Familiar

Chapter 2

July 2016

Harry...

The sight before me used to be an unfamiliar one, surprising me during my initial year of deployment when I first witnessed almost everybody partaking in this holiday.

Soldiers of different nations sat around circular tables, enjoying bottles of Araks under a roof with plentiful holes and dingy walls. Even the Arab barman seemed in high spirits as he served drinks to the foreigners in his land.

I didn't know if his tolerance of us stemmed from us helping to ward off the rebels or generally just because of Eid al-Fitr. Either way it is nice to hear laughter in place of gunshots for a change. I'm not one who's very accustomed to different cultures, but I have to admit my respect for all the officials and the rebels alike increased as all paid homage to the civilians' request for a ceasefire during this holy day each and every year. And as all fighters laid down their guns for the day, I swear I've never felt more at peace, not even in England – because to me that was what peace stood for, coming to a compromise despite all differences.

Soft, feminine laughter rang from my right and just as I thought, I observed women slung under the arms of some soldiers.

Comfort women as they're often called.

I don't know the terms of their agreement – if it's just monetary or maybe something else. I don't even know where the men are able to seek them out. But I recall the very first time I learned of them, a few months after my arrival. It was a night similar to this one when a beautiful local with a thick curtain of hair and heavy accent approached me, offering a night of solace. I was appalled for two reasons – one I never knew such circumstances occurred here of all places and two, as pretty as she was, I didn't want to resort to sex that way.

I've been called old-fashioned, yes.

But even with that mindset, I never repulsed any of my comrades who partook in such activities because in this barren land torn by desolation and war – I understood that most times the only thing to help rid of the loneliness was the comfort of a woman's body. I would know, because I too have been tempted far too many times.

They said the first months were the hardest, but to me, I think it'll never get easier. I chose this path though and I'll definitely see it through to the end. Besides the knowledge that we're able to help another innocent kid sleep soundly for the night is somehow enough to make everything tolerable.

But of course, that still is barely enough to fill the gaping hole caused by leaving my family behind. Far too often my thoughts drift to them, thinking of their well-being and the happenings in our town.

Phone calls, though considered a luxury, weren't prohibited, we just chose to shy away from it.

Jeremy Cast, one of our lieutenants was engaged in a phone call with his wife who was four months pregnant with their child when we had been caught off guard. Bombs had been dropped on our camp forcing us to evacuate and search for a new base. There had been casualties, luckily plenty of us survived including Jeremy.

Unfortunately, the trauma couldn't be erased from his wife who heard the whole ordeal from the other end of the line and because we had to uproot, communication had been scarce between us and the other side of the world.

Three weeks passed before Jeremy was able to contact his family again and though they were relieved to hear his voice again, the damage has already been done, his wife's pregnancy had been cut short.

I vowed never to put my family through that kind of distress, so since then on it was pen and paper for me.

My mum didn't say anything about it. But I felt she had her doubts with my choice of communication. I on the other hand found it convenient as I am able to keep in touch with her without accidentally relaying too much for her already anxious mind. But what I loved about it most was having her words with me, tucked in the safety of my chest pocket even when I'm at the frontline.