Wednesday August 7, 2024
“I love you too sweetie. Listen to me I don’t have much time for this phone call. Where’s your mom at?” Fang said to Elli.
“I’ll go get her. Just a moment. Love you daddy.” Elli said while trying to hold back from crying.
Elli rushed outside to where Vapor and Willow sat talking.
“Dad’s on the phone. He says he little time to talk.” Elli said to them.
Vapor and Willow rushed back inside to the phone. Vapor pressed the speakerphone button.
“Fang? How are you doing?” Vapor asked.
“I’m okay … umm, I hear an echo, am I on speaker phone?” Fang asked.
“Yes So ever…” Vapor was interrupted by Fang. “Take me off please.” He said. Vapor picked the phone up looking at Willow confused.
“Fang, it’s so nice to hear from you finally. We all miss you,” Vapor said.
“I’ve missed you all too, but listen, I need to tell you something though,” he said and paused with a heavy sigh.
“What’s going on Fang?” She asked.
“I’m sorry, but I’m not going to be able to get that leave that I said that I would have in my letters. The Army wants me in sniper school ASAP. They’re waiting for me right now. I’m being transported by a large Army transport airplane to a nearby Army base then flown by helicopter to another base. I don’t know anything other than that. I’m so sorry that I won’t be home. I feel awful about it,” Fang said exhaling deeply.
“Okay.” Vapor replied closing her eyes. “We love you Fang. We all miss you.” She replied.
“I love you all to. I’ll call and write when … Sir? … Give me 60 seconds please. … Thank you sir.” Fang said. He exhaled. “Let me talk to mom please. I miss you so much Vapor. And I love you so, so much.” Fang said.
“Love you too baby.” Vapor said and handed the phone to Willow.
“Hi sweetie. I love and miss you so much. How are you doing?” Willow asked.
“I’m good. I love and miss you too mom. Not much time left to talk. I’m sure you already know but I won’t be coming home for leave. Vapor can tell you what I told her. They’re putting me into Sniper Elite school. I challenged one of the Elite snipers and we had the same score throughout the entire challenge. Once I get to the sniper school, I’m being fast tracked through it. This next part is important, so listen carefully. I do NOT want Vapor to know this yet. Once I get through sniper school they’re sending me over to … Yes Sir on my way Sir … I have to go mom, I’m so sorry. I love you so much mom. Give everyone a hug and kiss from me. I love you and I miss you,” Fang said and hung up.
Willow hung up the phone and looked over at Vapor. Willow wiped tears from Vapor’s face and hugged her.
“He tell you anything?” Vapor asked.
“No not really just that he’s not able to come home on leave. Something about the sniper school. Someone was telling him to hurry up.” Willow replied.
“What’s everyone going to think since they were all looking forward to seeing him?” Vapor asked.
“I understand mom. He sounded sad and he misses us. He’ll work hard to get to come home to see us.” Elli said.
“I’m sure he will honey.” Vapor replied.
Vapor called for everyone to come to the living room. After a few minutes they were all seated.
“Your dad called just a bit ago,” Vapor said.
“Really? Is he okay? When’s he coming home?” Onai asked, his tail wagging furiously behind him and slapping against the couch.
“Why didn’t we get to talk to daddy?” Luna asked.
“I miss daddy,” Laika said, holding a teddy bear in her arms.
Vapor sighed and dropped her shoulders, “he’s not coming home to visit.”
“What? Why not?” Luna asked.
“He promised!” Onai replied while Laika remained silent.
“I don’t really know why other than he’s going into sniper school,” Vapor replied.
“That’s stupid!” Onai replied, crossed his arms and slammed his back against the couch.
“Onai don’t do that. But they must have had a good reason to keep him from leave. Hopefully he’ll call again soon and you’ll all be able to talk to him,” Vapor said.
“Maybe,” Onai replied quietly.
Later in the evening Vapor walked out into the garage to get an item from one of the storage shelves. Onai was sitting on one of the tool cabinets staring at his dad’s Nissan 240sx. Vapor walked up to him and ran her paw through his hair. He looked up with tears in his eyes.
“I miss your dad too,” she said without needing to know why he was crying.
“Do you know when he’s coming home mom?” He asked.
“I don’t Onai, I’m sorry,” she replied.
“Okay. Maybe soon,” he replied.
“Yeah, that’s all we can do is hope he comes home soon,” she replied, “by the way, how is your electronics stuff coming along?”
“Oh. Okay I guess. Lamar says that I still have a lot to learn,”
“Are you still interested in it all?”
“Yes. It’s really fun. Lamar and me built a board with lots of LEDs on it. It’s really bright. A lot more than the flashlight we use for going outside at night,”
“Oh? You haven’t shown it to me,”
“It works for only a few seconds then the, umm … … oh, the power transistor burns up even with a heat sink on it. Lamar says I need a larger transistor. He’s going to bring one the next time he’s over,”
“He’s a nice fur for helping you out like this. You know that?”
“He is nice. I like him. He makes learning fun,”
“Good to hear Onai. I’m happy to hear that you’re having fun with all that expensive stuff,”
“Thanks for buying it all mom,”
“No problem sweetie. With your sisters expensive doll habit, with those creepy Ball-Joint-Dolls, I couldn’t say no to you on a hobby,”
“I hate most of those dolls. Just staring at me,”
“Yeah, they’re a bit creepy but once she gets them painted, they shouldn’t be too creepy. Luckily it’s only two dolls. But fuck were they expensive,”
“How much?”
“Two thousand each,”
“But that’s a lot less than what mine was,”
“Yeah, true. Anyway, you want to help me get some stuff from storage? I could use your help carrying a couple of boxes,”
“Okay mom,”
“Onai, if you ever need to or want to talk about anything, just ask okay?”
“I will mom,” he replied as they carried in the storage containers.
