Don't Leave Until The Job is Complete.

It was still twilight outside.
Windows open, the wail woke me. And then it got louder. And louder. And louder.
No question, they're coming down our street.
I listened as the sound of a big truck passed our house.

And then the sound of another siren approached and passed.
And then another. Something really BIG was going on down the street.
I got up, slipped on sandals and a light jacket, went downstairs, opened the garage door, and sat in my lawn chair to watch this event unfold.

Soon, the sound of another siren. This time it was a pumper from the community immediately South of ours. So many emergency vehicles! This is a BIG deal!

An hour passed. Coffee brewed, I sat sipping in my chair and watched the parade of vehicles retreat from the scene:
Three pumpers from our town. Two from nearby communities. Three command vehicles.
What an alarm clock!

Later in the day I boarded my scooter to go investigate.
A house down the street exploded and burned. The new owners had not yet moved in, and it was unoccupied. They were setting up a yard sale in the front yard to sell goods from their old home they didn't need.
Obviously, everything was in disarray. The home was still smoldering.

The next door neighbor, an old acquaintance, came out to chat.
"That's smoking so much, with this breeze it's gonna rekindle" says I.
"I think you're right", responds my old acquaintance.

And in an hour I heard a siren once again. Several hours later they have to return to finish the job they didn't complete in the early hours.

Afghanistan.
We're tired of war; pulling all our troops out while the Taliban moves right in behind us.
It's smoldering.
How do you think this turns out?