'That girl with the long, brown, curly hair was there again, in my tree. To me as an eight year old boy, with my strange hair, all I could think of was the fact she was new, different and in my tree. The tree I would climb every evening to see the sunset over my family home, until recently, when this new girl had staked her claim on my old tree. At first I stayed away until my curiosity had got the better of me.'
As I got off the train at my home town stop, the streets I grew up knowing came into view. Knowing one of those streets held my family home and our wise old tree was comforting.
'As I sat in that very tree everything had changed. I had grown up more than I could ever believe. I no longer avoided that brown haired girl who sat in my tree. I now adored her in every possible way. The twelve year old me, was in love. The girl seated beside me in our old tree. As she watched the sun set in front of her I was gazing at the girl beside me.'
Oh how I missed those days. I am positive I could never love someone as much as I loved her. I had my days of wishing for nothing but to return home, to sit in that very tree reliving those memories, to stare at the only thing I had ever seen more beautiful than that very sunset.
'We had sat there all afternoon asking endless questions until the sun had set. As we looked down to where our hands were connected, they lay above the freshly carved initials in the wood, the love flowing between us.'
As I found my street the memories became clearer as if the fog was clearing. The sounds of familiarity bringing all the wonderful memories back to the surface. The horrors of war slowly faded, until I reached my only true home, or what I thought to be my home. As I searched the old deteriorated house I wandered. Where is my home?
'The day we confessed our plans for the future together all I truly wanted was this very girl in my life forever. The one who I held hands with every sunset. The one I had never upset before and never wanted too. The one I truly cherished, with no intention of ever hurting.'
As I looked towards the old house I had to stop to ask the old man walking by whether or not it was truly my home. With his assurance I walked through the old front doors with the destination being my old tree.
'I had done the impossible, I had hurt the one I cherished most. As I saw her standing by our tree with the tears falling down her pink cheeks I felt my heart tighten. I had to serve my country, to make my girl with long, brown, curly hair proud of me. I had no choice; it was my destiny.'
As I stepped out the back door, I felt my heart tighten just that bit more. As I looked to where the tree once stood was now an empty space. Just the old memories, however I honestly hoped that she would still be there.
That she had waited, just as I had, for my return.