Five Things That Never Happened to Sam Braddock
Eclipse
Evening shadows lengthened as the sun's slanted rays lessened in intensity, receding like low tide from the Afghani desert sands. It was a push and pull effect; ebb and flow. The sun rose every morning, pushing back the darkness, bringing with it mind-numbingly intense heat. The sun set every night, pulling the curtain of darkness back once again, bringing with it some respite from the heat, but not much.
Sam Braddock, member of an elite, 40-man counter-terrorism force, allowed himself to relax.
Today had been a good day. Today, no one had died from their ranks. Today, no enemy had maimed or injured any soldiers with an improvised explosive device, suicide attack, or other act of aggression.
The sounds around camp were muted. When dusk settled and twilight time slipped by, giving way to night proper, things fell into a routine of quiet watchfulness. Those who could sleep, did.
Tonight, Sam was among those not indulging in shut-eye. Instead, he observed the slow ascent of the Earth's only natural satellite. Out here in the desert where there was no light pollution from man-made sources to obscure the heavenly bodies, the stars and moon appeared so much more bold, crisp and clear. Back home, under usually hazy night skies, he was lucky if he could even pick out Orion's Belt, much less the Milky Way.
"You know, urban myth says more crazy stuff happens when there's a full moon."
Sam turned at the sound of the voice.
"Hey, Matt," Sam said casually. He returned his gaze to the bright disc that was hovering over the horizon, seemingly as large as a giant beach-ball, though Sam knew it was merely an optical illusion.
"Gonna be a total lunar eclipse tonight." Matt continued, and crouched down in the dust next to Sam.
"Really?" Sam asked his buddy. "I thought those were rare."
"Nah, just total solar ones. What, you never saw a total eclipse of the moon before?"
"Nope." Sam answered.
"Not even a partial one?" Matt asked.
"Nope."
"Wow. You poor, deprived Army brat," Matt said, shaking his head sorrowfully, though his tone indicated he was only half-serious.
"I guess I never had the time to sit back and star-gaze," Sam said, feeling a slight pull of indignation, like he had to offer some explanation for missing out on astronomical phenomena.
"It's pretty cool to watch," Matt said. "Like a cosmic ballet. It's crazy when you think about it. That an eclipse is even possible for us to observe – the way the Earth, our sun, and our moon's orbits have naturally lined up for it to be even possible – those are crazy, far-out odds. But yet, it happens."
Sam considered this. Somehow, he thought he remembered something about all that stuff in high school Physics, but the details escaped him.
The two friends sat there as the moon continued to climb in the sky, awaiting the start of the show.
"Oh, yah, there it goes!" Matt said, a grin spreading across his face.
"What?" Sam asked.
"See that?" Matt said, pointing. "See that spot there: it's beginning."
Sam squinted, and sure enough it did indeed look like a small section of the moon was slightly discoloured, like a greyish smudge from a charcoal pencil.
He watched in awe as the Earth's shadow raced across the visible surface of the moon, incrementally blocking out the light it reflected from the sun.
Sam just about held his breath when later, the entire moon was fully in the Earth's umbral shadow, giving it a deep, almost blood-red colour.
"Wow..." Sam whispered.
"Yeah." Matt said.
Then, a fingernail-like sliver appeared on one of the outer edges as the second phase of the eclipse marched on.
Sam was just as in awe watching the moon return to its usual brightness as he was while watching it 'disappear'.
"There's nothing I can doooooooo, a total eclipse of the mooooooon!"
Sam looked at Matt in puzzlement at his sudden, high-pitched outburst. His buddy was standing, arms outstretched, singing in an affected falsetto. "A total eclipse of the moooooon!"
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Sam said in a harsh, but hushed tone, hoping no one else in the camp had heard Matt, but knew they probably had.
"Bonnie Tyler song, Braddock!" Matt grinned, ignoring Sam's irritation.
"Yeah, I know it's Bonnie Tyler, but it's 'Total Eclipse of the Heart', you moron," Sam said, "not 'Total Eclipse of the Moon'."
Matt pointed up at the moon. "That doesn't look like a heart to me, Sammy. You're not very observant, are you?"
Sam groaned. Matt's favourite past-time was butchering song lyrics.
"Geez! And those are the eyes I trust to watch my back when we're out there, scoping out the Taliban?" Matt teased.
Sam shook his head. "My eyes are fine. Your voice is cracked."
"Hey, my voice could win 'Canadian Idol', baby!"
Sam laughed. "Fine, then. I dare you to audition when we get back."
"Fine, I will!" Matt answered the challenge.
"Fine! Just don't flub the lyrics," Sam warned, "those judges'll kill you."
