Vision Quest

33. Nevada Part 1 A Phone Call

POV: Ritu

    My lab partner Mark and I were working late on Friday. Normally our lab goes from three to six in the afternoon on Friday, but this afternoon the lab set up next to ours had a major screw up. We stopped our work to help them clean up; so, the lab instructor let us run over. It was now seven o'clock. We were about finished when my cell phone rang.

I had forgotten all about Roger's calls. He was no longer calling every weekend, but when he did call, it was always at seven. Afghanistan is twelve and a half hours ahead of us so it is always seven thirty in the morning on Saturday where Roger is when it is seven in the evening on Friday here. I answered, "Hey Kemosabe. Give me a second to get where I can talk. I'm still at my Friday lab. We ran over today."

I turned to Mark, "Mark can you do without me for a bit?" He nodded and I walked into the hall. "I can talk now," I told Roger.

"Who is Mark?" Roger asked.

"He's my lab partner. I've told you about him before."

"Yeah, yeah, I remember. I'm not quite awake and it was a hard week. How was your week?"

"Fine. Nothing exciting, just working hard. It's been three weeks Roger. Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, yeah don't worry about me. I am worried about you though. Sounds like you are working too hard. That Mark sounds like a nice guy. Why don't the two of you take the evening off and go have some fun for a change?"

"Roger, are you breaking up with me?"

"No, no, no, I didn't mean that kind of fun. I meant something like bowling, or a comedy club, or anything nonromantic. Something to forget about studies for a while. Better yet take a girlfriend with you. And when you get home think of me." He paused just for a moment which usually signaled he was switching to a more serious mood. "But Ritu, if something does happen to me, you have to promise me you will find another guy and you will have fun. If you don't, I'll come back and haunt you! Promise me."

"Roger, I'd rather be haunted by your ghost than find another guy. There is no one like you."

"Ritu, I'm worried that I'm not even like me anymore. War changes people. Maybe you should find someone else. No don't. I'm not thinking straight right now. Look Princess, I just want what is best for you. I just want you to be happy. Damn, Sarge is calling me, so I have to go. Talk to you next week and remember to go have some fun." And he hung up. He has been forgetting the I love you lately. I'm really worried.