the illusion of Truth

chapter 1

Hey guys have to write this stupid thing for English but hey someone may like it.

    Journal Entry 5703 ( June 13, 1971 )

   

    This is my 5703 Journal Entry. Hard to believe it's been 5703 days since my Johnny left for this war. 15 years, 7 months and 12 days. I’ve kept count. He comes back from time to time, send letters- what all the soldiers do. It's been about 6 months since last i saw my husband's face other than in photos….. Excuse me please, I hear Mud barking at the door again.

    Etta Faye went to her door hesitantly, as always. With every door visitor came a breathless fear that she would open the door to find the nightmare all wives of soldiers dreaded: the black car, the tuxed men on her doorstep…..oh the very thought could drive a woman to instant insanity! Relief flew through her as she realized it was only the mailman.

    “Hi Mrs. Jameson!” A nice old man around 50 years of age, smiled at her. He continued to small talk as he handed Faye her mail. “Have you gotten your paper yet?”

    “Unfortunately not, Frank.” The paperboy was rather unreliable. Poor Timmy had a few streets too many to deliver and his bike kept breaking on the poor lad. Frank and his wife were saving to buy their son a new one. “Do come in?” She held open the door for him. “I don’t get many visitors you know.”

    “Yes ma’am i would.” He took a look around and came in, just as he’d done for 10 years. Faye was his last run of the day so he’d always come in for coffee and to talk, sometimes for hours on end. Faye saw the old fellow as sort of a father figure.

    “You want some mud, Frank?” He nodded and she laughed. Three spoons of sugar and a bit of cream as always.

    “My my!” he gasped jokingly. “I dear say Faye!”

    “What, Frank? What?!” She played along, both trying not to laugh at their inside joke. “ a bug?’

    “I think God painted me with your Top grade coffee.” He dipped his fingers into the coffee and one could say their color are perfectly matched. Faye laughed and continued their ongoing joke.

    “Well then, Frank. God must have sewn me together with your shirt.” She touched the arm and laughed. A joke from when Timmy was a little boy.  Ma! Did you clean her too? His mother being a very clean woman, bleached everything so white you could see your reflection in it. Timmy being only 6 when he met Mrs. Jameson, had decided in his little growing brain that his mother must had washed the young woman babysitting him.

    Faye and Frank laughed and drank their coffee in quiet for a few minutes before Max started barking again. Frank looked worried. “Let me get it.”

   

    He came in with a lanky 16 year old and the paper. “Hi Aunt Faye!” He ran up and hugged her. Like in all small towns, everyone's family, blood or not.

    She hugged him back. “Boy you’re sure are getting big!”

    “Whens Uncle John coming home again?”

    “Any day now!” She laughed.

    “Tell him to come over when he does!” Timmy said letting go and walking to the door. “ I gotta go dad! I’m way behind on my paper route.”

    The door slammed shut behind him and Frank handed Faye her Time magazine. “Uh You may wanna read this.” he had opened it up to a page titled: The Pentagon papers and Daniel Ellsberg. Her eyes flew line after line, it seemed that her eyes moved quicker with each line, her face twisted in anger and shock the more she read. Reading, reading , reading and done! She looked up at Frank anger coming off her like waves……..

    Knock Knock!

   

    Frank left her there to answer the door. John was home…..