Consequences
by Sapper18
Copyright© 2019 by Sapper18
The tickets went unused and the hotel suite stayed empty. Phone calls went straight to voice-mail.
My wife, our two kids and my parents did not attend my unit’s redeployment ceremony at Fort Stewart, Georgia. Fifteen months in Iraq, seven months since I last saw them on my mid-deployment leave. I talked to them over a week ago from Kuwait confirming their attendance and my love. My wife had mentioned ‘payback’ before hanging up. Now, nothing. Have to think about this.
Put on a happy face. Stood through the speeches by the pols and stars, handed out the awards and decorations, received a few, dismissed the troops. Shook a few hands, gave a few hugs and that was that. No-one from the rear detachment had seen or heard from my family in over a month. Strange.
Got a room in the VOQ for the night, being an O-5 has some benefits. Set up an appointment with the post PAC’s deputy commander, a GS-13 I have known since I was a 2LT, for the following morning.
Nothing good came out of the meeting except sympathy. The wife had my duly notarized, authorized, legal unrestricted power-of-attorney on file and in-hand, and she used it. Called the bank – accounts and safety deposit box emptied. Cars sold. Boat sold. The main house in Sunbury, sold. The vacation cabin in Boone, NC, sold. Whole Life insurance policies borrowed against. Credit cards max’ed out. Wife, kids and dogs, gone. Well now.
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