{APRIL 1917}
•~BILLY~•
"KICK IT OVER!" I yelled to Jack. He booted the footy and it went soaring into my hands. A Victorian fella was in front of the goals so I kicked it to him, he seemed incredibly familiar. It was VIC/SA/QLD verses NSW/TAS/WA and this was a brutal game of footy. Already we'd had two go off with broken limbs. The little aboriginal fella from VIC caught the ball took a breath and sent the footy through the middle posts. We all cheered and lifted the bloke onto our shoulders. Well mostly Lawrie's and mine but anyway. "Righto you blokes put me down." He laughed. We set him down and he reached out to shake my hand. "Billy?!" He questioned. "Noel?!" We both smiled. "How ya been mate?!" We said in unison hugging and slapping each other's back. "Livin the dream." Noel chuckled. Noel Black was a bloke I met on Gallipoli. We'd spent 48 hours together in no mans land, on our stomachs. He was a machine gunner and me being a sniper we were trying to kill as many as we could so we could be ready for the battle the next day. "You got that right good to Seeya again." I smiled. "Too right cobber last time I saw you we were covered from head to toe in mud and we were face down in it too." He laughed. "Pretty cool we've both made it this far." I chuckled. "Yea you're right." Noel slapped my back. But the next few hours I spent with Noel were the last.
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Dearest Grace,
The great thing about you being only 5 kms from the front is that letters get to you in 12 hours.
Private Noel James Black is a really good friend of mine, we spent two days in no mans land together and played footy this morning together. But last night he and three other blokes from his battalion were in the kill zone. They had three out of order machine guns, no rifles and two bayonets against 20 Germans with machine guns. Well, All 20 are dead but two of the blokes are as well and Noel was shot in the head and has been sent to the 1st CCS. He's got black hair and brown eyes and is aboriginal. Gracie he's only 19, please help him, work your magic please. Do all you can. But if it's as bad as we both know it's gonna be; tell him it was two of the best days I've ever had in my entire life spent with one of the greatest blokes I'll ever have the pleasure of meeting.
We are really in the thick of it tonight I'm writing this in the dark under my jacket so please excuse my atrocious hand writing.
I love you my darling. Best wishes and all my love,
Billy xxxxxxx
{GRACE}
I threw the letter on my pillow and ran into fatals. Pale faced and sweaty palmed I searched each patient for a bullet hole in the head and a name like Noel. "I can't find him either." Bee snuck up behind me. "Can you cover me so I can keep looking?" I asked. "Sure tell me when you find him." Bee walked off and I kept looking. There was a bed, with a man with dark skin and tired eyes. His head bled slowly, and he was looking like he just wanted it to end. "Excuse me sir my I ask your name?" I questioned softly. The man pointed to his tag;
PTE NOEL JAMES BLACK
29th battalion.
GSW to head
FATAL
I looked into his eyes, "G'day Noel." I smiled. "G'day Sister." He croaked. "I'm Grace Craig, Lovely to meet you." I didn't really know what to say. "Well reckon you're the last person I'm gonna meet so pretty bonza to meet you too Sister Craig." Noel's voice was spluttered and hoarse. "I believe you know my fiancé? Billy Nykiel." I swallowed. Noel's eyes lit up, he smiled a little, "Ahh Billy he a good bloke, keep me company for long time, face down in the mud for 2 day, he lucky man to have you." He muttered. "I'm lucky to have him." I shrugged. "He misses you." Noel swallowed hard. "Yea I miss him too." I sniffed back my tears. "You're wedding gonna be beautiful. You have beautiful long white dress, Billy in his uniform cause he wont find suit." I laughed at his statement. "Sounds like Bill." I said. "And that other fella...Lawrie he and his nurse they'll be next. You're all gonna be very happy." Noel gripped my hand. "You let my Jane know, tell her I died happy." he whispered. I nodded my head; a tear trickling from my eye. "I'll be at your wedding, don't worry." he smiled and so did I. "Billy said to tell ya that you're one of the best blokes he's met and those two days were the best spent in this entire war." I reassured him. "Well tell him if he dies he's gonna cop it when he gets to heaven cause he left you behind." that's when Noel died. his eyes just closed. I hung my head as he let go of my hand. "You rest easy now Noel." I burst into tears. "Hey hey hey c'mon sweetheart..." Honey helped me stand up. She lead me outside of the tent and I just let it all go. "WHY HASNT IT ENDED BEE?! THEY SAID CHRISTMAS 1915! ITS NOW APRIL 1917!! I MISS BILLY AND THE BOYS I WANT TO GO HOME! IVE SEEN SO MUCH DEATH AND SADNESS! SEEN TOO MANY TEARS SHED TO COUNT! I HATE THIS I HATE IT I HATE IT!" I screamed dropping to my knees. Bee was in tears too by this stage and we held each other in a crumpled heap on the ground. "I've let Billy down, he asked me to save him...Noel was 19...." I sniffed. "You haven't let anyone down Billy knows you couldn't have saved him...he was bleeding inside his head." Bee explained. "But I sat and watched him die." I cried. "As you have others now please Gracie everything's going to be just fine I promise." Bee whispered softly.
YOU ARE READING
Life Goes On...
Historical Fiction"Life goes on Grace, this war can and will take everything but our love is something it won't." Billy states, his hat brushing her cheek. Billy Nykiel is a charmer. Good looks have blessed him and he can play any sport you throw at him if he tried...
