Angrily, Ben knocked over a pile of books from a nearby bookshelf and a cloud of dust rose from them. He coughed and sneezed, thinking that they nobody even touched them any more. He hated the sight of the books at that moment and was just about to stomp on them when he saw a big, red diary amongst them. Picking it up and blowing the dust from it, he flipped the dirty pages. They were quite old but he could still make out the ancient letters.
“An Important Discovery by…William Lodge?” Ben’s eyes widened.
“Great-grandpa!” he exclaimed, remembering the name.
“This diary was written way back in the early 1900s. I wonder how life was then?” Ben was fascinated. He decided to read it in his room.
Tonight
It had been a long day and Ben knew that he needed a break. Margaret was already asleep in her room and he did not want to wake her up. He was disappointed because even as a child, he would always kiss her goodnight before going to bed. A strange uneasiness gripped him but he felt better when he opened the book. Perhaps it would help him forget his troubles for a while, he thought.
Little did he know that he couldn’t have made a bigger mistake.
An Important Discovery by William Lodge
Part one: January 10, 1913. 1:30am
‘Cold, so cold! The boys are asleep but this heart of mine is troubling me! Something isn’t right…I’m sure the captain has a nasty surprise for us. Old geezer never does anything himself! My health is deteriorating…I can’t take much more of this’.
2:47am
‘The flame is dying. I better write as much as I can. This letter has to be delivered by tomorrow morning. Now where was I…oh yes’.
My dear absent wife, I miss you so much! I want to be a better husband to you and words cannot explain how much I miss you. I wish I did not have to do this but we must eat. I will be sure to send the money whenever I can. Please take of our little Daniel. His birth is the best news I have heard in these last few days. Life is miserable in this little camp and we are treated like slaves everyday. I promise that I will return once the war is over. It isn’t far now. Don’t ask me how; I can sense it. The nations are bitter at the moment and this side of the earth is tainted by their hatred towards each other. America needs more men. We have to fight for our mother nation. I am proud to say that many of us have sacrificed the pleasures of life for this reason alone. However, I do not like this separation from our families…oh, what can I do? I must go now…it is late. I think the candlelight is bothering Old Derek. He is sleeping right behind me.
January 17. 4am
‘I envy my comrades’ capacity to sleep. It is what one should do after a harsh day. However, an insomniac never has it this easy. Besides, something is definitely wrong with my heart. It keeps failing me. I might not be writing so soon again…’.
May 27. 7am
‘Surprisingly, we are off today. The old geezer said that he had some urgent business to attend to. He must be busy pigging out on fancy meals while we end up with dry old bread and broth. I do not mind, but I need more nourishment. I am a sick man. All the boys demanded their rights but the captain is an evil old snake. Wait till we inform the super. Then we’ll see who laughs last’.
July 13th. 3:35am
“At last! The old geezer has been replaced! Now we can look forwards to better days’.
October 18. 4am.
‘The new captain may be a strong young man but he is worse than that old geezer. Old Derek spilled a bowl of soup in the mess hall and he almost got his legs broken for this. I don’t think he can train tomorrow. They were even taking about disposing of him. I wonder what they’re up to…’.
December 30. 5:25am
‘Old Derek, things are not the same without you. Your killing was a cruel and unnecessary act. Don’t worry, the boys and I have reported this to the super. He’s investigating the actions of that miserable captain and promised justice. The team won’t find a better pilot anywhere. We miss you wholeheartedly, old chap. Rest in peace!’
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