Traveling Soldier

MIA

       No more than two days later, we got an MIA report saying that said while out in the field fighting, Gabriel had gone missing. I read the letter, put a hand over my mouth and start crying right in front of the young mail carrier. "I'm very sorry, Miss," he stumbled. I thanked him and went back inside, trying to act calm. As soon as the door closed I took off running and calling out, "DELILAH!" "What is it, honey?" she asked, sitting out on the back porch. "He's missing! Gabriel's missing out in Vietnam!" I cried. "Baby doll! Come over here," she said, with a look of concern on her face. I walked over and sat in her lap and cried into her shoulder like a baby while she held me close and kept rocking. "Everything's gonna be alright," she said in her calming way.

     I went to Beverly and told her the news and we cried together. Every one of my friends was worried about him...and me. They wouldn't leave my side and they would alternate between having me over at their house for two weeks. Dylan would cry when I cried and would sleep in my lap. Delilah made all my favorite foods and Mother stayed home with me one day and took me shopping. One night when I was putting Dylan to bed, she all of a sudden said, "Night, Mommy," and I broke...

      After two and half weeks of Gabriel being missing, I went to visit Mrs. Julia. She was sitting on her front porch, handstitching a quilt, with two glasses of lemonade. "I figured you'd come and visit at some point," she said, smiling up at me. "Who's the lemonade for?" I asked her. "You. Delilah told me you'd be visiting today," she was still looking at the quilt when she told me to sit down. "Miss Julia...Gabriel's gone missing in the field," I told her, struggling with every word. She looked up from her stitching and watched my face for the longest time. "I wanna tell you that you shouldn't of gotten yourself involved in a soldier...but I know that's not true...You love that boy and...well he might still be alive..." she choked on the last word.

     "You look dull, June. You're not the happy little girl you used to be. This situation has aged you and matured you to where you can't be happy right now. There's nothing that anybody can do to make you shine again except Gabriel...and yourself," Mrs. Julia said. "Dylan called my Mommy the other night," I told her. "Well I bet she thinks Gabriel is her daddy. She needs a mother, and that's what you have to be," Mrs. Julia told me, "Now I need to go lay down a while, child. I love you." She never says 'I love you'... "I love you, too, Mrs. Julia," I replied.

     That night I went to the football game at the local high school with Beverly. They said the Lord's Prayer and played the anthem. The announcer let the band leave before telling us to bow our heads as he read out the local Vietnam deaths. "Dear Lord, Pray for all these broken-hearted families. They're struggling with grief and loniless. Even for those who are awaiting their soldier to come home know that you can't just go on after saying 'goodbye' to their loved ones. Give them strength, dear Lord, and keep them in your hands. We ask these things in your name, dear Lord. Amen," the announcer said. I had to get up and walk around after that to gather my thoughts.

      I walked behind the bleachers and started to cry. As I was almost to concessions I heard sniffling under the stands. Marcy Delamor, one of the piccolo players, was on the verge of crumbling to pieces right in front of me. She saw me and melted into a puddle of tears and despair. "Marcy!" I exclaimed, putting my arms tightly around her. We had never really spoken to each other and she wasn't really as popular as I was at school. "I lost my brother two days ago," she wailed into my arms. "My soldier is missing in action," I told her through my tears." We cried until the game was over, telling each other everything about our soldiers. Her brother's name was Ben, he was only 21 and had been checking out a building right when it blew up. "I'm so sorry," I said, sobbing with her. Beverly came and got me and I had to say goodbye to Marcy. I hugged her and told her everything would be alright before turning around and riding home with Beverly.