him. I donât even want to celebrate. I donât even want a Christmas tree.
The reason is, itâs hard to have fun when at that same moment he might be in the middle of a battle. I could be laughing and singing and right at that moment, he could be getting shot or bombed, or maybe heâs hurt or scared. Why should I have fun when heâs not?
I donât tell him how I feel because I donât want him to feel bad and start crying. Once he called when we were having dinner. Mom had cooked all this great Hispanic food and we were stuffing our faces. Dad called and said all heâd had to eat that day was a hot dog. I worry that heâs going to starve to death. We send him Hispanic food that he can cook for himself over there. I hope they let him cook it. He has to eat!
My dadâs been in the army for eleven years. I was only two when we moved from Puerto Rico. First we lived in Texas, in Fort Hood, where my brother was born. Then we moved to Germany for three years. I didnât like it there. I remember only two places to eat out, pizza and Burger King, and I donât like either of those kinds of food. I like rice.
Germany was really hard for my mother. She didnât know how to speak either English or German, only Spanish. Mybrother and I were sick all the time in Germany because we werenât used to the cold. He got a lot of fevers, and I had salmonella and bronchitis. I remember a lot of ear pain. Maybe thatâs why I donât like Germany. Dad spoke English but he was always away on training. Heâd be gone for weeks, and Mom was stuck on base with two sick children and no way to get help. So she taught herself English by watching the air force channel on TV. She said it was dull, but it was the only English channel we could get.
We traveled around a bit, when we werenât sick, to Italy and around Germany. That was fine. A lot of it was very beautiful, but I think I was too young to appreciate it properly.
We were in Germany when September 11 happened. The whole base was locked down. Dad had to work for two straight days without a break.
After Germany, we were sent to Oklahoma. Two weeks after we got there, our house was broken into and our stuff was stolen.
So we havenât had it easy. Mom got really sad sometimes. She said she missed Puerto Rico, she missed her old life, and her new life was too hard and lonely. She said there were times when she just wanted to jump out the window, but sheâd never do that because she loves us too much. She doesnât handle it well when Dadâs gone. I know she misses him, and she doesnât like all the moving.
My brother and I, when we move, wherever we move to, thereâs always school, so we can get on with our lives, but itâs not so easy for Mom. In Oklahoma she worked as a teacherâs assistant for special ed kids, but here in North Carolina there are no jobs for her.
Weâve been here about a year, since Dad is stationed in Fort Bragg when heâs not overseas. We donât live on post, although we go there to do our shopping at the commissary and go tomovies since we get military discount. Mom bought a house for us that Dad hasnât seen yet. She wants him to come home on leave so he can say sheâs made a good choice. She knows she has, but itâs a big decision, buying a house, and sheâd like him to like it.
I saw her crying the other day. She tried to hide it from me, but I saw. I know sheâs having problems with the army around getting Dadâs pay. There are some forms that need fixing, I donât know what, exactly, but it worries her because she doesnât know where to go to get help. Maybe thatâs why she was crying.
My little brother sometimes gets into these crying spells where he just cries and cries until he gets drained of all his tears. Heâll climb into my lap and say, âI miss Daddy,â and âI want Daddy back!â I tell him it
The reason is, itâs hard to have fun when at that same moment he might be in the middle of a battle. I could be laughing and singing and right at that moment, he could be getting shot or bombed, or maybe heâs hurt or scared. Why should I have fun when heâs not?
I donât tell him how I feel because I donât want him to feel bad and start crying. Once he called when we were having dinner. Mom had cooked all this great Hispanic food and we were stuffing our faces. Dad called and said all heâd had to eat that day was a hot dog. I worry that heâs going to starve to death. We send him Hispanic food that he can cook for himself over there. I hope they let him cook it. He has to eat!
My dadâs been in the army for eleven years. I was only two when we moved from Puerto Rico. First we lived in Texas, in Fort Hood, where my brother was born. Then we moved to Germany for three years. I didnât like it there. I remember only two places to eat out, pizza and Burger King, and I donât like either of those kinds of food. I like rice.
Germany was really hard for my mother. She didnât know how to speak either English or German, only Spanish. Mybrother and I were sick all the time in Germany because we werenât used to the cold. He got a lot of fevers, and I had salmonella and bronchitis. I remember a lot of ear pain. Maybe thatâs why I donât like Germany. Dad spoke English but he was always away on training. Heâd be gone for weeks, and Mom was stuck on base with two sick children and no way to get help. So she taught herself English by watching the air force channel on TV. She said it was dull, but it was the only English channel we could get.
We traveled around a bit, when we werenât sick, to Italy and around Germany. That was fine. A lot of it was very beautiful, but I think I was too young to appreciate it properly.
We were in Germany when September 11 happened. The whole base was locked down. Dad had to work for two straight days without a break.
After Germany, we were sent to Oklahoma. Two weeks after we got there, our house was broken into and our stuff was stolen.
So we havenât had it easy. Mom got really sad sometimes. She said she missed Puerto Rico, she missed her old life, and her new life was too hard and lonely. She said there were times when she just wanted to jump out the window, but sheâd never do that because she loves us too much. She doesnât handle it well when Dadâs gone. I know she misses him, and she doesnât like all the moving.
My brother and I, when we move, wherever we move to, thereâs always school, so we can get on with our lives, but itâs not so easy for Mom. In Oklahoma she worked as a teacherâs assistant for special ed kids, but here in North Carolina there are no jobs for her.
Weâve been here about a year, since Dad is stationed in Fort Bragg when heâs not overseas. We donât live on post, although we go there to do our shopping at the commissary and go tomovies since we get military discount. Mom bought a house for us that Dad hasnât seen yet. She wants him to come home on leave so he can say sheâs made a good choice. She knows she has, but itâs a big decision, buying a house, and sheâd like him to like it.
I saw her crying the other day. She tried to hide it from me, but I saw. I know sheâs having problems with the army around getting Dadâs pay. There are some forms that need fixing, I donât know what, exactly, but it worries her because she doesnât know where to go to get help. Maybe thatâs why she was crying.
My little brother sometimes gets into these crying spells where he just cries and cries until he gets drained of all his tears. Heâll climb into my lap and say, âI miss Daddy,â and âI want Daddy back!â I tell him it
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