Just A Dream
Everybody's Saying, He's Not Coming Home Now
*One week later
I was making breakfast, which has just been toast and coffee since I don’t feel like making anything else. I went to go set my plate on the table when there was a knock on the door. I sighed and placed it on the counter and walked over to the door.
I opened it and saw two men in army uniforms standing in front of me.
“Taylor Sanders?” the taller one said.
“Yes?” Ignoring the fact that they used Matt’s last name instead of my name.
They took off their hats and the shorter one handed me a envelope.
“We are sorry for your loss,” he said and they both walked away I was shocked. I ripped open the envelope and read what it said.
Dear Mrs. Sanders,
We are sorry to inform you, but your husband Matthew Charles Sanders was killed in battle.
His body will be sent back to California.
We are sorry for your loss.
Everybody's saying, he's not coming home now
This can't be happening to me
This is just a dream
I dropped the letter and the envelope and fell to the floor. I started to cry. Rivers of tears were coming out of my eyes. I looked at the envelope and say something inside of it. I wiped my nose on my hand and reached for it. I looked inside and cried harder. It was his dog tags. I pulled them out and felt more tears pour out of my eyes.
His dog tags were covered in dirt and what looked like blood. I held them close to my heart and cried.
I don’t know how long I was sitting there, crying. But I didn’t care. My thoughts were right. He died. I won’t get everything I wanted.
“Taylor? Oh my god. Taylor whats wrong?” I heard a voice say. I handed whoever it was the letter.
“Oh my god, baby…” they said and pulled me to them. I cried on their shoulder, knowing it was my best friend Jane.
“He’s really gone,” I said, my voice cracking.
“Oh honey. Geeze. I’m so sorry,” she said and rubbed my back. I cried harder.
Jane ended up carrying me inside and onto the couch. I slipped Matts dog tags over the one he left for me. His chain was much longer. Rested my head on Janes lap and stared at the tv. I grabbed the remote out of her hand and turned it to the news.
”Breaking news. We have more information on the bombing in Iraq. 3 men were killed on their way back to the base after patrolling the area.”
I shot up and stared at the tv.
”Lets take a moment of silence for those men who risked their lives for us,”
She started to list off the names.
”James Franklin, Kevin Montgomery, and Matthew Sanders,”
I started to cry, even harder as they showed the video.
“Oh god,” Jane said and turned off the tv.
“NO! Turn the mother fucking tv back on right fucking now!” I yelled at her. She jumped and turned it back on.
“But hun, you don’t need to see this stuff,” she said. I stood up.
“So if your boyfriend got killed and you had NO fucking idea how, wouldn’t you like to know just how he died? Even if there as a fucking video of it?!” I yelled.
“Well yeah bu-“ I cut her off.
“Then don’t fucking turn off the god damn tv next time,” I said and sat back down on the couch in a ball. I felt her move over.
“I’m sorry hun,” she said. I nodded and clung onto her, more tears falling from my eyes.
“He promised me he would come back Jane. He promised we would get married and start our family. He promised me that house with the horses. But-But now I won’t get that,” I said sobbing. She rubbed my back but said nothing. There was nothing to say to that.
I was making breakfast, which has just been toast and coffee since I don’t feel like making anything else. I went to go set my plate on the table when there was a knock on the door. I sighed and placed it on the counter and walked over to the door.
I opened it and saw two men in army uniforms standing in front of me.
“Taylor Sanders?” the taller one said.
“Yes?” Ignoring the fact that they used Matt’s last name instead of my name.
They took off their hats and the shorter one handed me a envelope.
“We are sorry for your loss,” he said and they both walked away I was shocked. I ripped open the envelope and read what it said.
Dear Mrs. Sanders,
We are sorry to inform you, but your husband Matthew Charles Sanders was killed in battle.
His body will be sent back to California.
We are sorry for your loss.
Everybody's saying, he's not coming home now
This can't be happening to me
This is just a dream
I dropped the letter and the envelope and fell to the floor. I started to cry. Rivers of tears were coming out of my eyes. I looked at the envelope and say something inside of it. I wiped my nose on my hand and reached for it. I looked inside and cried harder. It was his dog tags. I pulled them out and felt more tears pour out of my eyes.
His dog tags were covered in dirt and what looked like blood. I held them close to my heart and cried.
I don’t know how long I was sitting there, crying. But I didn’t care. My thoughts were right. He died. I won’t get everything I wanted.
“Taylor? Oh my god. Taylor whats wrong?” I heard a voice say. I handed whoever it was the letter.
“Oh my god, baby…” they said and pulled me to them. I cried on their shoulder, knowing it was my best friend Jane.
“He’s really gone,” I said, my voice cracking.
“Oh honey. Geeze. I’m so sorry,” she said and rubbed my back. I cried harder.
Jane ended up carrying me inside and onto the couch. I slipped Matts dog tags over the one he left for me. His chain was much longer. Rested my head on Janes lap and stared at the tv. I grabbed the remote out of her hand and turned it to the news.
”Breaking news. We have more information on the bombing in Iraq. 3 men were killed on their way back to the base after patrolling the area.”
I shot up and stared at the tv.
”Lets take a moment of silence for those men who risked their lives for us,”
She started to list off the names.
”James Franklin, Kevin Montgomery, and Matthew Sanders,”
I started to cry, even harder as they showed the video.
“Oh god,” Jane said and turned off the tv.
“NO! Turn the mother fucking tv back on right fucking now!” I yelled at her. She jumped and turned it back on.
“But hun, you don’t need to see this stuff,” she said. I stood up.
“So if your boyfriend got killed and you had NO fucking idea how, wouldn’t you like to know just how he died? Even if there as a fucking video of it?!” I yelled.
“Well yeah bu-“ I cut her off.
“Then don’t fucking turn off the god damn tv next time,” I said and sat back down on the couch in a ball. I felt her move over.
“I’m sorry hun,” she said. I nodded and clung onto her, more tears falling from my eyes.
“He promised me he would come back Jane. He promised we would get married and start our family. He promised me that house with the horses. But-But now I won’t get that,” I said sobbing. She rubbed my back but said nothing. There was nothing to say to that.