Chapter 1

This story is about a man who has only ever loved his job, until he gets a letter of a mysterious woman claiming to be a journalist, could this be the start of something amazing or a tragedy?

Everyone has their own love story, but me, I haven't quite found mine yet. I look at all the girls that have ever come up to me and offered themselves to me and I think will any of these girls ever be a part of my love story and the answer is always no, so I knock them back.

There are advantages of being a soldier but there are also disadvantages. My best friend stood on an IED almost a year ago, not to worry though, he’s still alive but he didn’t go home in one piece, he lost both his legs but he didn’t lose his smile. His wife, what a woman she is, has never given up on him. She’s there for him 24/7. She doesn’t care that he won’t be able to walk with her along the beach anymore. She said to me, when he was in hospital 'as long as his heart is mine I won't need anything else'.

 

I'm in the middle of my second tour right now, so love isn’t exactly a big thing on my mind, but when I see all my team mates get their letters from their wife’s/girlfriends I feel a teensy bit jealous, as the only letters I get are the ones of my mother. One day I got a letter of a journalist, I wasn't surprised, I've quite a few interviews mainly from journalists just starting their career and looking for a story and what’s better than getting a story from a soldier whose best friend who lost both is legs due to an IED. But this letter wasn't like the rest, it was different.

'Dear Mr. Watson,

I have read the news stories on you about your time in Iraq and Afghanistan and how your best friend was blown up. I found you quite inspiring, in fact I've fallen in love with your stories and would love to learn more about you and hear more stories you have to tell.

I am a journalist but I am not writing to you just to get a story for the paper I work for. I'm writing to you because, I actually don't know why I am writing to you to be quite honest, I just found you interesting. I met your mother; she’s quite an extraordinary woman if I say so. I wish I had a mother just like yours but we all can't be that fortunate I guess.

I don’t quite know what else to write so all I can say is I hope I hear from you soon if not then that’s alright, I must sound like a crazy stalker but I can assure you that I'm  not.

Yours Sincerely,

Michelle Coupland'.

I read the letter a thousand times, who was this woman and how did she get my mother’s address? What did my mother think of her? What did I think of her? These questions circled my mind for days, I sat at night with a pen and paper trying to think what to put, the lads noticed this but I didn’t tell them about the letter I don't know why. Who was this girl? Why did this letter have so much of an effect on me? 

After a few days of thinking I finally put pen to paper.

 

“Dear Michelle Coupland

I am glad that you have taken interest in my stories; they are there to put out what life is like out here and how challenging it can be.

Saying my best friend was blown up isn’t really a nice way to describe what happened, I actually find it quite insensitive.

I have lots of stories to be told and I may consider meeting up with you and giving you these stories. Even if that isn’t what you writing for, but I like to share my stories as I don’t have many family to tell.

How did you get my mother’s address? What made you want to meet my mother? No journalist has ever thought of going to see my mother they usually just talk to me. I know my mother is quite extraordinary, I love my mother, she is my world. 

You don’t sound crazy; yes you sound like a stalker but not a crazy one just an interested one. I hope to hear from you soon, take care.

Tommy Watson.”

I gave the letter to my sergeant so he could pass it on to the postal coordinator. He was quite surprised when I handed it to him and said it wasn’t for my mum but he didn’t question me. I’m glad he didn’t question me as I don’t know why I wrote back to this woman. Something about that she sent me intrigued me and I’m not sure what it was exactly.

Weeks passed and there was no letters for me not even from my mum. The tour was starting to take its toll on me; every day we seemed to come into fire, a few soldiers on my team had been shot and got taken back to the UK. Sadly we lost one man on a patrol around the area, an IED out of nowhere just exploded and he was in the crossfire. Everyone was devastated he was the life and soul of the team.

Reviews

[Chris]

You began this years back? Where has it "gone" since then - if I may ask?

[Scott Mou]

Interesting. I think you have the makings of a great love story!