Homecoming

Susanna looked around. She looked at the faces of the women surrounding her. On their faces she read the happiness she felt herself. In their eyes however she saw varying degrees of relief. In the faces of the children old enough to know what was going on, the glow of happiness was undiluted as they pressed their little faces up against the glass of the windows, looking for the plane to arrive on the horizon, while clutching teddy bears and increasingly crinkled drawings for daddy. 1

“When is daddy coming?” a shrill voice asked for the tenth time. “Soon dear. We just have to wait a little longer,” was the answer from the young woman who’s hand the little girl was dragging vigorously. “But I don’t want to wait. I want daddy now.”2

Susanna smiled to herself. The little girl expressed the feelings of every woman in the room. “I want daddy now.” Well technically John wasn’t a daddy yet, but Susanna still wanted him there. As soon as possible preferably. For a moment she contemplated stamping her feet impatiently just like the little girl had done, just to get rid of the nervous energy she felt. She didn’t. That wouldn’t have been suitable for the Captain's wife.3

Three months John had been away this time. Three months of wondering whether she would see him again. Three months where every “I love you” whispered over a crackling phone line before hanging up could be the last she ever heard from him. Three months of jumping every time someone rang the doorbell. They lied, it doesn’t really ever get any easier. 4

This last wait was in some ways the worst. Susanna could barely stand still, she would alternately fidget with her charm bracelet and spin the wedding band on her finger. Of course she was happy and excited about having John home again, but she still hated this last wait. For some reason she always got these very vivid visions of something going wrong with the plane on the way home. She just wouldn’t let herself relax before she was completely sure that John was alright. 5

She caught the eyes of a young woman. A pretty girl, heavily pregnant. By the look of her face Susanna realised that she must have looked worried. She smiled reassuringly at the girl. Millie. She believed her name was Millie. Married to a Private. What was his name? Andrews? She couldn’t be sure. At least now she was distracted from the pictures of burning planes and crash landings over the ocean.6

One face was missing. A face with a name Susanna knew. Josie. It was really Josephine but nobody called her that apart from her mother. And Thomas. Thomas would tease her and call her Josephine, knowing she didn’t like the name. And Josie would pretend being hurt. And she would pout beautifully and look at him with her large blue eyes. And he would give in and apologise, pretending to kiss away her tears. Poor Josie, the only tears in her eyes now was very real, and Thomas couldn’t kiss them away anymore.7

Susanna remembered vividly that one phone call in May. The first time she had ever heard John cry. Thomas had just been brought back, barely alive. His face had been almost unrecognisable. His right leg completely gone. John had tried not to tell her to many details. A week later she had accompanied a distraught Josie to meet a flagwrapped Thomas. A Thomas that would never again call her Josephine.8

Turning her face away from the group Susanna hastily blinked away the tears welling up in her eyes, wiping away the ones that escaped. Still trying to put an expression back on her face fit for a Captain's wife, she heard the shrieks of delight from the children at the windows. The plane was in sight. She watched the plane touch down with them, almost holding her breath.9

Finally he was there. First within sight. Then within reach. Holding her tight he had whispered against her neck, “Never again, Sue, never again.” Making it the second time she had heard John cry. Cry the tears of a man who’s best friend had died in his arms.10

A contest entry

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Comments

1 - 9 of 9

  • Raining.Fire
    May 5

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    That was beautiful! You really made me feel some very strong emotion. I had a very clear image in my head. It was wonderful!


  • Luci Ferraris
    May 1

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    So sad, so realistic, you could feel the tension of the atmosphere.
    My eyes got almost wet when I read this. (But I cry with Lassie movies too)

    Great job

    beginning: 4, language: 4, plot: 4, ending: 4, dialog: 4, characters: 4.


  • MorbidGarden
    March 15

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    this was breathtakingly beautiful and so very sad at the same time...very well written...i can't imagine what those men and women feel when they hear that their husband/boyfriend, wife/girlfriend are dead...

    great job!


  • citcat
    March 1

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    sweet! i loved it. it was written really well.
    keep up the great writing



    citcat


  • Simply.Nora.
    February 18

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    That was really touching and deep. I love the way you wrote it, it was as if I was watching a movie. Everything was really descriptive and I could create a little picture of what was happening. I love the whole idea. Great story.

  • Ahava
    November 16, 2008

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    Hey. This was a really sweet, touching, emotional story and I enjoyed reading it immensely. It had feeling and it made me sad to hear about Thomas' death. I just have a few suggestions for editing:

    “When is daddy coming,” a shrill voice asked for the tenth time. "When is daddy coming" should have a question mark after it.

    "That wouldn't have been suitable for the captains wife," should have an apostrophe after captain and should captain and wife possibly be capitalized

    Also. should "private" (when referring to Andrews) be capitalized?

    Anyway this was a very good story and I'm happy that I got to read it.
    Good luck in the contest!


  • Dassy
    October 27, 2008

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    that was so sad! a little confusing at first.. but it turned out great. So his best friend had died in his arms? That would be the most painful thing that anyone could go through. and he was crying because he was home again right?

    Excellent story


  • LittleMissChrissie
    September 19, 2008

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    Wow... what an emotionally deep story. Very, very well written and I felt real sympathy towards the characters, as this is something that actually happens and many people lose loved ones and family members at war every year. A beautifully written story and it made me cry.

    There were a few spelling and grammatical errors and it was a bit short, but otherwise it was perfect.

    I wish you the very best of luck in the competition.

    Chrissie


  • Noisome.
    September 5, 2008

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    I very much like your pet peeve, wholly agree.
    This piece was very descriptive, and, in its own way, rather lovely. I loved the jumping around through Sue's nerves. Her worry and her noticing all of the people around her was a very interesting approach, and it's generally the natural thing to do while waiting. The vignette-ish bit about Josephine was so touching and I like how it led to her husband being so strong, and only crying twice. That was a very intriguing point to me, the lapse in his facade, I suppose. If that is how you meant it at all. I found this really captivating and I thank you for writing it!

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