Alexander Saige was gifted in empathy, imagination, and maturity. With a love for literature he had spent his selfless young life observing where the hearts of men lie. Alexander often expressed his unique gifts through writing. He could tell where people were in stages of personal development and tried his best to help them shape a telling image within, particularly his best friend, David, and the only girl he could ever see himself with, Laura. When he joined the Army at high school''s end it was for better opportunity for he and his family.
In the military he meets a man alike and very unalike himself, Aaron Maddux. Aaron was a sharp soldier with a scathing eye but suffered from complacency. In his lifetime he learned much within yet little outside of himself. He shunned much of the wonderful education the Army represented such as differing people of differing backgrounds, culture, language, and religion. Alexander hoped he not throw away the mind broadening experience and often debated with Aaron using literature, history and analogies to keep him thinking.
After Alexander''s death in Africa Aaron, wounded physically and spiritually, goes to Alexander''s hometown in Texas with intent on returning keepsakes of the fallen soldier to his mother and sister. One item was his personal journal. Especially contained in the pages of profound observation was heartache he experienced from the turmoil in Africa, and from broken trust. Shortly before his death he accidentally found out David and Laura had cheated on him. As Aaron walks the town he reads the journal flashing forward and backward reliving moments Alexander had with them and with him. Feeling misrepresented by the words Aaron soon questions if caring so deeply for others is a hindrance, if all things come full circle, a proverb he had built his life upon, was not true, and if he should approach David and Laura about their betrayal on Alexander''s behalf.
Unbeknownst to David and Laura, Alexander and his comrades were aware of their infidelity. However, unbeknownst to all, there was a secret between David and Laura which forfeit their circle of friendship and circle of life.
Revision focuses on the endless beauty in diversity and friendship. It is about positive intrigue, negative reinforcement, and what it takes for a man to recast what is familiar and old into a different form once he has written himself in.
Growing up in Farmingville, Long Island was an advantage for Salvatore Anthony Esposito. Being exposed to people of all cultures had a great impact on his personal development. It prompted him to seek out more of such diversity and he found a great deal of it in the United States Army. He always felt a need to write about his experiences, so he did. It was the same reason that motivated his return to duty after September 11th.
After completing a year long tour in Abu Ghraib, Iraq, returning in June 2006, Specialist Esposito now seeks to assist the brave men and women whose lives were forever changed by the war on terror. His charity, the Wounded Warrior Project, helps permanently disabled combat veterans regain a sense of independence and shows that there is life after injury.
"Those men and women are the substance of the greatest stories ever told. They asking nothing in return of their service, except for the safety of their country and families."
There are words and their synonyms to describe how Alexander Saige felt the final days; sadness, depression, and heart sickness. To his friends in Somalia they stood as the only ones that existed in his wide vocabulary. Saige usually acted with paper and pencil in reaction to pain. He never failed to express his deficits. The pages contained an insight into a dissonant truth about a ravaged country and spirit. Thus the journal would be too painful to give his family in a time of grievance. No, Aaron intended to give it to someone else.
The mended bones in his lower leg throbbed with ache some, asking for the crutches he discarded after the cast came off. Aaron was in no hurry here. He took a seat in the grass and left the bag on himself. Meticulously he crossed his legs Indian style and made mental notes on how exactly he should approach the intended recipient of the journal.
Next thing he knew afternoon had progressed to late afternoon. A conclusion for Aaron was not progressing. His mind was still running and searching for it. While debating on how to make the approach a few facts dictated that he should not. Then other facts and the pain of the throbbing would advert such a passive idea. More than anything Aaron wanted vindication for Saige. He contended a while ago that giving the journal to one of the two whom betrayed him was the best way. It would be the same as Alexander telling about his burdened heart face to face, getting out exactly how he felt, what they did to him. The depth of joy he experienced with his friends in Texas appeared out of proportion to the depth of disparity caused him by their betrayal. Watching that fact unfold before his eyes in Somalia and using it as the pro reason why he should make the approach caused Aaron again and again to wonder what he had in the chopper.
However there still were those facts that dictated he should leave it be. After all there was a depth of joy in their lives that was amicable. But he was no longer adamant that what goes round comes round. The noble had gotten what the selfish deserved.
In addition coming to see the Saiges racked Maddux’s mind with recall of the trauma that ended Alexander’s life. It dragged his soul, the soul that Alexander sought to spare against the pitfalls of pride and ignorance into a purgatory where there was no indication on how much time he would be suffering there, where there was no god to plead to for mercy. His misery did not wish company
Aaron put his face in his hands. He knew why he was there. He owed Alexander for his friendship. He had to give his family the other items in the bag and to let them know of the good soldier he truly was. Aaron did not know why he was there. Emotionally he was weaker than he was physically. The con of the debate was strengthening. Every time a gentle breeze blew warm air over him, every time he stopped thinking to listen to the quiet around him, serenity would beseech he pardon their trespasses, to leave this page blank, putting more pressure on him.
Maddux shot to his feet. Now as tense as he was confused he began to walk. He needed an answer and sitting idle was no way it would come to a man of his type. He was a soldier-medic well trained that mobilization is the enemy of disorganization. The right answer would come to him along the way, he believed. All he had to do was stick to his original plan and absorb the town once more, non-vicariously, before he visited the Saige residence. And the schoolyard was the best place to start.
There were awesome moments and striking events in Alexander’s life. Aaron belonged to a certain collection. In summoning them to mind he would be remembering his own life. A man’s name is his social specificity. If Aaron took out the letter A in his name it would not sound the same. In comparison, if he took out Saige from his life it would not have been the same. In remembering, he would also be viewing the lives of other important people connected to the deceased soldier. Those people lived a lifetime in itself with him, sometimes within a span of a few years, a few months, even a few seconds like Maddux had when he saw his eyes fixating in the chopper.
Alexander placed value in expression, written expression particularly. Aaron unzipped the bag and took out a hand-sized book bounded in leather. The owner’s initials were branded on the cover. It was tinged by Somali dust and dirt. He opened to the first page and began reading like it was a map directing him where to go.
Aaron read and wondered, and walked and wondered.