Who wants to hear a story?

This involves one of Kevin's old friends from Okinawa...

The phone rang early early. Thought it was odd that Kevin would call then, but just ran downstairs to answer the phone. Didn't look at caller-id. It wasn't Kevin.

I hear a very quiet, "Celeste?"

me: "Yeah...?"

I hear the other person say something like: "It's (blank)....no ride...I'm really cold."

Now I'm wondering if "I'm really cold" is some code for something else. I don't know that one! And I'm hoping it doesn't mean "I'm naked on a street corner and your phone number was the only one I could remember".

me: "You're really cold?....Where are you?"

He was right down the street at the PX. Okay then. So I got in the car to go see what was going on. With my cell phone ready to call a cab or one of the other guys. It was 5am. I pulled up to the PX and didn't see anyone and wondered if it was a prank or something. Then I see a shirtless, shoeless person emerge from between the atm and the PX. He'd been leaning up against the generator to keep warm I guess. It was really foggy and cold this morning. He comes wobbling over to the car shivering like crazy.

me: "Umm...what are you doing here?"

him: "I walked from Santa Margarita to find a friend, but he never showed up...and I didn't have a ride..."

me: "And you're bare foot too...'kay. How long have you been hanging out over there?"

he looks embarrassed: "5 hours...I just thought I'd try to sleep over there and then get a ride home....but it didn't work out too well. I was cold." He said with teeth chattering.

me: LOL...."You should have called me..."

So I brought a slightly tipsy Marine home, who then passed out on the floor the moment he lay down.

He left after a good few hours of sleep and a borrowed t-shirt. Strange creatures, these stubborn dumb Marines, I tell ya.