In Remembrance

         Robert Mason leaned the ladder against the house and climbed up.

         Emily nervously watched her father working on the rooftop. "Dad, will you please come down from there?"

         "As soon as I get this flag put up!"

         "Why does it have to be up there? You have a perfectly good flag pole out front."

         "I want it up here."

         "But then you have to go up again and take it down. Why isn't the flag pole good enough?”

         “This is a special occasion."

         "Please come down. Let Gary do it!"

          " You know why I want to fly the flag high today and tomorrow. Casey and I were the last ones left of our squad. Now he's gone which leaves just me. Soon all of us will be gone and then who will even remember our time and what we did back then?"

         "So you want to fly the flag for Mr. Casey?"

         "Listen, you wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for him. He saved my life! He's the reason I came home from that war. He's the reason I had a life and a family. There. How does that look?”

         "It looks fine, Daddy. Now please come down!" She stood looking up while her father, stood on the ridgepole, saluted the flag. At the same time he saluted his old friend.

         She was very relieved to see him climb safely to the ground.

         He picked up the old duffle bag from the grass by the front steps.

         "I'll put the flag back in this bag after I take it down. We brought it all the way back from Germany in '45. Casey sent it to me when they told him he didn't have long to live. When my turn comes, this is the flag I want on the lid."

300 words