Colouring In
Ava Hughes
There is this boy named Chris May. He grew up under the scorching, hot sun of Western Australia. When he looks around all he is seeing is hot sand and not much water in sight. Ever since Chris was little he loved everything to do with the war and military. At the moment Chris is 16 but there is only one week till his 17th birthday. His parents signed him up for the Afghanistan war to leave school and follow his brothers footsteps.
There is this boy named Chris May. He grew up under the scorching, hot sun of Western Australia. When he looks around all he is seeing is hot sand and not much water in sight. Ever since Chris was little he loved everything to do with the war and military. At the moment Chris is 16 but there is only one week till his 17th birthday. His parents signed him up for the Afghanistan war to leave school and follow his brothers footsteps.
The day after Chris’s birthday, his father and brother said their last goodbyes and walked off with. Sad expression on their faces. Chris got on the plane and read his book. Once Chris got to the military camp, which was in South Australia he and his fellow soldiers loaded all of their belongings into their cabins, where they would spend the next twelfth months and prepared for the long days to come.
The day after Chris’s birthday, his father and brother said their last goodbyes and walked off with. Sad expression on their faces. Chris got on the plane and read his book. Once Chris got to the military camp, which was in South Australia he and his fellow soldiers loaded all of their belongings into their cabins, where they would spend the next twelfth months and prepared for the long days to come.
Ten months later and Chris is still training and working very hard. He describes this opportunity at the war an eye opener, and a fast way to mature. He doesn’t think that he fits in to well as he doesn’t know that many people but he’s knows this one guy that he has become really good friends with, and his name is Anthony Rees.
Ten months later and Chris is still training and working very hard. He describes this opportunity at the war an eye opener, and a fast way to mature. He doesn’t think that he fits in to well as he doesn’t know that many people but he’s knows this one guy that he has become really good friends with, and his name is Anthony Rees.
Chris started to give up but by the twelfth month mark came but he felt like he could actually do this and could do what his brother did. It was exactly fifteen months since Chris left his home town and went on to the plane to the military camp and he has learnt a lot of new skills. They finally left there military camp, packed their bags and went on the plane to Afghanistan. Chris had mixed feelings, like one minute he is very exited then the next, he is very nervous. Afghanistan is a third world country, meaning it is a very poor country. There are not many huge buildings, only huge jails here and there. Chris said to his fellow soldiers “I don’t feel very safe” his friend replied with “Same...”
Chris started to give up but by the twelfth month mark came but he felt like he could actually do this and could do what his brother did. It was exactly fifteen months since Chris left his home town and went on to the plane to the military camp and he has learnt a lot of new skills. They finally left there military camp, packed their bags and went on the plane to Afghanistan. Chris had mixed feelings, like one minute he is very exited then the next, he is very nervous. Afghanistan is a third world country, meaning it is a very poor country. There are not many huge buildings, only huge jails here and there. Chris said to his fellow soldiers “I don’t feel very safe” his friend replied with “Same...”
It has taken four hundred and sixty men and six hours to build the soldiers home for the next four years and one hundred and six days...They call this, The trench. Chris found his space where he will be living for the next chapter of his life. He unpacked his belongings, which was not a lot, and set up his area. He was next to his best friend Anthony Rees and they spent a lot of time working and waiting together. One afternoon Anthony and Chris were cleaning there guns and there belongings and then he needed to go to the bathroom. Latrines was the name given to trench toilets. They were usually pits, 4 ft to 5 ft deep, dug at the end of a short sap. As he is walking over there is mud covering his feet and rats running everywhere, “Gross!” He thought in his head.
It has taken four hundred and sixty men and six hours to build the soldiers home for the next four years and one hundred and six days...They call this, The trench. Chris found his space where he will be living for the next chapter of his life. He unpacked his belongings, which was not a lot, and set up his area. He was next to his best friend Anthony Rees and they spent a lot of time working and waiting together. One afternoon Anthony and Chris were cleaning there guns and there belongings and then he needed to go to the bathroom. Latrines was the name given to trench toilets. They were usually pits, 4 ft to 5 ft deep, dug at the end of a short sap. As he is walking over there is mud covering his feet and rats running everywhere, “Gross!” He thought in his head.
As he returned back to his base with Anthony he saw a little boy in a corner colouring on these pieces of scrap paper that he found in his fathers base and he was colouring in a picture of a flower. Chris join him and the little boy looked up, “Hi!” Chris said, In a shy voice he said hi back but the little boy looked sad. Chris asked the little boy what his name was and he said in a quiet, shy voice “Charlie” Chris asked the little boy if he could stay and colour with him and he nodded.
As he returned back to his base with Anthony he saw a little boy in a corner colouring on these pieces of scrap paper that he found in his fathers base and he was colouring in a picture of a flower. Chris join him and the little boy looked up, “Hi!” Chris said, In a shy voice he said hi back but the little boy looked sad. Chris asked the little boy what his name was and he said in a quiet, shy voice “Charlie” Chris asked the little boy if he could stay and colour with him and he nodded.
Chris continued to colour with Charlie for the next hour or so and they had a great time, Anthony came over and join them with the colouring. An hour and a half passed and his dad came over and said “Charlie we need to go!” “Bye!” Said Charlie and of he went with his dad back to his shelter. It got late, and the sun started to set, Chris and Anthony made their way over to there shelter, and got ready for bed, they both said goodnight and closed their eyes.
Chris continued to colour with Charlie for the next hour or so and they had a great time, Anthony came over and join them with the colouring. An hour and a half passed and his dad came over and said “Charlie we need to go!” “Bye!” Said Charlie and of he went with his dad back to his shelter. It got late, and the sun started to set, Chris and Anthony made their way over to there shelter, and got ready for bed, they both said goodnight and closed their eyes.
The next morning was a rainy, muddy, depressing day and Chris had been having weird thoughts thinking about the boy all night. Anthony and Chris made their way into the kitchen where they would pick up there breakfast. The bulk of their diet in the trenches was canned corned beef bread and biscuits. By the winter flour was in such short supply that bread was being made with dried ground turnips. The main food was now a pea- soup with a few lumps of horsemeat. “Gross!” Chris said to Anthony. They were walking back to their shelter and Chris’s jaw dropped, there was Charlie, lifeless in his fathers arms. Chris fell to his knees and felt like he was going to faint, Anthony was on the verge of crying cause he saw how hurt Chris and his father were.
The next morning was a rainy, muddy, depressing day and Chris had been having weird thoughts thinking about the boy all night. Anthony and Chris made their way into the kitchen where they would pick up there breakfast. The bulk of their diet in the trenches was canned corned beef bread and biscuits. By the winter flour was in such short supply that bread was being made with dried ground turnips. The main food was now a pea- soup with a few lumps of horsemeat. “Gross!” Chris said to Anthony. They were walking back to their shelter and Chris’s jaw dropped, there was Charlie, lifeless in his fathers arms. Chris fell to his knees and felt like he was going to faint, Anthony was on the verge of crying cause he saw how hurt Chris and his father were.
Chris talked to Charlie’s dad the next morning and asked what happened, he said that night when he was walking back from colouring in, and he’d been killed by the Taliban. For a while they both didn’t talk, all they could hear was silence. Chris in his head was thinking “That was a weird experience. Knowing one moment you could be sitting there colouring in together, the next morning the kid's dead.”
Chris talked to Charlie’s dad the next morning and asked what happened, he said that night when he was walking back from colouring in, and he’d been killed by the Taliban. For a while they both didn’t talk, all they could hear was silence. Chris in his head was thinking “That was a weird experience. Knowing one moment you could be sitting there colouring in together, the next morning the kid's dead.”
Chris got promoted to second in charge of a ten man section, stationed on a patrol base 40 kilometres north of Tarin Kowt. This was in the middle of nowhere. This time, instead of being the driver of the rear vehicle, he was the commander of the very first, which was the most likely to be hit by improvised explosive device. Five months in, on September 23, 2011, Chris lost the wager when his armoured vehicle struck a roadside bomb in a remote valley.
Chris got promoted to second in charge of a ten man section, stationed on a patrol base 40 kilometres north of Tarin Kowt. This was in the middle of nowhere. This time, instead of being the driver of the rear vehicle, he was the commander of the very first, which was the most likely to be hit by improvised explosive device. Five months in, on September 23, 2011, Chris lost the wager when his armoured vehicle struck a roadside bomb in a remote valley.
The force of the blast threw him from the vehicle, then sucked him back in. Cigarettes, That's the smell Chris remembers. He came to as a Navy clearance diver was putting a C Spine collar around his neck, the scent of nicotine strong on his fingers. As Chris woke up he said “What happened?” and the guy that was helping Chris said, ‘You're all right mate, you've just been hit by an IED’. That's when Chris started pretty much tearing up and crying. He started screaming and saying that he couldn't move his toes and then Chris had blacked back out again.” Chris was paralysed from the waist down.
The force of the blast threw him from the vehicle, then sucked him back in. Cigarettes, That's the smell Chris remembers. He came to as a Navy clearance diver was putting a C Spine collar around his neck, the scent of nicotine strong on his fingers. As Chris woke up he said “What happened?” and the guy that was helping Chris said, ‘You're all right mate, you've just been hit by an IED’. That's when Chris started pretty much tearing up and crying. He started screaming and saying that he couldn't move his toes and then Chris had blacked back out again.” Chris was paralysed from the waist down.