Guys, thank you so much for the input, even if it was mostly on the theme of "WTF???"
I'll make certain, next time, to make a better effort at establishing what's going on, where, when, and to whom, so this is good criticism. Thank you.
Terry: OMG, thanks! I would take you up on your offer if I wasn't so behind in other things. Yes, this vignette is carved off from a bigger story that's been in my head for years. In fact, one detail was actually *fudged* to make it fit more neatly into a shorter format: in the story between my ears, one brother actually ended up staying in America. However, explaining that would have muddied the one-shot.
As for everything else...well, I don't want to develop the habit of explaining the story outside the main narrative, so I may have to find some time pretty soon to let my muse off her leash once more, in order to clear things up.
Thanks again, everyone.