Chapter 3 - Word from Afghan

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Reuben Levine clicked on the email that had just arrived from his  younger brother in Afghanistan:

Hi bro,

How’s the financial world doin these days?  

We’re still doing the usual – patrols n stuff.  Things seem a little bit quieter here than they’ve been for a while.  We’re not getting shot at quite as often!

Got into an interesting conversation the other evening after we came back from patrol.  Brandon Thomas – we call him Doubtin’, cause he’s always reading his bible and prayin n stuff.

Anyway, Devlin asked him what was so interesting about what he was reading and he started talkin about the lost tribes of Israel being in Afghanistan and Pakistan and Africa and places – and them gonna be comin back to Israel after what he calls the ‘6-hour War’ in the Middle East!

How come we’ve never heard about any of this stuff back home?  I mean, we’re supposed to be the chosen people n all, so why do we never hear anyone talking about these things, eh?

Anyway, I actually managed to get hold of a Jewish bible from the chaplain (in English, of course – you know how little Hebrew I can understand!) and started reading some of these prophets, like Isaiah and Jeremiah.  

This is crazy stuff – I never knew the bible talked about all this stuff.  Why do the rabbis never mention this kinda thing, eh?  We might have paid a bit more attention to them, if they had, don’t you think?

Anyway, another two months and this tour’s finished and I’ll be back in the Big Apple again.  

Dunno what I’m gonna do with myself after the army, tho.

Hope your all well.

Your little brother,

Solly

Brandon Thomas switched on the PC and connected to the internet, laying his hand on the screen as he prayed for a good connection. The local time was 11:30 pm – nine and a half hours ahead of South Carolina time – early afternoon there. Once he had Skype up and running he clicked the icon with the picture of his wife and two kids smiling back at him.  After an anguished few seconds waiting the connection was made and he could hear his wife saying his name, while the two kids almost screamed, ‘Daddy, daddy!’ Then his wife and children appeared on the screen.

‘Hiya, love. Hi kids.’ he said, struggling to keep his voice steady. ‘I love you guys.’ ‘Daddy, daddy, daddy,’ the youngest, two year old Caleb, cried, hardly able to contain his excitement. ‘I’m not a guy, I’m a girl, Daddy,’ said Hannah – two years older than Caleb, and already inclined to be pedantic. ‘Yes, I know that Hannah,’ said Brandon. ‘Have you gu – you kids been good for your mom, then?’ ‘Yes, we have,’ the children chorused.

‘They’ve been so excited about going to see you on Skype,’ said Alyssa, Brandon’s wife of six years. ‘I haven’t been able to get them to settle to anything, they’ve been so wound up. I’m hoping they’re gonna sleep tonight after this, but I’m gonna take them out to the park for a while and then for a burger before bedtime – just to make sure.’

‘You’re looking good, darling,’ Brandon told his wife. ‘Hope these troublemakers aren’t wearing you out?’

‘You’re looking well yourself,’ Alyssa smiled. ‘How are things going over there?’

‘Well, you know I can’t say much, but things are getting better. I’m keeping pretty fit with all the patrolling we do.’

‘Daddy, daddy ..’ Caleb cried impatiently. ‘Yes, son?’ Brandon answered. ‘When are you coming home to see us? Are you coming home soon?’

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