Through the Open Window

Chapter Two

It’s been three years since Jack’s deployment. 15-year old Toni sat on her bed. Her brown hair was in a fresh new bob-cut. Her eyes were a chocolate brown and her nose was placed in the center of her face. She had a perfect smile except for one slightly chipped incisor. When Jack first left for the Army, Toni wore braces and her hair was in a long braid. Toni was excited to show Jack how much she had changed, for he was coming home this weekend.

Hey Toenail, how are ya? I bet you miss your big bro. Well, I have good news for you and Ma. I’m coming home August 15. I’m staying for two months before I have to be deployed again. I’ve missed you guys so much. Not Pa. He can bite me. We’ve got some catching up to do. Ma told me you got your braces off. Can’t wait to see your new face.

-Jack

Toni loved reading this letter. It was the most recent one Jack had mailed to her. Mail coming from the American camp in Britain had a long way to travel, so mail was usually dated two weeks earlier than when Toni received it. She had been reading this letter for the past two days, excited for Jack’s arrival. She wondered how much her brother had changed. Maybe he had a scar from a battle. Toni couldn’t wait to see it.

Chomps jumped on Toni’s bed and crawled in her lap. Toni smiled and set down the letter. She scratched Chomps behind his ears, just where he liked it. Chomps tilted his head up, closed his eyes, and purred. Chomps was Jack’s cat and he had taking a liking to Toni over the past three years. The black cat was Jack’s companion when Jack needed someone to comfort him after a fight with his Dad. Now Chomps was Toni’s companion when Toni needed someone to comfort her over Jack’s time in the war. But besides Chomps, Toni had another companion.

Toni’s back pocket vibrated. She used her free hand to fish out her cell phone. She looked at the caller ID on the small, outside screen. She smiled again and flipped her phone open. “Hey, Dale.”

“Hey, Toni. Word around the grapevine is Jacky-boy is coming home.”

“Yup, this weekend.”

“Am I invited to the Welcome Home party?”

“I doubt there’s gonna be one. Dad wasn’t too happy when he found out Jack enlisted himself. And he’s got three years of that anger built up. Things would not be very pretty.”

“Well, save me a piece of cake, anyways.”

Toni scoffed and shook her head. “Bye, Dale.”

“Wait! What do we have to do for Mr. Spreengstien again?”

“Write a paper on Moby Dick.”

“Oh, okay. Thanks. Later, Toni.”

“Later, Dale.”

Toni took her cell phone away from her ear and pressed the end call button. She closed her phone and put it by her thigh. She had stopped scratching Chomps by this time and he had curled up for a nap on Toni’s lap. Toni was not in the mood to disturb his creature, so she reached over and picked up the remote. She turned on the TV and turned to a random channel. It was the first time in three years she had watched actual TV. Toni saw a commercial for a new movie coming out on Monday. She decided that maybe she would see it with Jack.