Day One - continued

11:30 AM Kuwaiti Time


Carol got through on the phone. That was hard. We were both crying at the end. How brave am I expected to be? Crying is not related to bravery anyway, not in my book. I've heard it takes a really brave man to show his emotions. For now, I'm safe, and my family at least has that much information. Don't worry. I told Carol don't worry. What a joke. We didn't talk long (I'll regret that later). I didn't want to tie up the phone lines (unselfish to the end). I was actually concerned with leaving communication lines open for the Kuwaiti government. It was the middle of the night for Carol. That must've been a terrible way to get woken up. Claudette was the first to get through on the phone to her mother in Mount Clemens, and told her to call George's wife and mine. Poor Carol. I hope that call is the hardest thing I'll have to go through for a long while. Carol was wide awake and alert. Amazing. For her it was 4:30 in the morning. She received her call from Claudette's mother only a half hour before, and was dialing Kuwait ever since.

Laughs. Nervous laughs. What else could we do? I am sipping a little scotch on the rocks. For "medicinal purposes" as Carol's dad used to say. I hate scotch. A cold beer would be welcome right now. I really feel that that would be acceptable in God's eyes too. God. Has my life served your purpose? Probably not. Are my sins forgiven? Yes. Lord I pray you will guide me home, one way or another, that I may hold my wife, my children, once again. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

Many people would probably not believe that I look to God daily. With that, I can be calm. The verse from Hebrews? "What can man do to me?" Pain may hurt this body, may rip at my soul, but there is greater glory. Enough.

We are at Bob's, shooting pool. Do you believe it, shooting pool? Bob is Mario's neighbor and boss. He is a Canadian. Bob says he could use a beer, a cold Miller. I would prefer some Labatt's Extra Stock myself. Bob points out that alcohol may be a positive outcome of this invasion; the Iraqi’s allow beer in their country. I still want out of here. Wouldn't delay that for a six pack. How the mind wanders.

The grocery store. George, Sylvia & I are dropped off at one market. Mario, John & Claudette go to another. The market is crowded with Kuwaiti's, all loading whatever they could. Everybody seemed relatively calm, but there was a definite urgency to their efforts. George had a cart, Sylvie & I had a cart. What to grab? Liquids. Grab juice. We all brought whatever bottles of water we had from the hotel. Canned goods. Get canned goods. Peaches. I remember the old war movies, what a luxury item canned peaches were. Would it come to that? Would we all be huddled in the dark eating rations of canned goods? I call dibs on the peaches.