A Soldier's Welcome.

Welcome Home, I Missed You!

I'm Gracelynn Marks, 7th grader at Fairview Middle School.

I live in a rather small house, with my parents and older brother. Well, my brother Jakob isn't here anymore...

He decided he was going into the Military. And just like that, he was gone. I wouldn't see him unless he video-called, and I occasionally got letters from him.

One day, though, the letters just...stopped. There were no more calls, either, and I wondered why that was. I asked my parents, but they just gave me a look...a hurt look...and told me to go play, like I was a little kid. That's when I finally got the message. He was dead, wasn't he?

I went into denial, and shut the world out. I wanted to die so badly, that I tried every trick in the book. But somehow, I was alive.

A few months passed, we had Jakob's funeral and all of that...I couldn't bring myself to even look at the casket...

But now, here we are, another month or so after the funeral, on Veteran's day. I heard we're having an assembly to honor those who served. I wonder if they'll bring Jakob up? It'd be pretty neat if they did!

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Okay, I'm in the assembly with my friends Hannah and Tahler. Ugh, I just want to go home...I'm not in the mood to cry...

Before I could ask to be excused, though, a Veteran, who looked about 20, rolled up to the microphone in a wheelchair, and started speaking. Out of courtesy, I thought it best to stay.

"Hello, everyone. Today, I'm here to tell you a story of two soldiers. These soldiers were barely able to stand, yet despite their wounds, they ran out to face their enemies head-on! Sadly, one of the soldiers was shot and killed. The second soldier was taken prisoner, and whipped nearly to death. That is, until he escaped, and found assistance." 

Everyone was leaning forward in anticipation, myself included.

"That soldier was me. And my name is Jakob Marks. Now, I believe my little sister Gracelynn is somewhere in this auditorium? If she is, I'd like her to come down and give me a bear hug!"

That was my breaking point. I ran down the bleacher steps and to Jakob, jumping into his lap with tears running down my face. I could hear the students erupt into cheers and applause, but what I heard after that was even more special. I heard Jakob tell me he loved me..

"I love you too, Jakob...welcome home, I missed you..."