One Minute To Six

Chapter 1

CHARLIE

One hour. That's all my life is worth. Sixty minutes, that's all the time I have left to live. How shall I live them?

I am locked in a cell awaiting for my visitors, so I can say goodbye. Goodbye to the family I will never see again.

I start humming 'Oranges and Lemons'. I used to hate it when Big Joe hummed that song. Now it's all I need to put a smile on my face. I think of Big Joe, I wonder how he is. I haven't seen him since I got sent back to the trenches. I think of Molly, raising our beautiful son, Little Tommo. I was so glad to see them when I got sent home. I think of Mother, how will she cope after I have gone. As I sit there looking at Father's old clock as the guard sighs. I know he misses his family. I know because he keeps looking at his watch and then pulling out a picture and stares at it and then glares at me. I am the only person in these cells, so if I wasn't here, then he would be able to be with his family.I listen to the watch ticking and think of Father. What would he say if he saw me now? Would he be disappointed? Or proud?

"You have twenty minutes." The guard announces

I look up to see Tommo. My amazing brother.

When he sees me he breaks into tears. I get up and hold his face in my hands.

"I want no tears Tommo"

He wipes his face and we both sit on the bed in my cell. He looks at me with glistening eyes. He sits fiddling with his fingers. He is remembering something.

"Charlie... Remember when Father died..." He whispers.

"How could I forget."

"Well..Well......Well....I killed him..." He whispers again. I laugh

"How is that funny!" He glares at me.

"I'm sorry. But I know. You didn't kill him."

"How did you know?" He asks

"Tommo! You had nightmares. You kept me awake night after night with you saying that you didn't mean to kill him and how it was all your fault. I just had to put the pieces together to know what had happened." I laugh.

"What about Mother? Does she know?"

"Yes. We all heard you"

He shakes his head.

"If only I had moved. Then he wouldn't be dead. It's all my fault." He sighed.

"Tommo. It's not your fault. He saved you. He chose to risk his life to save you."

We sit in silence for the next couple of minutes

"You still love her, don't you?" He nods but I already knew.

"Promise me. Promise me, you will love and take care of Molly and Little Tommo, for me." A single tear falls down my face.

"I will" he promises.

I pull out Father's old watch.

"Also, promise...You will look after this.." I pass him the watch and hold his hand around its golden face. "If you keep winding it, time will never stop. And when Little Tommo is older, you will pass it on to him"

He nods in agreement.

"Times up!" We were interrupted by the guard.

Tears start streaming down Tommo's face again.

"Goodbye, Charlie. I have promises to keep." More tears pool in his eyes threatening to overflow.

"Goodbye Tommo." I say just before he leaves. Before he leaves me forever.