For Love of Country - Military Policewoman www.silvaredigonda.ca

“Cheers were brief, before Chris barked, “You almost demolished my car!” The laughter began and we continued to travel along the lonely highway in good spirits. After about an hour of driving without realizing we were going in circles, we decided to stop at a country restaurant. As we proceeded into the parking lot, we saw what seemed to be the same truck. There could not be two of the same monster trucks in the area. We decided to leave quickly, back to familiar territory. As we drove away trying to find a main highway back to Toronto, we spotted a lone police cruiser off a dirt road. We decided to stop and ask for directions. The policeman was about our age, twenty-one or twenty-two. He began to talk about youths who frequented the wooded area and asked us to join him, to see if anyone was in the area. We obliged. We walked down a wooded path and into a clearing. Trees surrounded us, and the only lighting was provided by the moon. I understood why the policeman had asked us to join him. It was eerie. The policeman spoke of a woman’s body that had been found that spring, in these very woods. The cause of death had not been determined. Not much had been found. We walked back to our vehicles and exchanged farewells with the policeman. He stood by his vehicle and watched us leave. We returned to familiar grounds – the city. The following two days I spent shopping for new clothes and visiting more friends. Thursday, Sally and I went to the firm for our pay cheques and then went to the local bar where we had a drink with our boss and several investigators, all retired policemen. We heard about ancient cases, and I was given an extensive lecture about being a military policewoman. It consisted mostly of how and when to get drunk on duty. Sally and I departed after several hours. I brought Sam his pay cheque, but did not have time to stop and talk. I had an appointment. At the salon, I sat staring at what was left of my hair. It was so short. As I stared blankly at my reflection, the words of the recruiter pierced my soul. She had been rough. Excerpt From: Silva Redigonda. “For love of country : military policewoman.