Dariga Atayeva, Year 12
11th of November, 5am. That was the time when a bloody era was decided to be stopped. Most civilians were sleeping. Meanwhile, soldiers on the Western Front in France were preparing for another infantry attack at the Battle of Verdun. This battle had been going on for over two years, the longest battle in modern history.
Maria couldn’t sleep that night. She dreamt of her husband, Zack, on the battlefield. These nightmares weren’t uncommon, yet she still had trouble getting used to them. At 5 am, she was notified of the armistice. Suddenly, it felt like a great weight had been lifted off her shoulders and that she could finally breathe freely again. This did not last long however, as later on when more people were notified on the homefront it was said that the soldiers were not yet aware of it. They could still be fighting, for a lost cause. This idea terrified Maria. Her husband was still alive and could be coming home to her and their son that day; if he was not killed at this very last moment. “If” is a strong word. It implies anxiety, and that is what Maria felt.
There was nothing people could do. The only thing that was in their power was to hope that the messengers would communicate the news of peace in time, before any more deaths occurred. This lack of control over such a critical situation made Maria almost go crazy. Her son hid in his room whilst she broke plates and glasses in the kitchen and fidgeted like a mad man.
On the Western Front, Zack was preparing the munitions for his comrades to take into battle. He was badly wounded on his left hip from the previous day’s attack. The smog around them caused by the bombs and fires made it hard to see his comrades’ faces clearly. He tried not to get too attached to anyone there, since nothing and no one was guaranteed to survive to the next minute. The previous week his favourite comrade has been shot in the chest and dumped into the pile of dead bodies amongst so many others. He avoided calling him his friend, yet the grief he suffered silently made it very hard to fight the following days. He kept thinking about his family, waiting for him with a warm meal and a warm embrace back at home. He would dream of seeing his son grow up and spending quality time making memories with his son and wife. He wanted to be a good father, a father that would make his son proud to say his name.
7 am. The battle was beginning. Three divisions consisting of French soldiers advanced behind a creeping barrage, Zack included. He aimed at several men and killed around 4. It was no longer a crime, killing; in war it was justified. Soldiers were to get used to it as a daily activity if they were to stay sane. They were only 3 km into the infantry attack when a deafening sound indicating bombs was heard. The sound was so horrifying, Zack felt like he would go deaf. He witnessed his comrades just next to him being blown away by those grenades. He told himself that he could not stop, that they had to continue running. It was then that a grenade just 5 feet away from him exploded. He was blown back and hit his head against the hard, grass-less land. For a moment, everything went black. Then, he awoke from the continuing sounds of shots and screaming. He could not stand up. Noticing a small trench near him, he proceeded to crawl there. Once inside, he decided to take a little break. What he did not notice was that he was bleeding. He felt numb, and all of his thoughts were fixed on his family and what they would do once he returned.
9 am. Zack was still in the small dugout trench. The fighting was still in action. The blood loss was significant. It was then that Zack awoke once again from a small nap. He felt light headed, weak and unable to move. It was then that he noticed the severity of his wounds. He knew that there was nothing he could do. The medics were back in their trench, which was 3 km away. There was no possible way he could make it that far with his wounds. He took the picture that he kept in his pocket of his wife and son together, on his son’s first day of school. Taking a good last look at his family, he squeezed his palm and stood up, using all of his last strength. Zack decided to use his last reserves of strength on fighting for his country before his death.
11am. All battles have stopped. Maria was anxious, she wanted to hear that her husband was alive. They had not yet recorded the deaths of that day. She felt in her gut that it was over, and that he was no longer alive. She could not believe it though. She didn’t want to believe it. It was too out of this world to be true.
It has now been a few years since the armistice was signed, and Maria is well aware of what happened. She grieved, she accepted it, and she has lived on. She was committed to a promise she had made for herself and her husband: to look after their son and make sure that he grew up to know what a hero his father was.
