Joshua and his team’s day started at 06:00 hrs. Joshua had a team of twelve enthusiastic and loyal men that himself and another soldier were in charge of training as well as leading into the streets of Sierra Leone daily on peacekeeping exercises.
His team would have special training in bomb disposal. As part of the specialist bomb squad, they had a highly dangerous job within the British Army. Joshua had already lost a few men over the years to bombs planted by insurgents in Afghanistan and had no intentions of losing any more. He thought of his men as brothers and as far as he was concerned, it was his responsibility to ensure their safe return back to the UK following a deployment in war torn zones. He was totally dedicated to his men and completely respected by them. His reputation had preceded him over the years. At almost twenty eight years old, he was an old hat and had seen a lot of war and the devastation it brings on all its victims. As a decorated soldier, he was respected just as much by his peers as he was by his men.
Just one week in of the twelve week peace-keeping tour, Joshua was looking forward to his first letter from Angelina. Some of the men had already received their first mail via the BFPO and he could see how much these letters meant to them, how much it lifted their spirits and gave them that extra push when they were worn out and feeling exhausted. To read the words lovingly written by their loved ones brought them closer to home. Joshua had worked so hard at shutting out any kind of relationship over the years, separating himself from all the emotions that he felt would hinder his job, that he had failed to see how much it could help him too. He could really see now; his eyes were wide open thanks to Angelina and he liked the way he felt, he liked having someone to miss and liked the thought of coming home to her even more.
Already having used his skills several times, the last being in Afghanistan, he knew all too well how disciplined a soldier had to be. Get it wrong and you would be blown up. Simple as that. Joshua hadn't spoken in great depth about his role in the army as a bomb disposal specialist; after mentioning it briefly in a conversation, he chose to leave it at that for now. He was lying down on his bunk, adding the final words to his second letter to Angelina after a long hard day. He wondered if she had received his first one yet. Thoughts of her were constantly in his mind. He was missing her so much, more than he ever imagined. It was blindingly hot and walking the streets of Sierra Leone in his fatigues did not help matters at all. The days were long and the streets were fragile, although not quite as fragile as they'd once been. Some of the men were finding it a little hard in the heat and welcomed the cool nights.
Once complete, Joshua sealed his letter and dropped it in the BFPO bag that was due for pick up the following day then headed over to the cookhouse to join his men for dinner. He was looking forward to a freshly prepared meal cooked by the RLC military chefs. He had to admit the food was great unless of course you were deployed somewhere on operations and your only choice was Operational Ration Packs, otherwise known as (ORPs), within the military! They weren't so great but did the job and had been much improved over the years with at least twenty different varieties available; a solider could go almost a month without eating the same thing if he so wished.
Joshua spent the next hour laughing with and teasing his men before heading off to bed. He needed his sleep and was always far better for it, especially with a team of twelve men to manage each day. He needed to be sharp and alert.
The following day would once again be spent in the blinding hot streets of Sierra Leone, protecting civilians and keeping them safe from the rebel attacks that still took place from time to time, albeit few and far between these days. For the most part, it was of low risk, but occasionally the unexpected could happen and they needed to be prepared at all times. The country was recovering from a decade of civil war and what disgusted Joshua the most about this particular war was the amputee children he saw daily. During Sierra Leone's decade-long civil war, rebels had adopted the horrendous tactic of chopping off the hands or legs of innocent civilians as a way of instilling terror into the population.
Sierra Leone was synonymous with the cruel and barbaric acts it performed on the poor women and children who got caught up in the war. Every single day, he would see far too many of the country’s war casualties trying to do what they could for themselves, rebuilding their lives as best they could and with very little help from their own government.
Joshua fell swiftly into a deep sleep, with thoughts of home at the forefront of his mind.
Chapter Twelve
Angelina rushed down the stairs as she heard the comforting sound of letters dropping to the floor. Almost tripping over her handbag and steadying herself on the hallway table, she adjusted herself and picked up her mail. She almost squealed with delight when she saw the envelope from the BFPO. She sat down on the bottom step and hurriedly opened the letter. Her heart was thumping so fast she thought it might jump right out of her chest. Taking a deep breath, she opened the letter and started to read.
BFPO
24536
To my beautiful Angelina,
I hope this letter finds you well? I can't tell you how much I am missing you and hope that you have missed me just as much. I have thought about you every single minute of every single day since we have been apart. This writing is all new to me so please bear with me! Those last few days we spent together were the best few days of my life. You have instilled a new kind of faith in me and one I was not expecting at all. You make me feel alive in ways I have not felt in such a long time.
I hope your boss didn't give you too much of a hard time when you went back to work? And if he did, tell him he will have me to answer to! Just kidding... Peace-keeping tour is going well, my men are the best. The days are long and intense. The streets of Sierra Leone are depressing to be honest. The streets are filled with amputees everywhere we walk. It really is heart breaking to see, no amount of preparation can ever prepare you for some of the things we see.
Right now we are here purely for peacekeeping purposes, a neutral presence. The country is recovering from a decade of civil war and it still has a long way to go.
It really makes you appreciate what you have back home when you see how some of these people are living. It's so hot out here during the day but turns much cooler in the evenings, thank God. We are heading into week two already and our days will intensify with each passing week. There's not much to do out here in the evenings, we are limited as to what we can and can't do so we eat together, play cards and talk of home before turning in. For the most part, we are all too exhausted and welcome our beds.
How is that car of yours? Behaving itself I hope! Maybe next time I could leave you the keys to my car. I never gave it a thought before I left. I would give anything to kiss you right now and hold you. So for now I will just close my eyes and transport myself back to the lodge!
I am really looking forward to your first letter and wait with great anticipation each day. I have to sign off now as sleep beckons and I can barely keep my eyes open. Just know that you're in my thoughts constantly and I can't wait to see you again.
All my love, Joshua xxx
Angelina held the letter close to her chest. She had never felt so happy and so longing at the same time. How she wanted to feel his strong arms around her and his soft lips on hers. Her finger swept over her bottom lip as she remembered his last kiss. She popped Joshua's letter in the little drawer situated by the front door where she kept all her important mail. She couldn't wait to leave work today so she could reply to Joshua's letter.
She tried to envisage Sierra Leone's amputees and how such things can be allowed to happen, not to mention why. It was always the innocents that suffered. She sat at her desk with a heavy heart as she could not shake off the images building up in her head, wondering how on earth the soldiers must feel having to see this each and every day. There are no winners in war, she thought to herself.
All day at work, Angelina clock watched. She couldn't concentrate on anything but Joshua and
his letter. All she wanted to do was rush home, close the door and start penning her first letter. She was missing him so much and reading his words made her miss him all the more. Her whole life was changed now; the way she thought, the way she felt and the way she perceived each and every coming day.
Finally, five o'clock arrived and not before time. She shouted goodbye to Mary as she flew out of the door, almost knocking over the post room assistant.
“I'm so sorry Sarah, are you okay?” she asked concerned as Sarah gathered her letters off the floor.”
“No problem, go on, I'm in no rush to leave, I'm stuck here until 5.30 p.m. anyway.”
Angelina smiled, ran down the stairs into the car park and climbed into her car. The traffic was slow and she was impatient. “Come on, get moving, for God sake,” she shouted. Angelina reached home twenty minutes later; what should have been a ten minute journey felt like it took forever.
She went straight to her kitchen drawer to retrieve the note pad and pen Joshua had bought for her and took up position in her favourite armchair. After re-reading Joshua's letter several times, she started penning her own:
Dearest Joshua,
Thank you so much for your beautiful letter, I can't tell you how happy I was when I received it. Yes, I am missing you terribly and I'm counting down the days until I see you again. I am still wearing the beautiful heart pendant you bought me; it makes me feel closer to you. My car is holding steady for now! As for my boss, well he called me into his office and gave me a lecture and one I deserved, so I came clean and told him the truth about why I had taken the unscheduled days off work. He was surprisingly understanding and reminded me that he too was young once!
I never thought I would find myself missing you so much like this; you are at the forefront of my mind night and day. Everything about my life feels different since we met; the way I view things and the way I think. You have made me feel complete again and it feels so good. I can't wait to feel your arms around me again. I think about our time at the lodge constantly and it brings a smile to my face every single day!
I can't imagine what it must like out there, Joshua, and I won't pretend to know what it is like on the streets of Sierra Leone. After reading your letter about the Sierra Leone amputees, it really pulled heavily on my heart. It makes me so angry. You must come up against some hostility at times. Peacekeeping for such long hours in the stifling heat must be very exhausting. It sounds like you have a great team of men out there with you but it must be difficult having to see the things you witness each day. I guess you all keep each other going when things get tough. Just be sure to keep yourself safe for me and that's an order!
Lucy has been a rock as always and is constantly on the phone checking up on me as you can imagine! I love that girl... Like you said in your letter, we are heading into week two now, only ten more to go and it can't come soon enough for me. I have a little surprise for you when you return home; call it a belated Christmas present! Well my darling, I am going to sign off now, but only on paper and never in thoughts. Know that I miss you more than you can imagine. I love you.
All my love, Angelina xxx
Angelina read and re-read her letter several times before addressing and then sealing the envelope. She wrote the address, copied from Joshua's letter, on the front and popped it into her handbag so she would not forget it when she left for work the following morning. She felt like an excited teenager again, a feeling that she had not experienced for years, counting down the days never mind the weeks.
This was going to be her life from now on; one lived through letters with only a few short weeks here and there to fit a whole life into. This thought saddened her briefly for a moment, the realization suddenly dawning on her and bringing down her happy mood with a thump. She felt conflicted because she was both happy and sad. A lot of her time would be spent alone and Joshua would always be on the other side of the world, training, peace-keeping or fighting someone else's wars. She wondered for a brief moment if she was strong enough and able enough to deal with such a relationship. But it was a fleeting moment of weakness and one she shoved to the back of her mind. She felt selfish for even entertaining the thought. She was in love with Joshua and he was the best thing that had happened to her for years. She just missed him so much and knew it was not going to get any easier. It would have to be something she would learn to get used to over time. After all, thousands of other women coped very well every day and many of them have children too, she thought.
Angelina decided she needed to start going out a little more; well, make a concerted effort at least to occupy her over-active mind. She called Lucy and organized a girls’ night out for the following Friday. Lucy was stunned and could not believe Angelina had thought of this all by herself with no prompting from her at all!
“Hell yes,” agreed Lucy. “I have been trying to get you to come out with the girls for like forever.”
“Okay then, it's a date, Lucy. I will let you inform the others about Friday. Shall we meet say around seven o'clock?”
“Sounds perfect; don't go changing your mind on us, okay?”
Angelina laughed down the phone. “I promise I won't change my mind!”
Feeling rather content with herself, Angelina rustled up some pasta accompanied by a small glass of wine. She switched on the T.V as she sat down to eat. As per usual, the news items were all depressing; then one particular item caught her attention. A young Kingsman from the British Army had been killed in Afghanistan, a 22-year-old sharp shooter. She watched intently as the newscaster reported the events. Then the cameras turned to his commanding officer who spoke of a hero, a soldier who was well liked and one who would be sorely missed. Angelina tuned off the television and cried into the cushion neatly placed beside her. It broke her heart to hear such reports. How on earth did the families cope? she wondered to herself as she made her way upstairs to bed.
The following morning, Angelina took her letter to the post office along with a returns parcel and then made one more pit stop to collect her photos before heading off to work. She was due to meet Lucy for lunch to fine tune the details for their Friday night out and she was rather looking forward to it as she was beginning to realize that too much time spent alone when you have someone to miss was just not a great idea.
As she walked through her office, she turned to Mary and said, “Good morning Mary, any messages for me?”
Mary smiled. She liked this new Angelina; she was happy these days and full of smiles, no longer carrying that tormented look she had been renowned for over the three years since the death of Daniel. Everyone was happy for her. “Good morning, Angelina. There are two messages from your new client; they seem pretty urgent, I have left them on your desk.”
“Thank you,” replied Angelina.
Angelina read the messages; her client wanted an urgent meeting that afternoon with herself and Geoffrey.
“Ah, you've seen them then,” Geoffrey said as he approached Angelina's desk.
“Yes, what's going on? What have I missed?” she asked, concerned.
“Well apparently they want to make some additional amendments to their contract. That's all I know right now. Those changes will determine whether or not we still have the client on our books at the end of the meeting.”
“So what do you need from me this morning?”
“Nothing right now, Angelina, until we hear what they have to say,” advised Geoffrey.
The rest of the day drifted by slowly and the meeting with her client ended surprisingly well. Geoffrey finally agreed to the changes but not without one or two very smart requests of his own to protect the company’s position. Geoffrey was very astute and Angelina respected him a great deal. She had learned a great deal from him over the years and totally understood why the paper was a huge success. He did not sell his soul to the devil and he always had his company’s and its employees’ interests at heart. He was old school and wanted to report the news as it was, untarnished and unchanged. He beli
eved the people had a right to the truth and had fought many battles over the years because of his integrity.
Chapter Thirteen
Angelina had taken the afternoon off work so she could spend the time preparing for her night out with the girls. She went to work extra early so she could finish her work for Geoffrey and leave without any worries. When she finally reached home and rushed through her front door, she picked up her post off the floor and screamed with delight at the sight of another letter from Joshua. She ran into the kitchen, switched on her coffee machine and then sat down and hurriedly opened his letter.
BFPO
24536
To my beautiful Angelina,
Thank you for your beautiful letter, I felt like a young boy at Christmas when I received it! I must have read it a hundred times since. My men have noticed a significant change in me this time around and take great enjoyment in teasing me daily! It feels good, Angelina, to know I am being missed, thought of and wanted by someone. You make me so happy, I feel like I could conquer the world!
A big surprise about your boss, but a welcome one. He sounds like a good man, Angelina. As for life out here, yes it's tough but that's what we are trained for. Some men become hardened to their environment but others not at all. Sometimes it feels like there will never be an end to the wars fought all over the world, some countries resolve their issues with neighbouring countries for a while until something else upsets one side and it all starts again. Too many dictators who aren't interested in their people’s welfare at all, just their own greed and power and their need to control. But hey, that's just my opinion! I could talk about this subject forever but I don't want to bore you with my opinions on war. I just do my job, protect and serve and do it to the best of my ability. That's all any of us can do and hope that it makes a difference to the innocents caught up in it. They are the ones I feel for, their lives are tough, and it's such a struggle for many of them; it's heart breaking.
Broken Wings (Contemporary Romance) Page 9