Here I am sitting in the little white Toyota, moms driving. Dads sitting in the passenger seat of the car. I know he’s leaving but he’s been telling me about it all week. I guess just getting me ready for when it happens. We have been driving for a good four hours now. But it looks like we’re pulling in a parking lot full of other cars. At the same time I see a bus pulling in the lot from the other entrance area. It’s a huge pretty nice looking bus; it’s white and has blue and red strips, with a huge gray dog on the side. By the words on the side of the bus I read the name Greyhound. Dad suddenly interrupts my thoughts,
“Hey kiddo it’s time for daddy to get ready and leave” now he’s climbing out the front seat and getting his big black duffle bag out the trunk. He shuts the trunk and through the back glass window. I stare into his eyes; he can tell I’m upset probly just as well as I can see that he is also. But he’s really not acting like it.
He speaks up “kiddo how about I get a hug” I jump out the back seat and hug him. I squeeze him with all my might for as long as I can tell he says,
“Let go bud I’m going to be late for the bus” he says with a voice trying to cheer me up.
He waves his hand at mom. And she knows what he means; mom gets out the car and grabs me. He picks his bag up and throws the straps on his shoulders, and one gives a last goodbye to me and mom. He starts heading for the bus, I’m screaming at him “Dad don’t leave me”. But he acts like he can’t hear me. When I know he can because everybody’s looking at mom and me like she’s murdering me. We are sitting in the car watching him go. He starts climbing the steps of the bus. I’m trying to yell as loud as I can. Then with in about two minutes after he’s on the bus it pulls off. We pull out of the parking lot right after the bus. The whole way home I’m crying my eyes out!

Now I’m awake lying in bed after a rough night. I didn’t even know mom put me to bed. She’s going to take me to Grandma and Grandpa Albert’s, dad’s parents. So I get ready and sit in the car, and off we go. I arrive at Grandma’s and the whole Albert family is there. My Grandma and Grandpa try cheering me up. I guess by explaining why he left and what he’s doing. Grandpa has never been much of a talker. So he just sits and listens to grandma tell me. She starts off by saying. He went to go help other people. I don’t see how that’s helping me. He could have stayed and helped me by being my father. Grandma continues he’s been shipped to Japan as a Marine. To help Japan’s police force. At the time Japan was having trouble keeping criminals under control. So I’m told. So as I’m crying grandma knows I’m upset, and she knows it’s because I don’t have a dad in my life now. So she starts saying think of Grandpa or Uncle Todd as Dad. But that’s not what I want. We all sit at the dinner table eating in silence. I’m pretty sure thinking the same thing. Wanting to tell my dad we had it with you and you career. I’m six years old and it 1999 and he’s gone.
Two years go by with no father.
It’s now 2001, June 28th. I’m heading to Chicago to get my dad. I’m so excited. We get to the airport and wait for the plane to land. All of a sudden on the intercom the announcer says all family members of the returning solders please report to some outdoor area. I forget what it was called. So all the different families are lined up and then the airplane pulls up. Solders start coming down the plane steps there’s probly fifty or more. Then BOOM! There’s my Dad. Oh my has he changed he looks older and is bigger as in muscle. I take off sprinting towards him he sees me and opens his arms and I leap onto him. He hugs me and home we go.
Now we’re all at home we go to the Fourth of July family party together. And dad takes me to second grade the first time he has ever got to take me to school since he missed my kindergarten and first grade. School goes on and enjoying time with dad is amazing until Tuesday, September 11, 2001, When the World Trade Center’s went down. I was in school that day and guess what. My dad had to help, and work called him in. and I didn’t know this tell after school when he was already gone. I cried my heart out. It was another week or so before he got to come home. It wasn’t soon after that he was gone again due to us the U.S. declaring war on Iraq. So I was once again left by my Dad, for another two years. He came back and said he was done with the Marines. But he was once again leaving me because him and mom were fighting, so they decided get a divorce. So my dad said sorry kiddo but I’m moving to Florida I got offered a job to become a deputy sheriff at Palm Beach County. So he packs up and says bye. Once again he left me this time I’m ten years old. Once I turn eleven I decide I want to live in Florida with my dad. Until I start missing my mom and move out the summer that I’m sixteen. Now I live with mom and go to school somewhere new once again without a dad.