Odyssey ...~}{~ 35- Operation Desert Storm

Farhad and Sylvie show up in less than an hour. It does not take a genius to know what Hana has done. Her breath still smells of alcohol. Mario has no choice but to tell Farhad the whole story. As Mario in his gentle way is telling Farhad the story of her mother, their trip, Sam's attitude about them, and then his coming to her apartment with the help of Cindy, apartment manager, Farhad weeps. He, like his mom, does not know how to handle this. He has thought since he does not live with his mother anymore, perhaps Mario and his mom spend the nights together. Now he knows that Mario does not even has the key to her apartment. While giving his key to Mario, he says:

"You don't have to tell my mom that you have the key. Just make a copy for me."

His weeping makes it difficult for him to talk. He somehow feels responsible for this misery. Had he been a good student right after high school and has not waisted so much of his mother's money and his time, maybe Sam would have never joined the military. But should if and would if and maybe, none of them right now will solve their problem. Mario gently hugs him and let him cry on his shoulder. Farhad has never had a real relation with his dead father. To him, this hug, is more important than anything that he has known; a hug, a fatherly hug from a man so dedicated to his mother.

"Why did Sam join the army, God D...?"

Mario while caressing Fahad's back and shoulder like a real father, kisses him on the forehead and makes him to sit on a chair:

"Listen, Farhad, you must calm down. Sam is an adult now. You can't do anything about it. If he leaves the military now, they will prosecute him. Hopefully everything is going to be okay. It is not only American soldiers that are going there. Many of allies soldiers are already there. Iraq has no chance. Our high tech weapons destroy their army in a second. You must think about first yourself and then your mother now."

Gentle and soft spoken Mario finally brings Farhad to a temporary clam so the visit with his mom would not be all depressing.

<>

Operation Desert Storm is to finish Operation Desert Shield by doubling American soldiers to 200,000, which last till January 15, 1991. Sam's unit is mobilized among many others, and three days after Mario and Hana's return from Fort Hood, Hana is informed of the event. They all are waiting to take off for Persian Gulf. The news brings Hana to almost another breakdown. Mario and Farhad, this time, both become her shield and because of that she behaves more reasonably, if there exists any rational conduct for a mother that her son is going to war to fight the enemy. On one hand she feels an indescribable pride of having a soldier son to fight for his country, on the other, she feels abhorrent for sending him off. The mixed emotion in her, causes her to talk to her friends at work with gratification and to Farhad, Mario, Sylvie and her family, who call her or visit her all the time, with bleakness. Her double talk makes everyone even more worried for her.

The soldiers' families are allowed to see them before they take off. This time Farhad, and Sylvie go with Hana and Mario.

In that crowded place, where all families, wives, children, and parents are spending some time with their beloved soldiers, soon to be shipped overseas, Hana watches them and feels their pain, specially the ones that are married and have children. Reporters, television cameras, and publicity by famous personalities of the television networks, makes Hana to believe the seriousness of the event. She can not stand the crowd, the flash of cameras, the reporters who are running after her to get a word from her. She wants to be alone with Sam, to hold him, to touch him, and to talk to him. There is a feeling of nonentity in the back of her mind that torments her; and as she tries to behave in a mature way, deep inside, she is breaking into pieces. When she is finally alone with Sam, she has forgotten all the things she wanted to tell him. Sam looks handsome in his fatigue uniform and acts brave. To Hana, he stands taller than before but his deep rooted anguish can not be hidden from her eyes.

Mother and son walk away from the crowd holding hands, and as she feels his agony and he endures hers, they both strive not to show any grief. Stopping after every few step to hug each other, she introspects him as a baby, a little boy, a teenager, which he still is. He is five months short of his twentieth birthday. She looks at her handsome son, with black hair, brown eyes, and tall. He is physically in an excellent shape. There is not a gram of fat in his muscular body. She wishes she can say things to him, but she can not, for words are not descriptive enough to show the empathic connection between them. Nonetheless, one thing Sam says that makes her happy.

"I like Sylvie. She is very nice. Finally Farhad has learned to do the right things in his life. When are they going to get married?"

"They are planning for next Summer."

"Mom, I want you to marry Mario whether I'm back or not. He is a good man."

"Oh, son, don't talk like that. You'll be back in no time."

"I know mom. I meant it may take longer for us to come back. There are still some American soldiers in Persian Gulf from last summer. No one knows when we come back."

"Can you tell me what is the real purpose of all these?"

"I really don't know, mom. I guess to destroy Saddam so he can't bark and threat other Arab nations."

Hana Shudders. She knows of Saddam's spitefulness.

To Be continued