This just came to me tonight, I thought I should post it before I forgot. Hiroshima, 1945 "Son of a bitch" was all Asuki could repeatily force himself to say to keep his mind off how cold his testicles were. He cursed the ones who made these uniforms so unfit for cold weather. But today was not a day for negative thinking! Today Azuki would be seeing his Grandchild Yamako! He told himself that the smile on her face would be enough to erase any sense of unhappiness for the rest of his life. He owed this privlage to the gentlman of an NCO who gave him permission to have a two day leave period to see his family. This was not a privilage granted to many in these dark times in Japan. Azuki stepped into a soup kitchen that was nearby his post and wasnt to suprised when the air was hardly warmer inside then out; Japan needed all the wood she could get for more important things then civilians. But, mind still on his family; Azuki made the best of it. He hobbled over to a bench and had a conversation with an injured sailor who had a large cast around his waist. He tried to speak with a sense of warm optimism that was so scarce during war, Azuki appreciated that. After parting ways with the sailor, Azuki made his way back up to his hilltop post. Azuki and his comrades were part of the 32nd Civilian Service brigade and were giving the task of manning an air-raid siren and using a spotlight which had a perfect view over the city. While warming up in the officers tent, there was a buzz. A buzz that was so painfully familiar to any Japanese city dweller. But as any good soldier should; Azuki jumped up and ran outside bellowing orders to the siren crew. Now the siren wailed while the city prepared itself for the onsuing bombardment. But to everybody's surpirse, there was only one plane. "What are they doing? A recon patrol? Whats the point! They've been here every dam day!" Azuki forced himself to calm down and sat down on a bench. He started muttering "dam cold....dam cold...dam cold..." But before he could say anymore there was a great blinding Flash! along with the Greatest Warmth he had ever felt! and then......... the cold disappeared forever..... To all those who wish to correct me on Japan's weather: I am aware of the climate but this is how I imagined the story as well as the emotion it adds in the end.
Ahhh thought you were starting at the end.. Dont know why you dont... Bit of research 10 lines a week.. Start before war..and you have a novel in you.
Wrath of Yamato “Dammit” Jiro muttered, he cursed the man who decided that they could still wear Pacific uniforms on a snow peaked mountain. However Jiro reassured himself that any post would be worth it as an old friend of his in IGHQ had put much effort into allowing him some leave time to visit his newborn granddaughter . He had much regret in his heart for not being there with his daughter during the birth, though in his position he had the responsibility of watching over 30 lives, with most of them students and grandfathers themselves. These were very awkward days in Japan recently. There was widespread hunger among the population, as well as the fact that American bombers showed themselves day after day. People were depressed and needed some sort of happiness. A pang of hunger revealed itself in Jiro’s stomach, he turned to amble up the mountain towards the company mess hall. When he opened the door he felt a gust of reassurance and kindness of warm air traversing his cold body. With a sigh of amusement he walked to the cooks table. Keeping sarcasm inside, he accepted the plate of rice from the cook, wondering if the meals would ever change. He searched the roomful of depressed seniors and jumpy youth. He made contact with a set of new scarlet eyes. This one certainly stood out with the large white cast wrapped around his torso as well as the sling on his left arm. His eyes desperately pleaded company almost to the point of looking pathetic. This man could very well be in his unit so he inquired about his identity. He said his name was Jisaburo and he had yet to be assigned to a unit, as he was still being evaluated for his injuries. Jiro then asked him to explain how he got his injury. Jisaburo told him about his service on the Light cruiser “Oi” and how it was sank by American dive bombers. He was rescued at sea and immediately operated upon to remove the large metal piece that was lodged in his chest cavity. As Japan needed every hospital bed it had, he was given his cast and sent to Tokyo where he asked to go back to some sort of duty. So they sent him to Jiro’s station. Jiro asked if his family knew that he was alive, as they likely heard about the lost cruiser. Jisaburo’s shoulders dropped “My family was... killed in a bombing raid in 1943” Jiro grasped his arm and said “We have all lost in this war son, it is the duty of us left behind to remember them” and with that he was out the door. The feeling of grief emanating from this man was to much to handle. There was a small bench overlooking the cliffs of the mountain. Jiro sat down on it and looked down upon sprawling Hiroshima. The war had darkened its pre-war shine. The droning of an American plane whispered over the mountains bringing much redness to Jiro’s flustered face. “Man the guns!” he bellowed and watched his men race to their posts with looks of fright among them. Much to their relief it was simply a reconnaissance bomber, these planes were common over Japan the past few weeks. As he sat down on the bench he began to wonder what his daughter looked like. When suddenly there was a great blinding flash! Then the greatest warmth he had ever felt! .......and the cold disappeared forever.
