Days went by.  Nothing was different. The same thing happened. Just the same has it had happened the day before. Only. It got worse. I ended up in the hospital once. He told me to say I fell. Nobody questioned me. And so the days went by.

It wasn’t until the war started that those things changed. All the young men chatted like little girls about the glory of war and what it would be like when they came home as war heroes. The day that they could sign up most everyone did. Including Charles.

Charles was swept away in it all, I thought he would be good at fighting, after all I knew from experience. He never talked to me about it. Never consulted me about what his leaving would mean to me. But one thing was for certain. When he is out at war, he won’t be able to beat me every night. I slightly wondered what he would do with his anger now that he wouldn’t be able to take it out on me. But I let the thought pass. It didn’t matter anymore.

The day that the trucks came to pick up the men was a glorious one for me. I had to see him off, thus fulfilling my duties as his wife. I saw many wives weep seeing their sons and husband’s off. They tried to convince them to stay one last time. I couldn’t bring forth tears to weep nor the pleas to stay. I just stared at the man that was my husband and prayed he wouldn’t come back, as morbid as it sounds.
The truck pulled off and I left, trying to decide what I would do with my first day of freedom from him. I walked down the street towards my tree first. I didn’t really want to go to the house. But while I was walking I saw many little children playing a game of tag in the street. And I couldn’t help but watch them. They were so innocent. So full of life! How could I have been one of those once and be who I am now?

Evening set in and the children where called in for dinner. I was left alone on the little bench. Happy, sad, confused and lost I walked back home to my first peaceful nights rest for a very long time.