I stood in the doorway, watching my older brother carefully putting clothes into his bag.I coughed
uneasily. Finally    1    that I was there, Rocky turned toward me with a sad smile.
     "I'm    2    tomorrow," he said.
     "I know." My    3    was almost a whisper (低声). I was    4    at myself for being so weak,but I
wasn't about
to cry.
     "My    5    is early, so there is still    6    time to come to the airport," he said. Seeing the    7    look on
my face, he quickly added, "I promise (答应) I won't leave without saying goodbye."
     I tried to say    8   , but didn't. It's always    9    to keep quiet if you're about to cry. "You promised
you wouldn't cry," he said to me, thinking that I was close to    10   .
     I remember the day he taught me how to ride a bike.    11    I thought he was always right behind me,
holding the seat to keep me from     12   . I was happy with this,but he knew he couldn't hold me up all
my life.He told me that one day he would have to let go.
      His coughing stopped my thinking. What was left to say? How could I say    13    to the person who
taught me everything?
     The next morning I    14   , looked at my alarm clock,and realized he had left    15    ago. We never
even said goodbye.
      Goodbye, Rocky! Although he may have been many miles away, I knew he heard me, even if it was
only an answer in his heart.