Chapter 7: Hush little war
Trigger warning: Mentions of war and death.
July 17th, 1943
It was a scorchingly hot Summer's day in NYC.
Grace wiped a bead of sweat from her brow as she pushed the patio door open to provide some much needed ventilation to the sweltering office. Her husband had stepped out for a moment and she smiled as she looked across the great expanse of their lawn to see their twenty-one year old daughter enjoying tea with her friends Molly and Tessie.
The three young women were laughing heartily and it made Grace's heart rejoice to see it. It had been a tough few years for them - for the whole world, as a matter of fact.
Annie had gotten married at the end of the previous year. It had been quite a rushed but a very joyous affair. She and her husband Louie were very much in love, yet not quite a week before they were wed, Louie had been called up. The young man was informed that he would be shipping out the following week and so their already highly anticipated wedding was brought forward hurriedly to allow them to be married before he left to serve in the Solomon Islands.
It had been a difficult eight months for the newly-weds, being parted and reliant on letters alone. Annie had spent a lot of time with her friends and family, which had kept her in good spirits. She and her parents were very grateful for the good friends she had made early in her life, who still remained close to her.
Grace turned away from the patio door and went to return to Oliver's desk. When she turned around and began walking back, she could see Oliver approaching her. He had a look of concern on his face.
"Grace, where's Annie?"
"She's outside having tea with Tessie and Molly. Oliver, what's wrong?"
It was then that Grace looked down and noticed the small brown envelope in his hand.
Instantly her heart seized with dread. "Oh no", she whispered, looking into her husband's eyes in fear.
"Drake, will you please fetch Annie and the other girls too?" Oliver asked of his loyal butler.
"Yes, Sir", Drake replied in a solemn tone.
Grace closed the gap between herself and Oliver, reaching out to him shakily. He pulled her into his arms and tried to comfort her. "We don't know what it is yet."
"We know it's nothing good", Grace reasoned sadly with him.
They both closed their eyes, squeezing each other tightly. Their hearts shattering for their little girl.
A moment later, Annie, Molly and Tessie bounced inside, looking happy. "Oh, it's so beautiful out there in the shade!" Annie beamed at her parents. "You should really join u-"
She froze when she saw the telegram her Father was holding.
"Annie…" her Mother croaked, reaching out a hand to console her daughter.
Annie stared at her parents for a moment, her whole body shaking.
"Do you want me to read it?" Her Father offered but Annie bravely took a step forward and snatched the letter out of his hand before she could lose her nerve.
With trembling hands, she opened the envelope. It read:
MRS ANNE E. WARBUCKS-WEST
NEW YORK, NEW YORK
THE SECRETARY OF WAR DIRECTS ME TO EXPRESS HIS DEEP REGRET THAT YOUR HUSBAND CORPORAL LOUIS J. WEST WAS KILLED IN ACTION IN DEFENSE OF HIS COUNTRY ON NINTH JUNE IN PACIFIC AREA
Both of her parents ran to catch her as Annie fell to the floor. Her chest heaved as she cried silently before letting out an almighty scream. Grace and Oliver tightened their hold on her, all three of them in tears.
"I'm so sorry, baby", Grace sobbed into her daughter's hair, unable to bear seeing her daughter in such pain.
Molly and Tessie, who were only eighteen and twenty years old, watched their friend in horror and in grief, feeling their hearts break for her. They held each other and wept.
Later that night, while Grace and the girls took Annie to her and Louie's wing of the house, Oliver retreated to his living room and sat down tiredly on his chaise lounge. He reached over and picked up a photograph of himself, Grace, Annie and Louie, taken on his daughter's wedding day.
His eyes filled up with fresh tears as he looked at his son-in-law's fresh young face. So full of life and hope.
Oliver had tried to convince the young man that he needn't join the army, that the President would grant him an exemption, knowing the family as well as he did and all the important work they were doing. But Louie had wanted to pitch in, had wanted to defend the country he loved so much.
Oliver had admired his courage and patriotism, but he'd worried direly for the sake of his daughter, knowing that something like this could very well happen.
His son-in-law was a brave man, and he'd died with honor, and before he'd died he had loved his wife so well. Oliver could only be grateful to him for that.
He placed the photograph back on the shelf and sang a mournful song, into which he poured his grief.
Those whom you call soldiers,
They're just boys filled with poison
Their gallantness leading them astray
'Til they feel no more
But this is a war we are all living
Do you not think here in our fortress tucked away
That we'd be partial to say
Hush little war
Don't you think it's time to cease?
Lay down little war
Don't you know all we want is peace?
Don't cry little war
Don't try to be as great as those before
Sleep little war
Be still and kill no more
...
A/N: It's my birthday today and I'm not sure why I wanted to make myself cry, but there you have it! The song at the end is part of a song from my own musical Seacliff: Demise of Ward 5. To hear it sung, you can you tube search "Hush little War Seacliff".