My son enlisted without telling me.

 

PART 2 👇

To understand I did not decide to sit down. My legs just made the call without me. Five weeks. Daniel had told me in June he was picking up extra hours. Going to be hard to reach. Don't worry if he didn't call much. I'd been leaving him little texts. He'd been answering them. Busy day, love you ma. From basic training. From a bunk somewhere I couldn't picture. He enlisted. I said, it wasn't a question. I was just saying the word out loud to see if it would fit in my mouth. Yes ma'am. Back in May. Then, quieter, and I could hear him choosing this. He didn't tell you. No. I said, he did not. And here's the part I'll never forget. Because this big drill sergeant voice just, he goes, okay, okay ma'am, hang on. I heard him cover the phone, I heard him say muffled Alvarez, front and center, and then a shuffle, and then a voice I have made and fed and driven to the emergency room at two in the morning, a voice I know better than my own, says, ma, I couldn't talk for a second. Ma, I can explain, five weeks Daniel, I know, you told me about extra shifts, I know ma, I know, I didn't, I couldn't I couldn't figure out how to say it. Every time I was gonna tell you I chickened out and then it got too close and then I just, I left. His voice cracked right down the middle. I'm sorry, I didn't want you to talk me out of it. I wouldn't have talked you out of it, I said. Which was a lie. And we both knew it was a lie and somehow that made it okay. Then Drill Sergeant Pruitt's voice comes back on and he's clearly taken the phone back. Ma'am, I'm gonna be straight with you. I don't normally do this. I have never done this. But your boy asked me to look up your number three separate times and lost his nerve. And today I got tired of watching it, so I dialed it myself and handed it to him. The empanadas were a cover story. I needed a reason to call that wouldn't scare you to death you said 40 men wanted my empanadas that part's true ma'am he talks about them constantly it's a morale issue at this point i laughed i don't know where it came from i was crying and laughing at the same time standing in my kitchen with the towel still in my hand family day is in two weeks pruitt said third saturday there's a form i'll have him mail it to you tonight tonight ma'am i'll stand over him while he does it you come see your son graduate i'll come good then that voice went soft one more time just barely he's doing real well ma'am i wasn't gonna say that in front of him but he does it. You come see your son graduate. I'll come. Good. Then that voice went soft one more time, just barely. He's doing real well, ma'am. I wasn't gonna say that in front of him, but he is. I heard Daniel in the background go, wait, what'd she say? Is she coming? And Pruitt, away from the phone, not unkind. Alvarez, she's coming. Now go to bed. Then to me, back to business. Ma'am, one more thing before I let you go. Yes? Bring the empanadas.