Our ANZAC In The Attic

• Chapter 21 •

{ Elouise Green }
So, for the next few chapters of the story, you won't hear from Eli or I. We thought we'd let Lucy, Alistair and Shearer tell the story for a while. I'm going to hand it over to Shearer first, it's now September 1915 and Gallipoli is starting to change.
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{ Angus Shearer }
September was shirt weather on Gallipoli, Autumn, crutching time at home. The few trees that were left were in full bloom and the 'Gallipoli Rose' as us ANZAC's called it, sheltered the cliffs with a white and yellow blanket. I'd picked a few, adding a few seeds to my mix and sent them in an envelope to Lucy, who told me, she and Alistair planted in the garden where Ruth stood. I was back in the trench till Sunday, with Harry, Ollie and my own thoughts which I didn't mind one bit. Some days, I'd nearly fall asleep at my post, no one could be bothered anymore, especially after Lone Pine. 2300 ANZAC's and 7000 Turks were lost at Lone Pine, it was ridiculous and too many lives were being thrown away because of orders that weren't working. I can't remember how many we lost at the Nek, the West Aussie light horsemen lost something like 1000 men or something like that. Two of which were my mates. Chunuk Bair was where the kiwi's were. That was horrific, they fought with their fists, tearing hair from heads and fingers from hands and eventually the battlefield was set alight and they burned with the scrub. I dont think there were any Turkish snipers anymore, they'd given up, and even though we didn't, we all wanted to. This war was killing me faster than any bullet ever would.
Harry had his eye glued to a periscope and Ollie to the letter lodged in his hand. I sat, sharpening my bayonet for the eighth time that day.
"Shearer? Is that you?"
No, not bloody Charlie.
"G'day Charlie," I looked up at my big brother. He was one rung higher than me on the sibling ladder and he made sure I knew.
"Hear you're a sniper buddy and a Lance Corporal cause you did some brave thing at Lone Pine, thought you'd be dead by now," he laughed, making Harry and Ollie turn to him. I swallowed hard, "good to see you to," I groaned when I heard Graham and Lewis come running down the trench.
"Hey it's little Shearer!" Graham pulled me into a hug.
"That's not what Lucy said!" Lewis laughed and I glared at him.
"So where's John then?" I asked.
"Right here," John announced. I blew out my smoke as I leant casually against the trench wall. They were all quiet, not really knowing what to say to each other or to me. "Well what do you want?!" I asked breaking their silence.
"Mum just informed us of the birth of your son?" Graham said.
"And? He's five months old now," I raised and eyebrow.
"Did you even consider Lucy in your time of pleasure? What were you thinking Shearer?" Lewis grabbed the collar of my shirt. He used to do this to frighten me as a kid but today he didn't scare me.
"Well obviously he wasn't thinking," Charlie stated.
"Let me go Private," I proposed calmly. Sometimes the bullet with my name on it didn't scare me so I couldn't see why my brother would.
"You think a bloke like you would scare me after the things I've seen?" I questioned and he let me go, sinking back in between Graham and John.
"You're a pathetic excuse for man, who gets a girl he's not married to pregnant then runs off to war?" John snarled. Harry and Ollie furrowed their eyebrows and appeared at my side.
"That was a bit harsh seeming as you don't know the story Johnno," I scoffed.
"He's not even a proper soldier," Lewis said to Charlie
Now I knew this was all to rattle me, Alistair was just an excuse for them to have a crack at me but that was the last straw.
"Right! You dickheads have no right to come parading out here accusing me of being a bad man. John I've told you, I had no idea Lucy was pregnant when I left, I love her no less in fact I probably love her more, I'd give anything to go home and save her from the misery in which she faces. You say I'm not a soldier well I sure as hell don't see you out there in the bushes," I pointed over the parapet as their faces dropped, Harry grasped my shoulder.
"Older brothers are meant to protect their little brothers, well I guess I'm not your brother because not once have you even respected me. I know I will always be a better man than all of you put together so farewell gentlemen, no brother disrespects another," I sat back on the ground with my bayonet. My brothers all turned away in confusion. I had never confused my brothers or even dared to speak to them like I just had.
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I woke that night screaming, my heart racing and my whole body convulsing with fear; "Shearer! Mate you right? Can ya hear me Shearer? Oi mate!" Harry shook my shoulders, with a gasp I was back in reality. I let out the breath and tried to steady my breathing.
"It was just a dream, you're alright," Harry clasped my hand.
"I coul- I couldn't - I cou- I couldn't sa-ve you," I was so delirious I couldn't speak.
"Don't worry mate we're right here," Harry reassured.
"No, n-no, you were, you were screaming for me but, but I couldn't, reach you, I could hear them the fire of, of machine, machine guns and, and you and Ollie wer-were," I burst into tears, I couldn't control myself. Ollie crawled over to me, "hey we're just here, machine guns haven't got us yet, you're okay, I promise," he cupped my face, looking me dead in the eyes. September rain rolled softly off the brim of my hat as I wailed, my head lodged between my legs and my mates trying to console me.