"Is Daddy really coming home today?" A petite, energetic child with a curious and inquisitive nature identified as Tasha Thomas asked her mother as she sadly put down the welcome home sign she had been holding up above her head. They'd been standing for hours. Six trucks had brought back soldiers and gone back but there was no sight of her father anywhere. Some people were screaming and shedding tears of joy while some like Tasha and her mom were holding on to hope, but at the same time, pulling a long face.
"Two more trucks to go", someone whispered. "How do you know that?" Miriam, Tasha's mom asked, as she shifted close to the person. "I overheard it from the soldier over there" the lady responded and pointed at the soldier but Miriam was too broken to care about seeing the soldier that made the statement. "Thank you," she muttered and walked back to Tasha who was now sitting on the ground, the sign beside her.
"We're definitely having that reunion today okay?" Miriam said, as she sat on the ground next to her daughter. "How are you so sure mom? What if…?" "No what ifs Tasha, no what ifs please." Tasha nodded. Her face completely flushed, her eyes red and her temperature heating up.
"But mom, I don't think I can take it any longer, I'm getting sick as the minute passes, it's been five years since Dad left us and you really think that party you've planned back at home will take place?" She paused for a while as if waiting for a response from her mom as she got on her feet. "We're just going to get back there and have the people waiting to surprise him console us. I'm out!" She dropped the sign angrily and walked away.
Miriam was left with no words in her mouth. Tears welled up in her eyes as she took off the rosary on her neck, folded it in her palms and buried her head in between her raised knees. "Thomas, you're gonna be in one of the last two trucks. I believe," she squeezed the rosary in her palms, placed it on her chest and sobbed.
By the time she lifted her head, the sun had set, and a few people hung around. A lady walked past her, and Miriam called out to her. "Hey!" The lady turned her head to look at Miriam, whose face was disheveled from crying. "Do you have any idea if the last two trucks arrived?" "It's just one left," the lady said and slouched away. She also appeared distraught and had lost all hope of waiting for the last truck.
The war between Veridonia and Celestoria claimed the lives of many soldiers. On days when their names were called for the families to mourn them, Miriam refused to go out. She believed that her husband wasn't dead and would return when the war was over. She knew him to be a fighter and was convinced he would never leave their daughter without saying goodbye. He had even promised her he'd be back the day he left the country. But the present happenings contradicted her faith.
"He's just human, and very fragile" she sighed as she concluded her thoughts. She got up from the ground, dusted the dirt off her skirt and looked around for Tasha but she was nowhere to be found so she assumed she had probably gone back home. Tasha was familiar with the environment and knew her way from the military zone back home.
Suddenly, the last truck swerved in. A smile lit up her face as she grabbed the sign and hurried closer to where the soldiers disembarked. With eager eyes, she scanned the faces, searching carefully for Thomas. Her heart pounded faster than usual, and she let out a distressed sigh as the last man stepped off the truck.
She tossed the sign onto the ground, kicked off her flip flops, and trudged back home, consumed by thoughts of what to tell Tasha. "Do I tell her that her father is dead?" She muttered as hot tears trickled down her cheeks, her hands too weak to wipe them away.
As she trudged home, she realized that she had lost track of time, the sky had transitioned into shades of twilight and the streets were starting to light up with a warm, soft glow. She passed by a house and she saw the reunion party that was held in honor of their loved one. This broke Miriam even more and she took to her heels as if she was being chased by a wild dog.
On getting to her house, she stopped at the entrance when she noticed the vibrant lights and movements inside. "Mom!" Tasha exclaimed as she ran to give her mother a hug. "Err, What's going on in there?" Her tone depicted how much of a positive response she needed.
"Ermmm, I…" "speak quickly and stop messing with my mental health" she pleaded. "Hey babe," his voice was rough and hoarse as if it had been dragged through gravel. The words came out strained and jagged bearing the marks of his recent shouting.
She was dumbstruck, taking a few steps forward. "Is this really your father?" "You should be asking if that's really your husband," Tasha responded quickly. Miriam wanted to jump on him but she noticed his broken arm, so she just ran into his embrace. The few people who stayed back to celebrate with them expressed their excitement by lighting up the sky in a kaleidoscope of colors. Brilliant bursts of red, green and gold painted the heavens while the deafening cracks and booms of fireworks echoed through air. "Welcome home," she whispered and kissed him. They stood outside for a while, watching the fireworks, which was Tasha's favorite thing.
"Hey, petite, come here," she inched toward her mom and smiled.
"I know what you want to ask me, so I'll just say it. I wanted to surprise you. When the second to the last truck arrived, and the soldiers came out, I recognized him because of the numerous photos of him you showed me, so I asked him to come home with me, convincing him that we lost each other and that you were probably back home." She grinned and ran off to shoot the last firework.
"She's grown to be really smart," Thomas said, and Miriam nodded in affirmation.
"We really missed you," she said as they walked through the threshold into the house.