Dedication: Please bear with me here. This chapter is dedicated to my mother, Linda L. D., who passed away on June 30th eleven years ago. May your soul and dad's rest in peace.

Chapter 3: Leaving it all Behind

Ms Haruka Ten'ou,

The committee for the selection of US Army band candidates is pleased to inform you that you have been chosen. You have been awarded your chosen MOS, 63Z (piano), and will be provided with an instrument upon your arrival at AIT.

Your recruiter can provide more details as to when you will leave and where you will attend BASIC combat training.

Once again, congratulations.

Sean Jinkins

Head Judge

Haruka's teal eyes carefully watched the curb numbers as she drove slowly up the winding hillside road. To each side of the road were smaller one and in between those were quiet, well maintained lawns. The view as she neared the top was amazing, the last hill having a view showing the waterfront of a small reservoir lake even through the light hazy fog of California. Slowly she pulled up to the upper most lawn, parking near the top on the upper road. She climber quietly from the car and began her search.

Haruka looked again at the curb number, starting exactly on the yellow blockish mark as she carefully watched the ground. No houses or buildings dotted the scenery, and the few visitors in the distance were far off and wrapped up in their own respectful quiet. The young blonde carefully avoiding treading on any of the graves as she counted rows across and down, finally she came to a stop before a granite marker bearing her mother's name. Slowly she sank to her knees, taking a small pack from her shoulder as she did so.

"Hello Mom, I know you weren't Japanese and that I have forgotten more about the customs than I will every remember but please excuse me for following what I can." That said Haruka pulled a small, wooden inscent burner from the pack, opening a compartment on the side to retrieve an inscent. She slowly and carefully placed the burner and lit the inscent, blowing it out, as it turned orange. She bowed her head, the scented smoke circling around her in the breeze as she prayed silently.

"You might be wondering why I'm here today mom. After all, it isn't a holiday or birthday or the day you died." Haruka paused as she looked up to the gravestone, sitting with her legs beneath her and her feet pointed behind her. She pulled a copy her acceptance letter from her pants pocket before gently placing it in the flower cup of the grave. "I've been accepted into the US Army band, and they granted me a station in Japan. I know there were reasons we left, but I'd like very much to see it again with my own eyes and get to know my father's homeland a bit better. I may not really learn anything about it, but I will at least have a chance."

"And I also came to say goodbye, at least for now mom. It's going to be awhile before I can make it to your gravesite again. They say I will be in Japan for a minimum of three years." Haruka smiled a bit, though sadly as she gently pulled a small bundle of flowers from her pack. "And I remembered to bring you your roses, one white and one red for each year I'll be gone. I know grandma and grandpa always say you were joking when you said you wanted a white rose in spring, and a red in winter but I'll give them to you anyway."

Haruka spent the next few hours by her mother's grave, talking about everything that had happened over the last few months. She would have stayed longer, but the sun was setting and that marked the closing hours of the cemetery. The white guard truck drove past the hill as she walked back to her Mustang, her pack once again slung across one shoulder. She tossed it into the passenger seat as she got in and drove slowly to the gate, noticing that she was the last person out.

"Bye mom, rest in peace." She whispered as she turned out onto the main road again. Her path was set before her, now all she had to do was rise to the challenge. She drove off into the sunset, almost laughing to herself at the symbolism.

Haruka stared out the dark window, gazing at the nighttime scenery, which flew past as the fast moving bus made its way. The bus was old, it seemed to have once served as a school bus, but each person sat in his or her own seat. Sitting in the darkness, trees flashing past the windows, you could hear light whispering from others toward the front. Voices sounded excited, scared, impatient and unsure all at the same time. As Haruka continued to gaze out the window she slowly noticed how the streetlights became less and less frequent, the darkness seeming to wish to swallow the bus entirely.

Finally they reached a checkpoint and a guard in a combat uniform waved them through. As the pasted a lit sign which read, "Welcome to Fort Jackson, Victory Starts Here" the whispering became faster and more excited. Haruka wrapped one hand around the strap of her backpack and turned her attention toward the front of the bus. The bus came into a pool of light and pulled to a stop, the door hissing slightly as it opened. For a moment everything was silent, no one moved or spoke. Then someone entered the bus.

At the front of the isle stood a tall, imposing figure wearing a green hat resembling that of a Monty and a pair of combat clothes. His face was hidden in shadows as the light spilled through the windows behind him. "Privates, you have five seconds to un-ass my bus, MOVE!" And with that he was back out side.

Everyone stood a scrambled out the door of the bus, stumbling down its steps and forming into two lines as they were yelled at. Finally all the young men were lined up on one side, all the women on the other and the drill sergeant was stalking in between the two lines. He glared at them, watching each as he passed and taking in how they stood and regarded the space around them.

"Count off!" He yelled, and at first heard nothing as everyone jumped. He growled deep in his throat and yelled again. "Now!"

The lead male started, each behind him taking a number even as the drill sergeant counted to himself. They were off by one, so he made them 'drop'. All the males were now on the pavement in the start position of a push up, waiting as he made the woman count. One woman missed her number, and now Haruka found that her line was also staring at the pavement.

"Well damn privates, I thought they at least taught you how to count." The drill sergeant berated them. He still stalked up and down between the two lines. "Recover! Now, do it again and get it right this time."

This time they did it right, and even then Haruka knew this wasn't even the start of BASIC; it was just another stop on the way.