Man at War – Excerpt No. 62

“You were his commanding officer?”

“I was,” Marc said. “I could not have hoped for a better soldier under me. Still, words are often lacking, at least when compared to action.”

“So you restored the watch?”

That much was obvious, but the motivations were still evading Samuel.

“War changes a man,” Marc said. “While I can attest that he was a good man until the end. I felt it would be best to remember him as your son who went off to war instead of the one who never made it back.”

“You know,” Samuel said. “I served in the Boer War.”

“Then you understand what I’m saying?”

Both the men smiled awkwardly. Some things did not have to be said aloud to be understood.

a cinematic photo for Remembrance Day with rows of white tombstones in the background, bearing the names of fallen soldiers, their ghostly transparent figures standing before the stones, all set against a somber 1918 backdrop, the clothing of the era evident, with muted earthy tones and faded military uniforms, the overall atmosphere subdued and respectful, photographed in a style that evokes a sense of nostalgia and reverence, the focal point on the transparent soldiers, their facial features solemn, skin pale, and eyes cast downward, the tombstones weathered and worn, with faded inscriptions, and poppy flowers scattered about, the sky above a deep grey, with clouds that seem to weep tears of rain, all captured through the lens of a photographic medium that conveys the gravity and reverence of the moment.

Disclaimer: This novel is an work in progress and readers may encounter grammatical errors and inconsistencies. Please view this a draft and not a published work.