Long Road Writes 2022

19 The Reunion

by Daisy Cramb I remember back when the war started my father volunteered into the army.

He took up this opportunity to go and fight for our country and for it to become a better place. He wasn’t fighting just for our country he was fighting for me and my family! He was fighting to let us live a safer life.

I remember when I last saw him, and his big blue eyes were looking at mine tearing up in front of me. My heart was hurting knowing I might never see him again. It was very upsetting and emotional environment at the time, it was a sensitive day for me that I will never forget. The worlds need a strong independent man like my farther this was so hard to see him and let him go.

I was only five. I was feeling hurt and abandoned not knowing what he was going into at that age. My heart was aching as I watched him walk away from me and disappearing into the distance Infront of my eyes. He turned around waving and mouthing ‘I love you’ my mother and I stood there is broken pieces knowing that could have been the last time we see him.

Years went by and we heard nothing. I was now eight and having to be reminded of where my farther went and what happened was hurting me inside, knowing my farther had left me at such young are, but I had to remember what he was doing and who he was doing it for, he was doing it for me! A couple month later we thought we lost the only man we bother have ever had in our lives. A couple more months later we received a telegram quoting ‘The secretary of desires me to express his deepest regret that your husband has been injured in action on the Twenty Seventh July in France. Me and my mother sat there is devastation knowing we might have just lost the only man in our lives. Weeks later we were both still hurting over the news since we hadn’t heard anything more. Suddenly there was a knock at the door. We opened it and there he was standing there, be looked battered and dirty he looked so hurt standing there wobbling on crutches still in his dark green uniform. I couldn’t believe it was him, I ran into his arms crying; mother was sobbing, I can’t believe he is home.