Odyssey... 36- The Legend of Predicament

Operation Desert Storm has started with a push of a button on board of an American Battleship miles away from Baghdad. America faces less casualties than any other war during the four weeks air war which a dozen are victims of so called friendly fire and twenty eight others lose their lives when an American Scud crashes over Saudi Arabia and falls on an American Barrack. American Missiles bomb the vital organizations in Iraq which paralyze that country. Everything moves fast as it has been planned by generals; and the chance that Americans fulfill successfully their mission before the dead line are great. Nevertheless, war is war for either countries, families and friends, and especially for people who participate in it.

Sam and many others are in an American Barrack in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, waiting for orders. As these young soldiers, each in his own way, try to cope with the unknowns of the war, for many like Sam, it is the first time being in action. Some of them look so young that one wonders if they have reached puberty. The ambiance is tense; nonetheless, having the treasure of youth, mostly try to entertain themselves either by playing cards, listening to radio, or just a simple conversation with all these new friends they have found. As it has always been customary, their youth brings an artificial joy and laughter and the sense of "nothing can happen to me". The barrack is filled with their voices.

However things for Sam is a little different. He finds some people to make friends with, none from Texas, but yet, as always he has a hard time to let go of his ongoing aloofness, which in fact is the sense of wanting to be left alone. He chooses solitude over a conversation or playing cards. Drowned in his own thoughts, he watches the lively crowd, who laugh outside and perhaps cry inside. He wonders how people can show happiness while they are sad, and how they can laugh and be loud while they sob within and want to be silent. As his thoughts merges from the abyss he is to his home, mom, Farhad, and their new loves, Mario and Sylvie, he also yearns for a normal life when parents stay father and mother forever, and there is no betrayal. He curses his dead father for his inhumane attitude towards him, his brother, and especially his mother. As hard as it is for him emotionally to share his mom with another man, he knows logically that his mother deserves the best; and he is sure that Mario is the best man for her even though he has seen him only twice and under a very tense circumstances. As he introspects his before the last visit with his mother, he remembers that he told her in a sarcastic way to go ahead with the wedding. As well as he knows her, he is certain that he has planted an inexplicit seed in her mind and she may not marry after all. He does not want to wait for the end of war to tell her that. He intended to tell her on the phone, but the line was cut off. His last option is a letter, but he is not much of a writer like her mother. But this is something he must do; otherwise he will feel terrible until he returns home. That tenderhearted thought brightens his soul momentarily. He gets up to pick up a piece of paper to write a letter. A sudden silence falls on the barrack. Every body is quiet and they try to listen to a high pitched sound coming from sky, above the barrack. Many run outside, and shortly after some come back in.

"It's a plane in fire. It looks like one of ours. It's going to fall on us."

The soldier that says that along with some others run outside again. And how lucky are those who fly out of the barrack.

Is Sam among them?

~`~

To Be Continued