Journey's End

Dear Sister:

I’m overwhelm, last week (well I don’t when you’re going to receive my letter) a friend called Osborne died on No man’s land, in a mission. Everybody is behaving differently; especially Stanhope, he is completely sad, he doesn’t say a word and I don’t know what to say to cheer him up. It seems his very affected. I haven’t been here to long to know how everyone feels, but still, I miss him a lot. He was very friendly and knows how to calm you in the moments of nervousness; I was with him after the mission started and talk, he was so nice and comprehensive because it was my first duty. Stanhope called him uncle, I think because he behaves as it. He was very comprehensive with me, he understood how I feel and explained that it was nothing to be embarrassed. He gave me lots of advices to keep me alive and they were very useful in combat. It was horrible the way he died I see it, it was a grenade that killed him, I’d never seen such thing and I’ll never forget it.

Fortunately the mission was a success, I can’t tell you too much things because if the letter is intercepted, Germans could know what’s going on. But I can tell you that we capture a German and right now (when I’m writing the letter) he is being questioned. I’m glad you will not have to suffer these things. Being in a dugout is a torture. Most of the time you just have to wait until someone calls you or you wait for a sound that might be an attack. It’s horrible to be afraid every minute of the day. The conditions of the dugout are bad; it’s always wet and dark. I really don’t like the place. The only thing that made this hell bearable was the men’s humor and cooperation, especially Osborne, but now he’s dead and everybody is nostalgic.

However, every day I’m going madder. It appears that an officer called Hibbert is sick and is going to return to England. Most of the soldiers think that Hibbert is a coward and that he’s only pretending to be ill. I don’t really care, because is that the case I’m starting to understand why Hibbert wants to return. I’ve talked to many people in here and it seems they stay in here because they’re brave and want to have glory, but if they return to the UK they might be seen as cowards and lose their entire honor. At first I think that’s a bit fool, but if you think it it’s a very good reason to stay. Another issue that concerns me is that I don’t stop thinking that if the Colonel has the fault of Osborne’s dead because if he didn’t choose him he could be alive now. That’s perhaps the issue that bothers Stanhope; he also took part in the decision and everyone knew that they were close friends.

Anyway, fortunately I’m doing friends. We all get along quite well, but right now I only remember a man named Mason. He’s very nice and is the one in charge of the food. I suspect he doesn’t like Stanhope because he told me that Stanhope gets drunk sometimes, but I’d never see him in that state. Don’t worry about that your boyfriend is very popular between the other men and it seems like they considers him as their role model. I think that when Stanhope returns he will be covered in honor and respect, so that you can marry him and be happy forever.

Your brother: James.