I just checked my voicemail and there was a message from Steve.
I kicked myself because it was on a rare occasion when I had my phone in arms reach and I didn't pick it up because I didn't recognize the number.
Anyway, right as I was ranting about what a bad sister I am my phone started ringing (well vibrating...it's always on vibrate which is part of the reason I never pick up my phone) and lo and behold it was Lance Cpl. Steve!
His voice graveled and weary sounding, but he seemed to be in good spirits. He was nearing the end of his end of his night shift (it was 11:30 p.m. in Herat) and he thought he'd give me another try.
There are only a few phones to go around so talking time is a premium there. Technology is amazing, because it sounded like he was calling me from a land line down the street not thousands of miles away from a third-world country. Satellites are truly amazing.
He says he's been keeping really busy, which he's happy about because time has flown by.
He said there are Italian, Spanish and U.N. soldiers on base and that they are a lot easier to communicate with than the Afghanis. The other day he passed an Italian soldier who asked him what hours the American store on base was open and if they sold the patches the Americans wore on their uniforms. Steve said he didn't know, but then ripped the patch off his uniform and offered it to the soldier. The soldier then gave Steve the patch with his unit's insignia on it. Kind of like trading baseball cards. Steve was really excited about that interaction.
He couldn't tell me a lot about what Afghanistan and the city were like. Not because it was classified, but because he couldn't find the right words. He just kept saying it was a lot different there than here. They got to see Herat's high school recently and I asked how it compared to Chantilly High School down in Virginia where we graduated.
"Ha!" He said. "It was pretty depressing."
As for the rest of the city, he said he really hadn't been able to take it in. Whenever he's out, he's focused on scanning rooftops for anything out of the ordinary.
I told him not to worry about checking out the architecture ... he should just keep staring at rooftops.
So glad you heard from Steve. He will never stop being your baby brother. I think the older you get the more you realize how important family is. There is nothing sweeter than siblings. And I know that you are grateful for each and every one of them. LOL, Buffy