159 Days Into War

this is a piece of writing about the christmas truce between New Zealand and Germany in WW1 on christmas day. They stopped fighting and they played a game of soccer together and traded Christmas gifts.

Hope you enjoy!

25th of December 1914

159 days into war

I peek my head up slowly and raise my hands to show I don't have any weapons. Everyone in the Allies shouts at me “No Jim, don’t!” I ignore them, even though I'm scared as anything, all the Germans are aiming their guns at me and the Allies are aiming their guns back at the Germans. Luckily a German realises I don't have a gun and I don't want to attack them, he shouts out something in German that would mean something like, “He doesn't have a gun! He doesn't want to fight!” So I fully stand up and walk very slowly on the snowy, muddy ground. Suddenly all the Germans and Allies drop their guns and the Germans slowly walk over to the Allies, I think that they think it's a trick. We all greet one another, trade Christmas gifts and tell stories. I meet a man and say,

“Hello, my name is Jim,” I hope he understood me.

“Hello, mein name ist Otto,” he said.

“Nice to meet you Otto.” He doesn't respond, he just nods, I don't think he understands me. After that he gives me a cigar and I give him a tasty biscuit from my biscuit tin that my wife gave me. I show him a picture of my wife, Rose and my children, Alexis and Ben.

We all decided to play a game of soccer. I kick the ball and send it flying into an imaginary goal. We are all having a blast, joy is filling the cold air on this blessed day. Hopefully Jesus will stop the war today, I couldn't bear trying to shoot my new friends, who would? Who could? The game is so exciting, it's like someone has gone and taken 100 kilograms off my shoulders, I can relax, I can breathe. It's the best feeling I’ve had in one hundred and fifty-nine days! We can talk to the Germans, our new friends,without being scared of them shooting us.

“BOOM! BANG!” The sounds of guns and shells exploding go off. We all know what that means. Everyone has the most disappointed looks on their faces, like someone has gone and thrown 200 kilograms back on our shoulders.

The horrible war is yet to be finished and it won’t be anytime soon! How are we going to kill our new friends? This is going to be a struggle, I just can't bear it! I simply can't bear it! I get geared up for the fight that will begin any moment. I find the treat from Germany, from Otto and little did he know, I secretly gave him a chocolate bar from my family. At least Jesus’ presence means that he will help us through this devastating war.