Bella's Soldier
Natalie's POV (a/n she's not from Twilight she's my character. You'll get it later...)
I was going through my mum's old stuff. It was two days until her funeral, so it was time to see what I wanted to keep and what I'd need to throw away. Bella wasn't my biological mum, but she was my mum in every other way. My real mum, no biological mum, Bella was my real mum. My biological mum's name was Rosalie; she died in a fire with my biological dad. I didn't have a father with Bella but I didn't care, she was enough for me.
Bella was my best friend and my mother since I was three. No-one really thought I should have gone to Bella because she was unmarried and wasn't related to Rosalie, they were best friends. Most didn't want me to go to her, but they all knew I would. It didn't matter to me I loved mum, and I believe Rosalie did the best thing for me.
It's been 5 days since mum died. I thought it was high time I went through her stuff. My son, Jacob, was playing in the corner of the attic, while I looked through one of mum's old trunks. It was a large leather one, inside it contained mostly old dresses. I held one up in front of me it was very pretty; it was a deep blue with lace up the front. I pulled out another one when an old leather book fell out.
I flicked through the page. They were yellowing with age and not many were written in. I wasn't sure if I should read it, but the title caught my eye, and curiosity got the better of me. Forgive me mum. I opened the old book and started reading;
My Soldier
It's only been 2 weeks and I'm already so sick of my job. But a girl has to eat and there are worse jobs then working in a cafe. I was running really late and quickly threw my hair up with one of my mum's old bows. It looked like the soldiers were already camping out for the bus. A young man wearing his army uniform sat in a booth on the other side of the cafe to me. I went to get his order it was too early for our normal costumers.
He was really handsome; he had striking green eyes and the most beautiful bronze coloured hair. He seemed a bit shy and out of place, I gave him a small and what I thought was a friendly smile. He seemed more comfortable and asked me to sit down and talk. I told him I could get off in an hour and go down to the pier. I normally wouldn't have gone but he seemed so lonely and sad.
We sat on the pier and talked for a while, I found out his family had died from the flu, a doctor called Carlisle and his wife Esme looked after him until he was 18 (which was 2 days ago). Then he said "I bet you have a boyfriend, but I don't care. I don't have any one to send a letter to. Would you mind if I sent one back here to you?" He didn't really give me a chance to answer, but he came up and kissed me on the cheek and said "By the way my names Edward"
There were dots and I assume it meant time had passed since there were no dates.
:-:-:-:-:-:
I got lots of letters from Edward. At first the letters came from an army camp in California then they moved camp to Vietnam. He told me he was in love with everything he was so scared of. He said if things got bad he would think of that day on the pier or he would close his eyes and think of me smiling. He also told me he wouldn't be able to write for a while, but I shouldn't worry. I lost sleep wondering when he would come back to me. I loved him so much and needed. But a letter never came.
:-:-:-:-:-:
On Friday my dad –Charlie- dragged me to a football, but he then bailed and I went by myself. At the beginning the Lord's pray was said and the anthem was sung. Then a man came on stage and asked us to bow our heads. As he was going to call a list of local Vietnam dead.
The page had dots of water on it that had long dried. Tears.
My heart was pounding against my ribs. A prayed he wouldn't say my Edwards name. A girl who sat next to me who used to be full of energy and friendly broke down. She ran under the stands and cried by herself. She told me her name was Mary Alice Brandon; she also told me she was a piccolo player in the marching band. I knew who it was that she was crying for; her husband Jasper Whitlock.
Then the man called the name I was dreading to hear; Edward. My world came crashing down. My heart was ripped out of my chest and trampled on. I ran home and ripped out my mother's bow, I had been wearing it hoping Edward would come...And now he never would.
:-:-:-:-:-:
I cried all night. And swore I would never hold the hand of another guy. Edward was my one and only love. People said I was too young for him anyway and I'll find somebody else, but I knew they were wrong. I'm still waiting for my travelling soldier to come back. I'll love him forever and wait until I can join him, but I'll never get that letter to say my soldiers coming home.
I looked up from the page feeling a tear run down my cheek. I knew she kept her promise. I picked up Jacob and put him to bed in a daze. My husband Billy didn't talk to me like we normally did, he went straight to bed thinking I was grieving. And I was...in away.
I couldn't sleep a tune was forming in my head nagging me to play it. So I gave in. I grabbed my guitar and tip toed up to the attic. I closed the door and composed my song for Bella.
:-:-:-:-:-:
I slept the rest of the day and some of the night. I stayed in bed until Billy came to tell me I needed to get up. At twelve o'clock we arrived at the ceremony. It all went in a daze until it was my turn to speak. As I passed the casket I rested mum's diary on the top.
I smiled sadly at the audience before I started. "Bella was my mother in every way except biologically, I was 3 when she took me in and I immediately loved her. Two days ago I went through, her stuff. I found her diary, at first I wasn't going to read it but curiosity got the best of me. It told of her one and only love; Edward Mason." I took a deep breath. "I then wrote her a song about her love. Here it is." I took a deep breath and picked up my guitar. (a/n Song is Travelin' Soldier- Dixie Chicks)
"Two days past eighteen So they went down and they sat on the pier Chorus: I cried So the letters came from an army camp One Friday night at a football game
He was waiting for the bus in his army green
Sat down in a booth in a cafe there
Gave his order to a girl with a bow in her hair
He's a little shy so she gives him a smile
And he said would you mind sittin' down for a while
And talking to me,
I'm feeling a little low
She said I'm off in an hour and I know where we can go
He said I bet you got a boyfriend but I don't care
I got no one to send a letter to
Would you mind if I sent one back here to you
Never gonna hold the hand of another guy
Too young for him they told her
Waitin' for the love of a travelin' soldier
Our love will never end
Waitin' for the soldier to come back again
Never more to be alone when the letter said
A soldier's coming home
In California then Vietnam
And he told her of his heart
It might be love and all of the things he was so scared of
He said when it's getting kinda rough over here
I think of that day sittin' down at the pier
And I close my eyes and see your pretty smile
Don't worry but I won't be able to write for awhile
The Lord's Prayer said and the Anthem sang
A man said folks would you bow your heads
For a list of local Vietnam dead
Crying all alone under the stands
Was a piccolo player in the marching band
And one name read but nobody really cared
But a pretty little girl with a bow in her hair
[Chorus x2]"
I whispered "I love you, mum" Before leaving the stage and curling up in my husband's waiting arms.
3 years later
There was a loud bang from upstairs in the attic. I still kept mums stuff up there searching for mum's bow and the letters. I didn't want to read them I just wanted to know she kept them. I heard Jacob calling "Mum, Mum!" I ran up the stairs as fast as my legs carried me.
Jake sat near a floorboard that had come up. He was holding a jarrah box with Bella Swan in elegant script. Jacob handed me the small box and went to the corner to continue playing. I opened it carefully and lots of tea coloured paper was in the box under a light silk blue bow.
I looked at the bow for a couple of minutes before running my fingers over it and closing the lid and putting the box back under the floorboards and putting the floorboard back in place. I wasn't going to read the letters or take the bow but I'd always remember the box as part of the memory of my mother;
Bella Swan
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-Thick