Best friends to the end.

I was 4 years, the sky was beautiful, there were not any clouds and no wind joy was shining, the world
around me was living like an immortal rose but I didn't know that the best moment of my life began
today. I was playing in the playground and suddenl there was a brown-haired woman, well dressed who
came to see me and asked me with a very bad French accent : "Would you like, my dear to play with my
son Otto, he doesn't have any friends and feels really sad today" I was looking at the boy who was in front
of me, he looked like really kind and funny. I wasn't mistaken.

I agreed and we started playing together, there was a tall man who stayed with us the all time, actually he
was Otto's own translator since I didn't know how to speak German and Otto didn't know a single word in
French the translator helped us. We became friends really fast, best friends and no one could stop our
friendship.

Over the years I learnt German fast, sometimes when I was practising it outside people around looked at
me and some were scared. During his ten years Otto had to go back to Germany, her mother came to
France to see what will be his job when he was going to become an adult. She chose France because it
was her favorite country.

Many years after he had the right to leave his country and to start working alone... But at this time I didn’t
know what was going to happen to us. Like his family has planed, Otto came back to France for his job.
We lived happily without knowing what was going to be next. We are summer 1918, it‘s the war in the
world since 1914. The 6th of July was Otto's birthday and at the same time german soldiers needed
reinforcement because French were getting a head start so he has been commanded since he had the age
required. Unfortunately my best friend had to fight against my country: France.

Before he left me, Otto promised that he would send me a lot of letters when he'd have the time. He was
happy to leave, and told me everything was going to be okay, he couldn't wait to begin. Also he gave me
his mother's bracelet to still remember how good it is to have a friend and to remember our friendship
aswell. It was the time for him to left we hugged, I cried a bit, Otto laughed : "You promised you wouldn't
cry for me, by the way I'm not that precious. Auf wiedersehen Jeanne" He smiled. This day I realised how
much precious it was to have a friend.

I was working in a company which we can get or send letters everywhere in the world or in all the
country suddenly my sister Marie came since we work here together and told me : “Hey you just got a
new letter from someone! I don't know who it is from but I think you should read it!” I jumped off my
chair :

- “Give it to me! I said.

- Here take it. She smiled."

I opened the letter and began reading : "Jeanne, today I arrived to the battlefield and guess what, I'm
fighting with my old friend from my should, isn't it so good ? He is here since last year and he told me it
is horrible. I don't trust him, it's not that bad, people here are kind and it's sunny. You know I love it when

1
there's sun outside. Don't worry." After reading these lines I smiled and didn't really worry about him
since he told me everything was going pretty well so I'll right him a letter tonight before going to bed and
I will send it tomorrow.

Finally, I finished working today. I walked to my house which isn't far from where I go to work. I ate with
my sister and I started writting with a good mood : "I got your letter today, I'm glad you're happy, I hope
you are having a good time with your friend and you eat a lot to stay healthy. By the way, I'm still
wearing the bracelet you gave me before you left. I'll never ever remove it. Be careful!"

I started closing my eyes, but I'm still thinking of what is happening and when will Otto be back. I think
I'm worring too much, am I ? Well nevermind I should sleep and stop thinking about it, I will be tired
tomorrow if I don't sleep now. Two month later, every woman in the company got a letter from their
husband or their friend but there was only one exception : Me. I started worring, I asked my sister if she
got a letter from Jean her husband. And she said :

- "Yeah... I, I got it today, but... He, he wasn't saying what he told me when he left. She started crying.

- "What is happening ?! Are you okay ?? What did he write, let me read it. I answered"

Marie cried for like, one hour. She told me after, that her husband was actually very sick because they
don't eat a lot, they can't even have a shower every day. And a lot of soldiers die so much for the two
sides. I didn't want to believe her but I know war wasn't a card game… I took my bag and left my work to
go for a walk, I got too much informations about this stupid war today, and suddenly I heard my neighbor
talking about the war : “Germany is losing, French soldiers are the best they’re going to kill these
“Boches” I couldn't bear hearing people calling German like that, I answered :

“- HEY! Don’t talk about German soldiers like that!

- HA! Don’t tell me you actually like them, my dear you are French, aren’t you? They all laughed.

- Actually, I don’t care from which country I am from, all I want to say now is, that you are talking about
my best friend! I shouted.”

They all didn’t say anything, I'm angry now, everywhere I was going I kept hearing people talking about
it, all I knew is that we are winning but I didn’t care about who is better I want to know how is Otto going
right now…Is he dead ? Why doesn’t he send me a sign. Back when we were young he always liked
writing, even when we needed to right a little bit, he was the only one in the class who wrote more than
the others. It makes me terrified that I don’t get any letters.

Days later, I went to my sister’s house and talked about how I felt and how I had to be courageous but she
was worried aswell. More worried about her husband who is actually at the hospital… I told her that he
would be better in a few days and that she didn't have to worry, I have a pretty bad mood since he was
gone, I thought it would be the same as he left but no... I read a line from a book like her favorite autor.
Marie smiled since I tried to make her feel better.

2
The next day, I went to work to get the letters I received today and I got three letters from Otto, I smiled
and emediately went the restaurant which we love to go once in a week. On the road, I read two of them. I
arrived and sat. I was looking at the sky and thought of Otto since he loves when it's sunny, the weather
was the same as it was when we met. I cried of joy, I couldn't live like this no more, how can I not worry
about him.

A few hours later the chief of the restaurant made me Otto's favorite pizza since she knew I was really
worried. After I finished eating it, we talked :

- "Oh no! It's getting late, I should go back home. I said worried

- Yes! Have a good night, and also, Jeanne, don't worry about him ! Otto is just busy, you know, he
wouldn't like to see you like that ! She smiled."

I went back home and made a thea. I drank it slowly to calm myself. The chief's pizza was delicious, the
flavours helped me to get away all my problems. I watched our favorite friendship movie, it was so sad. It
looked like it was me and Otto... When I was at the restaurant I didn't read the last letter because it was
late and it looked very important, so I opened it and he talked about how he fought to send his letters
since communications were cut and aswell, they almost didn't have the right to talk to people from the
country they actually fight against. He also talked about how he was living or how he it was going and
what he thinks of this... But I mostly focused on these lines :

"Today, I had to murder many braves soldiers who are fighting for their country, do you imagine me with
a gun ? What a irony ! But this irony is the reflection of our tough truth that no one would believe. Let
justice be done ! Thousands of mans are dying and I still hear that people are mistaking us for cards, who
is the best ? The worse ? Or else the one they will need or not. People will never undearstand us,
NEVER ! Sorry but this "war" like we all mistake for make me reflecting a lot and it's always when we
make progress in our life that we finally understand what is a life. People are not born equal, Jeanne. It's
only a lie that they will hide us among so many others."

After I read these lines, I didn't know what to say. All I did, was to remember our memories from the past.
I want Otto to go back and when he will, we'd go for a walk and sing our favorites songs to remember the
luck we have to be always together. Like you I would like to escape these lies and walk with you, like the
old times. I remember when every morning we were walking and trying to make me laugh with your bad
jokes but it only made laugh the passer-by. When we were passing next to the ice cream seller and when
he was always saying : "How is my favorite lovebirds going today ?" with his beautiful smile. We always
answered we weren't in love and after that we laughed until the end of our promenade.

With all the emotions I was too much tired so I went to bed thinking that I could sleep happily. During the
night I had cold sweats, I have done horrible nightmares. They were about Otto dying. I woke up and
didn't sleep of the night.

I was so tired, I didn't know what to think, to say or to feel. I needed Otto's help... But he wasn't here with
me. I wanted to send him a letter today at my work, so I wrote what I felt during the past few days, I
asked how he was doing and what he has done aswell. I miss you so much. I hope you are okay.

3
Otto answered that the war was almost over also that he lost his right arm. Otto actually didn't really care
since we all, his family, his best friend, me still would be here when he will be back. He knew Germany
was losing but he didn't even care about it, all Otto wanted to do was to go back to his house and forget
about all the experiences he has done so far, but it's not that easy, seeing people dying, killing people and
hurting himself for nothing.

The 11st of November the World War is now over. In the end of November Otto came back. I was actually
the one who arrived the first at the train station to get him. I woke up super early just for him. We hugged
and cried like it was raining, the weather was like the first day we met, the first day I undertsood how it
felt to have a best friend that is always here for you even when he is far away from you.

Being Otto's best friend is one of the best experience I could ever had in my life, thanks to the letters and
our friendship: together we have overcame all the problems that me and him have encountered. Friends
like him are very important to keep, they are very essential for your life problems.

In December, we celebrated Christmas, his parents came to France and we all had a very good time. My
sister's husband is finally recovered. Everything is back to normal. Now we can live together happily.