As I Lay Dying

Six

1916

The Aussies have arrived and brought with them an uplifting mood of joviality. Even the most weary amongst us are lifted by their laughter and cheekiness.

Jimmy, of course, is in his element with a new crowd of clowns to socialise with. All of us are swept away by their devil may care attitude.

Of course, along with them has come a hive of activity amongst the commanding officers, whispered arguments on how and when to launch our attack. The main officer is a small, thin slip of a man with a pencil moustache and a nervous twitch. He seems constantly on edge and not at all prepared to send a bunch of his fellow men to their deaths. It seems insane that because he was born to a rich family he's automatically given a high position and the power of mortality over us.

Jimmy is less concerned with this thought than I am. He's spend the past 24 hours delighting in becoming an honorary Australian and as I'm making my way along the trench I hear him shout me over. As I approach I see him stood with a thin fair haired man, Jimmy's huge frame making the lad seem even smaller.

"Harry! This is Luke." He says excitedly. I reach forward to shake Luke's hand as Jimmy carries on his continuous stream of chatter.

"This is my very best friend Harry." He says and as always, I feel a slight warmth at his eager words. "We've been here four weeks. Luke's just come from Normandy, haven't you Luke?" He addresses both of us at the same time. Luke nods to confirm this.

"What's it like up there?" I ask.

"Bloody awful. Absolute blood shed, honestly they were just wasting us, sending us up armed with rifles against machine guns." He shakes his head. "It was murder, we didn't even get near the Germans before our whole bloody battalion was wiped out. That's why they've sent us here, you're short on men and we are now, we lost three quarters of us in a single day. Those officers are bastards." He says loudly.

Both me and Jimmy shush him, worried at who will be listening in.

"Nah, I'm not bothered." Luke grins, still talking at the same volume. "What they gonna do? Put me in military prison? They're welcome to do it if it saves me from their bloody incompetence."

Jimmy is staring at Luke in admiration and I groan to myself.

"They'll have you up in front of a firing squad." I mutter.

"I'm not bothered." Luke shrugs cheerfully. "Quick death isn't it? Either way they're going to kill me."

"Why did you sign up?" Jimmy asks, helping himself to the cigarette I'd just sparked for myself.

"I was invited too."

"By who?"

"A magistrate." Luke grins cheekily as Jimmy laughs. Even I can't help a smile. "My choice was go to a prison or sign up for war, figured in a prison camp I'd be dead in months, at least here I have a chance to survive... That's if the bloody idiots don't kill me off with their stupid orders first."

"What did you do?" Jimmy asks excitedly.

"I rustled a few sheep. Big crime in Oz." He grins wolfishly and both me and Jim smile at him.

Later that night the three of us sit round a fire and talk about home. Jimmy proudly pulls out his picture of Ellen and Luke shares his own picture of a stunningly beautiful girl.

"What about you Harry? You got a girl at home?"

"No." Jimmy beats me too it, looking almost protective.

"Ah I see." Luke's piercing blue eyes fix themselves on me.

"See what?" Jimmy asks cluelessly.