Through A Child's Eyes...A Short Story

Wednesday Weekly Writing Prompt, 

Veteran's Day Edition

Since the theme for the week was inspired by Veteran's Day, I thought I should do my part. And if you'd like to write join in on the fun, just go to these websites: HERE and HERE (thanks Carrie, Tena, and Nicole for posting...), write your story--500 word maximum. Write it before next Tuesday night and link your story to their site. And you must incorporate the above picture and these five randomly chosen words:

Peaked

Geothermal

Livestock

Mutual

Hydroelectric

Hope you like it.

Through A Child's Eyes

           "Mommy," Jamie said as ran down the stairs to be with her mother in the kitchen. "When daddy gets home, he's going to take me to the park!" The words of the 3-year old cut as literally as if a knife blade were drawn across Melissa's pained heart. The mother closed her eyes and waited for the tears to return.
          "Honey," Melissa said as Jamie ran to her and wrapped her tiny arms around her. "You remember what I said about daddy, and that he had an accident in Afghanistan."
          "Yeah, so?" said the creature who knew only innocence.
          "So daddy won't be able to take you to the park when he gets home, at least, not right away." Melissa dried her soapy hands on the dishtowel hanging from the handle on the stove and bent down to stare into her daughter's brilliantly blue eyes. "The accident hurt daddy's back and, well...he's..." Melissa knew her smile would soon disappear and her daughter would see her resolve crack. No! Melissa thought, she had to stay strong, for both of them...it was an unspoken mutual pack.
          "Daddy will need to spend some time in the hospital when he gets back, but he's still your daddy and he loves you very much."
          "But he will play, won't he?" Jamie said confused.
          "Yes...yes he will. Now why don't you go clean up your room. I want that room cleaned before dinner. Remember, grandma and grandpa are coming over."
          "Yeah!" Jamie screamed in joy as she left the kitchen and went back upstairs. Melissa didn't know whether she felt better that Jamie was gone, or worse that the source of her inspiration and strength was no longer by her side.
          "I'd better get back to work," Melissa said to herself. "These dishes won't clean themselves." Melissa resumed her task and her mind wandered. If it weren't for that hydroelectric plant the army was building on the Amu Darya River, Mark would be safe and unhurt and whole. He shouldn't have even been there in the first place...Mark was an expert in geothermal power, not dams. But the army thought the area had potential for both and so he was called up.
          "And why would terrorists want to destroy a power source?" Melissa asked herself for the thousandth time since she received the call in the middle of the night seven weeks before. This, above all, peaked her rage, not at the attack, but at the shear stupidity of it all. Do they want to live as livestock in a stone-age world? Can't they see we're trying to help them?
          "Mommy!" This time Jamie yelled as she ran downstairs. "Look what I found!" The couple's only child held up a set of wings she wore as part of her Halloween costume. "Mommy! With these I can make daddy fly!"
          "You sure can," Melissa said, and this time, she didn't even try to stop the tears from falling.


Word Count: 495