Short Stories

Love knows no boundaries

"Baano what are you still doing? we're going to be late!" My mom shouts at me as I apply as much perfume all over my long, summer floral dress.

"Coming!" I reply,sprinting from my room to the car outside.

I notice that everyone else is already in the car, all looking at me with big eyes, and my big brother, Ben has already started the car.

"What?" I howl out as I enter the car,
" I have to look purrfect!" I smile, revealing a dimple on my left cheek.

"Your dad will be so proud, you look...you don't look like a 15 year old, you look like a lady,dear" my mom says when she comes back from locking the house.

I sheepishly smile at her and look away. The drive to the train station is awfully quiet, every one is lost in their own thoughts.

Did he make it? Will we find him in one piece? I think to myself.
For the past few weeks I've prepared myself for any possibility. My mom tried to keep us on the positive side, but I couldn't ignore all the posibilities. I mean, some soldiers don't come back in one piece, others don't make it at all, after the war, and those that do, well, they're minds might be distorted.

When we get to the station, multitudes have assembled there already, chattering the time away rather impatiently waiting on they're someone. I notice mom is much happier and smiles at almost everyone that we come across. We live in a small town, so she knows almost everyone but she's never been this social ever since Dad left for war.

My mom turns and suddenly faces us,and she waits as me and Lilly, my youngest sister catch up with everyone.

" Now kids, that's the sound of the train coming, and your dad is in it. behave, especially you Baano dear, don't torture your dad with endless hugs, five are quite enough!"
At this I chuckle and so does Ben, who seemed to have his thoughts somewhere else.

For the fifth time that day,she gives us an account of how we are to behave when we see her husband. When she finally finishes, she pats Ben on the shoulder and says something to his ear and looks ahead as the train finally comes to a halt.

I take two big steps and stand by Mom's side. I nervously slip my hand into hers and she squeezes it without taking her eyes off the train.

Soldiers step out and the crowd goes ecstatic. I watch as one soldier steps out, walks in the crowd and squints his eyes in search of his family. He got a fright when somebody jumped on him from behind and, realising it was his wife, he gently rubbed her arms. I smile and look around for my dad.

As I look, I see more injured soldiers, some with no limps at all, to those tattooed with burns on their skin. I look at a certain soldier, he had serious burns on his face and arm,he squatted and stretched out his arms to get a hug from a little kid. To my surprise, the kid starts crying and shouts for his mommy. I feel my hands sweating and release my grip from my mom.

What if I don't recognize him? What if he's in a wheel chair?

My thoughts haunt me, although I've already had this discussion a thousand times in my head.

"I'm quickly going to the toilet" I say to my mom and sprint off before she says anything. I don't even look behind me.

When I get to the toilets,I look through my tiny purse and get out scrap of worn out paper and I read to myself my everyday-plus scripture from Hebrews 13:5
'I will never leave you nor forsake you'

To this,I exhale loudly and feel at peace.

I love him irregardless, just like Jesus loves me unconditionally, and nothing will change that.

"Im ready" I say to my self as I look into the mirror and walk out of the toilets.

From a distance, I can see my mom's smile, somehow they are all focused at a short man holding up a little girl and I realise it's my dad!

"My heeeeen!" I shout loudly towards him.
He quickly puts Lilly down and I jump into his arms.
" My chick" he says slowly

He swirls me around a bit and gently puts me down.

My eyes are stuck in his eyes when he turns away to face Lilly, and that's when it hit me that I was worried about disabilities.
I scan him. But I can't resist to notice the wrinckles around his eyes from his deep smiles.

That night after dinner, when Ben was chattering away about his new favourite band, and Lilly kept asking to be excused to show Dad how Grace has grown( grace is a fluffy unicorn) and mom was silently watching her husband, I was silently thanking God for this beautiful family. I thought, at some point that he'd come home deformed, and here he sat, in one piece. I was thankful because I didn't know how I'd have been any support to him physically.

I feel a hand on my shoulder and I snap out of it. Mom had a worried look on her face and I hug her. Everybody looks at us as I slowly close my eyes and smile.
" Don't worry dad, the scars on your heart will heal soon " I suddenly say remembering what mom had been saying and he looks at me in surprise and I suddenly swallow my words.

" No, I didn't mean it bad, just .."

" I understand B," he says motioning me to sit on his lap.

When I do he gives mom a weird look and then she says
" We' ve talked about it sweety. Don't worry, war brings scars to the very heart that barely heal, but we're in this together, as a family." She says, looking at each one of us.
I was surprised when dad pulled us in a family hug and said thank you in the smallest voice.

Life wouldn't be the same anymore. But one thing' s for sure, God brought him back to us, and I'll live to love him, even when he wants to be alone all the time. One day, everything will be alright. Besides, love knows no boundaries, right?
__________________________________

So. This story was inspired by an uncle. He talked of how life wasn't the same after war, how he struggled through life, because people always wondered if he was sane ( most of his mates got mental illnesses) . Human support is of utmost importance, especially for wounds that cannot be seen.

" Suffering from AIDS is way better than what you experience after war "

these were his words, showing how mentally upsetting it is.