Baby Soldier
She sleeps soundly, her head gently resting upon a soft, feather downed pillow. Her mind takes her back to when her father was young, playing football, the guitar, meeting her mother for the first time at the fair. She remembers these times from stories and pictures. She reenacts the wedding of her parents, smelling the flowers and the lake on that mild July afternoon. The warm summer breeze enters her window and into her subconcious. She dreams of times past when her father would take her to the park and allow her to stay up late at the camp fire and cunsume more than the reccomended amount of s'mores.
If you were to see her, would you have to smile. A young brunette with soft features. Her eyes moving rapidly to view the theatrical display in her head. Her small, fragile body clothed in an oversized ARMY shirt and pink rabbit pajama pants. She is kept warm by My Little Pony sheets and one olive drab, wool blanket. There is a stencile US in the middle of the wrinkled fabric.
Quietly, she turns with restlessness. Her delicate memory has taken her back to where she didn't want to go.
She views her father, tall, lean, and handsome in his uniform. He reaches down, and picks her up. The starch crackles as he holds her tight. She feels his freshly shaven cheek against hers and smells the strong scent of aftershave. He whispers something too her, unaudible.
Again she turns with discomfort.
Her mother is driving the family car to the airport. She is strapped into the back seat next to her older brother. Although it is April, the windows are open and the smell of fresh rain fills her lunges. Her mother and father are very quiet and her brother's headphones are on.
They reach the airport and Daddy shakes hands with other men and women dressed just like him. They all look either happy, sad, excited, or very serious next to their families. "Where are we going Daddy?" she hears herself say with a small and tender voice. Her father glances down at her and smiles weakly. She looks quizically at her mother. "Daddy has to go to work for a while, thats all, he will be back in a few weeks" her mother assures her.
She twists, wraping the colourful pony sheets about her dainty legs.
She waves as her father loads the plane with the other men and women. Now people are crying and praying. She doesn't understand, its just a trip, they will be okay.
Her mind fashes forward in her dreams.
"Mommy! A man wearing Daddy's clothes is at the door!" She watches her mother scream and yell at the man in the uniform. Her mother collapses to the floor in tears as the man tries to tell her something. Her brother comes down the hall and sees the man and thier mother. He runs to the man pushing and yelling. The little girl is confused, men dressed like her Daddy are good.
Her mother sits her down in her bedroom. Her mother is calmer now, but still has tears in her eyes. "What's wrong Mommy?" the little girl enquires. Her mother attempts to smile, but cannot. "Daddy isn't coming home sweetie." her mother begins sobs.
The little girl goes to her brother's room and asks, "why isn't Daddy coming home?" The boy picks up his tiny sister and holds her in his lap. "Do you remember what Dad did?" he questions her. "Yes, he is an Army soldier, he fights bad guys!" she answers proudly. "Thats right, do you remember why Dad left?" She begins to get excited with the new game. "Yep! There are bad guys far away and Daddy went to keep them away from us!" Her brother smiles, "Thats right, but something happened, the bad guys hurt dad. They hid a bomb on the road and while dad and his friends drove by, it exploded." The little girl is shocked. "The bomb went bang?!" "Yes, it went bang and now Dad can't come home." "But why not? Isn't he okay?" "No munchkin, Dad doesn't have just a cut or a bruse. He is dead..." The word rings through her memory.
Silently the small child whimpers in the night. She is chilled and her stomach aches. She wants to throw up. Back into time, through memory, through space, her mind pushes her back into the dark place she never wants to go.
There are a lot of people wearing black. The room is lit by soft lights and candles. The room is filled with the aroma of flowers and the buzz of conversation. In the middle of the dark and crowded room, stands a little girl in a black dress. In front of her is a shiny box with a flag over it. The box must be very important, because there is a man dressed like Daddy next to it. He isn't moving, just standing there, staring at nothing.
The little girl slowly makes her way forward, sliding past relatives, family friends, and complete strangers. She is now standing directly in front of the box. The lid is open. She tries to get on her tip toes, but no luck. She walks over to the man that looks like Daddy and pulls on his pant leg. He looks down at her with a serious face. "I wanna see whats in the box!" she demands. The man sighs, but picks her up and holds her next to the casket. The room is silent except for the horrified, screaming girl, who sees her Daddy.
Her eyes open instantly. She looks around the room, confused at what she had just seen. Cool sweat covers her small body. She hears rain and thunder outside. She sits for a moment, stunned at what has just happened. Lighting brightens the room and her eyes fall upon a picture, a uniform, and some medals. She removes the childish sheets and GI blanket. The wood floor is comfterably cool under her feet. The little girl looks at the picture and sees her father holding a smaller version of herself. She lifts a medal with her thumb and index finger and places it in her other palm. The metal is cold and its weight is meaningless. She picks up the uniform blouse and hugs it. She places her nose against the collar and inhales. She can still smell the aftershave from so long ago. She slips her delicate arms into the sleeves as sand and dust fall out of the creases. She buttons it around her tiny body and walks to the mirror. Lightning once again brightens the room and she sees her father standing in front of her for for a split second.
"I miss you Daddy" the tiny voice says. "David left for boot camp a few days ago. I bet your really proud. Mommy sometimes just sits in her room and cries. I know she cries because when she comes out, her eyes are red. I know why you had to leave Daddy. I saw it on the news. The bad guys are hurting other people and you went to save them. Don't worry Daddy, I'm not mad. I am proud to say that my Daddy went to stop the bad guys. Other people tell me that its wrong, but I know you were doing the right thing. I'm not mad Daddy, but I do miss you a lot. When I grow up, I think I'll help people just like you did! David wrote me a letter. Want me to read it? Okay. 'Dear Munchkin, I hope you are doing well in school and keeping an eye on mom. Things are tough here, I have to run every morning, go to classes, but the food is pretty good...' You know how he loves food Daddy! '...I can't wait to see you again kid, I sure miss those easy bake cookies you make...' See? '...Well, thats all I can write right now, class is starting soon. Don't worry I'll get good grades just like you. Take care munchkin. Love, David' I wish you were here Daddy. I wish that you and David were here. I am getting kinda tired Daddy, but I'll talk to you tomorrow. Oh! Don't forget to say hi to grandma, grampa, Jesus, and God for me! Love you Daddy. Good night."
If you were to see her, would you have to smile. A young brunette with soft features. Her eyes moving rapidly to view the theatrical display in her head. Her small, fragile body clothed in an oversized ARMY shirt and pink rabbit pajama pants. She is kept warm by My Little Pony sheets and one olive drab, wool blanket. There is a stencile US in the middle of the wrinkled fabric.
Quietly, she turns with restlessness. Her delicate memory has taken her back to where she didn't want to go.
She views her father, tall, lean, and handsome in his uniform. He reaches down, and picks her up. The starch crackles as he holds her tight. She feels his freshly shaven cheek against hers and smells the strong scent of aftershave. He whispers something too her, unaudible.
Again she turns with discomfort.
Her mother is driving the family car to the airport. She is strapped into the back seat next to her older brother. Although it is April, the windows are open and the smell of fresh rain fills her lunges. Her mother and father are very quiet and her brother's headphones are on.
They reach the airport and Daddy shakes hands with other men and women dressed just like him. They all look either happy, sad, excited, or very serious next to their families. "Where are we going Daddy?" she hears herself say with a small and tender voice. Her father glances down at her and smiles weakly. She looks quizically at her mother. "Daddy has to go to work for a while, thats all, he will be back in a few weeks" her mother assures her.
She twists, wraping the colourful pony sheets about her dainty legs.
She waves as her father loads the plane with the other men and women. Now people are crying and praying. She doesn't understand, its just a trip, they will be okay.
Her mind fashes forward in her dreams.
"Mommy! A man wearing Daddy's clothes is at the door!" She watches her mother scream and yell at the man in the uniform. Her mother collapses to the floor in tears as the man tries to tell her something. Her brother comes down the hall and sees the man and thier mother. He runs to the man pushing and yelling. The little girl is confused, men dressed like her Daddy are good.
Her mother sits her down in her bedroom. Her mother is calmer now, but still has tears in her eyes. "What's wrong Mommy?" the little girl enquires. Her mother attempts to smile, but cannot. "Daddy isn't coming home sweetie." her mother begins sobs.
The little girl goes to her brother's room and asks, "why isn't Daddy coming home?" The boy picks up his tiny sister and holds her in his lap. "Do you remember what Dad did?" he questions her. "Yes, he is an Army soldier, he fights bad guys!" she answers proudly. "Thats right, do you remember why Dad left?" She begins to get excited with the new game. "Yep! There are bad guys far away and Daddy went to keep them away from us!" Her brother smiles, "Thats right, but something happened, the bad guys hurt dad. They hid a bomb on the road and while dad and his friends drove by, it exploded." The little girl is shocked. "The bomb went bang?!" "Yes, it went bang and now Dad can't come home." "But why not? Isn't he okay?" "No munchkin, Dad doesn't have just a cut or a bruse. He is dead..." The word rings through her memory.
Silently the small child whimpers in the night. She is chilled and her stomach aches. She wants to throw up. Back into time, through memory, through space, her mind pushes her back into the dark place she never wants to go.
There are a lot of people wearing black. The room is lit by soft lights and candles. The room is filled with the aroma of flowers and the buzz of conversation. In the middle of the dark and crowded room, stands a little girl in a black dress. In front of her is a shiny box with a flag over it. The box must be very important, because there is a man dressed like Daddy next to it. He isn't moving, just standing there, staring at nothing.
The little girl slowly makes her way forward, sliding past relatives, family friends, and complete strangers. She is now standing directly in front of the box. The lid is open. She tries to get on her tip toes, but no luck. She walks over to the man that looks like Daddy and pulls on his pant leg. He looks down at her with a serious face. "I wanna see whats in the box!" she demands. The man sighs, but picks her up and holds her next to the casket. The room is silent except for the horrified, screaming girl, who sees her Daddy.
Her eyes open instantly. She looks around the room, confused at what she had just seen. Cool sweat covers her small body. She hears rain and thunder outside. She sits for a moment, stunned at what has just happened. Lighting brightens the room and her eyes fall upon a picture, a uniform, and some medals. She removes the childish sheets and GI blanket. The wood floor is comfterably cool under her feet. The little girl looks at the picture and sees her father holding a smaller version of herself. She lifts a medal with her thumb and index finger and places it in her other palm. The metal is cold and its weight is meaningless. She picks up the uniform blouse and hugs it. She places her nose against the collar and inhales. She can still smell the aftershave from so long ago. She slips her delicate arms into the sleeves as sand and dust fall out of the creases. She buttons it around her tiny body and walks to the mirror. Lightning once again brightens the room and she sees her father standing in front of her for for a split second.
"I miss you Daddy" the tiny voice says. "David left for boot camp a few days ago. I bet your really proud. Mommy sometimes just sits in her room and cries. I know she cries because when she comes out, her eyes are red. I know why you had to leave Daddy. I saw it on the news. The bad guys are hurting other people and you went to save them. Don't worry Daddy, I'm not mad. I am proud to say that my Daddy went to stop the bad guys. Other people tell me that its wrong, but I know you were doing the right thing. I'm not mad Daddy, but I do miss you a lot. When I grow up, I think I'll help people just like you did! David wrote me a letter. Want me to read it? Okay. 'Dear Munchkin, I hope you are doing well in school and keeping an eye on mom. Things are tough here, I have to run every morning, go to classes, but the food is pretty good...' You know how he loves food Daddy! '...I can't wait to see you again kid, I sure miss those easy bake cookies you make...' See? '...Well, thats all I can write right now, class is starting soon. Don't worry I'll get good grades just like you. Take care munchkin. Love, David' I wish you were here Daddy. I wish that you and David were here. I am getting kinda tired Daddy, but I'll talk to you tomorrow. Oh! Don't forget to say hi to grandma, grampa, Jesus, and God for me! Love you Daddy. Good night."