Chimes In Adverse Times
Peace is never too far. It resides within the hearts of everyone like a beacon of hope. Little Tim believed in and so did those men.
1914, December
Tim's eyes fidgeted as he clutched his rifle. His uniform was all saggy. He was given those in a rush. The battle ensued as the lands were engulfed in the sound of gunshots. Air laden with gunpowder and smoke.
Tim saw in a distance from far clouds of smoke as he was being taken to the frontline by the wagon. Carl, his neighbor, was busy handling his newfound rifle with excitement. Tim's heart was beating fast; he was nervous, mostly scared and his eyes were trembling. For a few coins and a promise of a medal for service he had been sent to serve his country.
"How far do you think this can shoot?" asked Carl, pointing the rifle in the distance.
Tim, not hearing it, kept gazing at the wagon floor blankly.
"Hey Tim! Do you hear me?" Questioned Carl nudging Tim with his newfound toy.
"Huh!" Tim escaped his daydreams drenched in worries. "What happened?"
"Wake up Tim! Quit daydreaming or you'll find yourself dreaming lying on the frontlines." Carl remarked. "By the way what do you think? How far can this shoot?"
Tim looked at him intently before replying, " In your hand? Backward."
"Hey!" Carl exclaimed, kicking Tim's leg in retaliation to his words.
"Ow! You moron!" Tim cried. (Tim sighed inside: I just want to be with Martha.)
The Frontlines were engulfed in chaos with explosions, gunshots, sirens blaring and painful cries. Both sides had seen better days but it had gotten bad as it was getting colder.
Trenches were dug or you could say shitholes. That's what they were. Filled with mud, blood and corpses.
Carl jumped out of the wagon as they reached the camp. Putting his rifle on his shoulder and adjusting his cap he signaled Tim to come along.
In the camp they stood as a single file as the Captain proceeded with briefing them. A total of six hundred had arrived in two days. With the current situation they were too few. Carl nudging Tim, "See that? I'll be in that Uniform in no time." The Captain saw this brave foolery.
"What do you think this place is, boy!" The Captain screamed as he approached Carl.
Carl was taken by surprise. He started sweating as the Captain stuck his face close to his. His Eyes as if piercing through his soul, demanding answers.
"Answer me boy! What did you come here thinking? Picnic? A Fare perchance?" Captain was in his face. "A single moment and you'll be an organ sack left on the battleground waiting to be eaten by mice!" Tim was trembling beside Carl. Captain saw this. Looking back at Carl right into the eye and then moving away. "A moron and a wimp! They think this is a joke sending shit like this under me!" The captain moved towards the end of the file. "Listen soldiers! This is not a mockery! You either follow my command to the last dot or you die! Is that clear?" He blared. All the soldiers shouted in unison, "Yes sir!"
"Dismissed!"
Carl and Tim moved their tent with heavy steps and heavier hearts. Carl sat silently in a corner looking at the tent wall blankly while Tim stood at the entrance looking around. Tim reaches the shirt's right pocket, taking out a picture. He looks at it for sometime before sighing. "Soon." Putting back the picture he adjusted his cap over his ears, then moved toward the field nearby.
In the command center.
"Things are not looking good sir. The frontlines are at their limit. Death count is rising and with frequent snowfalls movement of troops have taken a hit." said one of the officers.
"Nobody said this was going to be a cakewalk. Did someone? officer" asked the Commander.
"No sir." Replied the officer in a low tone.
"What was it?" asked the commander.
"No sir!" yelled the officer.
"Right. We are not short on people willing to die for this nation. Bring them to the war. Tell them what they have to gain. Wealth, fame, glory or honor. Bring them all. We need to win this war at all and any cost!" declared the Commander.
"Yes sir!" yelled all officers in unison.
In the field Tim stood staring at the sun setting in the distance. He had to join the frontlines the next day and he was not welcoming about it but options had run out. Putting his hand on his chest he sighed patting his chest to calm his heart down. He took a deep breath in. Midway realizing it had a peculiar smell, he nearly coughed his lungs out.
Looking in the direction where the smoke came from he saw a man in his mid thirties sitting on the edge of the field smoking cigarettes. He turned towards the coughing guy. Reaching out he offered a cigarette to Tim.
"Want one kid?" asked the man.
"I think I will pass sir. Thank you." replied Tim, still catching his lost breaths. "I wouldn't want to die from such a thing."
"There is much here you can die from. This is the last thing you would have to worry about dying from. Here, this is your only companion, kid." Stated the man, throwing the finished cigarette to the ground and booting it.
"I'll still pass," said Tim.
"Ok kid," said the man taking the cigarette and putting it in his mouth. He then reached out to his pocket bringing out a metal lighter with initials imprinted on it for 'H'. "Name's William by the way. What's yours?" asked William.
"Tim Ronalds, sir!" replied Tim.
"No need for formalities right now Tim. Here, have a seat." William tapped on the ground next to him. "And call me Will." said Will looking back towards the sunset.
"Ok Will." Said Tim taking the seat next to Will.
"You're new, huh?" asked Will. "Where you from Timmy?"
Tim still looking at the sunset, "******. Came here today."
"It's a nice place. I went there with my wife a couple of years ago." Said Will.
"Yes it is. Missing it already. So you are married?" Asked Tim.
"Yes. Am." Affirmed Will.
Tim and William stayed there sitting until the sun disappeared and the stars engulfed the night sky.
Tim reached back to the tent. Entering the tent Tim saw Carl writing something in a diary completely engrossed that he didn't notice Tim enter and approach him.
"What are you doing Carl?" Asked Tim, leaning over towards Carl.
"Ahh.!" Carl was caught off guard. He quickly hid the diary behind him. "Um..m I..I was just writing my daily journal. Yes. I was writing my daily journal. That's what I was doing."
"I would take your word for it." Said Tim turning and moving to his bed in another corner of the tent. "Sleep now if you wanna wake up early to earn that Captain Uniform of yours." Tim lay on the bed covering himself and going to sleep.
"Yeah I know. I know you are teasing me. I'll earn that Uniform in no time. I swear on it." Declared Carl, his eyes glowing with clear intent and desire.
"I believe you man, I believe you." replied Tim.
Carl pulled out the diary and looked at it for a while intently, before putting it under his pillow and tucking himself to sleep.
Both Carl and Tim knew this was going to be the last peaceful night they would be having for a while. In a place like this the dimly lit tent and a warm bed was all one could hope for. It was worth more than a pricey restaurant.
Bombardments thundering down, gunshots clamoring and sound of tanks firing one after the other. Each breath filled you to the brim with smoke and gunpowder. Ground was moled out by the people, they called them trenches. Soldiers filled these smelly, muddy holes in hope to stay safe from enemy fire. Tim and Carl were also there curled up, waiting for a chance with trembling hands. In time, shooting randomly to the enemy side hoping for a kill. They were amateurs. Still too young to pull the trigger. Falling back with each recoil.
The slender aisles of trenches were overflowing with men. No time to move the fallen. The battle was a rough one. Each gunshot knew nothing about who it might kill, nor did the man hiding in the trenches. Both met for a single moment ending each other's purpose. Grenades raining from the skies painted the walls with the red dye. Each moment deciding end of a thread.
"Carl! Do you have any grenades left?" Tim screamed.
"None Tim!" Carl replied. "It's hell out here!"
"Where's Carol?" asked Murphy.
"He went to get the ammunition. We are running out fast!" told Cillian as he reached out to waste another cartridge.
*Bang!*
Cilian was shot. His brain scattered all over the trench walls. Everyone looked at the dread scene then at each other before starting to fire their ammunition. In the battlefield no one seeks out for the dead.