My dearest Louise,
It has been so long since I've last seen your lovely smile. I can't tell you how much I miss you. It is so cold here and I wish nothing more than to be back at home with you. I hope you are still alive and safe. Maybe you are wondering how I am able to write this letter since you know, I never learned how to read or write. I have to tell you a lot of things. I'm not sure when I will be able to come home, but let me tell you about the greatest surprise I've ever experienced: It was Christmas Eve... The ground was soaked with rain and blood as were their uniforms while they were lying on the ground, side by side in the trench. No one said a word, they just lay in silence, shivers running through them from time to time when clothes lost the battle against sharp winds. Everyone stayed in their own little world inside their heads, where they spent time with the loved ones they hadn't heard anything of in months. That was when a weak light appeared a few metres away from their trench. The Germans hadn't made a move for days. It would have been cruel to start fire again on Christmas Eve, even for them, but that's the point. They didn't want to start fire, they carried a white flag. John talked to them first, he is the only one who understands german, at least a bit. But surprisingly most of the Germans speak English. Broken English, but we understood each other. They said they were tired and cold, they asked for a truce. Just 24 hours. Of course we agreed. All of us are tired, we don't want to lie in our fallen comrades' blood. It's cold, we don't have enough food or sleep and it's hard, the situation hasn't changed over the last weeks, we're stuck. One by one all of them climbed out of the trench. And while the sun set and darkness began to fall down on them, they stood there in the cold. Germans and English, who had fired at each other only days ago, now just looked at each other in silence. All of them, reluctant at first, approached eventually. They started trading and at some point trading turned into sharing. Tabac and food and water and blankets. And they sat together around a fire they had set up in the middle of the field in between the trenches. None of the Germans spoke perfect English and none of the English spoke perfect german, but all of them managed to make themselves understood. They struggled with words and gestures and laughed at others' attempts to explain something. It was the first true laugh for all of them in a long time. I think even the rats were happy that evening. I hadn't eaten so much in a long time and it's been my first cigarette in weeks. We stayed up late, we hadn't have to fear being attacked any time and it was good to talk to some of the others again. I think that was the best night since the war started. Except for New Year's Eve. The next morning we told them to go back to their trench, truce was over, but they didn't want to. They don't want this war anymore, they don't want to fight and they don't want to lose anymore soldiers. They just refused to go back. They lay down their weapons and who are we that we would've protested while we feel the same way? War doesn't have winners. It just has victims and people who don't care. It was a peaceful week and on new year's eve we sat around the fire again and we drank german beer, while we sang and danced and the English played their bagpipes. Oskar sat down next to Francis, just like he had done all the previous evenings. "You kno' I will miss this evenin's" he said with a strong german accent, but at least he spoke some English. Francis didn't even know, why he had chosen him as a sort of friend, but he wouldn't complain. He liked Oskar a lot and he didn't have many friends at home. "I know what you mean, I will miss them too. But I won't complain if the war ends anytime soon..." Oskar laughed, but it was a cynic laugh. "Yes. I can not wait to go hom'. Have you a lady wait fo' you?" Francis nodded. "She's sending me letters." "T'at is good, or? I don't hav' a letter." "It is, probably, but I can't read it. Never learned." Oskar remained silent for a few minutes, while Francis was staring into the red flames. "I can read it for you. When you want." Your letters were wonderful and I promise I will remember every single word, but I can't wait to come home either. I love you so much and I hope I will see you again soon. Stay safe. Forever yours, Francis P.S.: You have a very nice man. It was good meet him. Greetings, Oskar Müller
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