This Is Life

The past

The twins were both at their preschool and Donny was going to head to our local military base to see if he could change everything. I decided I wanted to go with him, see if I could possibly assist. We drove down to the base and got out. I held Donny's hand in both of mine as his other hand held the letter. We walked in and were greeted.

"Hello, I'm Private First Class Donald Novitski, I'd like to speak to Sargent Johnson."

"Yes private, follow me." We followed the officer and went into an office. "Private D, Novitski."

"Ahh Donald, it's good to see you again." The officer said standing up and saluting. Donny saluted back and then shook his hand.

"You too Sargent."

"What can I do for you today?"

"I came to talk about you wanting to deploy me to Vietnam next month. I can't go."

"And why not? You're a first class private and we need men like you out there. Men who are well trained rather than new recruits."

"My wife here, before meeting me, was married to Private Michael Trojan. She lost him while the pair of us were stationed in Bougainville, May 1944. Since then the two of us met and fell in love. We have been happily married for five and a half years and we now have our four and a half year old twins. For the sake of my wife and our kids, I can't leave and risk my life again."

"I've already had to lose Michael in battle. I can't lose Donny too. Especially with the kids. They need their father. Our son Michael, named after my first husband, he struggles to communicate with me. It's something we are working on but I'm especially worried about how Donny being away will affect him. He barely talks to me. He said more to me last night when talking about the man he's named after than he has his whole life so far. But he's struggling so much and without Donny here I'm not going to know what my son wants or needs because of his difficulties. I don't want to put my son though that pain. And I don't think I could bare the thought of losing the love of my life again."

"I understand your concerns, however we are low on sign ups and we needed to bring back our past military men. I hate to do this to you and your family Private." I tried not to let the tears show but Donny saw them and pulled me into a tight hug. I just sobbed into his shoulder and clutched onto him.

"Is there nothing I can do?" Donny asked as he still held me close. "This could break my family. Break my wife and my kids. They need me. I will do anything, even if it's spending a few months away to assist in training new recruits. I just need to at least stay within the states."

"Okay. Let me see what I can do Private. I can see how important your family is to you. Give me your number and I'll call you at some point if I can do something for you."

"Thank you so much Sargent. Anything you can do. If I can do something from Cleveland, so I can be with my family every day still, that would be the best. But I'll happily go elsewhere in the States to do what I can as a veteran. But I just can't go back out there. I still have so many traumas from the Pacific, i still have nightmares occasionally, I can't go back out there for myself or for my family."

"Well I can't promise anything Private, but I will try my best." Donny nodded and then we left.

"I really hope they can do something." I said once outside the building.

"No matter what happens I will forever have you in my heart Julia."

"And you'll always be in mine Donny. I just don't want to have to let go of you."

"I know my love. And I don't want to let go of you. But we've done all we can. And I think having you there helped us in the best way possible. Let's go home and do some housework before the twins come home." I nodded and we did just that.