It's been a long weekend, I'm exhausted, it's been a rough weekend with the business I work for and I'm not exactly looking forwards to going home either. Sometimes I wish I could just get away from my work, a wife who always needs one more thing done and my two little boys always begging and pleading with me to go out and do something when I just want to be left alone to sleep. I love my family but sometimes I feel like I need an escape.
I'm at the airport, the last stop before the final half an hour drive home, I'm looking forwards to the peacefulness of that. As I'm standing in line waiting for my bags, I notice a man in an army uniform in line ahead of me, I hadn't seen him on the plane, but then I don't usually spend too much time people watching. Now he turns to me with a friendly smile,
"Going home to family too?"
"Yeah I guess." I shrug, "How long you been gone?"
"It's been 18 months now. My wife will be here soon with the kids, I can't wait to see them. Honestly, after 18 months, you even start to miss the nagging!" he laughs. I nod, thinking to myself, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't miss the nagging.. even after 18 months!
"You kinda take it all for granted, family life you know, you forget to tell them you love them enough and to spend the time with them that you should. Or at least I did, until I was deployed. I'm going home to spend every moment of the next few months I have home with them doing the things that they begged me to do a million times before and I was always too busy to do. Nothing is more important than the memories you make for your children.
"You come face to face with death over in Iraq, some of my buddies have widows now, their kids are gonna grow up with out their dad. I was with one of them the last few minutes and he begged me to go home and spend the time with my family that he should have with his so I wouldn't have the same regrets that he did."
He finds his bag, I find mine and I head towards the exit, I hold open the door for a young pretty brunette with a baby on her hip and a toddler hanging onto her hand, another child tags along behind her. She looks excited and anxious.
"Kara!" I hear the soldiers voice and turn in time to see them embrace, the kids hug his legs. I stand for a few moments watching as he picks up each child in turn and embraces and kisses them, I watch the way the cling to his neck and the way she presses close to him. She's crying and the kids don't want to let go.
I finally slip away to my own car, after tossing my suitcase into the middle between the seats, I fish out my cell phone. 3 rings and she answers,
"Hey baby, I hope you don't have anything planned for supper yet, I've got a little extra cash and I want to take you all out."
"But, I thought -"she sounds surprised, I know she's thinking about all the times that I turned down an evening out because we 'didn't have enough money'. It was always a good excuse, but I'm through with excuses now.
"Don't worry about it, just be ready I'll be home in about 30 minutes, we'll go somewhere nice."
When I get home, the boys are waiting in the living room quietly,
"Well you guys are quiet tonight! Usually you guys are screaming and running around when I get home!" I joke hugging them both.
"Mom said we better be on our best behavior, cuz you were in a good mood tonight and she didn't want you to change your mind about going out." Owen the younger one pipes up. I laugh but as I go to take a shower, I stop in our bedroom. My wife is standing in front of the mirror putting on the finishing touches of her makeup. I put my arms around her,
"You're beautiful." I whisper, kissing her softly. "I'm sorry about everything, from now on, I hope I can be the husband and dad that you guys need me to be." I say softly. She just kisses me.
"Well you're making a good start." She answers, "I'm glad you made it home safely, I missed you. Go get ready, the boys are already waiting." I notice for the first time in a long time how forgiving she can be.
"I know, I passed them on the way in. They said you told them to behave cause I'm in a good mood and you don't want me changing my mind about tonight." I wink backing towards the bathroom. "I didn't know I was that bad!"
She throws a pillow at me.
"Go take a shower!" she laughs. I silently thank the soldier for the lesson he taught me today and say a quick prayer that he'd be kept safe when he was deployed again.
I'm at the airport, the last stop before the final half an hour drive home, I'm looking forwards to the peacefulness of that. As I'm standing in line waiting for my bags, I notice a man in an army uniform in line ahead of me, I hadn't seen him on the plane, but then I don't usually spend too much time people watching. Now he turns to me with a friendly smile,
"Going home to family too?"
"Yeah I guess." I shrug, "How long you been gone?"
"It's been 18 months now. My wife will be here soon with the kids, I can't wait to see them. Honestly, after 18 months, you even start to miss the nagging!" he laughs. I nod, thinking to myself, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't miss the nagging.. even after 18 months!
"You kinda take it all for granted, family life you know, you forget to tell them you love them enough and to spend the time with them that you should. Or at least I did, until I was deployed. I'm going home to spend every moment of the next few months I have home with them doing the things that they begged me to do a million times before and I was always too busy to do. Nothing is more important than the memories you make for your children.
"You come face to face with death over in Iraq, some of my buddies have widows now, their kids are gonna grow up with out their dad. I was with one of them the last few minutes and he begged me to go home and spend the time with my family that he should have with his so I wouldn't have the same regrets that he did."
He finds his bag, I find mine and I head towards the exit, I hold open the door for a young pretty brunette with a baby on her hip and a toddler hanging onto her hand, another child tags along behind her. She looks excited and anxious.
"Kara!" I hear the soldiers voice and turn in time to see them embrace, the kids hug his legs. I stand for a few moments watching as he picks up each child in turn and embraces and kisses them, I watch the way the cling to his neck and the way she presses close to him. She's crying and the kids don't want to let go.
I finally slip away to my own car, after tossing my suitcase into the middle between the seats, I fish out my cell phone. 3 rings and she answers,
"Hey baby, I hope you don't have anything planned for supper yet, I've got a little extra cash and I want to take you all out."
"But, I thought -"she sounds surprised, I know she's thinking about all the times that I turned down an evening out because we 'didn't have enough money'. It was always a good excuse, but I'm through with excuses now.
"Don't worry about it, just be ready I'll be home in about 30 minutes, we'll go somewhere nice."
When I get home, the boys are waiting in the living room quietly,
"Well you guys are quiet tonight! Usually you guys are screaming and running around when I get home!" I joke hugging them both.
"Mom said we better be on our best behavior, cuz you were in a good mood tonight and she didn't want you to change your mind about going out." Owen the younger one pipes up. I laugh but as I go to take a shower, I stop in our bedroom. My wife is standing in front of the mirror putting on the finishing touches of her makeup. I put my arms around her,
"You're beautiful." I whisper, kissing her softly. "I'm sorry about everything, from now on, I hope I can be the husband and dad that you guys need me to be." I say softly. She just kisses me.
"Well you're making a good start." She answers, "I'm glad you made it home safely, I missed you. Go get ready, the boys are already waiting." I notice for the first time in a long time how forgiving she can be.
"I know, I passed them on the way in. They said you told them to behave cause I'm in a good mood and you don't want me changing my mind about tonight." I wink backing towards the bathroom. "I didn't know I was that bad!"
She throws a pillow at me.
"Go take a shower!" she laughs. I silently thank the soldier for the lesson he taught me today and say a quick prayer that he'd be kept safe when he was deployed again.
Great story, Anna! You need to work on some longer pieces and get them published or find an outlet for your short stories.... You're really a good writer! It's easy to take each other for granted - good to have the reminders to appreciate and bless each other.
ReplyDelete