Perseverance
James comes back to his hometown where he left his wife and daughter in the middle of the night...
It was on a bright, starry night that the traveling circus rolled into town, a town James knew all too well. He spent most of his childhood here; coming back briefly with his wife and daughter, but left in the middle of the night leaving the two behind. He hasn't been the same since the war.
James stepped out from the tractor trailer and glanced around the field asking himself, "What the hell was I thinking." So many questions were running through his tiresome mind, they've been on the road far too long and with little sleep. Looking around and watching the rest of the trucks pull in, his mind started drifting. "So many memories, so many disappointments," he thought. He really didn't know how bad he missed them until arriving here, this night, now he wished he'd done things a little different.
As the last truck pulled in, Gary, the supervisor, walked over to all the drivers and quickly informed them that there was a storm moving in, "so we're going to have to pull an all-nighter." He said. There were a few grunts and complaints coming from some of the men, but not James, he would do anything to keep his mind off the family he once new. Looking back towards the sky, it was still radiantly bright, how many times has he looked at the same night sky growing up and never noticing how beautiful it really was? But he knew that will soon change, because when there was a storm coming, most townspeople would cringe and head to the safety of their shelters.
The men worked feverishly to get the tents up and tightly securing them to the ground; by time morning came they just finished putting up the last one. The men were beyond exhausted, but there was still more work to be done. James kept working along like a freight train, never complaining and working for only pennies, it was hard work; he knew it and loved it.
About seven in the morning, he felt the first rain drop land on his arm, looking off into the distance towards the horizon, he watched it transform into something evil. The once clear sky turned dark and gray and was ready to release its anger onto whoever was down below. While he quickly pounded in the last dozen stakes he thought about his wife and daughter. Maybe he would clean up, and after work stop by the store for some of her favorite flowers and then head on over to the house leaving them at the front door with a note attached to it, "Was it to soon?" he thought.
He had so much to say to them, and knew he didn't have a valid excuse about why he left in the middle of the night. He just knew he had to leave and get his life back into order. He saw too much over there and lost a lot of good friends and it was hard for him to readjust back into the civilian life, he was drowning, so the only thing he could do was run. But now he's back and has to make things right and explain to her that he needed to work things out, he didn't want to hurt them, but if he stayed he would've.
He pounded the last stake into the earth and walked over to his truck and started to put his tools away, and then he heard it, the dreaded siren for a possible tornado. Most of the men started panicking, but not James, he feared nothing. He finished securing his tools and walked over to the tents to make sure everything was secured right. He felt the wind pick up and some of the flaps on the tent fluttered in the breeze. He looked over at Paul, who was still just a kid and was frantically pounding away at the stakes; he still had five to go. James ran over to him and took the sledge hammer from Paul.
"Go find shelter Paul, I'll get this," he said and began hitting away; Paul starred at James for a moment and then turned and ran off.
The Storm blew through rapidly, leaving it's devastation behind. Paul searched for James to thank him for his help, but it was too late. Gary found his lifeless body under the center pole clutching a photo of his wife and daughter. Standing there he wondered, who James really was.
James stepped out from the tractor trailer and glanced around the field asking himself, "What the hell was I thinking." So many questions were running through his tiresome mind, they've been on the road far too long and with little sleep. Looking around and watching the rest of the trucks pull in, his mind started drifting. "So many memories, so many disappointments," he thought. He really didn't know how bad he missed them until arriving here, this night, now he wished he'd done things a little different.
As the last truck pulled in, Gary, the supervisor, walked over to all the drivers and quickly informed them that there was a storm moving in, "so we're going to have to pull an all-nighter." He said. There were a few grunts and complaints coming from some of the men, but not James, he would do anything to keep his mind off the family he once new. Looking back towards the sky, it was still radiantly bright, how many times has he looked at the same night sky growing up and never noticing how beautiful it really was? But he knew that will soon change, because when there was a storm coming, most townspeople would cringe and head to the safety of their shelters.
The men worked feverishly to get the tents up and tightly securing them to the ground; by time morning came they just finished putting up the last one. The men were beyond exhausted, but there was still more work to be done. James kept working along like a freight train, never complaining and working for only pennies, it was hard work; he knew it and loved it.
About seven in the morning, he felt the first rain drop land on his arm, looking off into the distance towards the horizon, he watched it transform into something evil. The once clear sky turned dark and gray and was ready to release its anger onto whoever was down below. While he quickly pounded in the last dozen stakes he thought about his wife and daughter. Maybe he would clean up, and after work stop by the store for some of her favorite flowers and then head on over to the house leaving them at the front door with a note attached to it, "Was it to soon?" he thought.
He had so much to say to them, and knew he didn't have a valid excuse about why he left in the middle of the night. He just knew he had to leave and get his life back into order. He saw too much over there and lost a lot of good friends and it was hard for him to readjust back into the civilian life, he was drowning, so the only thing he could do was run. But now he's back and has to make things right and explain to her that he needed to work things out, he didn't want to hurt them, but if he stayed he would've.
He pounded the last stake into the earth and walked over to his truck and started to put his tools away, and then he heard it, the dreaded siren for a possible tornado. Most of the men started panicking, but not James, he feared nothing. He finished securing his tools and walked over to the tents to make sure everything was secured right. He felt the wind pick up and some of the flaps on the tent fluttered in the breeze. He looked over at Paul, who was still just a kid and was frantically pounding away at the stakes; he still had five to go. James ran over to him and took the sledge hammer from Paul.
"Go find shelter Paul, I'll get this," he said and began hitting away; Paul starred at James for a moment and then turned and ran off.
The Storm blew through rapidly, leaving it's devastation behind. Paul searched for James to thank him for his help, but it was too late. Gary found his lifeless body under the center pole clutching a photo of his wife and daughter. Standing there he wondered, who James really was.
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