my brother, the soldier

Time: 12:11 am.

Rain fell on my family’s silver Toyota Camery as we sped along route 80 towards the Delaware Water Gap. I’m resting on my pillow in the backseat as my mind floods itself with exciting thoughts of going to visit what most likely will be my future college.
“So if I go to college at Ithaca, I’ll be right next to Ross. We can meet up all the time, right Mom? He’ll be nearby?”
“Actually Sari, I don’t know if now is a good time to tell you, but Ross will be deployed to Afghanistan in August.”
“WHAT?! FOR HOW LONG?”
“Nine months to a year.”
And that’s how I found out. Last April I was driving to visit Ithaca College with my mom, my stepfather, and my boyfriend, when my mom told me the news. Sometime within the next two weeks, my older brother Ross, who is currently stationed at Ft. Drum in Watertown, NY, will be serving his country. His unit will be operating in the southern portion of the country trying to root out lingering Al Queda...