Until we meet again (A war romance) (#Wattys2015)

Part 4 - Matthew

I watched Diana disappear as she was swallowed up by the crowd of women swarming around us. I was tightly packed in with the other boys, like sardines in a tin, but I still had to swing my arms, and hold my head high, and march, always march. I remembered Di’s face when I had told her, the hurt in her eyes, and the sadness. The only thing that made me want to go still, was knowing that it was all going to be over by Christmas. I could do my bit, and I would be home in 4 short months! Anyway, I couldn’t deny the fact that I was excited, despite Di. It was all a big adventure to us, and we marched with smiles on our faces, rifles on our backs, name tags swinging round our necks. I was told that they served good stew to the soldiers, ‘and that,’ I thought to myself, will be a nice change to bread and cheese!’

As we got further on, there were less and less civilians, until it was just us, and the sound of our boots marching left, right, left right, on the ground. We had been marching for a while now, and I was feeling tired, and I realised just how heavy my equipment was. I just wanted to sit down; rest, and by the look of it, some of the other soldiers did too, but all we could really do was give each other reassuring glances, and carry on. I spurred myself on by thinking of all the fun I was going to have. I couldn’t wait!

During training, I had excelled, my commanding officer had told me. I could hit a target with a rifle, and attack a dummy using my bayonet. I could duck for cover behind objects, and I could throw a grenade pretty well also. It was my hope that I would be sent to the front line, as that’s where all the action happened! To my delight, they agreed. Finally, a real adventure! We were going to France to protect Paris and help Belgium; to drive the German's back! We were going to win, I could feel it!

We boarded the boat that would take us to France, and I sat with two others. Pete and Dad were on the other side of the boat, as Pete got sea sick easily, and I didn’t want to anywhere near that when it happened! I introduced myself to the two men on either side of me. One was called Tommy, and the other was William. They both said that they came from my town, but I had never seen them before. Tommy was taller than myself, and had blonde, curly hair, and soft, grey eyes. Every now and then he would nibble his lip, which was dry and chapped. “Nervous?” I asked. He just nodded, and nibbled. William was rather short with ginger hair and green eyes. His uniform looked rather too big for him, and his eyes darted nervously.

“How old are you?” I asked,

“Sixteen” William replied, trying to make his voice deeper than it was,

“How old are you really?”

“Fifteen.”

“Why did you lie about your age?”

“My dad wanted to join you see, and he’s too old, he’d be killed. He didn’t give us no choice but to let ‘im go, but I wouldn’t let that ‘appen , so I stole ‘is uniform and tag, and left. I’m ‘ere to save my dad.”

“When they find out how old you are…”

“They won’t, unless you’re plannin’ on tellin’ ‘em?”

“I’m not a snitch,”

“Then we understand each other, don’t we?”

I nodded after hesitation. I didn’t want to tell on Will, but this wasn’t right; he was too young- but it’s not like they could send him back; we were already half way across the channel! I decided to keep it quiet- for now anyway…