Chapter 2: Going Home
About two hours later we landed on the U.S.S Johnson. This was a famous Aircraft carrier because it has been through two wars and the fighter aircraft team named the jolly wrenches.
"Welcome to the Johnson. You will be boarding a C-130 and heading back to the state Missouri and I believe that we will be landing in the airport of Springfield" Admiral Shane Asher stated.
"Thank you Admiral" Crosby stated.
"You two have served us very well… so I hope you enjoy your time home" Admiral Shane stated.
When we got onto the C-130 it started to turn on and idle the engines. After about ten minutes of system checks and what other check they needed to make we started to move.
10 Hours Later
We were about to land and the pilot came in over the intercom.
"Thank you for riding Hercules Airways and we hope you have a wonderful time being state side" The pilot stated.
We got off the plane and I stayed close to Crosby and then he saw Dawn and ran to her, I just walked by them and Crosby grabbed me and pulled me into the hug they had going.
A marine started a circle and asked for everyone to gather around him. Everyone started to form a bigger circle and he connected hands with his friends and everyone else connected hands.
"Dear Lord… today we are blessed that you have allowed us to come home in one piece. Tonight as we spend time with our families please look over our brothers and sister… our mothers and fathers over in foreign countries fighting for our freedom, and lord… look over the families whose mother, father, sister, brother, son, daughter didn't come home. We ask you to take care of our family up there with you as you took care of us down here. In Jesus's name we pray… Amen" The Solider stated.
We all hugged and we all said our good-byes to each other. When we all left four guys followed me because the four of them lived on the same street and I would be going right passed the road so I said I would drop them off.
I then remember that someone left here for me when I got back. It was in a garage and I had a key to the garage. When I walked over to it I put the key in the garage and lifted up the garage door and saw a 2018 SS Chevy Camaro
"Woah… nice car" Lieutenant McCoy stated.
"Thanks" I stated.
We all got into the car and I started it up. I put the car in drive and started off. The highest ranking officer Frontline Infantry General Shaggy Atkins was looking around.
"I remember when Springfield was a small town and not a huge city" Shaggy stated.
"So Commander-
"You can call me Crystal, Night anything but commander" I stated.
"Okay Crystal… where do you live" Private Johnathan Azalea stated.
"I live in the small town of Arcadia Missouri" I stated.
"You have quite a drive" Shaggy stated.
"Yeah" I said turning on to a street in a neighborhood.
I pulled into a drive way and a little boy and girl came running out when Shaggy got out. He ran to the kids and hugged them and the kids were crying. Then the wife came out and she saw me in the driver seat and smiled.
She came over to me and I rolled the window down. She bent down in a form like she wanted to talk to me. I turned my head to talk to her.
"May I ask your name" the wife asked.
"I am Crystal T. Night" I stated.
"How old are you" she asked.
"I am eight-teen years old" I stated.
"Thank you for getting him home" she stated.
"No problem Mrs. Keith" I stated.
"Hey guys why don't you come and join us for dinner" Shaggy asked.
"Yeah sure" McCoy stated.
"Okay" Johnathan stated.
"I'll join for dinner" Garth stated.
"What about you Crystal" Shaggy asked.
"I'd love to… but I have someone at home that doesn't know I'm in town yet and I would like to surprise him" I stated.
"Okay… well tell Foley I say hi then" Shaggy stated.
"I will" I stated while I put the car in reverse.
"You are going to come and visit us right" Mrs. Keith asked.
"Sure" I stated.
They all waved to me as I was leaving and I waved back to the guys.
"Well this is going to be fun a six hour drive home" I said to myself.
I put my turned on the radio and I turned it to the radio station 93.3 and I heard a song that I haven't heard for a while. It was the song "What About Now" by the group Daughtry.
I turned onto Highway 71 and started heading north. The first town I passed by was small. Its' name was Bolivar and I saw a few fast food restaurants.
When I got outside the town of Bolivar I caught up to another car that looked familiar and I realized who it was. It was Crosby and Dawn. My radio started tuning out and then I heard a ring coming from it, I hit the call button on the steering wheel.
"Hello" I stated.
"Hey honey" Dawn stated.
"Where are you head Crystal" Crosby asked.
"Arcadia… What about you" I asked.
"Hey we are heading that way too" Dawn stated.
"Cool well hey if you want to I have to stop in Pittsburg and get gas because I am low on fuel" I stated.
"Okay… hey we have someone for you to meet that you have never met before" Dawn stated.
"Okay" I stated.
After about ten minutes of talking we pulled into the gas station of Bullseye and I was at pump number two. Crosby pulled into pump number one and then he and Dawn got out of their car and then she went and opened the back of their car and she pulled out a boy who looked to be five and he looked at me.
"Hey Jack remember the woman we told you about" Dawn asked.
"Aunt Crystal" He asked.
"Yes" Dawn stated.
I just smiled that's when I saw that little boy look at me, he then smiled and ran to me. He hugged my legs until I bend down and picked him up.
"What is your name little one" I asked.
"J-Jack" He said.
"Nice to meet you Jack… I'm am Crystal Texas Night" I stated.
He smiled at me then I put him on the ground and he ran back to dawn. She took him inside of Bullseye and then I looked at Crosby.
"So when did Jack get adopted" I asked.
"Last year" Crosby stated.
"He's cute" I stated.
"Yeah, it just sucks at what happened to him" Crosby stated.
"What happened" I asked.
"He was kidnapped and then when his parents went to pay the ransom they were killed… that is basically his story in a nut shell" Crosby stated.
"Wow… I-I uh have to go in a pay" I stated.
"Okay" Crosby stated.
I walked inside and started looking around for something to drink. When I got to the section I was looking for I opened the door and grabbed a blue Gatorade and got in line.
I was just about to pay and someone tapped me on the shoulder. It was a man that looked to be in his late thirties and I put my stuff on the counter for the woman to scan.
"When did you get back from where you were stationed" He asked.
"Today… heading to Arcadia" I stated.
"That will be twenty-four dollars and forty-six cents"
I looked over to the woman and pulled out my wallet and handed her a twenty dollar bill and a five dollar bill. The woman's name tag said Angie.
"So is the camaro yours" Angie asked.
"Yeah" I stated.
"Cool… who bought it for you" Angie asked.
"I think my dad… he called me one night and said that when I would get dropped off in Springfield that I need to look in a garage… I think it was a birthday present" I stated.
"Night… we are leaving let's go" Crosby yelled.
"Uhh brothers" I stated.
"Yeah… are you-
"No… just considered brother and sister for how well we act around each other" I stated.
"Ahh" Angie stated.
"Well… have a good day" I stated.
"You too" Angie stated back to me.
When I got to my car Jack saw me a started waving to me. I waved back to him and we got back onto the road. We talked for hours and it became night when we got into the city limits of Arcadia.
The radio cut out and a phone started ringing and I hit the answer button on the steering wheel. Before I could say hello I yawned.
"Hello" I stated after I yawned.
"Well after the next light we are going to turn right you can come and spend the night and surprise your dad at his breakfast tomorrow morning" Dawn stated.
"Yeah that sounds good" I stated.
I followed Crosby and Dawn home and I pulled into the drive way after them, I shut my car off and got out. I stretched and dawn had Jack in her arms and went to the front door, Crosby was in front of Dawn and unlocked the door and they went in.
"Well the guest room is on the right… we will be leaving around ten a.m. tomorrow morning… if you want to I talked to the owner and he said that you can surprise your dad by serving our food to us because he sits with us" Dawn stated.
"Okay" I stated.
"Well we are going to head to bed now" Crosby stated.
"Okay" I said.
We all were going to bed and I opened the door to the guest room and changed into different cloths.
The next morning
I awoke to the sound of laughter… I looked at my aviators watch to see that it is nine in the morning. I got up and got dressed into my desert fatigues and got ready to leave.
"Good morning" Crosby stated.
"Good morning to you too" I stated.
"Did you sleep well" Dawn asked.
"First time in a while that I have gotten to sleep fully through the night, normally I have to get up and start a perimeter check around midnight" I stated.
We all got into our cars and we headed to the Wildwood Kitchen. My radio was up like normal then it quieted down and I hit the answer button on the steering wheel.
"Hey are you going to give your father his food" Dawn asked.
"Well… I was thinking and that I would surprise him by just sitting across from him and let him figure out that I'm home" I stated.
"Good Idea" Crosby stated.
After we got to the Wildwood Kitchen I parked my car in the back and walked to the front and went inside. I sat down right across from the table that Foley and Crosby's family sits,
"Good morning… can I help you ma'am" the Waiter asked.
I looked on the name tag he was wearing and his name was Evan Sky. He was a German Sheppard and he was about six two… he was kinda cute he looked to be close to the age of nineteen.
"So I think I will have what Johnathan Foley has every morning" I stated.
"Okay Ms. Night" Evan stated.
"Please call me Crystal" I stated.
"Okay your coffee will be here shortly" Evan stated.
I saw a Toyota Supra that was all black and red racing stripes going down the middle of the car. When I saw Foley get out of his car I picked up a newspaper and acted like I was reading it. I heard the bell at the door open and I saw him looking around and he came over by the table across from me.
"Good morning Mr. Johnathan are you going to have your usual" Evan asked.
"Yes please" Foley stated.
Evan left and when to the kitchen and Crosby, Dawn and Jack came and Jack sat by Foley and gave Foley a hug.
"Hi grandpa" Jack stated.
"Hi Jack" Foley stated with a smile on his face.
"Hey dad… you should look to your right and see who is smiling to you" Crosby stated.
When Crosby said that Foley looked to me and started blinking and then stood up and I stood up and he embraced me in a hug and I felt a tear hit my shoulder. That's when people started cheering.
After everything settled down Jack was sitting between Foley and I. We were just talking and having fun being back together. Jack was sitting laughing at some of the things we would say.
Evan came back and gave us our bill and I got to it first and pulled it back to me and put my credit card on the pad that was holding the bill and Evan took the bill and card to go and pay for it.
"Well guys we got to get Jack Enrolled in school and then go and get his school supplies" Dawn stated.
"Yeah I got to get Crystal into high school" Foley stated.
"What" I asked.
"General Mark Linen called and said that you need to complete the senor year or they can't help back you up in the future" Foley stated.
I looked at Foley with a blank stare and he looked back at me with a stern look.
"You know that is not going to work… you're… I'm going to make you fear me look" Foley stated.
Dawn and Crosby smiled to us and said their goodbyes and I hug Jack and then I shook Crosby hands. Dawn gave me a hug and I drove behind Foley to our house.