David Smith's Monday Moanin'
Christmas
Day 12/25/2006
The following is reprinted without the
author's knowledge or permission. I did it because it is decent
Holiday read. For everyone eventually "going home", even if it is
Flint, MI.
Monday Moanin'
By David Smith
December 25, 2006
Greetings from the homecoming,
The car idled at the intersection, the outlines of the two men inside
justvisible behind the frost on the windows. The turn indicator
blinked, and then went out. Nothing moved, no traffic crossed in
front of the car. There wasthe sound of the engine, and the
defroster working on the glass. A voice inside the car said:
"It's your choice."
Every seat on the plane was spoken for, and passengers were pushing past
one
another in the aisle, anxious and impatient to finish traveling.
People were
wedging things into the overhead compartments, forcing bags under
seats.
Andre sat next to the window and sorted through the CD's from his
backpack.
He slid his favorite four into the seat pocket in front of him,
already stuffed
with the 'Sky Mall' magazine and the puke bag. He pushed the CD
player into
the large cargo pocket in his fatigues and waited, watching out the
window at
the luggage being loaded.
He looked up when he heard someone say: "I guess I'm your new neighbor."
The man was already sliding his leather briefcase under the seat.
He dropped
into the seat next to Andre and dug around for his seat belt.
"All these people want to go to Flint? How did Flint get to be so
popular,
did something happen while I was gone?" Andre wondered aloud.
The man said "Flint's a resort town now. They're even bringing back
Autoworld."
Andre snorted at that. He'd never seen Autoworld, but he got the
joke.
The flight attendant began her presentation on air travel safety, in a
voice
just loud enough to cancel any chance for further conversation.
In a southern
accent, she bubbled on about the convenience of a pressurized cabin
and seat
cushions that doubled as flotation devices.
"She's cheerful, isn't she?" said the man. He extended his hand and
said his
name.
Andre shook hands and introduced himself. They chatted for a
minute, then
the man turned to his magazine.
Andre flipped open his phone and dialed his sister's house.
"Hey, it's me." Andre almost laughed he was so glad to hear his brother's
voice. "Yeah I just got your message, I couldn't pick up before.
I'm in
Atlanta right now, just waiting to take off."
Andre listened to his brother, bent close to the window for the only
privacy
he could expect in a crowded plane.
"You know, call Marvin, and you get me what I need, OK? And I can pay you
guys back later. I'll get some beers on my way and I'll see you
in a couple
hours."
Just then the flight attendant began another loud announcement, and Andre
hurriedly said goodbye to his brother and hung up.
At thirty-three years old, Andre was not the average grunt in boot camp.
Even his recruiter recognized this, but told Andre this was a great
place for
him to get his life in a good direction. In the weeks he sweated
and marched
and studied, he saw younger men give up, talk back to the D.I., lose
their
temper, goof off, all manner of things that not many years ago Andre
could have
imagined himself doing. He was determined to do better.
"I've been away five months, man it is going to be good to get home."
Andre
said aloud, smiling.
The man folded his magazine and turned to listen to Andre.
"Five months?" the man asked, "Where have you been?"
Andre did not need any prodding to talk.
"Fort Jackson, South Carolina. I was there for my basic and my AIT.
I'm
going to be in Human resources."
"Good for you." The man said. "How do you like Army life so far?"
"It is exactly what I needed to do." Andre said. "I left at a good
time.
Things were getting bad, and me and my wife, you know, weren't getting
along.
I had to make a choice and I think it was a good one."
The man waited, watching Andre. "And what about now?"
Andre went on: "I talked to her almost every day while I was at Jackson,
I
think things are pretty good over the phone and all. We'll see."
He told the man about his next station at Fort Hood, Texas. The
largest base
in the state, Fort Hood was where the Army was regularly rotating
troops
overseas. "I'm not afraid about it, I want to go." Andre said.
The man asked: "What about your family? Will they be with you in
Texas?"
"I don't know, Andre said, "that's something we have to talk about.
Life's
all about choices, all I can do is just keep making them and see what
happens."
The man said: "I'll bet you make good choices."
Andre's mother had died some years before, and his father was never in
the
picture. Growing up he knew he mostly stayed on the edge of
trouble, knew he
was lucky, but he also knew he was cheating the odds. He
tried a few
different jobs, but sensed that he was as far as he could go.
Until he went
further, when he chose the Army.
"I can't wait to get on the ground, see some of my friends. I have
been
holed up on base for all this time, and I am busting." Andre
said.
"When will you see your kids?" the man asked.
"Tomorrow, tomorrow for sure." said Andre. "I'm just going to hang
out, beat
my brother at Playstation, have some beers, you know." He smiled
at the
thought.
The man was still facing Andre but said nothing.
As the plane taxied toward the terminal, Andre called his friends, let
them
know where he would be. "I'll get a cab or whatever, and I'll be
there in
twenty minutes."
He said goodbye to his seatmate. The man wished him luck, wished
him a Merry
Christmas. "Don't do anything crazy. People are counting on
you."
Andre laughed, a little embarrassed. "No sir."
In the terminal, Andre stopped at the ATM and pulled some cash, looking
through the glass, trying to see if there were cabs this time of
night. He
stood at the ATM machine weighing his options.
"Andre."
He looked up to see the man from the plane walking toward him.
"Don't bother trying to find a cab. I can give you a ride home."
Andre weighed this for a moment, looking at the man, gauging what was
going
on. Ten thirty at night, what was this guy thinking? He
didn't even know
where he lived.
The men left the luggage carousel together, Andre carrying his enormous
green
duffle on his back, both hands full with the large canvas bags he
packed.
"I accumulated all this stuff, it's up to me to haul it." He
laughed.
Riding the bus to the parking lot, the man began talking about his
family,
about his children and how much he missed them, even after only a few
days. He
showed Andre some pictures, obviously proud of his kids.
This was what they
had in common.
Soon, the two men sat in the car waiting for the windows to thaw.
Andre
offered to pay the man some gas money, but knew he would say no.
He gave the
man his sister's address. In twenty minutes and he would be on the
couch with
his boots off, goofing with his friends.
The car moved up to the parking lot gate and paused, waiting for the
cashier.
The man was talking about his daughter; "Today I had to tell her she
couldn't
go on a date with a guy, and she wasn't happy, but took it pretty
well.
Sometimes it's a hard thing being a parent, but it's important, it's
worth it."
Andre nodded.
The car pulled up from the gate, and stopped before turning into the
street.
Andre said: "Wait." A moment passed. "Hold on, I think I may
want to go
somewhere else."
The car idled at the intersection, the outlines of the two men inside
just
visible behind the frost on the windows. The turn indicator
blinked, and then
went out. Nothing moved, no traffic crossed in front of the car.
There was
the sound of the engine, and the defroster working on the glass.
A voice
inside the car said: "It's your choice."
"I changed my mind." Andre said. "Take me home instead."
The car circled in the drive behind the house and stopped. Andre
pulled his
bag from the back seat, and his duffle from the trunk. The man
stood by the
car and offered his hand.
"Thank you again, sir, for the ride." Andre said, shaking his hand
"I'm proud to do it. Good luck with your family."
Andre swung the duffle onto his back and adjusted his beret, pulled up
the
other bags.
"Andre," the man said, "You make good choices."
Andre smiled, his face lighting up in the dimness beneath the stars.
In the alley between the houses, the side door opened, light spilling on
the
pavement. A shadow moved in the yellow glow, and a young boy's
head peered out
into the night.
"Daddy?" he said.
The man waited long enough to see Andre take his son in a bear hug, and
then
slid into his car. He turned around in the driveway,
heading back to the
street. As the headlights swept back across the house, he saw
the soldier in
the kitchen, arms open, embracing his future.
Hope this finds you home for Christmas,
David
Copyright (c) 2006 David Smith
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