The Day My Little Brother Went To War

Seemingly surreal...just a normal Monday, 1:45pm CST. Bo needed to go to the Dr. for an xray on his hand. There was a possibilty he had broken it over the weekend on a treadmill. My nerves had been in my throat all day. I knew I wasn't to call too early, I might wake Brandon up, his last precious moments in his bed, near his wife. But, if I called too late, he might be gone. I also didn't really want to make the call, for it would be the last for at least 60 days.
Physical distance is hard but I went away to college. I have not returned "home" since. Brandon and I have been separated since 1996, the last two years really being the only time since that we have lived even within driving distance at 2 or 3 hrs. We can do physical distance. However, what keeps us close is our talks - at least once a week. I know, seems strange to some. We are close - I don't usually go more than 24-36 hrs without speaking to my mom and I never go a week without speaking to my brother, usually (and on no set or spoken schedule) talk to him several times a week. No, we don't usually have anything of any importance to say. No, we don't talk for hours. We just need 5 minutes of careless rambling and a few laughs. We just need to know the other is there.
This makes up for the birthdays, the holidays, the weeks, the months that pass when we don't see each other. We still feel close.

And so at 1:45pm CST on Monday, I picked up the phone and called Brandon, I told him we were on the way to the Dr. for Bo - he appreceiated that, with a chuckle. We are always going to the Dr. for Bo. Then, I was told he had been called, so it would be a short conversation. So, what do you say - I started with Happy Birthday, I was technically only 12hrs early, he followed with Happy Thanksgiving, then I said Merry Christmas and he ended with Happy New Year's. I said, I'm proud of you and I love you and I wish you the best. And for the third time in the year 2007, which could quite possible be more times then I have heard this in my LIFETIME from him, he said, "Thanks and I love you too". Tell the kids the same. I said you have a silly sunday school class here waiting to send you a boodle box, so send that APO and know we are praying. "OK, thanks". "I guess that is it" - "Yeah" - "Okay, well...um, Bye", "bye".

And my brother went off to fight for you and for me and to protect our freedom. 12 hours or so before he turned 26.........
My little brother went to war.