Folk Tales 18; Tin Soldier

Tin soldier  ..

I was send to the front with my squad, and on the way, we were ambushed by a landmine. I survived but the doctor said I needed to have my leg amputated. So I cried and a nurse came to attend to me. She told me to be brave as she also had her leg removed due to some illness. But life can go on.

So our story began now.

I looked at the smiling nurse with her nursing band on her forehead; she looked so angelic in that uniform. I think I was in love but this is too early to tell as I just met her. But our liason was not met in agreement to the doctor who came to me during the night. He whispered into my ears, that he will remove my leg and also my heart, painfully with every cut into my soul. I cried for relief for the pain, but the doctor said he will forbid any to be administer by the nurses. I cried that night in pain and decided to take a walk to the garden outside. There I met two more other soldiers who are in leg cast but they said they are being recalled to the front as men are needed there. I threw away my crutches and told the men I will joined them in battle. For in battle, I may die but I will in be peace to the pains that I just undergone. I never said goodbye to the nursing angel but the heart stayed on there while my body moved in the truck. We were send to the frint and was met by the cruel Lieutenant whose aim was glory at every expenses except his life. But I took my place in the trenches, putting on the heavy metal, and holding onto my rifle. I ignored my pain in the leg, and devoid of any emotions, as my heart is not with me. Soon the battle call was heard and the whistle call was made. I climbed the trench wall like the rest, and faced the onslaught of bullets which mow most of us down. Due to my bad leg, I was lucky to fall on my face before the bullets hit my squad. I crawled on my elbow and knees, skirting the barbed wires, and dead bodies of my newly met friends. I peeked back at the trench which I just vacated, I find the officer of my squad still standing in there, hollering commands on his unheard squad members. It was then he saw me.

‘You there. Get up and moved on. I will shoot you if you stay on the ground.’ I did not know what I feared more; dead by the bullet of my own officer or that of the enemy. But I did; getting up on my good leg, I moved my bad leg forward. And then I moved my good leg forward and so on with my bad leg. And I find myself running ahead, as the image of dying in the battlefield was my wish, and I faced those enemies bullets. But none hit me as yet, when I reached the enemy trench. I jumped in there with my bayonet and stabbed the first enemy I could find. I pulled out my bayonet to see it attached to the dead man’s wallet. I pulled out his wallet from my bayonet, and to my surprise, a photo dropped off. It was a photo of my nurse with the man I just killed. I picked it up and see my love with another man.

Or is it I am in love with another man’s love? I am ever confused. It was then, someone finally shot me, and I fell onto the man I just killed. As I lay there for my last breath, i whispered my apology to my nurse for killing his love. I did not mean to do it, but I believe I do love her more than anyone. And I closed my eyes for the day I will met my maker. It was not what I expected, to be awake in the same hospital that I was in before. I looked at my wounds, and find my bad leg all bandaged. I looked across the room, and saw her coming towards me. I wanted to tell her about the killing but she hushed me with her finger on my lips.

‘You just came out of surgery. We saved your leg, and you will be fine.’ And so she left me for her work with other patient. The ‘devious’ doctor came, and checked my bandages; ‘you will be fine. She will take care of you well.’

‘Ain’t you jealous?’ I asked. ‘Me? No, I can’t be as I am her brother. You have taken my place to love my sister more than I could, and you made it known in your declaration of love in the surgery room. We all heard you loud and clear. she knows now, how much you love her. And I accept that. So do recover.’

I looked at the one who healed me, and I was lost for words. She took the words from me, and hugged me for the first time. And last time, as we never saw the bomb that landed on the ward. It tore a large crater in the ward, but many said, in the center of it was the symbol of love. I guess we died that day, but our love lived on.

( if our love is real, it shall transsend the physical world. Its the mind that plays the tune, and how we sing it is in the soul. )