VIDALIA &045;&045; Tanya Jenkins may never listen to &uot;I’ll Be Home for Christmas&uot; in quite the same way ever again.

For it looks as though the Vidalia resident, and dozens of families just like hers, will be singing that song for real very soon.

On Tuesday, Jenkins and others in the 1086th Transportation Company’s Family Support Group received word that the soldiers of that company could be home as early as this weekend.

Jenkins’ son, Spc. Michael Jenkins, is a member of the 1086th. So by late Wednesday afternoon, Tanya Jenkins, Michael’s aunt, Gwen Huff; and friend Maureen &uot;Mo&uot; Saunders had already fastened yellow ribbons to almost every light pole along Carter Street.

&uot;I was so happy. I called everybody and told them he’d be home soon,&uot; Jenkins said. &uot;I got no sleep last night.&uot;

During the time her son and the other members of the 1086th were in Iraq &045;&045; they left the Vidalia armory in February &045;&045; Jenkins would watch the news and wonder about Michael’s welfare. Not that she didn’t get plenty of calls from son &045;&045; the two kept in as close contact as possible, except for about a week at the very beginning of the company’s time in Iraq.

&uot;He (Michael) was lost for eight days,&uot; Huff said.

&uot;A lot of people knew, but they wouldn’t tell me,&uot; believing she would worry, Tanya Jenkins said. &uot;It would have been a hard thing to take.&uot; Michael Jenkins’ truck had broken down near Baghdad. But by the time his mother was told the news, Michael had been found, apparently with no serious injuries.

Now comes the wait. The 1086th could return to Fort Polk as early as Monday, a spokesman for the unit confirmed Tuesday night. If they arrive even earlier &045;&045; say, this weekend, they will be able to visit home, then go back to Fort Polk for &uot;outprocessing&uot; until Nov. 21.

At 1 p.m. Dec. 7 at the old parish courthouse on Carter Street, a welcoming ceremony will be held. The soldiers will ride in the Vidalia Christmas parade at 3 p.m. that day and will ride in Ferriday’s parade.

But until she sees her son face to face, Tanya Jenkins’ voice will still that twinge of longing, of waiting for what might be the world’s best Christmas gift. &uot;I just want him to come home,&uot; she said.