A soldier's wifeBy Audrey NISSEN
A tear rolled down her cheek as she read the news in the paper. The young woman, still in her early twenties looked at the paper again crying harder. She thought about the war that had been going on. The war she thought would never end. Many lives had been lost for the war’s cause. Family’s had been torn apart by it. Thousands of young men marched on a ship or a plane, ready for battle.
Her husband, a young man in his early twenties as well, had been so thrilled to take part in the war. He celebrated when he found out he would be deployed. He spoke about gaining glory for him, herself and their infant son who would know his father was a hero in the war someday. He had heard the stories of the bloody deaths of soldiers, but his head was high with pride as he left for the war zone. He would be positive he said till the day he died.
She watched her young son grow with out his father by her side. He grew with out fear knowing what his father was doing. Life for the two became routine and part of that was watching the news every night for word of the man the cherished dearly. For three years death was heard almost every night but never any word of him.
Registering the news, the young woman got up off the sofa and put the paper down. Seeing his mother in tears still the boy turned on the television and looked at his mother. She was by the window watching the neighbors go on with their happy lives. For so long she wished for that, a picture perfect family. A father home every night teaching the son how to ride a bike while the mother looked out the window laughing and smiling as she cooked dinner. Turning around when she heard the breaking news on the news station, she had a smile on her face. The boy looked confused at his mother but as he read the headline on the television he too smiled. The anchor smiled and proudly announced.
“War over, Soldiers to return home”
© Audrey NISSEN |