[chuchutrain]: 63.Contest Entries.War Diary of Little Eliza

((A/N: Written for Flipside's contest hosted by [Burning Inside], War Diary. Awarded 3rd place standing in the contest. Word Count: 1240. Enjoy.))

November 27, 1914
Father left for the war two weeks ago. I sure hope he is alright. He promised me that he would take me skating and out to the hill to go sledding. I stayed up late and snuck downstairs last night to listen to my mother talk to Jeremy. They were talking about father and the war. Jeremy had said that father could have already been dead, mother got mad because that’s a horrible thought and I pray to mother Mary to keep him safe. When father left he had told me that he would be back by Christmas and he would bring me back many gifts from Europe. Many men in the town say that it would be an honor to go to the war, and that it will may be so quick that none of them will be able to even go. Jeremy keeps saying not to get our hopes up and to expect the worse. But everyone is saying it will be a fast quick war, even father said so. There has been no word from father yet and Jeremy tells me it’s because the mail is so slow because father is far away. But it is getting late and I should really go to bed. Suzy is coming here tomorrow and we are going into town to get things for the house, I sure hope mother will buy me a new dress for church.

December 1, 1914
I’m so excited for the next few days! At school we are to be holding a fun day for all the children. We are going to be playing in the snow and having so much fun! We haven’t heard anything from Father yet and Jeremy is beginning to worry. I’m not sure why he is worrying, no bad news has come from the war yet so it should be alright. There is a lot of talk around the town of when the men will be coming back from the war. They say it’s really soon. Oh I can’t wait! It’ll be so exciting seeing Father again! Suzy said her family’s mare had a baby and it’s really cute. Her mother is giving it to her as her own. I wish I could have a colt, but all of our horses are being used in the field. Mother bought me a beautiful dress for church, it’s white and pink with a big bow in the back, and I love it and can’t wait to wear it this Sunday to mass. I can’t wait to show it to Father when he comes back! I must go. Mother is calling me to help her with dinner.

December 10, 1914
We have received our first letter from Father! It was telling us about all the sights and how he is going through training right now. Jeremy said that the letters are so slow and that the letter was dated on November 28th! I can’t believe that it is that slow. Suzy is still waiting for a letter from her father but she said that it should arrive real soon. Mother is hard at work and has begun to work in a factory making munitions for the war. She said that it’s different working in a factory but she really enjoys it. I have heard that many women are working in the factories now. It's strange because I have never seen a woman work in a factory. Jeremy said that since there has been no good news of the war that it might be longer than expected, but Mother told him to keep his hopes up. Jeremy has asked me to help him with moving wood into the house for the fire, so I must go and help.

December 24, 1914
It’s Christmas Eve and I am waiting for Mother and Jeremy to be ready so we can go to the mass in town. Father still isn’t home and we haven’t received anymore letters. I hope that he will be home for Christmas and that all will go back to normal. Things have been quite different around here. There are many rumors of the war. They say that it is a brutal war and that all the posters around town are not the truth. I don’t believe them because why would the government lie to us about something like a war? I hope that tomorrow morning I will wake up and my Father will be home. That would be the greatest present I could ever ask for. Then we could sit around the fire and talk and drink hot cocoa like we did the first Christmas we were here in Canada. But this time, Father can tell us all about the war and his great adventures! Tonight I will not be able to sleep for I am too excited for tomorrow. Father had said he’d be back by Christmas and that it would be a joyous occasion. I’m praying to God that he can make it back for tomorrow. Jeremy and Mother are calling me to hurry for we are leaving to go into town for the Christmas Eve mass.

December 25, 1914
Today was Christmas, the worst Christmas I have ever had. Father hasn’t returned home like he promised and we had received two letters today. One was from father telling us about the sights of Europe. It seemed as if the men of the town were right and it would be a quick war. In the letter he had told us that he was needed and that he wouldn’t be home for Christmas but would surely bring gifts for everyone. The letter from Father was dated December 1st. The other letter was very official, in a brown envelope and sealed with wax and the government symbol, it was dated December 2nd. Jeremy opened it and began to read since neither my mother nor I could read, it brought grave news of fathers death. He had been in a battle and had died. That’s all that it had told us. Jeremy was angry at the government for not telling us more. Mother just began to cry and is still crying even as I write this. I, too, have been crying for the past three hours. And as I write this I am desperately trying to control my tears for father had always said that tears were a sign of weakness. I try to hold them but to no prevail, they hurt my eyes and my sobs are coming harder with each breath I take. Jeremy had gone for a walk and has not come back yet. I’m beginning to worry for his safety. I cannot think of much else aside from my beloved father. The letter had also said that the body would not be sent back for a proper burial. Jeremy had said it was probably because there was no body left. That made mother cry harder and it made me begin to hate father for leaving. Why did he have to go off to war? But no matter, I can never hate him, my mother said that I was excused from chores and for that I am grateful. I don’t think I would be able to complete them in my state. Jeremy has come home and told me to go to sleep. I am unsure of how well I will sleep tonight but I should very well try.



© Stephanie Chu, 2006