Pitschen ma en gamba - Small, but powerful [A Band of Brothers Story]

Casualties

The next day, while they were sitting around eating lunch, Vest came by. Ella had to do a double take because she just couldn't believe it. After spending a week cut off from the rest of the world, stuck in these woods fending off the enemy, mail call seemed like a dream to them.

When the call for "Sergeant Sawyer, J.V." came, it took her a moment to snap out of her surprised daze and respond. She laughed and rolled her eyes at the various joking and teasing comments from her friends, who still hadn't given up on uncovering the secret behind her initials.

"Letter from your Mama?", Buck asked, glancing up from his own letters.

The young medic nodded, prying open the crinkled envelope. "Yeah." She unfolded the paper and began to read.

My charina Ella

You can imagine my reaction when Larry showed me the newspaper during our break and I read which units are part of the siege in the Ardennes. I actually dropped my coffee and Elizabeth later said she'd thought I had a heart attack. Which isn't too far from the truth, but what can I say? I think any mother would feel that way if they had to find out from a news report that her only daughter's unit is stranded in Belgium, surrounded by the enemy.

Despite the siege, I hope you are well – or at least as well as you can be under the circumstances. The last few weeks have been quite turbulent here at home. Work is extremely busy, especially because we are short-staffed at the moment: Everybody is sick with the flu. Grace came into work last week, alv sco ina crida. Our boss, head nurse Marlene Brown, sent her home immediately and told her to come back only when she was completely healthy again.

Fortunately, I haven't fallen ill. James, however, caught the bug a couple of weeks ago and was bedridden for a few days. Segner char, one might think he was moribund, the way he acted. We both know that men get a lot sicker than us women, charina, but it was pretty ridiculous. He wanted me to stay at home and care for him around the clock, bring him tea and keep him company. He nearly pouted when I told him I had to work.

You mentioned in your last letter that I have been speaking about James differently than before. It is true. We have both settled into a routine and I guess I have taken off the rose-tinted spectacles. We have discussed the issues and smoothed out certain difficulties, but I have to admit, I sometimes have doubts about marrying him. It saddens and also worries me, because James is the same smart, funny and caring man I fell in love with. Still, something has changed and I don't know whether it is me or him.

Anyways, I won't bother you with my sorrows, mia figlia. I'm sure you have plenty of things to worry about. How are you and your friends? I trust they are looking after you just like you are taking care of them? If the weather is in any way the same as it is here, I hope that you have enough warm clothes and food...

We celebrated Mary's birthday a few days ago. Pat and I spent an entire day baking cakes and pies, and we had so much fun! The party was quite lively and as it got later, everybody started dancing. Oh, it was marvellous, charina! My friends showered me with praise for my dancing, it was almost embarrassing. It's been a while and I was afraid I had gotten rusty, but that was not the case. As it turns out, Carlo is also quite the dancer. We enjoyed ourselves immensely on the dance floor! His wife Loretta had no objections at all, she even said it was a pleasure to see Carlo so happy. Not that she's a not a good dancer herself, mind you.

Knowing how slow the Army is when it comes to delivering mail, I estimate that Christmas will already be over by the time this letter reaches you, maybe it's already the new year. In that case: Bellas festas da Nadal ed in bun onn nov, mia charina figlia. I love you very much and I am so proud of you.