Remember

Before I start this short little story I want all of you who are reading this to bow your heads down for a moment to show some respect to all the brave men and women that are and have gave there lives for us, in war. When I was younger Remembrance Day was a day to get out of school and sleep in. Now that I'm older it's a day to pay its respect to all the men and women that have fallen so I ask that you take a moment to day to respect these people.

Now let's get on with this story.

I remember the day like it was yesterday, I won't ever forget it, my mother was crying I could hear her choking sobs outside my door she hadn't cried since….

The handle on the door slowly turning, the door being pushed open; my mother walked in her cheeks tear stained her eyes bright red from all the crying she been doing.

Closing the door behind her I reach from under my warm covers to turn the light on beside.

"Mommy?" I looked up at her questionly she hadn't cried since the day daddy left to go over sea to help the allies I remember her promising her self that she would never cry again after that day but here she was my mother teary eyed.

"Sweetie, you know that daddy promised he would come home right for Christmas right?" she asked me as she strolled over to my bed and said and the end where my feet were.

I nodded I was so excited daddy promised he'd be home for Christmas!!

My mother broke out in sobs again, "Hunny, daddy won't be able to make it home for Christmas."

I was stunned, "He promised he'd come home. HE PROMISED!!" I shouted he never broke a promise before why was he now, "Why?"

"I shell hit the trench where you father was he didn't make it out."

I looked at her, my daddy couldn't be dead he couldn't we just got a letter from him yesterday, "Mommy what about the letter? Daddy said he was doing fine, you remember it right?"

I looked up at my mother new tears streaking down her face, "Sweetie, daddy sent that letter a little while ago, he's not coming home."

"NO! He Promised! He Promised He'd come home!! Daddy Never goes back on his promises!" By the end I was whispering, tears silently streaking down my face.

"Oh, Hunny I know. But daddy never had a choice." Pulling me from out of under my warm blankets and into her lap we sat there for a long time just crying taking comfort from the others warmth.

One Week Later

The day of the funeral, I hadn't gone to school the whole week, flowers kept arriving on our porch.

I went to my closet and got my black funeral dress out, putting that on over my black tights I putting my black cap on with a black rose and with some lace falling over the side of my face. I walked out of my room, my eyes still red from all the crying I've done that week. How would I ever live without my dad he was the world to me!

"Hunny, we have to go." My mother called from down stairs.

I walked down the stairs slowly, wanting to delay it as long as I could, maybe it just be a dream and I'd wake up and my daddy would be in the leaving room joking with my mom. But reached the bottom of the stair I found out it's not a dream, I'm going to my father's funeral, he's dead, gone, I was never going to see him again there were soo many things I wish we could have done, but we never had the chance to do.

When I reached the bottom, I put my black mary-janes on, may as well be all black, my mother handed me some red roses to put on the coffin when we got there. Stepping out of the door I saw the military vehicle that was waiting for us, dad always wanted to get a vehicle we just had the money.

This would be soo cool if I wasn't going to a funeral, my fathers at that.

Getting into the vehicle my tears started again, I couldn't stop them. Grabbing the black handkerchief my held out I wiped my eyes I didn't want to cry I wanted to be a strong big girl like daddy was always telling me.

After about an hour of driving we reached an airport, there was a huge air craft carrier and all the flags were at half mast.

Getting out of the vehicle, I put my brave face on; it was so hard not to cry and run into my mothers arm and just cry and cry.

We walked towards the other families, it seemed we weren't the only one to loose someone dear to us, I saw parents, little boy, girls, wives, girlfriends, grandparents and lots of military dressed in full uniform.

I clutched the roses tighter to my chest, the thorns pocking me; it was the only thing I could do to not cry.

They started taking the coffins out of the aircraft one after another all draped in the Canadian flag carried by the military officers, some which were crying. Those were there friends there comrades and they were gone… Forever.

I could hear the sobs from the people around us, and before I knew it there were tears running down my face too.

After all the coffins past us 10 in total, we followed them silently weeping for are loved ones. We got back into one of the many now present vehicles and followed a long precession towards the huge chapel on the edge of town.

When we arrived we followed yet again the coffins of the ones we care about so deeply but were never going to see again. Me and my mother filed into the front left hand pew.

I looked up and saw all the coffins with a picture of the ones inside above them, some of them soo young they never had a chance to live, love and have children.

My tears started afresh again.

The priest went up to pedal stool in the front, "We are gathered here to remember are dear brothers that have gave there lives up for us….

I stopped listening, I didn't want my father to have to gave up his life, I wanted him hear with me and mom not in a coffin. I wanted to go home cuddle up to him and mom and watch the TV, not be here crying over my father who I was never going to see again.

I heard my name called and realized they wanted me to say something, I got up putting the roses down not realizing I been holding them the whole time, I walked slowly up to the pedal stool, when I got there I looked out at all the faces, they were all crying I realized they didn't want to be here ether who would want to?

"My Father, he was the best, kindest person you could ever hope for. I remember one day when he came home, it was stormy out I was in my bed shaking, terrified. He came in and pulled the covers down and gave me a hug and told me he'd ALWAYS be there…" I had more to say but I started crying and couldn't get the rest of my words out, my mother came up and took me by the shoulders and led me back down to where we were sitting.

One by one a family member from the other 9 men came up to say something, I looked down my tears falling, I couldn't stop them any more, my father was dead, he promised he'd be there, I guess he lied.

After the funeral was over we walked to grave yard across the road each family standing in front of the coffin that held the one they loved, that was held over the hole that they would be going into soon.

The coffins starts to lower into the dirt, "Ashes, to Ashes, Dust to Dust." The priest picked up some dirt and through it in the coffin, I walked up and through the bundle of roses I was carrying on top of coffin too.

I turned and walked into my mother's arms and cried I didn't want my dad to be buried, forever in the dirt.

The families started to leave, as the grave diggers buried the coffins.

I stood in front of my father's grave long after everyone left, I looked at the cross

Nicolas Baker
1906-1941
Loving Father,
Husband and Friend
We will never forget you

"Why did you have leave us?" I asked to the air, why did they have to take my father?

My mother came it was dinner she put her hands on my shoulder and led me into the house.

That night I didn't sleep in was the first of many restless nights for me.

The next day I went to school, so many kids came up to me to say they were sorry that I'd lost my father and told me they too had family over sea fighting. But they could never know how I felt, you couldn't not innless you lost someone in the war.

That was 26 years ago, I was going back to my fathers grave like I always do on November 11th but this time I wasn't alone I was bring my 9 year old son with me.

"Mommy where are we going?" he looked up at me, he looked just like my father, same tussled brown hair and deep caring brown eyes.

"We're going to go visit your Grandfather." I said stopping at a flower store to buy a dozen red roses.

Walking out of the store I took my son's hand and crossed the street to the grave yard walking between the graves towards my fathers.

When I finally found it I kneeled down touching the head stone, I laid down the roses, "Hi dad, I miss you soo much and love you, I wanted you to meet your grandson Nicolas, I named him in your honor I know you'd be so proud of him." Standing up I realized I started crying. I always cried when I came here.

Taking my son's hand I lead him out of the cemetery, I'd come again next year like I've always done.

"Mommy what did Grandpa do?"

"Your Grandpa was a hero; he and many other sacrificed themselves so we could be free." I left it at that I would tell him all about it when he was older.

Hailing a taxi we left for another year.

Let us this day to pay our respects to all the fallen men and women who have died so we could be free.

If you soo wish please review