24&29

I am Frank Anthony Iero, born on the thirty-first of October. I have been on the honor roll for as long as I can remember. To be honest, I’m quite a perfectionist. I’m also a working student. I need to help my mom pay the bills back in Jersey and I have to save up for both my college fund, and my sister, Jenna’s.
I want to study in St. Dominic’s Academy because I believe that this school has a lot to teach me, and I have a lot to learn from it. I want to go to Yale and study business. I’ve always been interested in entrepreneurship.

“Bye, Mom.” I hugged her tightly for a few seconds, and then I let her go. I gave her a small smile. I was very grateful that she wanted to drop me off at the airport. Even Jenna was here.

I bent down to my knees, and I put my hands on both her shoulders. I looked at her straight in the eyes. She avoided eye contact, but I could see her eyes were watering. “Jen?” I kept my voice soft.

Her eyes flicked to mine for one heartbreaking second.

“Jenna?”

This time she really looked at me. Next thing I know, she had her little arms wrapped around my neck. Sobs ripped from her lips. I held her close and stroked her soft hair gently. I was on the verge of tears myself. “Ssh,” I hushed her. “I’m going to be back, all right? Do you believe me? I’ll be back before you have time to miss me, Jen.” I heard myself; I heard how the hysteria cracked my voice.

“You’re lying, Frankie,” Jenna croaked. “I miss you already.” She sounded so torn…

All I could do was hug her. “I miss you, too, Jen. Very, very much. But I have to go study in a nice school so I get in Yale and get a good job, so we could have money to pay the bills and to send you to college,” I explained. “I’ll be back before you know it. Do you believe me, Jen?”

She sniffled a little and one last tear rolled down her cheek and fell to the cement, lost forever. “I believe you,” she whispered softly. “Promise you’ll be back real quick?” she asked, her brown eyes – much like mine, as Mom says – burning.

I took her small hand and kissed it. “I promise. Do good in school, okay? Study really hard.” I stood up.

“I will, Frankie,” Jenna promised, her tone slightly lighter now.

I turned to Mom and gave her one last hug. “I promise I’ll make you proud, Mom.”

She let go and looked at me, tears in her eyes and a smile on her lips. “You already have, Frank,” she said.

“I’ve got to go now,” I blurted, fighting tears. I knew I completely ruined the moment, but my mom just told me she was proud of me. I very much did feel like brining on the waterworks and breaking into song, but the airport security might have thought I was a disturbed nutcase. I sniffled and wiped my nose with the back of my hand.

“I love you, Frankie,” Jenna said, smiling very wide.

“Now there’s my pretty little sister!” I said, grinning. “I love you, too, Jen. No more tears, all right?”

She smiled. I turned to walk toward the airport entrance. I looked back to see Jenna and Mom go back into the bus. Jenna hurriedly took the window seat. She looked out of it and I was guessing that she probably saw me, because she waved. So I waved back, smiling.

And then the bus started to move and it zoomed away.