A Day in the Life

JASMINE WINE

I scream, I am scared, terrified some might say. September 7, 1940 the day the bombs started dropping. I am in Anderson Air Raid Shelter, a place where a lot of family’s stay usually at night. A spitfire plane drops a bomb. It’s so loud. A bomb drops outside the door. I scream even louder. I look out the window, the only window we have. I start to cry. I ran into my mom's arms. She quickly gives me a gas mask to make sure I don’t breathe the toxic air from the dusts and bombs. I then feel my stomach rumble. I know it's time to eat. I eat one egg, and a few pieces of potatoes because that's all we are allowed to eat. After dinner my mom tells me and my brother James to go to sleep. We both get in beds which are super small. My brother instantly falls asleep. I pull the blanket over my head so no one will know I am awake. I eagerly wait for the door to open knowing my dad is home. I start to close my eyes and fall asleep.

 I then wake up to the sound of another bomb. I quickly sit up and jump out of my bed to make sure my family is ok. I run to my brother and my mom who are huddled together crying. I ask what's wrong. All my mom says is “it's your father” I shut my eyes for a minute and then I woke up. I realize that my dad is sitting right next to me. That was all a bad dream. But then I actually hear a bomb drop, which is not usaul for the morning. My dad kisses me on the forehead and reassures me everything will be ok. I start to wonder if he is only saying that to make me feel better or if he is being serious. I have always been too afraid to ask him if I am going to die but I know he would say I would live even if it's not true. My mom and brother walk over to me and my dad from the other side of the shelter. We all hold hands and me, my brother, and my mom start to cry. My dad looks like he is holding back his tears. I think he is too afraid to cry. Then something happens that makes me cry even more. My dad says “I have to go and protect our country.” Without anyone having any time to say anything he grabs a ripped up sweater and walks out the door. I ask my mom if she thinks he will ever be back. She replies with “I don’t know, we will have to wait and see” I spend the rest of the day waiting by the door, starving and waiting for my dad to get home.I hear another fire bomb drop. My mom then tells us to go to bed. I do the same thing every night. I pull my blanket above my head and wait for the door to open. I wait hours but never hear the door open. I am the most scared I have ever been. I tell myself everything is fine and I fall asleep. When I wake up I know something is wrong because I can’t hear my dad. I quickly get up and I look around. He isn't here. This is like last night's dream come true. I see my mom crying behind her bed. I think she doesn't want us to know he died. Maybe he left early for work? I ask my mom. She just starts crying even more. I go sit on my bed and start to wonder how he may have died. I don't know for sure. I feel like I should start crying but I don’t. I just feel weird and really confused. When my brother wakes up my mom brings us all together and holds our hands. That’s when it all became real. She says “I love you both and I need you to know that” then she says “But I want you to know the truth, last night I walked outside because I saw an Incendiary bomb drop followed by a familiar scream. I look and I see your dad. Lying on the ground. Dead '' I start crying. I feel like my whole life just got turned upside down and is being moved left to right. I feel discouraged. That night was the worst night of my life. I will never forget the words that came out of my mother's mouth.