In imitation of “Enoch Arden”

In the pleasant rural neighborhood lived a family.
Rick and Jolene Valenteno were the parents to three children,
Two were healthy and the youngest had polio
And did not have much more time to live on earth.
The family made every second count so every
Sunday evening they would have dinner
With Rick sitting at the head of the table.
Their neighbor, Stephen, would take walks on
Sunday evenings and he walked by one night and
Saw the family having dinner and wished he had that.
During their meal the phone rang, so Rick got up
And answered it. Then he came back to tell Jolene
That he had been called back to fight immediately.
The next morning as Rick was about to leave, Jolene
Gave him a locket with their youngest child’s picture in
It so that when he went off he could remember her forever.

Since Rick has been gone Jolene has been very
Lonely and sad and she prayed everyday he would
Come back safely. Even though Rick wasn’t there
They still had their annual Sunday evening dinners.
It had been about three years since Jolene got
The call that Rick went missing in action.
Stephen, the neighbor, has still continued his
Tradition by walking every Sunday evening, and
Every time he walked he noticed that there was
No one at the head of the table anymore.
Stephen wondered why. So he decided to make them
Dinner instead of taking his walk. Jolene thanked
Him and thought it was so nice that she invited
Him to come in and eat the meal he made with them.

For Stephen this became a regular thing because
It had now been another year since Rick went missing.
Jolene was really happy about how things were
Going with Stephen and the two little ones
Loved him. The children knew that Stephen was
Not their father but they still loved being
Around him all the time. Jolene and Stephen
Had become more than friends having dinner every
Weekend or him playing games with the kids in the
House. Jolene was getting serious about Stephen.
Rick had been gone for several years now and it seemed
Like he was not coming back, so she had to move on.

Even though Rick was not there, Jolene still insisted
On doing Sunday dinners. She got everything
Ready and they all sat down for dinner with
Stephen at the head of the table as they ate.
There was a man that walked by the house
That night and saw Stephen at the head of
The table and remembered how it felt to sit
In that exact seat. Rick was still alive and found his
way home and was now standing in front of his house
Watching another man eat with his family.

As Rick set off, leaving his family with Stephen,
He thought to himself, this is the right choice.
They are happy and that is all that matters.
When Rick left he had no money and now no family.
So he decided to go to the soup kitchen to get some
Food into his body. There he met a girl and after talking
Awhile and telling her his story, he told her to tell his
Wife that he loves her and wishes her the best with everything.