Taken From A Four Year Old
Posted By: Blindside<haloblindside@hotmail.com>
Date: 15 September 2002, 10:20 pm
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The four-year-old tugged on her mother's dress.
"Mommy? When is Daddy coming home?"
"Whenever he's done, baby." Alicia Jenkins removed a lock of blond hair from her daughter's eyes.
"Done doing what, mommy?"
"Honey...your daddy, he's a, uh, good guy. But there are bad guys, too. He's got to fight the bad guys. When all the bad guys are gone, daddy will come back to us," Alicia said, kneeling in front of the blond-haired, blue-eyed Kathryn. She stood, turned around, and continued to cook the spaghetti supper.
"OK, mommy." Kathryn went to the table, clamored into her chair, and sat down. She folded her arms and sat them on the tabletop.
"I'm hungry." Her lower lip protruded as she pouted.
"It's coming baby," the mother said patiently.
"Mommy? How does daddy get to the bad guys?"
"Well, darling, he rides on a spaceship. It's real big and it's called The Pillar of Autumn."
Kathryn repeated it, syllable by syllable. "Pill..her...of...Awe...tum."
"Good, honey." Alicia reached below the nuclear-powered stovetop and retrieved the garlic bread from the oven.
She put a piece on a plate and gave it to Kathryn, so she would hold off until the spaghetti.
The other pieces were put into a bowl and wrapped to keep them warm.
"Ow! Hot." Kathryn jerked her hand back to her body after touching the bread.
The mother smiled at her daughter. "Well, blow it, sugar. It'll cool it down so you can eat it."
"Ok." * * * * Wallace had been gone for 2 months, now. Alicia and Kathryn had gotten along fine on their own, but they both missed him dearly. Alicia missed his touch, his presence, his love as a husband. Kathryn missed her dad, plain and simple. There was a chance that her soldier wouldn't come back, wouldn't make it. Alicia told herself that he would. Every day, though, she had to repeat that same thought to herself.
Wallace was a good father, as well as a husband, and was well liked by the people in the Campbell community. He was a member of the PTA at Kathryn's educational facility, and coached the guys in little league camoball. Wallace was great with kids, Alicia though, and great with me too. She smirked, and leaned back in the recliner. She enjoyed the new technology just as much as the next mom, but there was nothing like an old-fashioned Lay-Z-Boy recliner. Amazing that they had lasted so long.
She watched Kathryn read her new book on the floor. The holographic book was a great investment, as it was full of stories for Kathryn to read. She never became bored with the great innovation in elementary education. And Kathryn was so smart, too, even starting school early. She had definitely gotten that trait from her father, Alicia thought.
Wallace was a private, but was moving up in the ranks soon, she thought. He had to. He was too smart otherwise. At the young age of 23, he was a newbie to the military, but he'd learn fast.
Kathryn looked up at Alicia, and with a tear in her eye, said "I miss daddy."
Alicia welled up, but kept her cool. "Me too, baby. He'll be home soon." * * * * The squid-like creatures engulfed Wallace A. Jenkins. The other soldiers have never seen anything like this life-form. At least the covenant were able to be dealt with. This was a swarm, a flood. Wallace remembered his helmet cam was on, and ejected the chip on the side of his helmet. He also recalled the "just-in-case" letter, and gave it to Mendoza, hoping he would be able to take it to Alicia, his love and Kathryn, his reason for living.
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