Name Cheyanne Jackson_ October 12, 2011
Annapolis Middle School Language Arts

War Isn't Worth It

It was a cold, rainy day in Boston. I pulled my coat closer to me as the wind whipped around. As I made my way home to pack my things, I wondered what I would have to do while I was away from my wife. I was going to leave for a long time and go to war. The Revolutionary War to be exact. But, that was in 1776. Now it's 1796. But, I want to tell you what happened. I had just gotten married about a year ago, and my wife, Sarah, was 3 months pregnant. I came home to pack so I could head out. Sarah was heartbroken. I didn't want to leave her, but I had to, no, I wanted to, help the patriots defeat the loyalists, and the British. She didn't want me to leave, of a deep, careless, fear that I would not return to her. She was crying and was barely able to choke out "I… love… you, Ethan. Come… home… safely… for… me… a-and… the… the… baby. Please… Ethan…please." By now she was sobbing uncontrollably. I held her close and let her sob into my chest. A few minutes later, the sobbing died down and she was quiet.

"I will always return to you, my love. Even if I have to travel a million miles, I will return. I wouldn't dream of leaving you or our baby alone. I love you, Sarah." I gave her a peck on the lips. "I love you too little one." I bent down and kissed Sarah's slightly swollen stomach. Then I walked down the hallway to pack my things. Sarah followed and lay on the bed, soon falling asleep. She was so beautiful when she slept, and I did not want to wake her when I finished packing. So, I wrote her a letter and left it next to her head on the pillow. The letter read like this…

My dearest Sarah,

You were sleeping when I finished packing and I didn't want to wake you. But, I wrote this letter to assure you that I will return to you. I do not know when, but I will come home. Please do not worry too much. I have never broken my word to you, and I do not intend to start now. I love you so much and miss you and your beautiful smile already. Muirn beatha dans, remember? I do and will never forget.

Yours forever,

Ethan

I kissed her on the forehead, whispered "I love you. Always and forever." Then I headed out the front door. If I had known then, what I know now, I never would have left.

The next month, I was still fighting. Luckily, we only fought on land, where we had the advantage. My dear friend Benny was there with me. We were fighting side by side, while musing about what we would do as soon as we got home to our wives. Mine being Sarah, and his being Erica. Our best friend Rory was there too. The British and loyalists were fighting valiantly. As the day went on I watched countless men fall at the hands of the men from the very place we were derived from. Then I heard a sickening thud to my left and turned just in time to see Rory fall to his knees. I stabbed the man who hurt him and then made Rory lie down on the ground, face up. Benny guarded me and Rory, to keep us safe from further attacks. I removed my coat and pressed it to the wound in his stomach. He hissed in pain and pushed me away. I screamed at him, "Rory, knock it off. I know it hurts but if we don't stop the bleeding you'll die. Then you will never be able to marry Hannah." He nodded and I pressed the coat to his wound once again. He didn't protest any further but the look in his eyes told me how much pain he was in. "I'm sorry for yelling at you, Rory. But, we need to stop the bleeding."

"It's ok. I know you were just trying to help."

After what seemed like hours, but had only been minutes, the bleeding stopped. I made him sit up. Then I wrapped my coat around his torso so the wound was covered. It would be fine until he got back to camp. Then he could get stitched up. Just as I helped Rory to his feet, I heard an unusually loud gunshot. Then I heard someone howl with pain and fall to the ground. The voice was so familiar, that it could only be… Benny. I let go of Rory, turned around, and saw my best friend lying facedown in the mud. I choked back tears and called for Rory to go on back to base. The other patriots formed a circle around me and Benny, keeping the opponents at bay while I tended to my friend. I flipped him over so he was face up. His face was covered in mud and I wiped it off with my hand before stripping my shirt and pressing it to the bullet wound that was dangerously close to where his heart was. But it was no use. He had lost too much blood. I couldn't do anything. WHY COULDN'T I DO ANYTHING? I'm sorry Benny. I am so, so, so sorry. I stopped holding the feelings in and they came flooding out like the tears that stained my face and ran down the sides of my throat. Benny looked up at me and whispered, "Go help Rory. You can't save me. It's my time. Tell Erica and my daughter that I love them so, so much." Then he closed is eyes, took one final breath, and went limp.

"I will tell them Benny. And thank you. You are the brother I never had. I don't know what would have happened if you weren't here today. Good bye my friend. You will truly be missed." I couldn't stop crying as I stood up. I lifted Benny by the waist and held him up so that his head was on my shoulder and it looked like I was hugging him. The other soldiers disbanded and I started carrying him towards base. I was going to give him a proper burial. He deserved as much. The enemy did not approach me as I walked. I do not know why. Perhaps they felt sympathy for the poor sap lugging the dead body of his best friend off the battlefield.

After about an hour I reached base. Rory ran up, bandaged and stitched up. The light in his eyes disappeared when he saw Benny's dead body. His lip quivered and then he ran off. But I needed to do something. I lay Benny's Body down and set to work.

Half an hour later I had dug a sufficient size hole. I lowered Benny into it. Before I covered him I sat next to the hole and sang a song I made up about our colonies and the flag some woman made to represent us. "Oh say can you see, by the dawns early light, what so proudly we hailed, at the twihlights last gleaming?" As I sung, the sun set in the sky. "Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight, o'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming? And the rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air, gave proof through the night that our flag was still there. Oh, say does that star spangled banner yet wave? O'er the land of the free, and the home of the brave." I stood and started covering his body. Right before I covered his face and smiled. "This place is definitely home of the brave." I finished the burial and then went to find Rory. I found him lying in his and my tent. I walked over to him and sat on the edge of his cot.

"I guess your going home to Hannah now, huh?"

"Yeah. I miss her and I can't fight like this. Did you bury Benny?" I nodded. He smiled and said "I miss him."

"I do too. And I can't be in this war anymore. Benny dying made me realize that war isn't worth it."

"What are you going to do about it?"

"I'll show you. Hand me that gun over there?" He nodded and handed me the gun. I got up and went outside the tent, with Rory on my heels. I signaled for him to stand back. As soon as he did, I aimed the gun at my thigh.

When I woke up I was told I had been out of it for 5 months. 5 MONTHS! I also learned that Rory was now married to Hannah, and that Erica and her daughter had been notified of Benny's death. My leg hurt like… I don't even know. That's how bad it hurt. I was going to go home. My wife had just recently given birth to twins, and now I was going to get to go home and stay with them forever. I was given a horse for transportation. I headed off. I was going home. But first, I needed to tell somebody, something.

I mustered up everything I had and knocked on the door. Erica and a sweet little girl answered almost immediately. Erica smiled.

"Hello, Ethan. Won't you come in?"

"No thank you. I just came to tell you that before Benny died, he told me to send his love.

"Thank you. That means a lot to us. Now scurry home to your family."

"Ok. Bye, Erica. And by the way the boy's name is Benny. The girl's name is Sarah, but I thought you might want to know what the boy's name was." She smiled and waved me off. As soon as I mounted my horse, she shut the door. I nudged the horse in the side and set off again.

When I got in the front door, I was assaulted in hugs and kisses. I smiled and held her close. "Ethan, I read your letter. It was very sweet. And I will never forget that we are muirn beatha dans. That's too special to forget. Now come see the children." We waked down the hallway and into our room. Sarah stood in front of two cribs. I stood behind her, wrapped my arms around her slender waist and rested my head on her shoulder. I whispered "I love you." She smiled.

"I love you too." Then as I watched my two beautiful children sleep, I knew I made the right choice. This is my family and this is where I belong. I ignored the pain in my leg and smiled. I thought to myself I will never leave my family again. And I didn't. I am still in the same house, with my one and only.

That's what happened to me in the year 1776. We won that war, but I lost one of my best friends. Violence isn't the answer and war isn't worth it. It's sad that Benny had to die for me to realize that.