Where Were You Last Night

I called your work place and was told that you already left to go home. I was alone with our two children crying. They said they missed their Daddy. The dishwasher flooded the kitchen floor. I tried to console the children and told them that I thought you probably had car trouble.

We had just moved to Florida. We were living offbase and did not know any neighbors. I felt so alone because none of us had adjusted to our new location. I had just started a new job at Homestead AFB, FL.

By daylight, the view out the back window appeared exotic with lush vegetation of palm trees, Bird of Paradise plants, and banana trees. At sunset, I became very worried as it quickly grew so dark outside that I could not see out the windows at all.

As I ate dinner with Jenny and Kevin, the sounds of wild creatures lurking outside carried throughout the townhome. I helped the children with their homework and made sure they were bathed and ready for school the next day. I read in the paper that someone's four-year-old child had been missing for days. The authorities had found his abandoned bicycle. I warned our daughter not to cycle alone there because there was a posted sign which warned of the presence of alligators near the lake. They feared that an alligator may have eaten the missing child because they found pieces of his torn clothing near a lake.

Fear mounted as I prepared myself for bed. I wondered what we would do without you if you never did return. The sound of crickets was occasionally drowned out by the sound of trees rustling in the strong tropical breeze. I prayed. I told God that I would never complain to you again about how hard it was to continue to move from one place to another and start over when you transferred to new military bases if you would just return to us safely.

The sun rose, and you were still missing.