Memories of story to pull on heartstrings

PETER Pheasant’s Column (Hope amid the Horror ) certainly pulled on the heartstrings.

All those wonderful people who gave their lives for us. We see film footage but we’ll never know the suffering.

Seeing the Poppies and thinking of the Veterans made me think of a true story I heard many years ago.

Two young sweethearts were engaged and very much in love.

War was declared so when her fiancé got his call-up paper they said they would write to each other and their love would continue in letters.

He hoped he wouldn’t be injured. He said ‘you’ll have to make a new life if I am.’ Sadly, after a couple of years the letters stopped, she was sad even though she wrote for a while there was no reply.

Saddened thinking of him she went very quiet. Her mum and dad decided to move house only a couple of streets away.

The family who moved into their house had started decorating top to bottom of the house. A gap that was near the front door had been securely covered and carpet nailed down but now it was going to be replaced. It had been there long enough.

Through the gap in the floorboard was an unopened letter. Knowing where the last owners lived they took it to them, saying how it was discovered.

The contents of the letter were full of love like it had always been for his fiancée. Hope was restored.

The family couldn’t believe it and got in touch with the War office for any information.

She was told her fiancé was alive, residing in a home with shell shock.

They got the address and made arrangements for a visit and went to see him. Sadly, he was rocking to and fro in a chair but on seeing his long-lost sweetheart his eyes came to life. They asked the Matron if they could take him home for a holiday. He never went back.

After a while he recovered fairly well and they married and had children and lived a happy life together. A stroke of luck how an unopened letter changed their lives forever.

Jean Taylor Basford