My Neighbor I Know So Well (AmeCan)

A Feeling of Reluctance (America)

25 April, 1898

        Dear Diary, today is the day I'm being deployed to the Philippines and my boss saying the United States has declared war on Spain. Other troops are being sent to Cuba, they're heading east to Santiago Harbour. I'm glad that the letter arrived to him on time, for I saw him standing at the boardwalk looking around and waiting patiently. I had my sailor's suit on and waved to him. He saw me and I don't know why his face turned scarlet red all of a sudden. He ran up to me and shoved a handkerchief-wrapped box in my hands. "How long are you going to be gone, Alfred?" I told him as long until the Spanish armada in the Philippines would surrender. "Oh, I see. Listen, I don't want you getting yourself killed out there, understand? Spain is known of possessing a very powerful armada and has been ruling the Philippines for four hundred years, so they know the island inside and out. You better take great care of yourself and, please, don't go crazy. I want you to come back here as sane as you are now." I assured him that I'll be fine and letters would be sent to him from me whenever I have the chance. He didn't seem affected by these words, so I asked him what will, "Just you coming back will be fine enough." Smiling at this didn't seem to affect him either, so I didn't know what would. Time was running short and my crew was calling for me to climb aboard and set sail. I had to act fast, and I wanted to leave with Matthew having a smile on his face. So I did what my boss's wife always did to me if I were still scared after attempts of soothing: I planted a soft kiss on his forehead. His eyes were wide. I couldn't tell if he was surprised in a negative or a positive way, as I was walking the boardwalk towards my ship. The last thing I saw was his facial expression: eyes wide and cheeks red. I'm stationed at the front deck of USS Olympia overlooking the vast ocean. Within days we'll be arriving in Manila and battle overseas. Nervous, yes, frightened in the least, definitely, but I've become fond of being shot and breaking bones. By the way, I unravelled Matthew's present, it's a little casket with a maple leaf in it. I like it, it's a nice reminder of the person I want to see when this is over.

Your keeper, Alfred