In Times of War

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Maria

   After dinner we all sit in the living room. The radio is on but no one is listening to it. I sit as close as humanly possible to David. I couldn’t believe he was home. No one had told me he was coming home, but apparently everyone knew it. David’s arm was wrapped around my shoulders as we listened to Lee tell a funny story about something he had done with David. Lee’s arm was wrapped around Alice’s shoulders with her smiling bigger than I’d seen in a long time. The mothers all sat in the arm chairs or on the ends of the couches while the Monkeys and Leo played on the floor. Lee and Alice were on the couch opposite of me and David with Alex.

“No, I did not! That was all your fault!” David exclaims, disputing Lee’s claim.

“No, I specifically remember putting glue in his toothpaste was your idea.” Lee argues.

“No, it was Jack’s, you just went along with it and I was the one who took the blame!”

    “Oh, well that’s the way you’d see it, isn’t it?” The two go into a playful argument about what really happened. I listen to their petty argument and laugh with all the other women in the room. The Monkeys and Leo are oblivious to it as the play with stuffed animals on the floor.

Then the knocks come

One, two, three, four.

   Just the same pattern and rhythm as the day we were told about Uncle Ed. All conversation stops immediately, even the children stop playing. We all looked towards the door. David gets up, swallows and walks to the door with a grim look on his face. There is a wall keeping us from seeing who is at the door, so we all hold our breaths. I hear David talking in low tones with the man at the door. The man doesn’t sound familiar. I’ve almost had enough of the suspension when David sticks his head in the living room door.

“Firecracker, there’s someone here to see you.” He says, completely poker faced. I can’t tell whether it’s good or bad. I slowly get up and walk to the door, scared of what I might find.

Jimmy.

   He stood there with a small smile on his face and a cane in his hand. He as in his uniform and was much thinner than when I had last saw him. His cheeks were hollow, his eyes sunken but still a beautiful blue. I gasped when I saw him, obviously. He was dead, he was supposed to be dead, but here he was standing on our doorstep. I was about to tackle him when I realized that it might not be the best idea, so I settled for the biggest hug I could. David stepped back and watched as I reunited with my brother. Needless to say, there were tears shed. And I cried a little too.  When I finally released him I lead him into the living room where all hell broke loose. Mama attacked him, Alice attacked him, Aunt Tess attacked him, and it was crazy.

“I’ve never seen this dangerous a territory in my life.” David whispers in my ear, wrapping his arms around me from behind.

“I know, it’s scary. Poor man.”

“Alright, simmer down!” Alex shouts. “Give the man some space to breathe.”

“Now, pardon me, but you’re dead.” Alice says bluntly, voicing the one thing on everyone’s mind.

“Obviously not, Allie. Give me a little credit.” My brother’s sarcastic voice was so wonderful to hear.

“Then explain, because we got a telegram two years ago that said you were presumed dead.” I say, crossing my arms.

   “Presumed, little sister, presumed. I was in a prison camp, got liberated last month.” He smiles, and then sits down on the couch. David sits next to him, and I sit beside David. He wraps his arm around me again and I smile. Jimmy shakes hands with David and looks from me back to David. “Looks like you kept your promise. You’re a good man. But you still don’t deserve my sister.”

“I don’t think anyone ever could.” He says, honesty ringing in his voice. I blush at the compliment and David smiles down at me. “But I’m lucky, that’s for sure.”

“That’s the right answer, boy.” Jimmy says.

   I sit back and listen absently to the conversation that erupts. Jimmy starts to tell his story, but I don’t want to know all the horrors he had been through. I just wanted to enjoy the moment of bliss and warmth and love with my family. This was home. It didn’t have to be where I lived. It was wherever these people were. They were my home, no matter what. I could always count on them. I couldn’t help feeling like there were two people missing though. It might have been my imagination, but, for a second, I thought I saw my dad and Uncle Ed standing in front of the fireplace.

   They were smiling with pride and happiness. They weren’t full, I could see through them, almost like ghosts. I cocked my head in confusion, but then they were gone. But it didn’t feel like they were gone. I could still feel their presence the way I had for years. I could feel them watching over us and keeping us safe. Because that’s what family does, through thick and thin. And family is family, dead or alive. I finally felt like this was a complete home. That it was happy. I wanted to stay here in this moment of bliss forever, but I couldn’t do that because there were other things to do. People to help, and memories to be made. But I treasured that moment always, it was the night I felt the happiest. Everyone was safe, everyone was here. We were all accounted for. Now, sure we weren’t all blood related but that wasn’t what made us a family. Love made us a family, and one more thing. We, our personalities, our opinions, that’s what made us a family. And it was perfect, even if it was only for a little while. But life is all about the little whiles, you just have to make the most of it.

And we did.