(2/2) “In Afghanistan I spent so much time imagining what it...

(2/2) “In Afghanistan I spent so much time imagining what it would be like when I came home. I built up this perfect world. I imagined eating a big cheeseburger. And taking the longest shower. And meeting up with all my friends. Maybe we’d even take a trip to the beach just to catch up. And everything would be just like when I left. And people would be so happy to see me. Because they’d be thankful for the sacrifices that I made. But when my plane landed, nobody was there to meet me. My mom couldn’t afford to take off work. My father had died while I was gone. The rest of my family couldn’t afford to travel. One of the first things I did was visit the two friends who had written me letters. The whole time I was in Afghanistan, I only got four letters from two friends. So I had to visit them right away to tell them that those letters meant the world to me. But after those visits, I was pretty much by myself. So I sat in my room and I started thinking. I’d been so busy in Afghanistan. There was always a job to do. But now it was quiet. So I thought about all the things that I’d kept at bay. I thought about the little girl that I saved. And what her life is like now. And I wondered if she’s still alive. And if she is still alive, does she even want to be?”