No Place That Far Part Three
Faith watched the plain take off and followed it until it disappeared behind some clouds. Bosco was gone and there was no telling when she'd see him again. Fred was at her side being as supportive as he could. Faith looked at him, wiping away the tears she had been crying.
"Well, he'll represent America well." Fred placed a hand on Faith's shoulder.
"Yeah, he will. Thanks for coming Fred. It really meant a lot to Boz, I could tell."
"No problem." He gave her a reassuring smile.
~~~~
Bosco was sitting beside several other guys that were also dressed in army fatigues. They were much younger and looked much more frightened. Bosco stared out the window into the blue sky. He was scared as hell but he tried not to show it. There was no backing out of it now.
"That guy looks a little old to be recruited." Bosco turned to see that two guys behind him were talking about him. Already, he was getting annoyed with people.
The guy next to the window worked up enough courage to ask him, "Hey man, how old are you?"
"I'm 32."
"Oh." The younger man sat back in his chair, confused to why Bosco was even on the flight.
~~~~
The plane reached Iraq the next day. When they got off the weather was way different than it was in New York. It was hot, dry, and miserable. Bosco reached for his cell phone that was in his back pocket. He dialed Faith's number right off.
"Hello?" Faith answered groggily.
"Hey Faith." Bosco felt calm when he heard her voice.
"Where are you at Boz?"
"Iraq. We just got here." He watched as some groups jogged passed him.
"What are you doing calling me? Aren't there security measures and things?"
"They haven't said anything about it."
An older man with the rank of corporal approached Bosco, files in hand.
"Authorization of the use of cell phones is not permitted. I must confiscate that." He reached his hand out, waiting for Bosco to hand over the only thing he had left of Faith. That was the only way he could get a hold of her.
"Can I finish this phone call please?"
"No." The corporal waited impatiently.
"Faith, I gotta go. I'll call you later." He hung up the phone and handed it to the much older man.
"I'm Corporal Manor." He waited for Bosco to shake his hand.
"I'm Maurice Boscorelli."
"What is your rank?"
"I haven't talked to anybody about that yet. I'm in the reserves and they just called me to active duty. We just arrived from New York."
"Well, go to that building right over there, they'll tell you all you need to know Boscorelli."
~~~~
Faith hopped out of bed, not wanting to sleep. She turned the TV on to CNN where they were talking about Sadaam Hussein and the recent finding in Iraq. Her stomach churned as she listened to Colin Powell talk about the case America had against the menace to USA's society.
"We do have reason to believe Hussein and Iraq are hiding something from us. The chance of war is likely." Colin Powell spoke during a press conference in Washington D.C. Fred was awakened by the noise from the television.
"Faith? What are you doing up?"
"I can't sleep."
"Why are you watching that? You never watched it before."
"Well, my best friend was sent over there. Now I'm interested. His future depends on if congress declares war or not. I'm sorry I woke you." She turned the TV off and stood up to leave the room.
"Faith, it's okay. I'm sorry it happened to Bosco but that is what happens when you are in the reserves. I'm sure it'll be okay."
"I'm so sick of everyone saying that. How do you know it'll be okay? Bosco could be sent to the front lines. All possibilities are open."
"What do you want me to say Faith? That Bosco is going to die? That you'll never see him again? Because that is what you are implying."
"No, that's not what I'm implying. I just want him to be back here out of harm's way."
"He's in danger here just as much as over there. You too. You guys go out there and dodge bullets for people that you don't even know. What's the difference about Iraq?"
"The difference is that Bosco would be here with me and I would be able to back him up."
~~~~
"Boscorelli, you are here from New York City, correct?"
Bosco stood in front of Colonel David Blake's desk not long after talking to Corporal Manor.
"Yes sir."
"And you were an Army Ranger before becoming a police officer."
"Yes sir."
"We are going to have you as a Specialist. From now on you are known as SPC Boscorelli. You are with the 75th Ranger regiment out of Fort Benning, Georgia. Go get to know your men; you will be working with them a lot. We'll call you and your regiment in later to debrief you on what you will possibly be doing if and when the war begins. Good day."
~~~~
Bosco walked in the 75th Ranger regiment building. There were around 20 men sitting around, discussing things. What they were discussing, Bosco didn't know. They all turned to look at Bosco.
"I'm SPC Boscorelli. I'm the Specialist for this regiment. Colonel Blake sent me over here to get to know you guys." He sat down in a chair around the table where the guys were sitting. He began again, "I'm going to tell you guys a little about me, and then you guys can do the same. I'm from New York City; I was an army ranger about 9 years ago. Before they called me to active duty I was a police officer for the NYPD. I'm a little rusty on military lingo but being around you guys will probably get me used to it again. I hope we have a successful military experience together."
The other guys told their stories. Bosco began to feel a little more relaxed as time went on. Nothing really had changed since he was a ranger. The guys acted the same and the tension was the same. He just couldn't believe he was back here again, on the brink of a new war.
Faith watched the plain take off and followed it until it disappeared behind some clouds. Bosco was gone and there was no telling when she'd see him again. Fred was at her side being as supportive as he could. Faith looked at him, wiping away the tears she had been crying.
"Well, he'll represent America well." Fred placed a hand on Faith's shoulder.
"Yeah, he will. Thanks for coming Fred. It really meant a lot to Boz, I could tell."
"No problem." He gave her a reassuring smile.
~~~~
Bosco was sitting beside several other guys that were also dressed in army fatigues. They were much younger and looked much more frightened. Bosco stared out the window into the blue sky. He was scared as hell but he tried not to show it. There was no backing out of it now.
"That guy looks a little old to be recruited." Bosco turned to see that two guys behind him were talking about him. Already, he was getting annoyed with people.
The guy next to the window worked up enough courage to ask him, "Hey man, how old are you?"
"I'm 32."
"Oh." The younger man sat back in his chair, confused to why Bosco was even on the flight.
~~~~
The plane reached Iraq the next day. When they got off the weather was way different than it was in New York. It was hot, dry, and miserable. Bosco reached for his cell phone that was in his back pocket. He dialed Faith's number right off.
"Hello?" Faith answered groggily.
"Hey Faith." Bosco felt calm when he heard her voice.
"Where are you at Boz?"
"Iraq. We just got here." He watched as some groups jogged passed him.
"What are you doing calling me? Aren't there security measures and things?"
"They haven't said anything about it."
An older man with the rank of corporal approached Bosco, files in hand.
"Authorization of the use of cell phones is not permitted. I must confiscate that." He reached his hand out, waiting for Bosco to hand over the only thing he had left of Faith. That was the only way he could get a hold of her.
"Can I finish this phone call please?"
"No." The corporal waited impatiently.
"Faith, I gotta go. I'll call you later." He hung up the phone and handed it to the much older man.
"I'm Corporal Manor." He waited for Bosco to shake his hand.
"I'm Maurice Boscorelli."
"What is your rank?"
"I haven't talked to anybody about that yet. I'm in the reserves and they just called me to active duty. We just arrived from New York."
"Well, go to that building right over there, they'll tell you all you need to know Boscorelli."
~~~~
Faith hopped out of bed, not wanting to sleep. She turned the TV on to CNN where they were talking about Sadaam Hussein and the recent finding in Iraq. Her stomach churned as she listened to Colin Powell talk about the case America had against the menace to USA's society.
"We do have reason to believe Hussein and Iraq are hiding something from us. The chance of war is likely." Colin Powell spoke during a press conference in Washington D.C. Fred was awakened by the noise from the television.
"Faith? What are you doing up?"
"I can't sleep."
"Why are you watching that? You never watched it before."
"Well, my best friend was sent over there. Now I'm interested. His future depends on if congress declares war or not. I'm sorry I woke you." She turned the TV off and stood up to leave the room.
"Faith, it's okay. I'm sorry it happened to Bosco but that is what happens when you are in the reserves. I'm sure it'll be okay."
"I'm so sick of everyone saying that. How do you know it'll be okay? Bosco could be sent to the front lines. All possibilities are open."
"What do you want me to say Faith? That Bosco is going to die? That you'll never see him again? Because that is what you are implying."
"No, that's not what I'm implying. I just want him to be back here out of harm's way."
"He's in danger here just as much as over there. You too. You guys go out there and dodge bullets for people that you don't even know. What's the difference about Iraq?"
"The difference is that Bosco would be here with me and I would be able to back him up."
~~~~
"Boscorelli, you are here from New York City, correct?"
Bosco stood in front of Colonel David Blake's desk not long after talking to Corporal Manor.
"Yes sir."
"And you were an Army Ranger before becoming a police officer."
"Yes sir."
"We are going to have you as a Specialist. From now on you are known as SPC Boscorelli. You are with the 75th Ranger regiment out of Fort Benning, Georgia. Go get to know your men; you will be working with them a lot. We'll call you and your regiment in later to debrief you on what you will possibly be doing if and when the war begins. Good day."
~~~~
Bosco walked in the 75th Ranger regiment building. There were around 20 men sitting around, discussing things. What they were discussing, Bosco didn't know. They all turned to look at Bosco.
"I'm SPC Boscorelli. I'm the Specialist for this regiment. Colonel Blake sent me over here to get to know you guys." He sat down in a chair around the table where the guys were sitting. He began again, "I'm going to tell you guys a little about me, and then you guys can do the same. I'm from New York City; I was an army ranger about 9 years ago. Before they called me to active duty I was a police officer for the NYPD. I'm a little rusty on military lingo but being around you guys will probably get me used to it again. I hope we have a successful military experience together."
The other guys told their stories. Bosco began to feel a little more relaxed as time went on. Nothing really had changed since he was a ranger. The guys acted the same and the tension was the same. He just couldn't believe he was back here again, on the brink of a new war.