I Drive Your Truck (Hetalia AU)

Eighty-Nine Cents in the ash tray
Half empty bottle of Gatorade rolling in the floorboard...

I unlocked the doors of the old green pickup truck and swung into the driver's seat. My cousin Francis came out of the front door and leaned against the porch.

"You're going out in that peice of crap truck again? Why is it so special to you?"

That dirty Braves cap on the dash
Dog tags hangin’ from the rear view
Old Skoal can, and cowboy boots and a 'Go Army' shirt folded in the back...

I looked around the messy interior of the cab. He never did clean it out before he left...

" It's special because it's his... From before he left, before he didn't come home..." A few tears gathered in my eyes, but I blinked them away.

My other cousin, Arthur, came out. "Oh, leave him be Francis. They were brothers. It's Mattie's way of remembering him."

This thing burns gas like crazy, but that’s alright
People got their ways of coping
Oh, and I’ve got mine...

I smiled shakily at Arthur, nodding. "I'll be back in a while." With that, I turned the key in the ignition, starting the truck, and backed out of the driveway, turning up the last station he had set it to. It was a country station, his favorite music, and fate chose the perfect song to play at that moment.

I drive your truck
I roll every window down
And I burn up
Every back road in this town
I find a field, I tear it up
Til all the pain’s a cloud of dust
Yeah, sometimes I drive your truck...

I turned it up louder, letting the radio blast the song that mirrored my thoughts. As I sang along, I turned down the street that took me to the edge of town where we had grown up, chasing fireflies and sometimes camping in the fields there.

I leave that radio playing
That same ole country station where ya left it
Yeah, man I crank it up
And you’d probably punch my arm right now
If you saw this tear rollin’ down on my face
Hey, man I’m tryin’ to be tough
And momma asked me this morning
If I’d been by your grave
But that flag and stone ain’t where I feel you anyway...

I parked the truck and got out, leaving the music on, and going to sit on a rock at the edge of the field. As I listened to the song, I sat and cried on the rock, remembering the last time I had seen him.

It was just a few months ago...

~flashback~

He hugged me good-bye and said, "I'll see you soon, ok Mattie? Take care of Kumajiro and Tony while I'm away." I nodded, tears running down my face. He noticed and added, "Hey, don't cry! I'll be back before you know it! Because I'm the hero!" I smiled through my tears.

"Ok, Al. Be the hero. just come home soon, ok? I'll miss you..."

"I'll miss you too, bro. Don't let anything happen to yourself while I'm gone, ok?" I nodded again, then he stepped away and grabbed his bags, saluting me before stepping into the waiting taxi.

~flashback end~

I drive your truck
I roll every window down
And I burn up
Every back road in this town
I find a field, I tear it up
Til all the pain’s a cloud of dust
Yeah, sometimes I drive your truck

When there was a knock on the door two days ago, I ran to the door, hoping against all odds that my brother was home early. But when I saw the military personnel at the door with grim faces, my hopes fell.

"Is this the home of Private Alfred F. Jones?" they asked. I nodded. "We regret to inform you that Private Jones was killed in action when a he stepped on an undetected mine." With that, the two men saluted me and handed me a folded flag. "There will be a military funeral in a week. You should let your parents know." I nodded, tears falling silently down my face. The men saluted me again, and I managed a weak salute back. One of the men gave me a sad smile before he left.

I’ve cussed, I’ve prayed, I’ve said goodbye
Shook my fist and asked God why
These days when I’m missing you this much

I drive your truck
I roll every window down
And I burn up
Every back road in this town
I find a field, I tear it up
Til all the pain’s a cloud of dust
Yeah, sometimes, brother sometimes

I drive your truck
I drive your truck
I hope you don’t mind, I hope you don’t mind
I drive your truck

The song ended, and I stood up shakily, wiping my eyes and face with the back of my hands. I took a shaky breath and got back in the truck. When I got home, Kumajiro, my fluffy little white cat that somewhat resembled a polar bear cub, rubbed against my leg. I picked him up and cuddled him to my face.

"Are you alright?" Arthur asked, leaning against the doorjamb. I nodded. He and Francis came over and hugged me. "We'll all miss him..."

I nodded. "And... He was the hero in the end..." I said, smiling shakily, remembering how Al would always boast about how 'heroic' he was all the time. Francis nodded.

"Yes, he was the hero..."