In Which a Papa Shall Leave

“Do you understand that Papa is going away soon?”

“I don’t think I understand.”

“He is going away for a very long time to a place called _______.  He is going with the army for many months.”

“I don’t think I know where _______ is.  Will he take an airplane?”

“He will.  A great big airplane.  _______ is a country just like America is a country.  Papa’s whole unit will be going, so he will be working there with the other daddies you know.”

“Is _______ like England?  Will he call us like he did from England?  Will he bring us all presents when he comes home?”

“I bet he will bring us presents!  Yes, it’s kind of like when Papa went to England.  Only, this trip will last for many more days.”

“How many more?”

“Well, do you remember your birthday in June?  Does that seem like a long time ago?  Uh-huh.  Do you remember Papa’s birthday?  How about when Auntie Heather came to visit, do you remember that?  Good, that was awhile ago, wasn’t it?  Well, think back even more.  Do you remember Benjamin’s birthday?  Yes?  What about when Grandpa came at Valentine’s day?  That sure seems like a long time ago!  But think even further.  Do you remember Christmas, when it snowed on Christmas morning?  You do!  Okay stretch your mind… what about Thanksgiving?  Do you remember that?  When we ate Turkey?  And how about last summer, when Emily and Ethan came to our house, can you remember that…?”

“I think so.  That seems like it was a really long time ago; it’s hard to remember.”

“It does seem like a long time.  It was X months.  And that’s how long Papa will be gone.  He will go to _______, and he will stay for almost many days as the days that have passed since Emily and Ethan were here last summer.  That means when Solomon’s birthday comes, Papa will be gone.  When Christmas comes, Papa will be gone.  When Benjamin’s birthday comes, Papa will be gone.  But do you know what?  When it is almost your birthday, Papa will come home!”

“Will he send us Christmas presents?”

“I hope so!”

“That’s good.  Still, I don’t think I want him to be gone that long.  Does he have to go?”

“He does.  Papa doesn’t want to go, he wants to stay with us, but he has to obey the army and go do his army work.”

“Mama?”

“Yes?”

“Are there people from _______ who are married and have children?”

“Yes, there are, many.”

“Well… if there are people who are married there and have children when they are from that country, do you think Papa could take his family and we could all live there in _______?  We could live there while Papa is working and then when he is done, we could all come home.”

“Oh Sweetie.  I wish we could go with Papa.  But we have to stay here.  So we will stay here and write letters and talk to Papa on the computer and then one wonderful day, Papa will come home!”

“Well, Mama, I kind of wish that if we can’t go to _______, then our whole family would just die.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, if our whole family could just die together, then we’d be in heaven and we would all live together and our family would never, ever, ever have to say goodbye.”

Sigh.

“Mama?”

“Yes?”

“I think I will cry a lot when Papa goes away.  But I think Havilah might cry more, because she will be too little to know that Papa can’t come home at night.  So I might have to be very brave and comfort her.  The boys will cry too, Mama.  But you know what? I think William will just say ‘more please’ and eat his Cheerios because he won’t understand, and that will make us all laugh.  And if he does that, we’ll have to make sure to tell Papa.”

Yes.  Yes we will.