Not Without Hope

by Anonymous

PART 1
How is he doing?
The short answer is he’s fine, he’s adjusting.
The long answer is he never lets his guard down.
He trusts no one.
He circles a concrete yard with no trees.
He eats potatoes, boiled, baked and mashed.
Only water is provided, no sugary foods.
He has lost 30 pounds.
In the upper bunk, he fears he could fall to the concrete floor.
Every time he turns over he wakes himself so he does not fall.
For fifteen minutes a day he can call his wife and son.
He says I love you at the end of each call.
Someday he will be home.
He counts the weeks, the months, the years
He is not without hope.

PART 2
How am I doing?
The short answer, is I’m fine, I’m adjusting.
The long answer is that I’m no longer depressed.
I feel better when I can do something for him.
Once a month I transfer money by Western Union.
Once a week I mail him a letter or paperback book.
Once every 4-6 weeks I visit him.
It’s a 300-mile drive, mostly highway.
I stay in a hotel that offers a 20% discount for visiting families.
We have four hours on Saturday to talk.
At the end of each visit I say I love you.
I wait for my son to come home.
I count the weeks, the months, the years.
I am not without hope.