November 18, 1914

Dear Diary,

Today is my seventeenth birthday. Mom and Dad gave me another journal to fill with what they call pages of trivia. They don't understand about keeping a journal. The way I see it, keeping a journal is putting my story down on paper. Dad calls it a waste of time and would rather I read my Bible at night and Mom doesn't say that she thinks it's a waste of time but I know she thinks it useless. But that's the way Mom is, she doesn't say anything that would hurt anyone. It's the one trait that I didn't get from her that I really wish I had. My mouth tends to get me into trouble a lot and I always spent a lot of recesses indoors because of it.

Starting a new journal is like writing a sequel to the previous ones. I feel it is only right to introduce the active characters. First of all, there's me, of course. My name is Charlotte Anne Matthews. I'm taller than I'd like to be and have a mane of chestnut curls. I don't understand how everyone wants them except me. I always tell people they're good to look at but a pain to comb. I have green eyes and Jamie says they sparkle when I smile. I finished my schooling last June, along with my best friends Sara Perkinson, Grace Smitterson, Nick Edwards and Jamie Forest, and work in the doctor's office as an administrative assistant. Sara, Grace and I have been best friends for almost all our lives. We've done almost everything together-quilting, schoolwork, our Bible lessons, and so on. James Quint Forest, whom we call Jamie, is my best friend who is a boy. He's asked Dad about dating me but Dad won't permit it. Jamie comes from a bit of messed up family as Dad calls it.

Jamie's Dad was killed when Jamie was four because he had gotten drunk one night and shot himself. He was a heavy alcoholic. Jamie's mother is a quiet woman who works hard to support herself and Jamie. Jamie and his mom don't come to church that often because Mrs. Forest usually works on Sunday. That's the main reason why Dad won't let me date Jamie.

Despite what Dad has said about dating Jamie, we have snuck off a couple of times, with the help of Sara, Grace, and Nick. We would go out as a group but as soon as we were in town we would split up and then get together again later on. Jamie is a great boy and I wish I could date him with Dad's permission. I don't like going behind his back but I won't stereotype Jamie like he does. Jamie is very handsome, with sand-colored hair and blue eyes. He's very nice and considerate and he treats me the way a gentlemen should treat a woman. Jamie loves animals and works at a farm as a stable hand about half a mile out of town. Mom likes Jamie and has tea with Mrs. Forest a few times a month. She doesn't say anything to Dad about how nice Jamie is, although she doesn't agree with him on his views of the Forest family.

My family is quite typical-a Dad, Mom, and three children. My dad is the Reverend at our local church. He takes his work very seriously and hardly ever smiles. He wants what's best for his children and goes to great lengths to ensure they're raised properly and according the Word. My mom is a beautiful woman who looks half her age. She is very quiet and won't say anything to hurt anyone. Mom has stayed home all her life, cooking and cleaning and playing with my sisters and me. I have two sisters, Abby and Elizabeth. Abby is twenty-one and is married to Steven Patters. Together they have a beautiful baby girl named Beth. Abby knows about Jamie and me. She doesn't tell Dad or Mom but she understands the dilemma that I'm in. Abby and I are alike in almost every way. We look almost identical and we both have big mouths that tend to get us in trouble. Elizabeth is younger than me, by five years. Although I'm past the age of name calling, she's a goody-goody. She does everything to please people and thrives on the praise she receives. Elizabeth and I tend to fight a lot over little things. This irritates our parents to no end but they usually just step out of the way and let us work it out for ourselves. Elizabeth looks more like Dad, with her blonde hair and brown eyes and follows his traits of being an over achiever. She doesn't know about Jamie and I and I plan to keep it that way because if she ever finds out, then I'm dead meat. She'd go running to Dad the minute she knew.

We all live in a small town outside of Mississauga, Ontario. My family lives next to the church and Abby lives down the road from us. Our town doesn't have much more than a couple of grocery stores, a pharmacy, a doctor's office, a post office, and a small restaurant. We're in the country so there are some dairy and horse farms. I've lived here all my life and I don't think I'd have it any other way.

For my birthday, Mom and Dad gave me the journal and a gold cross that hangs on a delicate chain. All of my friends got together and gave me a leather bound copy of my favourite book, Little Women. Last night, Jamie and I went out with our group of friends. We went off together as soon as my house was out of sight and went to the park near the edge of the town. The two of us sat down on some swings.

"So." Jamie said.

"So." I replied. This was a common way for us to start off.

"How's work going?" Jamie asked.

"It's boring, as always." I replied and Jamie laughed.

"Well, it is!" I protested through my own laughter. "Every day is the same thing. Name, date of birth, address, and it just drones on and on and on."

"Well, at least you're inside where it's nice and warm."

"I suppose, but I'm also surrounded by sick old men and moms with babies that won't stop screaming. How's the mare doing?" I asked.

"Fine. She should deliver her foal any day now."

"That's so exciting."

"Yeah, it is. Someone is going to call when she goes into labor and I have to go, no matter what time it is. Charlotte, has your dad found out about us yet?"

"Not that I know of. Why? Are you worried?"

"I don't want to get you in trouble."

"Don't worry about me, Jamie. He won't find out."

"You sound so sure. Anything new in church?"

"Not really. Mrs. Mackinson had her baby."

"Boy or girl?"

"Boy."

"That's swell. I'm sure what's her name will be happy about having a brother."

"Lilly. And yeah, she's really happy. Sara, Grace and I are making a quilt for the baby."

"That's nice of you."

"It's a lot of work but I think it'll look really good when it's done."

"I'm sure it will. Your stuff always looks good Char."

"Thanks. Betcha I can beat you to that tree over there."

I stood up and took off running before Jamie had answered. I heard him stand up and before I knew it he was next to me. He looked over at me and smiled and then pushed past me. I veered off to a different tree and when I reached it I turned and saw Jamie standing at the other tree, trying to catch his breath.

"I meant this one!" I called laughing. Jamie started to protest but then smiled. He started running towards me and I took off running away from him. Jamie quickly caught me and the two of us fell down on the grass. We lay on the snow, panting and staring at the stars, oblivious to the cold. We lay there for over ten minutes, not saying anything, but just being together.

"We should probably join the rest of the group again, Char."

"Yeah, we should."

Jamie got up and then helped me up. I shook out my hair and put it back into a ponytail. Jamie watched me and smiled.

"What?" I asked.

"Nothing. Shall we?"

"We shall." And the two of us walked back to our meeting place with the others.

Jamie is such a sweet guy. I've known him all my life and we've always been friends. Because we've always been friends, every time someone asks me about who I want to marry I always think of Jamie, although I never say so. Besides the fact that Dad doesn't like him, there's something stopping me from saying so. I think about Jamie and our friendship and then I think about forever. Forever is a long time and is he really the one I want to spend it with? Share my secrets and fears with? The simple answer to these questions is yes but I don't want to rush anything.

The war in Europe is really picking up speed, as the newspapers say. On October 14 our first troops arrived in Britain. The allied troops are making plans to attack Germany. All the men over eighteen are encouraged to enlist to fight and all the women are encouraged to sign up as nurses. Jamie will be eighteen in two months and I'm scared that he may decide to enlist. Jamie loves his country and I'm sure he would go and fight but so far he hasn't said anything about it. Steven has already enlisted and is at Valcartier for training. Abby is so scared that he may get killed and is fearful that Beth may never know her father. I have similar fears; like that I may not get to know any other boys from this town before the impacts of war affect them, Lord willing they should live through it. Abby said that she wishes she could go over as a nurse but she won't leave Beth for fear that she may grow up without any parents at all. I pray everyday that the war will be over by the time I'm eighteen because I don't want to go over as a nurse but chances are I won't have much choice. If I don't go, I will be pegged as one who doesn't love her country.

It is now past eleven o'clock so I am going to bed.

Charlotte