Goodbye - creative writing.

Goodbye

It is 1940 and the Second World War is getting into full swing. Due to conscription millions of British men between the ages twenty-five and fifty are signing up to do their years of National Service. Wives and children all over the country are being left without a husband or father.

This is a story of a particular family who are separated when the father is called on, to do his duty and join the war effort. It starts off with the initial parting at the train station.

February 25th 1940

On a snowy, white, winter morning the latest batch of soldiers are saying their goodbyes to their loved ones and preparing to embark on what could prove to be a very life changing journey. Amidst the noise of confusion and tearful goodbyes are a young couple named Annabelle and James and their young son Benjamin, making the most of their last few moments together as a family.

Here is a bit of background information on this young couple. Annabelle and James have been in love since the day they met and always believed there was one good person for everybody and that they found that person in each other.

They were married at the tender age of eighteen and had their one and only child Benjamin at the age of nineteen, who is now three years old. There was never a happier or more perfect couple.

Now back to that snowy morning in February. They both know that this will be their last face to face contact for possibly years and they know that if there is anything they need to say then it would have to be said now. Yet ironically they realise that neither has anything they feel important or appropriate enough for them to say to make the other feel better and give them hope, so they stand there, with arms tightly holding each other, in almost absolute silence apart from the gentle sobbing and the random confused giggles from Benjamin. They are both praying that they will be reunited, with the heart wrenching thought at the back of their minds that this could be their final goodbye.

The train horn sounds and Annabelle’s gentle sobs turn into floods of tears as it actually becomes reality that this is when he will leave her. They exchange heartfelt and teary goodbyes and James turns and walks slowly away. Suddenly he turns and dashes towards her, grabs her by the arms tightly, gives her a long, passionate kiss, smiles and says

‘Something to remember me by’

And with that he turns and dashes onto the train. Annabelle stands there, the train has faded completely into the distance, her tears have dried on her face with the bitterly icy ...

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‘Something to remember me by’

And with that he turns and dashes onto the train. Annabelle stands there, the train has faded completely into the distance, her tears have dried on her face with the bitterly icy wind and she is completely numb with the cold, but she still stands there holding her son and longing for her one true love to come back.

July 25th 1940

Months have passed by and Ben has grown two inches and day by day he is beginning to look more and more like his father. Annabelle anxiously waits day and night for a letter from her loving husband and she thinks to herself ‘all it has to say is hi and I’d be happy, just to know he is there, safe and thinking about me’. She doesn’t feel like doing much, just sits by the window, playing with Ben and staring outside into space and every so often Ben catches her eye and she gives a faint, defeated smile and then carries on staring.

This morning was different though, with sleepless nights tossing and turning, worrying about James, she got up around six and began her daily chores. As she was walking down the stairs she heard the mail drop through the letterbox and suddenly she had this overwhelming happy feeling in her stomach. Sprinting downstairs she picked up the mail and let out a cry of joy as in the pile was a muddy brown torn envelope with James’s writing on the front. Annabelle ripped it open with bubbling anticipation and read slowly and in deep focus down the letter, which read:

Dear Bella,

How are you and Ben? I miss you both terribly and think about you both night and day. I can’t say much because of censorship, but I just want you to know that I am keeping as well as can be expected but as you can probably imagine I am lonely and miss you loads.

I have made a few friends in the short while I have been here but I do not want to get too close because I never know how long I will be with them. Well I better not say much more because it may get censored but I love you loads baby and I miss you and Ben so much!

Please do not worry about me and I will write to you at Christmas. I swear!

Love you two more than life itself! Will be home soon, keep up hope!

Always remember that I love you!

Love and miss you Bella dear,

From your loving

James!

xoxoxoxoxo

As she read down the page her eyes began to fill with tears and she sat there after reading the letter and cried for missing him, cried for him missing her, cried for the thought that he loved her and cried because she felt the exact same way about him and just wished she could tell him the same but could not reply.

December 25th 1940

It’s Christmas morning and the house is decorated with red bows, holy and tinsel and Annabelle looked stunningly beautiful with her hair tied back in red ribbons and her silk and lace, red Christmas dress sat perfectly. Whether she made the extra effort for herself or whether she did it for James all those miles away we will never know but there was a certain glow radiating from her.

It was set to be a glorious day; all the presents were wrapped neatly under the tree, the food was cooking perfectly and the snow fell gently over the house. Who could have thought that such a glorious day could be changed oh so suddenly as the mail dropped through the letterbox? Annabelle had remembered all those months ago James saying he would write at Christmas so with a great excited smile on her face she ran to the hall.

In the pile she did find a letter from the British Army but looking at the front she knew it wasn’t from her loving husband, before opening it she prayed to God that he was okay.

Annabelle slowly ripped the envelope open and read through the letter. It felt to her as if her heart was just shattered into a million pieces and she fell to the floor and broke down into tears. This time she wasn’t crying for the same reasons, this time she was crying because the only man she had ever loved was taken from her forever, she was crying because her son didn’t have a father and she was crying because she remembered that last passionate kiss and knew that was going to be her last kiss from him and that it would have to last a lifetime.

Annabelle heard Benjamin calling her from his room, so she pulled herself together, wiped her tears away and slowly ascended the stairs. As she entered the room she saw her little Ben, who looked just like his father, standing on his bed looking out the window;

‘Mummy it’s snowing’ he said as he turned and smiled.

‘I know love’ his mother said putting on a faint smile and turning away.

There was a moment of silence and then Ben said sadly

‘Mummy………when is Daddy coming home?’

With that Annabelle could not contain her tears, she ran over picked Ben up hugged him tightly and said with tears falling from her eyes

‘Daddy isn’t coming back!’ and she let out an exasperated cry.

Annabelle stood clutching her young son, crying her heart out while Ben began to weep, although he didn’t really understand what was happening.

Melanie Lloyd