THE LEAVING

“Mom”, Josh called out. Diann rolled over and sat up. She put her feet on the floor and shuffled to Josh’s room. “What’s the matter sweety?” Josh looked up at his mother with slightly fearful eyes. He lifted his little arms up and asked his mother plaintively, “Can I sleep with you and Daddy?” Diann smiled and picked her little boy up. As they began to walk back to Diann and Hanson’s bedroom, Diann asked, “Did the movie scare you, honey?” “Yes,” Josh said as he snuggled into his mother’s arms. Diann thought as she settled herself and Josh into the bed, “He was too young to watch that movie. War scenes were too much for little guys like Josh.”

It was a warm, sunny, afternoon. The sun was shining through the west window, streaming into the kitchen, lighting it up. Josh sat at the breakfast bar eating lunch across from his mother. They ate their lunch for awhile in companionable silence. As Josh ate the last of his salad, his mother Diann, rose from the kitchen stool, crossed to the kitchen counter, and cut a big slice of the chocolate frosted cake she had made that morning. She put the slice on a cake plate, opened the silverware drawer and took out a fork. She then crossed back to where Josh was sitting at the breakfast bar and handed him the plate and fork. Josh lifted his glass up and smiled at her, wiggling the glass back and forth. She smiled back and walked to the refrigerator pulling out a jug of milk, crossing back to Josh and poured the milk into the glass. She walked back to the refrigerator, put the milk jug back, crossed back to the bar and sat down.
Josh appreciatively took his first bite of the cake, then looking at his mother with a smile, said.
“Now that I am out of high school, I have been thinking a lot about what I want to do next.”
Diann (Josh’s mom) smiled and said, “ It’s not like I haven’t been pushing you to consider your future for years now!”
“I know Mom, but I didn’t want to deal with this until I had to. He shrugged his shoulders. "I have to now.”
“I know, I know,” Diann said.
“ I’ve been thinking about going into the military. “
“What branch of the military son?”
“Marines.”
“Why Marines?”
“ They’re the best of the best. I have gone to see the army, navy, and the air force recruiters. The marines are the ones hiring, and I might get a sign on bonus.
“ This is not my first choice for you. What about college? What about the danger? What about being gone from us for so long? What about…..”
“Mom! I get it, ok? You don’t want me to make this choice. Now, the problem is that it’s my life, my choice, and although I love you, I want to make my decisions for myself.”
“I realize that! I am sorry. It’s just that I am afraid of you getting yourself hurt or …..worse!”
Josh said, “ I’ll be alright Mom.” He sighed. “How about this Mom? You come with me to see the recruiter. You can ask all the questions you want. He wants to meet my parents anyway.”
Diann said, “You’ve already been to visit the recruiter. I thought you had just been calling or something …..to get information?”
“I’ve already been there, yes. Well, whadya say?”
“Ok, I will come with you. Do you want to make an appointment? Where is this recruiter? Are you sure you really want to look into this?”
“I am pretty sure that this is the direction I want to go. I will get money for college, training, and it’s an immediate job. I’m looking for something different. I’ve been working since I was 15 and I am bored with the job. I’m looking for a challenge.”
Diann looked into her son’s eyes, understanding showing on her face. “ Be the best you can be? See if you can do it?”
“Something like that.”
“Wow....... alright son. Let’s go check out what the Marines offer.”
“I was hoping you would say that. What are you doing this afternoon? You’re off, right? Got any plans?”
Diann shrugged, “ Noooo…Why?”
“Cause the recruiter can see us this afternoon. What about it?”
“What time?”
Josh took the last bite of his cake and pinned down some the crumbs with his fork. He put them in his mouth, savoring the last flavor of the chocolate cake. ”Now if you want. The recruiter told me he could see us with just a little notice.”
“Talk about set ups? I feel like I’m on a train! Fine, let’s go see your recruiter. What’s his name?”
“And, Mom, one of them's a woman!”

The air was bitter cold even though the sun was shining brightly as they weaved in and out of the heavy morning rush hour traffic. Diann shivered in her coat as she sat in the passenger seat of the car. Every so often she would glance at Hanson as he drove and wait for him to glance back at her. The shared glance generated between them would comfort her for a few moments. This moment rated as one of the hard ones in her life. Josh sat in the back seat. They were on their way to the airport. Josh was leaving today.