The Word Cloud

       He knew they would be there for him when he got home. Kelly, with her auburn hair that gleamed in the moonlight,he could almost see it now in the morphine induced fog he was floating in. The sound of gunfire and artillery seemed distant now, and he drifted out. The flight home was full of moaning soldiers,and the clank and clatter of stainless steel on the plane's interior-heard now and then over the droning hum of engines. He slept,fitfully,when the drugs were working-he screamed mindlessly when they were not. Often he saw the last moments of his friends life spilled across the walls of his mind,as the Viet Cong stormed into their hideout,and Jeff was disembowled. Often Jeff's eyes turned into Kelly's,and Jeff's entrails into their unborn child,pouring out on the jungle floor.
     Kelly seemed so happy to see him at first,and she and the baby were beautiful and perfect,bathed in the San Diego sunlight. He was so relieved to be in his modest ranch, in the suburbs, thanks to the 4 years he had served in Nam. At least he had done that for his family,his perfect family. There was only one problem-HE had not come home from the war intact. And Kelly knew it. When he woke up pouring sweat and squealing like a frightened kitten,she looked away. Or got out of bed and left the room,without a word,leaving him there with his loss. With his lack.What should he do? How could he keep her from slipping away,and taking the child? 
     Finally they talked about the  monster in the room,and it was decided that he would get help,counseling. It was all the rage in Hollywood with the actors-maybe it could bring Paul back,Kelly thought. Paul just wasn't the same,she said,he wouldn't TALK to her.So he agreed,maybe it would help with the visions of the night. And it was ALL about his family,about Kelly. She was what he lived for,and now their daughter was 5,and he loved her. He would go.
     The rabbits really helped. They were the doctors idea,well, one was. He said it would help Paul to feel again. He felt,the soft fur,their whispering breath on his hand.He felt.He had to have more rabbits-he thought his heart would burst with the fur,the brown eyes,the wriggling noses,the whiskers.He loved again! He couldn't wait to share all these things with Kelly and the girl. He had a new bunny for the girl,too,a white one,albino like she had asked for. He'd take it up to the kitchen and put a bow on it,and wait for them there.
    Kelly and the girl went every week to the riding academy,both were fine riders. Life was basically lived without Paul,he was like a sofa that was always home but never sat in,and their lives were full of activities that didn't include him. Today was the same,only better,because Kelly had met the riding instructor in the tack room,and finally had taken the ride she had really been wanting,while the girl was out on the trails. The mother and child cleaned themselves up for the ride home,and talked about what they wanted for dinner. As they drove the 7 miles to Lincoln,the rain began to fall in thin sheets across the road,and Kelly switched the wipers on. I wonder what Daddy is doing?she heard the girl say before she felt the impact of the Hum Vee as it slid across the centerline at 78 miles an hour. 
    Paul saw the state trooper's lips moving-but he didn't hear a sound. He just handed him an albino rabbit and said "See ya Jeff..." as he walked slowly and deliberately down the walkway towards the street. Turning left onto Hartwood Avenue,he never stopped at all,even when he came to the tracks-just walking...walking...