Dear Father,
I hope all of you are doing well back at home. I'm afraid I can't say the same for myself. I hate the feeling of the sun melting through my heavy uniform, we don't get much shower time so sometimes I have to go to bed in a pool of my own sweat. The nights here are freezing so many people are getting very sick from the crazy temperature drop. There is a lot of air pollution and a shortage of fresh drinking water.
The worst thing that has happened was the passing of my friend, Tim. When we first arrived in a Afghanistan most of the guys underestimated me because I'm a girl. They soon realized how tough I can be but Tim was nice to me and helpful from the beginning. I finally understand what you mean about creeping around a corner and never knowing if you will meet a bullet. I have been luckier than you were though, no major injuries, yet that is.
We don't get much time to eat either and the food is nothing like what what I'm used to at home. I didn't realize how much I would miss Mom's blueberry pancakes! When we do have appetizing food the horrible stench of body odor and rotting bodies takes over and I lose my appetite. I can't believe that I ever wanted to lose weight in high school, now all I want to do is eat and gain all the weight I have lost from not being able to eat.
It is just sinking in that I am here to kill people. I can't bear hearing it in those words, just knowing that I might be taking the life of someone's child, parent, girlfriend, boyfriend, wife, husband, friend, sister, brother, chills me deep down inside. I feel like a terrible person and the only thing that gets me through is knowing that I am doing a good thing for my country and all of Canada's citizens.
I feel like my days are numbered. I either come back or I don't, and that's all there is to it. So please Dad, pray that I will come back, I feel a huge sense of accomplishment but I know that I have a whole life waiting for me back home. Mom says that since you've come back from war you haven't been the same. I realise that I may not be the same Fi that I was before the war but this was something I was meant to do.
Send all my love to Mom, Billy, Amanda, Grandma Josie and baby Riley. It's your love and support that keep me going and give me strength to pull through all the hard times. Tell Mom not to cry, I'll be home soon so don't give up on me or lose faith in me.
I realise that this may not arrive for a while but please write back.
Love,your daughter,
Fiona
Hey, I just read your letter and relaized you put blueberry PANCAKES and I put blueberry PIE.
ReplyDeleteI actually don't like pie at all, I just wrote that down in my letter because I wasn't able to think of anything else.