Living In The Dirt: Daily Life in WWI ~Chapter One~

Chapter One

My name is Nuala Aiobhian. I am seventeen years old, and have yet to graduate high school. I left school early to take care of my family. My mother is expecting her second child, and my father has just found out that he has less than a year before he will most likely die of cancer. Even though I am the only child in our family, my father cannot earn enough pay each week to last a full week. It usually takes two, or even three weeks’ pay to buy our family one week of food and medicine. Adding to our troubles, half of the men in our town have been drafted into the military to serve in the war. My father is one of those men…
My father cannot serve in this war. He is sick, and must work to take care of my mother and me. If he goes to fight in this war, my poor, weak mother will have to leave to work in the mines, but she cannot, as she is expecting a baby. But, if he refuses, he could possibly be sent to prison for disobeying the government. I don’t know what to do…
It was June 28th. Papa said that there had been a disaster in Bosnia. The Archduke, Francis Ferdinand and his wife had been assassinated in Sarajevo earlier that day. Papa believed that this would start a war between Austria-Hungary and Serbia. Serbia is the country south of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The newspaper said that Serbia was home to a group of nationalists called the Black Hand, and that they sent the man who killed the Archduke in Serbia. Mama said that we did not have to worry about a war, but I thought Papa was right…
The next few days passed without incident. However, on July 5th, Kaiser William the second made an alliance with Franz Joseph of Austria-Hungary, promising support against Serbia. The next few weeks passed, and finally, Franz Joseph declared war on Serbia and Russia. The next day, Tsar Nicholas Romanov began to mobilize the Russian troops into Austria. On the same day, Austro-Hungarian troops began to invade Serbia. Three days later, Germany declared war on Russia. Papa had been right…
My head reeled at how fast this was happening. All of Europe was being affected by the war, and this was just the beginning, I could feel it. In the early morning hours on August 2nd, I walked into the entry hall to fetch the mail. There was a telegram for Papa in the mail. I knew immediately, without looking at it, what it was. I went into Father’s room to wake him. He opened his eyes and sat within minutes. However, as he sat up, he moved slowly, and as soon as he was upright, he began to cough. Mama awoke, and told me to fetch Papa a glass of water. I hurried up the stairs, struggling in an attempt to keep from spilling any. When I got back into Mama and Papa’s room, Mama had Papa lying down again, his head propped up on her extra pillow. I looked over his frail form, sick with worry. But I was not as sick as Papa was. He was too sick to serve in the war, and as I thought about this, I knew then what I had to do.
That night, I read over the telegram one last time. I had not shown it to Mama or Papa, nor had I told them what I was planning to do. I climbed out of my bed and began packing. I crept quietly into the storehouse and took a loaf of bread, some crackers, and some jam. I went back into my room, stashed them in my bag, and got to writing. I left the note on the table in the kitchen for Mama and Papa. By the time they found it, I would be far from home, and almost to the palace. I snuck into the doorway of Mama’s and Papa’s room, and bade them a silent goodbye. I did not know when I would see them again. Finally, I slipped out through the front door and into the night.