Art explained by a writer - Seeing off the recruit - A Story

Let go, what's the whining about?

Damn it woman, don't you care about the children? What should they think of you, how will they show respect if you behave like a crybaby? You know I'll come back (or not, he thought because the entire family telling him what to do was going on his nerves. Family life with all its chains became too much, he needed some adventure for a change).

Take care of your mom lad and the rest, he cheerfully said.

I will, the boy answered although carrying the load of his father's responsibility, his family didn't sound attractive. It wasn't what he wanted for himself. They had lost their home and lived in a shed with a roof that could fall on their head any minute. His grandparents and some friends gathered to say goodbye to the new-to-be hero. How he wished his sister stopped her hysterical crying and he could come along with his dad. He was sure his mom and siblings wouldn't even miss it if he disappeared, at least not within the next 24 hours.

He refused to say goodbye or hug the man, angry he dared to dump the responsibility of the entire family on his shoulders. Next to the dog, once his father's best friend, he stood. By now the animal had become loyal to him. He knew his father, the liar, would never return since he had overheard his conversation with a friend before both signed up, volunteered and even cheered on joining the army.

Let's go Bruno he whispered and both, the boy and the dog, slowly backed off and disappeared. Only the old man, waiting next to the carriage saw how they left without greeting. Later, he thought, I team up with them. He perfectly well understood why the lad disappeared. The daily drama those women brought upon them was worse than he could ever imagine.

She sobbed on and her snot fell on his shoulder, he hoped they would give him a clean uniform and could throw the old clothes away.

_{Seeing off the recruit - Ilya Repin (1879)}

You'll be fine dear, he said to his wife while he gently wiped her nose clean with a cloth that had always stuck between his belt.

She nodded, grateful for the kind man she'd married and knew he would keep the wedding promise he'd made.

It will be hard, she thought, but smiled through her tears as he left and walked the road where he would meet his friend. Adventure was waiting, and who knows one day, if it rained and he felt to it he would stop by and watch from a distance how his family did perfectly well and had survived without him. He smiled and knew they all would be fine since they were great at keeping dreaming on, painting pictures of realities that didn't exist and would never realise how he had used war as an excuse to build himself a better life. Half the way he turned around and waved at his family, blowing his wife a kiss through the air.

I love you, he screamed and knew she was smiling. This small gesture was all she needed to keep the illusion alive of a loving husband and good father who fought for his country, never returned and might have died on the battlefield.

If you made it this far, thank you for trying to read me. I'm fine if you do not leave a long #comment

I did this. Can you miss a bit #Steem too
so a few more of us can 'celebrate' the end of the month?
Thank you! @wakeupkitty

Header: Canva
Picture: public domain 
31-3-2024
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