The Lost Diaries of John Smith - Part TWELVE
NAME AND ADDRESS SUPPLIED
Dear Amy
Your letter was forwarded to me by NAME SUPPLIED - a former British soldier who knew John from when they worked together down the alien mine.
John arrived in our village around 12 years ago, after having been detained in Northumberland. I was his closest friend in the village and write to inform you that he sadly passed away last Autumn after a short illness. He was well liked in the village.
On his arrival he started to work in the local bakery until the owner died. Thereafter John became the village baker, a job which he enjoyed until the very end. I was told that he was baking on the Tuesday and died on the Thursday. I think the reason why he became a baker was because the one thing that he craved more than anything while working down the mine and while being detained was freshly baked bread.
John liked to keep his past hidden. You might not know this but after the aliens left, John spent seven years under strict quarantine, it was claimed that this was because of what was known as Black Eye. He was one of around 30 to have survived being detained by the Americans, though most who worked down the various mines ended up in Scotland weeks before the Americans arrived on the scene. John and the others detained were the unlucky ones.
John was a quiet man, yet he was willing to help others if and when he could. For the last three years he was the village’s Father Christmas, a job he really enjoyed. He also liked to pick up litter (as we all did to earn extra food tokens).
Yes, he did remember you, and every so often his demeanour often changed, as he would often think about you. Sometimes these quiet moments of contemplation would reduce him to tears, and that’s when I would usually step in. I only knew about these things after he had lived in the village for eight or nine years, and only after he felt our friendship was firm enough for him to open up. He coped by working hard and by helping others. He hated gardening (extra tokens and FREE food) and was often accused of not pulling his weight by outsiders, but they were usually put right by his friends and customers.
John had a lot to say about the events of May 2014, but was unwilling or unable to go into any detail. He would talk about what happened when the fire descended, but never about family or friends. I still don’t know if he was married or had a family. However, I do believe that he was trapped in a building while all around him burned.
He was only able to escape into the country by not looking to his left or to his right, and by blocking out the screams and cries for help. This affected him more than anything - as he walked for hours though the town that was his home, and which was now in agony. He was unable to help anyone and I think that caused him nightmares and a lot of anxiety in later life. Maybe that’s why he found comfort in rescuing you and in helping others until the day he died.
John lived in a small cottage outside the village and would walk the half mile to work every morning and without fail - sometimes in the snow or when the weather was really atrocious, but he never had a day off through illness. He always made an effort making sure everyone had their fare share of bread and was very popular when he was able to bake cakes, especially for the children.
When not baking he would often just sit and read, either in our reading club or at home in front of the fire. He never found anyone special, though he valued his friends, both those who lived in the village and those he made while working down the mine. I work as a teacher, and before he was able to find his own lodgings, he stayed with me. That’s how we met. I think he wanted more than friendship, but was too frightened to commit. I read somewhere that this is a common occurrence with those who survived 2014, so we remain just friends.
I was with him when he passed away, and while he had no family that we know off, he was with friends, who did love him. There are 147 who live in the village and yet around 352 turned up for his funeral - such was his popularity. And although it’s been nearly eight months since his death, we still receive visitors who come to his grave to pay their respects. And yes, I still miss him with all my heart, wishing we could have been more than just good friends. I’m glad he was a big part of my life and I only wish that both you and he could have been reunited.
He never, never forgot you and the thought of you brought both tears to his eyes and a joy in his heart.
Best Wishes
NAME SUPPLIED
Me thinks "The Lost Diaries of John Smith" would make an excellent TV series! I'm just saying...
As with all my Steemit content, this post and my book "The Lost Diaries of John Smith" are the copyright of Phillip Rhodes (c) 2011-2017.
