living dead “Home from war”
By Mary Looney


Its hard having a military husband, its been three years now that William has been over seas. Lucy our daughter just had her fifth birthday and the only way they get to see each other is through webcam, pictures and letters its hard for me so see the hurt in Williams eyes when he sees how big she’s gotten.

Lucy asks me every day mommy when is daddy is coming home, how do you explain to a child that you don’t know when daddy will come home and when he does come home it may be in a casket.

I hadn’t been home long from taking Lucy to her first day of school when I got a knock on the door, it was a uniformed officer with yellow Western Union envelope and also he held a envelope containing a letter from William that he hadn’t yet mailed it was a bithday card for Lucy.

Hello can I help you I asked, are you Mrs. Berry “yes” I replied with tears starting to wail up in my eyes, I knew exactly why this officer was at my door, my husband was dead.

Ma’am I am sorry for your loss I now present you with this letter, your husbands body will be here tomorrow and the funeral will be discussed at your convenience.
Thank you I said through sobs, I cant believe this we just spoke to William two days ago and now he is dead.
After closing the front door I slowly made my way to the kitchen table, opening the envelope hot tears still streaming my face I pulled out the card that William had made for Lucy it was pink with a pretty white flower on the front that said daddy’s little princess is turning five, on the inside he had glued a picture of him holding her after she was born.

How was I going to tell Lucy that her daddy is gone forever but he will live on in our hearts and memories.

Ring ring
Ring ring

I jumped at the sound of the phone ringing I thought it would be Williams mother calling because she would have just heard about her son and was wanting to make sure I was doing okay, but the name that came up was for the morgue, maybe Martha was already there. I grabbed a tissue and wiped my runny nose then I answered the phone, hello Martha … Martha?
Silence is all I got from the other end of the line then moaning ah okay who is this I demanded, then from the other end the voice whispered “William.”

that’s not funny William died at war so please just tell me who this is or im going to hang up the phone, once again the voice whispered William, I slammed the phone down and broke out in tears again, the back of the phone and the phone battery both were laying on the kitchen floor.

I put the phone back together and dialed Williams mother Martha, hello um I guess that you’ve heard about William I ah I really don’t know how to tell lucy and I was just wondering If she could stay over for the weekend.


After picking up lucy I told her that I was taking her to her grandma Martha’s house for the weekend, she smiled and giggled.