gonna cut my hair. I was growin' it out for about two years. Man, my mamma hated my long hair. She cried with joy when she saw me for the first time at my boot camp graduation."

"Oh yeah?" Teddy chuckled. "Mine too." Teddy was caught off guard. Someone who now looks homeless, was, at one point in time, a well groomed solider.

"How long you been in young man?"

"Two years now. How about you? You do your four years?"

The poorly groomed stranger stared straight ahead and sipped his coffee. He thought for a moment. "Oh 'bout 10 years, I guess. 'Til my daughter came along at the end of '78."

"Wow. Ten years. I don't know if I'll be in ten years from now."

"Well, young man, the military is different today. And the system is more political, if you ask me."

Teddy smiled. "You got that right. Are you heading home to see your daughter for Christmas?"

The stranger shook his head and gave a long sigh. "No son. I wish I was. Wish I could." He paused and sighed. "My daughter died 'bout seven years ago. Killed by a drunk driver."

"Wow, I'm sorry."

"It's hard every year 'round this time. I used to work for the bus lines as a mechanic. Sometimes even as a driver. That's one good thing about the military. They train ya for everything. I was working overtime as a driver on Christmas Eve when I got the phone call that my wife and daughter were killed on the way to a holiday party. Things have been hard for me ever since. You must have noticed my appearance."

Teddy's face reddened and he was suddenly ashamed for being so superficial. He bowed his head so the man couldn't see his embarrassment.

"Once my girls died, I had to pay for their burial. Wiped me out. I became a complete emotional mess and I lost my job. They don't let crazies drive or repair buses. Everything has just kind of snowballed. Tried to sue the driver, who killed my wife and daughter, just so that I could get by until I could get myself back on track. Those damn PA tort laws. I wasn't allowed under PA law to sue her. I had no income and my medical bills and attorney fees were building. I lost everything."

"You're from PA?"

"Hazelton."

"Hazelton! That's no more than an hour from Scranton! Why didn't you say something?" For the first time, Teddy looked at the man in his eyes. They were soft, kind, eyes, the color of chicory that grew wild, in the summertime, in Pennsylvania meadows.

"Well no offense, but you didn't seem that interested. Don't

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