“Why listen to crows?”
“True. What did you read?”
“Your book.”
“I don’t have a book Johnny.”
“The one on the 99th.”
“That’s not my book, just a book about the regiment I was in.”
“You did the things they did.”
“Until 11 August.”
“The 99th was a solid unit.”
“Thanks.”
“I mean the men in it.”
“We tried.”
“Esprit de corps.”
“Willing.”
“I think Napoleon would have thought so.”
“The Frenchy?”
“Yes.”
“Seeing all we saw Reb, it motivated us.”
“Your book describes such things.”
“Officers?”
“Everyone Gus.”
“Company C … the names?”
“All there.”
“Let’s step Johnny, to the bivouac site.”
“Let’s.”

Next Up: Part 5 on 30 June of the summer series Gus Kotka and Johnny Reb Somewhere On Our Way: In-Between Time.

Posted by Bryan W. Brickner

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Gus Kotka and Johnny Reb Somewhere On Our Way: Monuments

6/26/2018

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Monuments

3 of 13

“… Though there wasn’t a monument anywhere there, by the Antietam.”
“What did the crow say, in Yank, Gus?”
“Sounded like, ‘Yank, over there.'”
“And then?”
“It flew north, sort of laughing too I thought.”
“What else?”
“I think a human saw me.”
“You don’t say.”
“I do.”
“Where?”
“The New York monument … the one with the eagle on the pedestal.”
“Yes.”
“I was coming upon it and couldn’t tell there was a human on the other side.”
“What happened?”
“I think he’d been crying Reb, ‘cuz of the monument.”
“Go on.”
“The human was gathering himself, composing himself again after the cry, and he smiled and nodded a greeting.”
“Then what?”
“I nodded, continued on by, and then doubled-back after he left.”
“Did you see what might have upset him?”
“Sure did Johnny …”

Next Up: Part 4 on 28 June of the summer series Gus Kotka and Johnny Reb Somewhere On Our Way: Books.

Posted by Bryan W. Brickner

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Gus Kotka and Johnny Reb Somewhere On Our Way: Antietam Crows

6/22/2018

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Antietam Crows

2 of 13

“… What have you been up to Gus?”
“Touring.”
“Take The Crows’ Tour?”
“I did.”
“And?”
“You said once the crows call Antietam, 17 September 1862, ‘The Day Humans Went Nuts.’”
“I did.”
“The crows confirmed your story.”
“You speak crow?”
“More like they speak Yank.”
“Okay.”
“They laugh a lot, the crows.”
“They’ve been telling the story for more than 150 years.”
“Meaning?”
“Maybe we should laugh at our folly too.”
“The crows agree.”
“What else?”
“Crow-wise?”
“Yes.”
“At the end of the tour, down by where we first saw Sharpsburg.”
“I remember.”
“Two crows were showing me where the Connecticut Boys got attacked.”
“Go on.”
“The crows landed in a tree maybe 50 yards from a rock fence you all used earlier in the day.”
“Sure: you’re talking about the bluff area above Antietam Creek.”
“Yes, a bit below Burnside’s Bridge.”
“And?”
“One crow flew forward and one waited in a tree as I walked up.”
“Okay.”
“It didn’t fly away as I approached, so I went up to it (the tree), even touched the tree, and then the crow let out squawks toward the Antietam and flew off with the other crow.”
“In Yank, what did the crow mean to you?”
“In Yank … Like something happened down by the Antietam that may not be so well known.”
“Something?”
“I would say so Reb, something …”

Next Up: Part 3 on 26 June of the summer series Gus Kotka and Johnny Reb Somewhere On Our Way: Monuments.

Posted by Bryan W. Brickner

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Gus Kotka and Johnny Reb Somewhere On Our Way: Juneteenth

6/19/2018

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Juneteenth

1 of 13

“Hey Gus.”
“Hey Johnny.”
“It’s Juneteenth 2018.”
“Sounds like something?”
“It’s the last day American slaves learned they were free, 19 June 1865.”
“Where at?”
“Texas.”
“I have some memories Reb.”
“Good to know.”
“I see them.”
“Freed slaves?”
“We called ‘em ‘Darkies.'”
“Because they had a light?”
“You’re being kind Johnny, though maybe; mostly I remember more joy than I ever saw.”
“Right.”
“Joyous eyes.”
“Freedom is something Gus.”
“You saw it too?”
“Of course.”
“What did you see?”
“A slave would rarely make eye contact, and only out of respect.”
“After?”
“Let’s refer to ‘em as ‘the newly freed citizens.'”
“‘Mericans too.”
“Correct. The newly freed ‘Mericans had a light, a way out, out of bondage.”
“Hard to put that light out once you have it Reb.”
“True words Yank …”

Next Up: Part 2 on 22 June of the summer series Gus Kotka and Johnny Reb Somewhere On Our Way: Antietam Crows.

Posted by Bryan W. Brickner

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Gus Kotka and Johnny Reb Somewhere On Our Way: In-Between Time

Gus Kotka and Johnny Reb Somewhere On Our Way: Books

Gus Kotka and Johnny Reb Somewhere On Our Way: Monuments

Gus Kotka and Johnny Reb Somewhere On Our Way: Antietam Crows

Gus Kotka and Johnny Reb Somewhere On Our Way: Juneteenth

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