Leslie and the unknown figure soon arrived at a restaurant, throughout their ride in the jeep Leslie tried to catch up with the unknown figure. She asked him what he was doing now, to which he said he hadn't decided yet, she also asked him some questions about Janine to which he replied leaving only the question of how he was going to pay for her bills unanswered.
Leslie decided to keep her eyes on the road after that, she didn't ask him any other questions until they got into the restaurant. The walked into the cool resturant, brimming with people, most men wore suits and the female individuals wore a fancy dress or gown. Only a few people were either alone or with other company.
So when the unknown figure and Leslie entered the restaurant all eyes were on them, from the resturant staff to the customer, those sitting at the bar and those singing.
They were wondering why a man on a short sleeve purple cardigan and blue nickers was taking a woman in military clothing to dinner, but the unknown figure and Leslie didn't act as if they noticed their gaze, they just acted as if nobody was there and that it was only the two of them that existed in the world, and sometimes the waiter.
The unknown figure grabbed a menu to select a order, while showing a grim expression, he couldn't hide how uncomfortable he was concerning the price so he asked Leslie whether they should go to another place, Leslie just smiled and told him to order whatever he liked that she would foot the bill before saying to the waiter:
"Steak and pasta"
The waiter turned to look at the unknown figure so as to ask what he was ordering. The unknown figure looked at the menu a few times until he stopped at a particular picture.
He wiped his eyes softly before saying his order.
"One vanilla ice cream with red berry toppings"
The waiter grabbed their menus and headed for the counter. Leslie couldn't hold her surprise as she asked:
"Do you still drink ice cream?"
"I figured you were like a beer guy."
The unknown figure smiled before saying:
"I like beer but every now and then I order ice-cream to celebrate the good times my family and I had together."
Leslie suppressed a chuckle before saying:
"I hope Janine get well soon, so she can enjoy the ice cream with you."
The unknown figure smiled softly as he spotted the waiter bringing his order to him. A while passed until they both finished their food before Leslie asked:
"So what do you want to talk about."
The unknown figure heaved a long sigh before he started narrating his terrible experiences last week, Leslie had a grim expression until her face continued to contort more and more hearing the mess he had gotten himself into.
"Did you say you say you put your face inside a portal and saw small green humans, damn that is crazy."
"You also hear a voice in your head."
"Hope you are alright now."
The unknown figure still looked terrible after he narrated his terrible experience to the major, but when asked whether he was alright he still said:
"Yes"
Leslie opened her tablet and proceeded to search a few things on it, when she noticed the unknown figure had relaxed a little, she handed it over to him and proceeded to explain that:
"Based on your terrible experience, it seems to me you need therapy."
"Don't worry, Dr. Sullivan is one of the best in the country."
"I personally go there sometimes when I need a shoulder to cry on or when I have terrible dreams."
"I think it is the pent up traumatic stress you experienced in the military."
The unknown figure, looked at her calmly before saying:
"You know I thought you of all people will understand since you're my only other friend since my wife died."
"I didn't dream it nor was drunk while driving, I just had a bottle that day that's all."
Leslie looked at him before replying him calmly:
"I didn't say any of that, look no one will believe what you're saying."
"So do yourself a favor and just visit the doctor, and continue with your life."
The unknown figure was extremely disheveled and enraged but he still calmly said:
"Thanks for the meal Leslie but I would be taking my leave now."
He stood up from the chair and proceeded to walk out of the restaurant but before he could do that Leslie grabbed his hand softly before saying:
"James..."
"Just visit her."
The unknown figure tried to slowly shrug her hand off, he did so successfully and then walked out of the restaurant.
A split second before he walked out of the door, Leslie said:
"I believe you."
But the unknown figure was no longer in the restaurant to hear her.
***
The unknown figure paid a cab to take him back to the barracks to collect his truck. He entered his truck and put it on, he set the gear selector to drive and proceeded to steer the truck back to the expressway, he considered driving to his house but couldn't decide on it.
His house was were he and his family lived until, his wife died and his daughter was sick, the house didn't feel like his house anymore it just felt like a place he stayed or paid the bills for. He couldn't bear it anymore so he focused solely on his work and headed to motels to spend the night, he still paid the bills for his house but he never went there.
The unknown figure headed to a bar first before heading to another motel to spend the night.
He slept soundly till around an hour before noon, unsure of what to do he picked up his phone to browse, he then decided to browse about some of the stuffs he heard, the one about the portal had no match but what he said about hearing a voice had a match in the search engine.
After scrolling for a while on minimized related pages about religion and that how people heard a word from God to start ministering to people, he soon stumbled upon a text that said:
He held his breathe a bit before scoffing and said:
"What are the odds."