The Lost One

Life has been hard for us, saying goodbye to my brother feels like we're missing a piece of a puzzle in our life.

Waiting for that phone call felt like a punch in the gut, "Ring, ring," there it was, that hollow sound of the phone. We all looked at each other, eye in eye, turning pale as my brother answered the phone.
"Hello, Yes...Yes, I'll be there Sir on Monday" and hung up. Mum let out a wail sound
"Aiden darling, please don't go we need you here,"
"Mum I need to go, I need to be a man, just like dad had said, I need to be brave and fight for our country."
Mum turned to dad, "Why would you say that to him! He doesn't need to enter war to be a man!"
"But mum most of my friends are entering it," my brother broke in. Mum was enraged and left the room. Nothing was going to stop my brother from going. I can't believe my brother could be so inconsiderate, he doesn't understand how much heartache we have to go through. I can't lose him!

A day without him was tough especially that farewell ceremony. Everyone just clapped and cheered, seriously what for, so we can never see them again. All those young faces about to go into World War II, some of them look my age, 15 but that doesn't concern anyone except their family weeping, it just isn't fair. Why should they be involved, they're just innocent people who never started this conflict.

"Darling, we'll miss you, don't ever forget that we will be waiting for you," mum asserted and gave him a big kiss and fixed his collar of his military uniform, that was a bit out of place.
He looked at dad "I'm proud of you, son," dad exclaimed and gave him a handshake. After a while he looked at me, I ran to him and gave him the tightest hug I could, that no one could break us apart. That burning inside my heart let loose and I just bursted in tears on his shoulder.
"I promise I'll come back sis," and gave me a little smile that was unsure. He broke apart and gave us a wave before entering the ship. How can my brother promise such a thing, he can't leave me, I can't cope without him, he was always there for me.

My mum was weak and needed support to be able to walk home. All of us never spoke or didn't feel like speaking because we were so dry in the mouth. I got into my room and punched the pillow so hard to let out my anger. I looked at my bedside table and there was a photo of me and my family on Bondi Beach before he went to war. We looked so happy but now look at us, a family torn apart. I stopped thinking and listened, I could hear pierced screaming coming from my parent's room. I put my head against the door to listen.
"Why did you let him go?" Mum yelled
"Our son can handle it, he's tough just like his dad."
"We're talking about his life here! He's only 19!!!"
"Believe me, he'll be alright. "I slammed my head on the door, dad came running out and gave me a hug.
"Krystal, your brother will be ok."

A week later, life got a bit easier. We received a letter from my brother:
To my dearest family,
We just arrived in Germany on the battlefield.
It's not that hard out here, just been training and firing. I've made some friends out here, one named Johno, he is a really good bloke. I wish you could meet him. There is one thing I have to get used to though, it's the food it's all preserved and canned, it's horrible rarely do we get given the good stuff like rum and freshly cooked food.
How are you guy's going anyway?
Make sure you write a letter soon.
Love Aiden xoxo
P.S. Tell Krystal I miss her.
That letter made us miss him more but we couldn't get him back.

One week later we received another letter:
Dear my closest ones,
I think about you guys a lot.
The fire has been non-stop and a lot of men are dying in front of me. Don't worry though, I've got myself covered. The saddest part is, is that my friend Johno has just been shot and in hospital.
Keep Well.
Love Aiden xoxo P.S. I'll be home before Krystal's 18th birthday.
The letters came every week for 8 weeks and they just kept getting worse. More men dying.

On the Friday the 21st of November the day we waited for a letter that never came. We all felt sick but just thought to ourselves 'he's alright , it must be full on out there and never got the time to write back' until another week went by and another. Then we felt sick we knew something wasn't right. My mum rang everywhere she could to find out if he's alright. All they kept answered was 'sorry we are not sure,' until the last call was made and they said he was put under the category 'missing in action'. Mum nearly fainted on the floor when she heard this. We wept for days.

Four years went by, it was announced that war was over. We still hadn't heard anything from him and was pronounced dead. That promise he made, that promise I thought, how could he do that to me! We had given up hope. Everyone was dancing in the street and all we could do was welcome back the soldiers who made it through.

One by one each soldier came off that ship, families were happy and some were sad. A lot of the young boys were battered and bruised. We watched all of them come through. We had, had enough and started to walk away.
"Mum, dad, sis!!!" We turned around and there was my brother, smiling in a stretcher, we all bursted out crying and ran to him. He was week, but we were happy he was alive!
"Aiden was captured by the Germans and was held hostage for 4 years," the nurse said "He was one of the lucky ones," she exclaimed. I looked at him and he said "I promised you didn't I."

The End (Tell me if that's how you thought it would end! Hope you like it :)