Angels Of Hope

Chapter 44

Life is full of unexpected surprises. There are many opportunities when one can secretly wish for something exciting to happen – something out of the ordinary. The real surprise is when the wish unexpectedly comes true. I never believed that something like this could ever happen to me; such a thing that would make me stop and look back at the events in awe. I think you would agree that something as simple as being surprised in front of everyone at school by my god father after a year long deployment should have no influence on my life. If you do agree, that makes both of us wrong.

It all started when my mother came to the school to visit the principal, Mr. Goldman. She asked if he could get Marcie and Layne from the classes that they were in because she wanted to surprise them with their God Father, Tanner. From a year and a half long deployment from the Middle East.

As Mr. Goldman asked the secretary Mrs. Hanes if she could call the kindergarten class and the third grade class to get them from their classes Tanner was waiting patiently outside away from the double doors so when they came into the office Marcie and Layne did not see him. But he could see them.

As the children entered the office and went into the principals office I entered the building and slipped into the office and waited on my cue to come in and surprise my god children.

breathed in and out but air wouldn't enter my lungs. Starved for air, my heart raced at tremendous speeds, and my lungs shallowly rose and fell in time. I stood there for what felt like an eternity but was actually only five minutes. Satisfaction of security was nothing but a distant memory , and an invisible force crushed me from every possible direction. Each second submerged in fear made a permanent mark on my heart, and a vivid imagination made me wander whether it was just my mind playing tricks or reality.

As I was thinking about the times I had overseas with my men I knew that I had to pull it together for the sake of Marcie and Layne. They knew that I was in the Marine Corps but they did not know what I did while I was doing my job.

While I was lost in the thought I did not hear my que to come in the office. As I entered the office the principal was talking to the children still. As he finished talking I knew it was my turn to surprise the kids.

There was a delicious moment where Layne and Marcie's face washed blank with confusion, like their brain cogs couldn't turn fast enough to take in the information from their wide eyes. Every muscle of their body just froze before a grin crept onto their face, it soon stretched from one side to the other showing every single tooth.

This is what I dreamed of since the day that I was told that we were coming home a month earlier then expected.