Going away

My parents arrived home around 6pm and as we all sat down to eat dinner, my brother made his big announcement.

"Mom, Dad.. I have to leave for bootcamp this weekend."

My mother dropped her fork and my father chocked on his water.
"WHAT?!" my mom asked as she shot my dad a look to see if he was O.K.
My brother explained to them what he told me either.
"What about school?" My dad asked him after he recovered from the coughing fit.
"I have enough credits to graduate now. I'm just there because I was going to walk with the rest of my class. I don't actually NEED to be there. You know that. I showed you all that paperwork before."

My father got quiet and looked at my mom. We all expected her to flip, but she didn't. She was sitting there quietly sliding her food around her plate. I kept to myself.. no need to draw attention in my direction. When I finished eating, I asked to be excused and let my parents talk in private with my brother. I knew they wouldn't be happy, but really.. what could they do? Who tells 'Uncle Sam' no??

When I heard the conversation was winding down and the clatter of plates I walked back in to help with the dishes. My mother was alone in the kitchen, I had no idea where my dad or brother had gone off to.
"Hey.. you need any help?" I asked tentively. She didn't answer me right away and I just waited, not wanting to leave but didn't want to probe either. Eventually she did say yes and we worked in silence for the most part until I finally spoke.
"Where'd everyone go?"
"Your brother's in his room starting to pack and your dad went to the store. Said he needed something, but I know he really just went to have a cigarette." Though my mom knew my dad smoked, she hated it so he wouldn't smoke at the house.

We finished up the dishes and I retreated back to my room. My brother was leaving in less than 2 days for boot camp.. I couldn't believe it. Though I knew he had said he wanted to join the Army, I guess I never really thought he actually would and now the time came. Come Saturday morning, my parents were dropping him off on their way to a wedding in Tampa. I wasn't going to the wedding, so I was going to have to say my goodbyes at the house. Which was fine with me because I knew I was going to have a hard time saying goodbye not knowing when I'd see him again.

As I sat in my room thinking about my brother leaving, the phone rang. My mom knocked on my door to tell me it was for me. I had 2 guesses who it would be.. Amy or Johnny. I was hoping it was Johnny. I picked up the phone in my room and asked my mom to hang up the other line. When I heard the phone finally click I said hello.

"Hey J"
"Hi, Johnny. What's up?"
"Nothing really. I said I'd call you tonight."
We continue to chat about all different things, including the day we spent together.
"Hey Johnny... I have a question.. I was wondering.. what are you doing Saturday during the day?"
"I don't have any plans, why? Did you want to hang out?"
I explained that my parents would be at a wedding and asked him if he wanted to come over and if he'd pick up Amy on the way if she said it was O.K. He agreed, I promised that I'd ask Amy either that night or the next day at school if it was O.K. with her and asked him to call me Friday evening.

My parents had decided that since it was my brother's last night with us on Friday, we would have a family night so I wasn't going out with friends. He agreed to call and we said our goodbyes. It was already getting late by the time we got off the phone so I just went to bed.

I had no idea that what I had asked him was the starting point for so many things down the road.....