The song in this chapter belongs to Billy Dean, I don't own it...Please don't sue me on this!!!
Bosco and Nikki were still driving in the army truck. Dust was all around them causing Nikki to have a coughing attack.
Bosco looked at her, annoyed. "Are you okay? Did you lose a lung?"
"I'm fine, I just can't take all of this dust."
"Then why did you come to Iraq? That's all they have here."
"I need experience."
The army truck came to a quick halt, jolting them both forwards. Bosco looked at the gauges. He tapped on a couple and ran his hand over his sweaty hair.
"What's wrong?" Nikki looked at the gauges as if she knew anything about them.
"I think we are out of gas."
Bosco hopped out of the truck and looked in the gas tank.
"Yep, we are out of gas." He looked up at the hot sun that was beating down on them.
"Well shit, what are we gonna do now?" Nikki pulled her hair off of her neck and waited for Bosco to come up with some more bright ideas.
Bosco looked at the horizon in every direction.
"The way I figure, we are about 10 miles from an American base. If we walk we are bound to find one."
Nikki leaned against the truck. "Bound to find one? Bosco, we can't go on guessing! We are in the middle of a damn desert for crying out loud!"
"Do you suggest something better? If you do, by all means, tell me!"
Nikki stood in his face, one hand on her hip and her other hand pointing in Bosco's face.
"Do I look like I know? I've been a hostage for God knows how long! I have no idea where we are, I'm scared, and I want to go home."
Bosco turned away from her. "And you think I want to be here? I had no choice, I was forced here. Believe me Nikki, if I had a plan we would go through with it but I don't know what we are gonna do."
"What do you mean you were forced here? You are in the military, it should've been obvious you were going to be sent over here."
Bosco sat down in some shade that was being made by the truck. He placed a hand on his sweaty forehead. He was feeling sick.
"Bosco, what do you mean by forced?"
"I'm in the reserves. They called me up one day unexpectedly. I had no choice; I had to come over here. I had to leave everything that mattered to me. I admit, I was scared to come over here. I knew something like this was going to happen, I just had a gut feeling."
"Where did you live before you were called to duty?" By this time Nikki was sitting beside him in the shade.
"New York."
She smiled. "I should've known by that accent. What did you do back in New York?"
"I was a cop."
"You are a cop. Don't talk like it is in the past." She smiled at him, trying to cheer him up some.
He pulled out his canteen and took a small sip. Nikki followed, enjoying what little she could have.
"Take it easy on that water, that's all we have."
Bosco stood up and stretched, looking towards the eastern horizon.
"Can you walk? We gotta get moving or the Iraqi's will find us."
~~~~
Swersky was not allowing Faith to come into work again. She really didn't want to go to work anyway; everyone stared at her as if she had the damn plague or something. She woke up in time to send the kids off to school and make breakfast for everyone. Fred sat with her before going to work.
"Faith, I read that poem you wrote last night."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah. It was good. It really brought tears to my eyes."
"Seriously?"
"Seriously. I really hope you think positive, it makes things a lot better around here."
"You know what? Bosco wrote me a couple of letters before he went missing."
"Really? What about?"
"He said in one that if he died out there on the battle field to not cry for him. He said that I should be okay with it because he wouldn't be in the harsh world anymore. Actually, he described it as hell. He said he'd be away from the violence and chaos."
"Bosco said that?"
"Yeah, he did. But Fred," Tears formed in her eyes and she began to cry more. Faith brought her into a hug, not really knowing what to say to her.
"Go on Faith, finish the story."
"But Fred, I can't not cry for him. He's my best friend. He's what makes me love my job. He doesn't deserve to die on a foreign land. He doesn't deserve to be tortured by those evil men. He deserves to be here, doing his job and helping people here Fred."
She cried more, her tears falling faster.
"I know Faith, but if he does die over there, at least we know he was defending America for us. He was fighting for us, and every other red blooded American. I know you don't want to hear this but maybe its Bosco's destiny, to die for his country."
"Fred, he can't die. He's got too much to live for."
~~~~
Bosco ended up carrying Nikki. Her leg was hurting too bad and he didn't want to stop again. The sun began to set and he knew it would grow cold, that's how deserts were. Hot during the day, cold during the night. His muscles grew tired as he reached the top of a sand dune. Sweat poured into his eyes and burned them. He had to set her down; he was too weak to move any farther.
"Why are we stopping?"
"Because I need to rest. It's hot, my sweat is dripping in my eyes, and I gotta find out where we are."
Nikki leaned up against a dune and watched Bosco as he canvassed the area.
"Bosco, tell me the truth, are we gonna make it through this?"
He kneeled down beside her. "Well, judging on the amount of water we have left and our location, I really can't say. But to tell you the truth, things aren't looking too good. Just don't give up Nikki, stay alert for as long as you can."
~~~~
Faith decided to make a trip down to the supermarket. There was no food in the house and she needed to get away from the TV for a while.
News bulletins were scattered around the store. Headlines read: "War and Iraq, is it the end?" "Two Americans reported missing in Iraqi Desert." Her stomach churned and she closed her eyes.
"Faith? Faith Yokas?" She recognized the voice from somewhere and turned around to see that it was Rose Boscorelli.
"Rose, oh my, how are you doing?" Faith pulled her into a hug.
"Better than before. How are you?"
"Not so good. But I'm trying to stay positive."
Faith could tell Rose wasn't getting any sleep. The poor lady looked so tired.
"Bosco is going to be okay, I know it." Faith looked her straight in the eyes.
"I know he will. My boy is smart. Those Iraqi's won't out smart him. He's a hero, an unsung hero."
"Yes he is." Faith wiped tears from her eyes. "Rose, I miss him so much."
"Me too, me too." She pulled Faith into an embrace, an embrace Faith would never forget.
Once In Awhile
Billy Dean
Once in awhile, someone comes along
That one in a million heart
So pure and so strong
They can face up to the tears
And somehow still find a smile
That we only get, every once in awhile
Once in awhile, someone has the eyes
That one in a million look
That never tells lies
They can get you on your feet
To walk that extra mile
We only see every once in awhile
That's why we call them heroes
That's why we know their names
And once you've heard their stories
You're never quite the same
That's why we call them heroes
The best thing they ever do
Is to point to the best in us all
And say: "If I can, you can too."
Once in awhile, I still hear his voice
That one in a million voice
Like two laughing boys
He would hat it if we cried
That never was his style
Oh we still miss him, every once in awhile
The can face up to the tears
And somehow still find a smile
That we only get, every once in awhile
Oh, how I miss him, every once in awhile
Bosco and Nikki were still driving in the army truck. Dust was all around them causing Nikki to have a coughing attack.
Bosco looked at her, annoyed. "Are you okay? Did you lose a lung?"
"I'm fine, I just can't take all of this dust."
"Then why did you come to Iraq? That's all they have here."
"I need experience."
The army truck came to a quick halt, jolting them both forwards. Bosco looked at the gauges. He tapped on a couple and ran his hand over his sweaty hair.
"What's wrong?" Nikki looked at the gauges as if she knew anything about them.
"I think we are out of gas."
Bosco hopped out of the truck and looked in the gas tank.
"Yep, we are out of gas." He looked up at the hot sun that was beating down on them.
"Well shit, what are we gonna do now?" Nikki pulled her hair off of her neck and waited for Bosco to come up with some more bright ideas.
Bosco looked at the horizon in every direction.
"The way I figure, we are about 10 miles from an American base. If we walk we are bound to find one."
Nikki leaned against the truck. "Bound to find one? Bosco, we can't go on guessing! We are in the middle of a damn desert for crying out loud!"
"Do you suggest something better? If you do, by all means, tell me!"
Nikki stood in his face, one hand on her hip and her other hand pointing in Bosco's face.
"Do I look like I know? I've been a hostage for God knows how long! I have no idea where we are, I'm scared, and I want to go home."
Bosco turned away from her. "And you think I want to be here? I had no choice, I was forced here. Believe me Nikki, if I had a plan we would go through with it but I don't know what we are gonna do."
"What do you mean you were forced here? You are in the military, it should've been obvious you were going to be sent over here."
Bosco sat down in some shade that was being made by the truck. He placed a hand on his sweaty forehead. He was feeling sick.
"Bosco, what do you mean by forced?"
"I'm in the reserves. They called me up one day unexpectedly. I had no choice; I had to come over here. I had to leave everything that mattered to me. I admit, I was scared to come over here. I knew something like this was going to happen, I just had a gut feeling."
"Where did you live before you were called to duty?" By this time Nikki was sitting beside him in the shade.
"New York."
She smiled. "I should've known by that accent. What did you do back in New York?"
"I was a cop."
"You are a cop. Don't talk like it is in the past." She smiled at him, trying to cheer him up some.
He pulled out his canteen and took a small sip. Nikki followed, enjoying what little she could have.
"Take it easy on that water, that's all we have."
Bosco stood up and stretched, looking towards the eastern horizon.
"Can you walk? We gotta get moving or the Iraqi's will find us."
~~~~
Swersky was not allowing Faith to come into work again. She really didn't want to go to work anyway; everyone stared at her as if she had the damn plague or something. She woke up in time to send the kids off to school and make breakfast for everyone. Fred sat with her before going to work.
"Faith, I read that poem you wrote last night."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah. It was good. It really brought tears to my eyes."
"Seriously?"
"Seriously. I really hope you think positive, it makes things a lot better around here."
"You know what? Bosco wrote me a couple of letters before he went missing."
"Really? What about?"
"He said in one that if he died out there on the battle field to not cry for him. He said that I should be okay with it because he wouldn't be in the harsh world anymore. Actually, he described it as hell. He said he'd be away from the violence and chaos."
"Bosco said that?"
"Yeah, he did. But Fred," Tears formed in her eyes and she began to cry more. Faith brought her into a hug, not really knowing what to say to her.
"Go on Faith, finish the story."
"But Fred, I can't not cry for him. He's my best friend. He's what makes me love my job. He doesn't deserve to die on a foreign land. He doesn't deserve to be tortured by those evil men. He deserves to be here, doing his job and helping people here Fred."
She cried more, her tears falling faster.
"I know Faith, but if he does die over there, at least we know he was defending America for us. He was fighting for us, and every other red blooded American. I know you don't want to hear this but maybe its Bosco's destiny, to die for his country."
"Fred, he can't die. He's got too much to live for."
~~~~
Bosco ended up carrying Nikki. Her leg was hurting too bad and he didn't want to stop again. The sun began to set and he knew it would grow cold, that's how deserts were. Hot during the day, cold during the night. His muscles grew tired as he reached the top of a sand dune. Sweat poured into his eyes and burned them. He had to set her down; he was too weak to move any farther.
"Why are we stopping?"
"Because I need to rest. It's hot, my sweat is dripping in my eyes, and I gotta find out where we are."
Nikki leaned up against a dune and watched Bosco as he canvassed the area.
"Bosco, tell me the truth, are we gonna make it through this?"
He kneeled down beside her. "Well, judging on the amount of water we have left and our location, I really can't say. But to tell you the truth, things aren't looking too good. Just don't give up Nikki, stay alert for as long as you can."
~~~~
Faith decided to make a trip down to the supermarket. There was no food in the house and she needed to get away from the TV for a while.
News bulletins were scattered around the store. Headlines read: "War and Iraq, is it the end?" "Two Americans reported missing in Iraqi Desert." Her stomach churned and she closed her eyes.
"Faith? Faith Yokas?" She recognized the voice from somewhere and turned around to see that it was Rose Boscorelli.
"Rose, oh my, how are you doing?" Faith pulled her into a hug.
"Better than before. How are you?"
"Not so good. But I'm trying to stay positive."
Faith could tell Rose wasn't getting any sleep. The poor lady looked so tired.
"Bosco is going to be okay, I know it." Faith looked her straight in the eyes.
"I know he will. My boy is smart. Those Iraqi's won't out smart him. He's a hero, an unsung hero."
"Yes he is." Faith wiped tears from her eyes. "Rose, I miss him so much."
"Me too, me too." She pulled Faith into an embrace, an embrace Faith would never forget.
Once In Awhile
Billy Dean
Once in awhile, someone comes along
That one in a million heart
So pure and so strong
They can face up to the tears
And somehow still find a smile
That we only get, every once in awhile
Once in awhile, someone has the eyes
That one in a million look
That never tells lies
They can get you on your feet
To walk that extra mile
We only see every once in awhile
That's why we call them heroes
That's why we know their names
And once you've heard their stories
You're never quite the same
That's why we call them heroes
The best thing they ever do
Is to point to the best in us all
And say: "If I can, you can too."
Once in awhile, I still hear his voice
That one in a million voice
Like two laughing boys
He would hat it if we cried
That never was his style
Oh we still miss him, every once in awhile
The can face up to the tears
And somehow still find a smile
That we only get, every once in awhile
Oh, how I miss him, every once in awhile