Almost Home

"Hey buddy"

Damn, life is good. Nathan can feel the sun, hot on his eyelids, drying the last of the water on his skin. A gentle breeze, as light as Gods whisper raising goosebumps on his bare flesh.

"HEY BUDDY!"

He hears water splashing as Maggie makes her way out of the pond. With the field work done for the day, they had decided to take a quick dip in the cool water of the spring fed pool in the back forty. Nathan can picture his wife coming out of the water, naked as the day she was born. Sunbeams striking the droplets on her firm, tanned skin, dazzling as diamonds free for the taking.

"HEY, C'MON BUDDY! CAN YOU HEAR ME?"

They had known each other their whole lives, living on neighboring farms and knew they were in love since the age of five. There was never a question of if they'd get married, just when it would be. Maggie was the most beautiful woman in the small community and Nathan knew he was the luckiest man in the world. Until the day the draft notice came.

"JOE, GIMME A HAND HERE"

He was being sent to war immediately. Such was Nathan's love that he told her to find another man to marry and raise a family with, he couldn't ask her to wait. With lightning flashing in her eyes Maggie slapped him across the face hard. Grabbing either side of his head she looked deep into Nathan's soul and said, "I love you Nathan Phillips. You will come home to me. We will be wed. You will give me a houseful of babies. Got it?"

"It's too late for that old man, Jimmy. I'll call it in"

She was true to her word, writing him every day for two years. Two years of Hell for Nathan, the things he'd seen, the things he'd been forced to do. The atrocities of war had broken him, left him an empty shell with one goal left, he would find a cheap motel, drink himself into stupor and end his miserable existence. As Nathan walked thru the post front gate there stood Maggie, tears streaming down her cheeks as she saw what had become of her man. She stepped forward, arms spread wide like the wings of an angel and hugged Nathan hard, wrapping him in love and forgiveness.

"IT'S WEAK BUT HE'S GOT GODDAMN PULSE! HELP ME GET HIM UP!"

By the time the bus reached home many hours later Nathan was healing, not healed but getting there thanks to Maggie. She had, single handedly, brought him back from the brink of despair and saved his soul from eternal damnation. He was, forevermore, hers. The whole town attended the wedding and it was still a small affair but it felt as extravagant as if they'd have been in Buckingham Palace. That was a few weeks ago and life had been perfect ever since for the young newlywed couple. It was time to get dressed and go work on the babies he'd promised her. Maggie was Nathan's home.

"HEY PAL! OPEN YOUR EYES! WHAT'S YOUR NAME? DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOU ARE?"

Nathan slowly lifts his lids, rheumy eyes staring blankly out at the fat, heavy snowflakes blanketing the cities filthy streets in a blanket of pure white.

The officers lift the old bum from the newspapers and start to escort him to the nearest shelter.

Nathan mumbles, "I was almost home".

😢

a reply to: Moon68

Awesome writing! Sad!

Awwww....touching story.

a reply to: randomuser2034

Thank you for reading

a reply to: JJproductions

Thanks JJ. Our conversation earlier triggered a story in me. Thank you for the inspiration

a reply to: GENERAL EYES

Thank you GE. I hope you enjoyed it