215.9 by 279.4 mm
8.5 by 11 inches
The propeller of the plane revved up and gave a sputter and spat some smoke before they began their dance. As they spun the plan moved around the tarmac and soon thereafter another engine announced that it would also be escorting a man through the skies.
The sky above the airport was specked with planes within the hour, gaining height and assuming formations as they drifted off loudly into the distance of a bright blue sky. Puffs of clouds flirted with the pilots as they dozed their way across the sea of the sky in directions unknown, only to fall apart and reassemble later on or disperse entirely, and unlike the pilots their formation would never be the same.
“Unsoundly beasts, those things,” an elderly man complained as he watched the planes fly by from his immaculate garden where roses bloomed and raspberries gathered sweetness.
“Don’t be so grumpy,” tutted his equally elder wife as she brought a try outside with tea, milk and sugar. “You’d be up there if it had started earlier,” she poured some tea into his cup and he sighed.
“No, I am too tall for those things. I heard Rupert might be going up in one of them,” the man looked down to his feet as they rested on the ground, his legs covered with a blanket.
“Aye? Poor boy. The damned Huns are taking the best of them away. I will pray for Rupert,” “A damned prayer won’t do a thing,” “It’s the thought that counts, darling. You know I prayed for you every day,” she smiled and poured herself a cup and sat down.
They sat wordlessly and looked at the garden as it unfolded it’s beauty before them. A bird came and sat on the branches of their cherry tree, and it sang a sweet song of love. The couple stared at it and it sang undisturbed, for the planes were far off in the distance now.
“It was a tough time, wasn’t it… for you…” he muttered, just loudly enough for her to hear. She was used to his muttering “Aye… It was… But your letters kept me company,” and he smiled “Aye, yours kept me company, too. I always had them with me,” “Good you did when they shot you!” she laughed and he laughed as well.
“So damn many it kept the bullet from going farther!” he coughed after his laugh and slapped his knee “Ah, that was a mad time. A mad, mad time…”
She stirred her spoon in the cup gently and asked “Should we write Rupert a letter?” and with watery eyes the man nodded “Aye, that’ll do. Maybe a few…” and she nodded and grasped his hand. They smiled.
