The Melody

"...we were preparing to exit the town after the bombardment. Bodies littered the streets. The silence was complete. There would be an occasional blast or two somewhere over the next block. The fellas sat on broke concrete catching their breath. They were sorely exhausted. I myself was in a zone of confusion. Some part of me was sad, the other relieved. I knew we would be off anytime when the officials came down, but we all needed a breather, a 10 minute rest to gather ourselves. The bodies made things difficult to get over. There were children too among the bodies and I felt a tear or two roll down my cheek as I wondered about them. I heard footsteps scurry to my right, and I turned to look. A blonde, blue eyed boy ran out of the street. His faced was stained black with soot and his tear streaks were the first thing I noticed. He smiled at me with effort, then ran ahead of me. I continued to gaze at him. He was beautiful. He stopped suddenly and shouted in french: "Mama?"
He searched the bodies, an undying hope that he would be reunited with his kin. As he searched, he passed by a telly that had been left on throughout the whole time. It had no sound, but it still played. He stopped in his tracks and stared at the screen. After a while, he sat down, his mouth slightly open, purely mesmerized by what he was watching. I walked slowly, quietly over to him and tried to take a look. It was one of those cartoons they showed in the US during that time. The boy laughed while he watched, then suddenly taking note of me behind him, he smiled a darling smile that was full of joy. The innocence, the oblivion.
A nearby church came to life, like a blanket of comfort. The choir softly sang 'Vide Cor Meum'. It touched my heart. This beautiful boy, the song, this cursed place. It reminded me of so much. It reminded me of how much good there was in the world. It reminded me of my duty and why I needed to go on. It was for this small boy who found joy in a simple cartoon and forgot the world in disaster. I wept quietly to myself, holding my head in my hands. A friend of mine saw me and he came over and hugged me tight. I felt his hot tears beside mine and I knew I wasn't in this alone.
I never forgot the boy in France, it stayed with me till the end..."



Private First Class, Ranery Blake Jr.