War

Well, you said you wanted war
But nobody wants to fail the future
If you say it's too late
It's not too late, it's not too late.

She let the lyrics flow through her, bringing back memories of the war she was involved in, she let the tears flow down her face, staining her cheeks. She let the memories flow through her.

The year: 1963. The year American troops were sent into Vietnam. Susan was only ten when her father, Richard, had to leave her and her mother, Shirley. Susan’s eyes were sore from crying, she knew what was happening, she knew her father was going away to fight other men, she didn’t like that, at all.

Richard bent down to the little girl who was weeping and gave her a strong hug and a small peck on the cheek.

“Take care of your mother, won’t you?” He asked his small daughter. She nodded and continued to weep silently. He smiled and stood up to face his wife. She had tears forming in her eyes. He knew she didn’t want him to go, she knew something terrible was going to happen.

She started weeping uncontrollably. Small sobs emerging from her mouth. Richard gave his wife a long, passionate kiss before letting a single tear fall from his eye. He walked down the steps of his home to the street. He turned once more to have one final look at his family. He let more tears fall down his cheeks. He then turned and got into the back of the truck that was to take all the soldiers to the airport to Vietnam.

“Come on Susan,” Shirley said as she grabbed her small daughter’s hand and watched the troop’s truck turn around the corner of the next street. “Let’s go inside, now.” Susan nodded and followed her mother inside, tears still gliding down her small, chubby cheeks.

“When’s daddy getting home, mommy?” Susan asked her mother. Shirley sighed and picked up her daughter.

“I don’t know darling, daddy’s going to be gone for a while. I’m not sure how long,” Shirley replied walking up the stairs holding on tightly to her daughter, fighting back tears. Shirley tucked Susan into bed and read her a story until she fell asleep. Shirley turned the light off and walked back downstairs to the kitchen. She collapsed into the dining table chair and started sobbing quietly.

***

For the following five years, Shirley cut out newspaper clippings from every article she could find relating to the Vietnam War. She’d been preying for her love to come back to her and Susan, safely. She’d spent sleepless nights worrying about her husband. And tonight was another one of those nights.

Shirley brought her knees up to her chest and shivered violently. She pulled the covers of her bed up further over her head in an attempt to warm herself up. She twisted and turned until she was completely wrapped up. But still she shivered. She decided to give up and let the thoughts of happier times take over her mind.

Shirley woke to the smell of toast being cooked. She rubbed her eyes softly and pulled the blankets back. She got up and turned to face her bed. She shook her head at the sight she had made. The blankets were un-tucked and messed up. She decided to leave them. Shirley slipped her dressing gown on and she slipped her slippers on then proceeded to walk down the stairs.

She walked into the kitchen where she found Susan cooking some toast. She smiled at her daughter and got some coffee then sat down at the dining table. Shortly after Susan placed a plate with two pieces of toast with strawberry jam in front of her. She looked up from her breakfast and smiled at her daughter. She picked up a piece of toast and took a bite out of it. She felt the warm steam from the freshly cooked bread cover her face. It made the rest of her body feel cold and she shivered.

“How are you today mom?” Susan asked as she placed two pieces of bread into the toaster for herself. She sat down next to her mother and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

“I’m fine, thank you honey,” Shirley replied. But Susan knew different. She’d heard her mother tossing and turning restlessly at night. It had gotten worse over the past few weeks. She worried about her mother. But Susan decided best not to continue the conversation. She just got up and grabbed her toast and put it on a plate then spread strawberry jam over the two pieces. She sat down next to her mom and ate her breakfast in silence.

After they finished breakfast Susan gathered the dirty dishes and took them to the basin and poured warm water from the tap onto the dishes. She turned while she waited for the water to fill the basin and watched as her mom left the room and walked upstairs. She sighed and turned to face the basin again.

Shirley walked slowly up the stairs and into her room. She made her bed, just to be messed up again the following night. She walked into her closet and pulled out some jeans and a shirt. She placed her clothing on her bed then walked over to her drawers. She pulled out a bra and underwear then placed them on top of the clothing.

She walked into her on-suite and turned her shower on. She closed the door then removed her pyjamas. She stepped into the shower and let the warm water engulf her. The water sprayed over her slim body. She felt warm again. She sat down and pulled her knees to her chest and let silent tears fall down her cheeks and down the drain with the shower water.

How much longer should she have to put up with worrying about her husband?

***

Shirley turned the shower off and wrapped a towel around her frame. She wiped down the mirror and looked at her dripping wet body. Her long curly hair sticking to her face, her bright blue eyes shining in the light, her tiny nose and curved lips. She looked herself over before sighing and turning to head back into her room. She dressed herself and then collapsed on her bed. Falling into a deep sleep.

Susan walked up the stairs, she hadn’t heard from her mom for over an hour and a half, she was worried about her. She opened her mom’s bedroom door and peeked in and saw her asleep on her bed. She gathered her mother’s towel and then slipped out the room again. She walked quietly down the stairs into the laundry. She put the towel into the washing machine and turned it on then walked back out into the kitchen.

Susan grabbed her current book and walked out to the hallway. She checked her hair and grabbed her house keys then walked out the front door and locked the door. Susan walked two blocks to the local park. She sat down under a tree and leaned against the trunk and opened her book to continue to read.

After reading through four chapters she marked her page and looked up at the children playing on the swings. How oblivious they were to the fact that there was a war happening in another country. She sighed and closed her eyes, before she knew it, she was asleep.

***

Susan shivered when she felt the cold hit her body. She opened her eyes and saw darkness. She was still in the park. She got up and brushed herself off; she picked her book up and started running back to her house. She got to her house and walked up to the front door. She opened the door and placed her keys on the key holder.

She heard sobbing coming from the dining room. She placed her book on the counter in the kitchen then walked into the dining room. She saw her mom sitting down at the table and rushed over to her.

“Mom, what’s wrong?” She asked with a trembling voice. Shirley continued to sob. Her whole body shaking. She looked up at her daughter. Tear stained cheeks. Her eyes red.

“It’s your father…” Shirley replied. Susan immediately thought the worst, she collapsed down in the chair next to her mothers. She felt tears welling in her eyes. She let tears fall one at a time.

“W-what happened?” she wasn’t sure she wanted to know. But she thought she had to. Her mother looked up at her again, and then looked back down to the letter in her hands with her husbands dog-tags resting on the table in front of her. Tears slipped down and started soaking the letter.

“He was killed in action, someone from the viet minh had placed a bomb where his troop was heading, his truck exploded, everyone in it was killed…” her mother finished with sobs. Susan couldn’t believe her ears. She’d never see her father again, and her mother would never see her one true love again. Their lives had been turned completely around.