HAPPY ANNIVERSARY

Today is my 47th wedding anniversary...and my husband left me this morning.  It's not unusual...he has left me before...many times.  I used to worry about it but not anymore.  Here's a little essay I wrote years ago about the homecoming from the longest he ever stayed gone.

HOMECOMING 1968

The wolf whistles that echo against my back confirm that my skirt hem, which just skims my knees, is riding the static up the back of my nylon-sheathed legs.  My spike heels, painted bright orange to match my dress, make a loud statement as I hurry across the nearly deserted airport.      

I finally spot the gate where his plane will land and stand, back against the wall, to wait.  I am all nerves and eager anticipation.   I touch my hair and inspect my reflection in a night-backed window.  I left home bare faced and in curlers, stopping just outside of San Francisco to change so I will look my best for him.  We were only married six months when he left, and though he has been in Alaska, not Vietnam, a year is a long time.

            Finally the plane arrives and people start pouring out of the gate, business travelers, soldiers, and tired looking women with children. 

            My stomach tightens, and my heart pounds hard against my throat when I spot him moving across the floor in his uniform, a duffle bag across his shoulder, and the same smile I fell in love with over two years ago on his face as our eyes meet.  People and sounds disappear.  We take a step forward, hesitate then take another.  He drops his duffle bag, and I run into his arms.  We embrace and kiss then I stand still and hold on while he re-maps my face with his fingers.  The cheering and applause from the circle of travelers that have stopped to watch our reunion bring us back to the present.  Blushing, I step back and take his hand and we leave the airport to head home and finish the rest of our lives together.  

AT THE END OF THE DAY...i still get that little butterfly feeling in my stomach when I see him after a month a week or a day...because he always comes back...although now when he leaves I do shout...PARTY...PARTY...PARTY...lol...