Base to Unit 1...

.
"Base to Unit 1."


Silence.


"Come in Unit 1...."


Silence.


"Base to Unit 1.... Unit 1........... Can you hear me Unit 1?"


.............. Silence............


I miss my dad!


I miss the company.


I miss the hustle and bustle and craziness. I miss the radios and calling units and at the end of the the call saying our call letters, "KWT594 Base clear." I miss ordering parts. And the men. And the commotion. And the crunch. And the bidding. And the suspense waiting to see if we got it. And doing payroll. Though I doubt I'll ever miss paying those taxes. Where do the days go?


Unit 1. It makes me both smile and tear up. 


Unit 1. That was the unit that my daddy answered to. My mind can remember his voice now. "Go ahead," he'd say. Yet sadly, he's not here to answer anymore. The owner and president of his construction company. Well known around these parts. And well respected. My daddy not only departed this earthly sod, but his company no longer exists either. And yet, we still... and always will... still have his memory!


Unit 1. I wonder how many times a day we called him? He (we thought) was indispensable. We couldn't run it or make a decision without him. He was a good man. I miss his voice. I miss his answer. I miss his direction. I miss his truck. I miss him driving it.


Today is my mama's birthday. But she spent it sad. No amount of try-to could cheer her up. She misses her man. She misses base's contact with her "Unit 1." It's been 8 months and 4 days and she still can't figure out how to do life without him.
.