The war is still going, for twenty years now. 

In the early morning, Jonathan Silver received a conscription from the military for his son. Yesterday, his son Nathan just turn eighteen. Because the country is small and is densely populated, the men had to join the war after they turn eighteen. 

He sigh at the letter and close his eyes. His hand trembled as he held the letter. He only had two children, Nathan and Susan. His wife was put on bed rest after she gave birth to Susan and his age is increasing. 

Jonathan opens the letter. There was only one thing that caught his attention: Nathan Silver is to leave by the end of May. 

Today was the last day of May, which meant he is to leave by tonight. The letter was sent out two weeks ago and he only received it today. They live at the outskirts of the country, so it would take long for them to receive news. The government already knew that his son would be eighteen by the time the letter arrive. 

His son is not a married man, although he seem to be seeing a someone for a few months now. Now, he can only hope for his son to return safely. 

Summer is over already in a flash. Nathan had gone for three months. There's no news of him returning or the war ending. 

"Jonathan, I'm on bed rest and cannot give you anymore children. If Nathan is gone too, we will have no son. Marry again. I won't worry or be jealous." Lucia, the wife of Jonathan said, seeing him worry and wait for his son to come back. 

By the New Year and with the words of his wife, Jonathan decided to marry a woman. The new wife of his was Camilla Stein, a daughter of his friend, who is only seventeen. Their age had a huge gap. He was old enough that he could be her father. Jonathan felt sadness that his wife Camilla had to marry an old man so he pampered her and treated her kindly.

Susan, in her heart opposed the marriage, but said nothing. She knows it's better to keep shut. It was her mother's wish. She should support it.

Soon, Camilla gave birth to two newborns, fraternal twins. Both were boys and brought joy to Jonathan and Lucia. Camilla smiled, but the smile on Camilla was not that of joy. There was a hint of sadness. No one notice except for Susan who was now looking out the window.

Finally, almost ten years had passed. News came that Nathan is coming back from the war and that the war has ended. A peace treaty was made. 

Nathan returned with a broken arm. Jonathan was the first to see Nathan return and joy, for a very long time, he finally felt it. His son is back! The war did not take his on away. 

The first thing Nathan talked about when he saw his father was that he had a woman who is waiting for him. They made a promise that after he comes back from the war, he will go straight to plea for her hand in marriage. She will wait for as long she had to.

He left to find her, but as soon as he got there, he was told that she's already a married woman. Nathan was broken hearted and went home depressed. 

Jonathan had a feeling that he knew what happened after Nathan had left to find his promise woman. She must had marry someone else.

The next day, Nathan was sulking inside his room. Then, he caught a glimpse of someone he knew outside from the window. He rubbed his eyes to see if it was real. 

"Camilla!" he called out to her.

As soon as she saw him, she ran inside the house. Susan saw everything. Maybe she was in the wrong. She should have spoke up to oppose the marriage. 

Nathan, in a fit of anger, rushed out of his room to follow Camilla. He felt that something is terribly wrong. Just as soon as he got near her, she rush into a room and locked the door. Tears came falling nonstop from her snow white face like a waterfall. 

Nathan stood outside the door and kept calling "Camilla! Camilla! Open up! It-It's not true... Tell me it's not--"

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Forget me... Nathan.. I'm so sorry..." Camilla cried and choked on her tears as she kept saying sorry.

Nathan, in his room, threw everything against the wall. Everything he could find was broken, even the images of his family was teared. 

Nathan locked himself inside his room for a week, without eating or drinking. Jonathan, who always understood his son, did not this time. He wondered why his son was not coming out of his room. 

Camilla kept crying non stop for a week which annoyed Jonathan. Have he done something wrong to her? Why is she crying? He treated her the best of the best.

"Stop! Stop crying! Are you going crazy?!" Jonathan said in fit of anger. 

However, she did not. Instead, she cried louder. 

Unconsciously, Jonathan slapped Camilla for the first time. Camilla fell down and held her cheek. she choked on her saliva. There was left with no sound, only silence.

"When I said stop, you should have stop. I'm sorry." Jonathan went down on one knee and brushed Camilla's face. "Tell me, what have I done to anger you," he said in a warm voice like how he use to in his younger days. 

"I-I-I..." Camilla could not say anything else. She started to start crying again. 

By the door, stood Susan. She had came with her father to see Camilla. This time, should she speak up? Should she tell her father?

"Father," Susan said, breaking the silence. Jonathan was about to hush Susan when Susan interrupted him, "I have something to say regarding Camilla and Nathan."

After everything was told to Jonathan, he walked out to Nathan's room. He knocked and knocked, but there was no answer. Then he got the room to open. It was a mess. Everything was knocked over. Nathan's bed had huge cuts and the bed sheets were on the floor.

He looked around the room but Nathan was nowhere seen. He knows exactly what this mean: Nathan will never come back.

The war didn't take Nathan away. It was he, Jonathan Silver, who did. 

~End~