Tuesday, Jul. 06, 2010
1:24 p.m.
<< [ Nobody Crushes My Family's Dreams But Me ] >>
"Yeah, actually," he said. My gentle giant little brother.
In the recruiter's office, everything was dark blue propaganda, the way you'd expect from the government. The Navy. My big little brother wants to join the Navy. Save two obstacles, he's good to go--he managed a perfect score on the ASVAB, damn near unheard of. The two obstacles, caused by us, his roots, his blood.
We are a family of dual citizens, my mother, father, myself, my big little brother. My little little brother was born here, so he is only American. Apparently dual citizenship makes my big little brother a security risk, this may or may not be an issue.
I watch his face carefully as the recruiter tells him, "Yeah, man, I think you're colorblind," and then, "this means you can't work with electronics or technology."
Electronics or technology. The only things my big little brother likes.
I ask him on the way home how he's doing, the way only a big sister can. He says he's "a little disappointed", but what he means is that he feels like a failure again. Another "No" on his permanent record.
At home, I walk in on big little brother telling our father about his disappointment. I see the redness in his eyes that dad misses, and me and my big bottle of wine, we're doing some research.