•MAR 30 1915•
"Right Gentlemen! The aim of this drill is the shoot as close to the target as possible! Not hard! The targets will get further away after each round and all you have to do is shoot them! Am I clear?"
"Yeah Sergeant." Our droning replies echo over the sand hill of the desert.
"Do we have to do this again? We have three blokes standing behind us, analysing every bloody move we make." Ned growls, looking down the barrel of his gun.
"Ned, give it a rest will ya? He's not watching us far out." I take off the safety lock on my shot gun.
"Who are they watching then?"
"That bloke right there." I point my finger at an indigenous man about two men down from us.
"Who the hell is that?" Ned asks, the Sergeant raises his whistle to his lips.
"Dunno but he's a crack shot, watch him." I say.
"FIRE!"
I pull my trigger.
The bullet soars into the centre of the target.
As does the indigenous man's.
"Jesus." Ned scoffs.
"Did you even fire?"
"Nope." He says.
We spend the rest of the hot Egyptian afternoon, watching this man shoot. His aim is precise and every bullet he fires straight through the middle.
"Right Gentlemen, there is a presentation which will be given to you by the nurses on Venereal diseases." The Sergeant booms.
We all snicker at the mention of VD's.
"I expect every single on of you in the main hall of the hospital at 16:00 hours! There will be consequences for those of you who chose not to be educated, you're dismissed."
"Fuck I don't want to do that." Tom groans.
Ignoring his comment, I abandon my mates and weave my way over to the young indigenous soldier.
"Excuse me Sir?" I tap his soldier.
"G'day mate." His toothy grin is contagious.
"My name's Clancy Taylor, my brother Ned and I were just watching you shoot, you're quite the shot." I put out my hand.
"Angus Shearer, but all my mates call me Shearer, and yeah had a bit of practise, you lads were bloody close too." He says shaking my hand.
"Cheers, we've had a bit of practise too, rabbits make good stews so." I shrug and he laughs.
"Oh you're a twin!" Shearer states as Ned appears beside me.
"Identical, I'm Ned." Ned exchanges a hand shake.
"Great to meet you both, I've gotta Cath up with my mates, hows a beer sound after this presentation?" Shearer suggests.
"Sounds good to me, see ya then mate." I farewell, "Right where's Tom?"
"We've got 5 minutes before we have to be at the hospital, can you blokes get a move on?" Tom's huge hands grip our collars and begin to drag us on our way.
"Righto, Tom let go, dickhead." I punch his guts and the three of us set off into the unknown world of disease.
-
"Right shut up boys!" Someone yells as the sister rolls out the blackboard with a very visual diagram.
The sister turns to us and my mouth gapes open with a scoff of laughter. Elsie seems nervous, her hands are shaking and eyes can't quite meet ours.
"Hello boys, my name is Sister O'Dwyer and I will be giving you all a firm but brief education on Venereal diseases." Elsie begins.
"Well, better get tell us all you know sister." Private Warren says, making us laugh.
"C'mon mate, let her talk." I lean over and pay his shoulder.
"Um, the reason the Australian army has decided this presentation is a good idea is for the protection of your life and dignity." Elsie explains.
"Our life did you say? Yet they're sending us into war zones. Very logistical." Ned states.
"Well, I'm sure dying in a war zone is better than being killed by you girlfriend and or wife." Elsie comes back strongly and we all cackle, our laughter echoing through the hall.
Ned sinks into his chair.
"Right then, lets get started."
-
"Sister O'Dwyer!" I call, once all the blokes had left.
She doesn't reply.
I frown.
"Elsie?"
"Clancy you can't be here." She says.
"Um why not?" I ask in confusion.
"Hamish is here, he got in yesterday." She hangs her head.
"That's never stopped us before?" I indicate.
"This is different now Clan, he has a rifle, I don't trust him, you know how jealous he gets!" Elsie almost yells.
"What's he's said to you?" A scowl falls over my face.
"Nothing."
"Elsie?"
"I can't see you anymore Clan."
Those words fall out of her mouth and hit the floor like a tone of bricks.
Pain fills her eyes, like the bricks have scrapped across her tongue.
My face drops, and my heart aches.
"But I love you Clancy, more than anyone or anything in this entire world, nothing will change that," her smooth hand rests against the sensitive skin on the back of my neck, she pulls me down so my forehead is against hers.
Through her thick eyelashes, she enchants me.
"I will write to you, i promise you that before you left, I will pour my heart and soul onto the pages that a send, you are the one Clancy, I wish I realised that along time ago, but life is funny like that, sometimes we have to work for who we love and I will do everything in my power to make sure I am with you till the day we die." She promises, she clarifies, she tells.
My heart is pounding in my chest and I can feel the lump in my throat growing bigger and bigger with every word that she says.
"But right now, while we are in Egypt, we can't go around in public until I wave you off to the real war, that could be in two months or tomorrow but we just have to hang on for a little bit longer and remember that we are both under the same sky full of stars." Elsie presses her lips softly against mine. They linger there for a few moments before we pull away.
"I love you Clancy Daniel Taylor, don't you dare forget that." Elsie whispers, wiping away my tear with her thumb.
"Elsie Rose O'Dwyer, I love you."
YOU ARE READING
The Echo Of Youth
Ficción histórica"I didn't realise that I could miss something as much as I miss my innocence." It's 1914, the world is at war, and it's unlike anything anyone has seen before. The men of cities and country towns are leaving for a cause much bigger than they realis...
