War & Promise

The wall of a battered house shook as the artillery strikes to the ground. Inside, Binelli sat silently while moving his body back & forth. His was trembling all over with both his hands holding the gun tightly to his chest. “I'm going to die...I'm going to die...” he thought to himself.

His comrades has positioned themselves to defend the battered house to the ground. It has become their refuge and home away from the onslaught of the war, but the war soon came to them. Captain Oreilly has been ordering his men to give what it takes to defend against the oncoming Allied troops. The Italians knew that some will not survive this attack. “Be strong men! We need to fight them and give them all we've got!” He gave encouragement to lighten their spirits. “Yes Sir!” they replied except Benelli. Captain Oreilly watched Benelli tremble and murmuring about death and such that he resent to hear.

He crouch down to the trembling Binelli and stares at him “Private Binelli, what is your problem?”

Binelli kept looking straight without budging an eye on Captain Oreilly, “We're going to die...we're going to die...we cannot survive this...” he murmured.

Captain Oreilly sighed by Binelli's cowardice and pat his shoulder. “Do you have someone you love waiting for you back at home?”

Binelli stop rocking and turn his head slowly to look at him, “Yes, my girlfriend. She's waiting for me to come back so that we can get married”

“Gee, I pity her to have such a coward boyfriend. But what the heck, we're going to die here anyway” He bring himself up and walks away from Binelli.

Binelli stares at Captain Oreilly. For the first time he had gave a discouraging words to his comrades. Binelli thought to himself and remind of the time back home where he promised his girlfriend that he will come back.

(Binelli's past)

“Promise me that you'll come back?” Minna firmly hold his hands.

“Yes, even if the sun turns to red, I will survive this and return home to be with you...” Binelli kissed her forehead.

That memory still fresh in his mind and heart as he remember his promised to his beloved.

At the same moment, Captain Oreilly has ordered his men to get ready. “They are coming! Give them all you got!”

“Yes Sir!” the brave soldiers reply.


Binelli turn himself around and crouch behind the window. He position himself with his gun and pull the safety lock to automatic. Captain Orelilly saw what he was doing, “Private Binelli! Have you prepare to die?”

Binelli turn to him “Not yet sir, I have a promise to keep and I will return home no matter what! All I need to do is to fight this bastards off!” he grinned at Captain Oreilly.

“Thats the spirits I wanted to hear. Keep the promised that you gave to your love ones and make that as a weapon to overcome all obstacle in life. It is a powerful weapon to have” Oreilly told him. “But if I die, I know that I had done my best and what is decided is already fated” He added again.

Binelli smiled at him and turn to his comrades “Come guys, we have a promise to keep!”

All the soldiers smiled and nod at his words.

At the same time, bullets starts flying and bombs were heard everywhere. The onslaught has started and they fought bravely. Everyone defend their base with their life, to keep whats theirs. Binelli fought along side a courageous leader and soldiers. As time goes by, one by one starts to fall down like a deck of cards. “Don't aid them! Fight! We need to clear the path first! The injured one will hang in there!” Oreilly orders the men.

The grounds suddenly shook by an incoming heavy vehicle. Binelli turn to Captain Oreilly “Sir, it's a tank! What are we going to do?”

Oreilly kept shooting and at the same time think of a strategy to stop the tank. “You guys cover me! I will go down there to destroy it!”

“Sir, thats suicide!” the soldiers shouted at him.

“Listen to my orders! Cover me!” Oreilly ran down and starts shooting at the allied troops. The rest of the soldiers starts to provide cover fire. Oreilly crawl up to the tank, open the hatch and starts shooting inside. He took out a grenade and throw it inside the tank and ran away from it. The tank blow up from inside and soldiers jumps and shouts in excitement. As Captain Oreilly running back to the base, one of the allied soldier came from behind and starts shooting at him. He was shot on the leg and fell to the ground.

“CAPTAIN!!” Yelled Binelli. The soldiers starts shooting and killed the allied soldier. At the same time, more allied troops came in with tanks to takeover the place. “Binelli! We need to retreat! We can't defend it!” one of the soldier yelled at him.

“You guys go ahead! I need to save Captain Oreilly!” Benilli orders them. He ran down the building and starts shooting at the incoming troops. He reached Oreilly and pulled him to safety. “Sir, are you okay?” Binelli slaps his face to wake him up.

“I've been shot, of course I'm not okay” Oreilly smiled at him.
“Why didn't you guys retreat?” he added.

“I told the rest to retreat while I came back to pick you up. We need to run now” He was about to pulled him up when the allied troops starts shooting. He return fire to them but the troops was just too many.

Just as they were about to give up, the troops were caught in a crossfire from the remaining Italian soldiers. They never run away and came back for Binelli and their Captain.

“We will cover you! Don't worry!” one of the soldiers shouted at them.

But out of nowhere, a shell hit the building and it went down like a deck of cards. Binelli and Oreilly watch in horror as what has happened to their comrades.

The troops advancing quickly to them. Binelli & Oreilly return fire to them, but Binelli was shot in the arm. He fell back beside Captain Oreilly who is still shooting at the Allied troops. But he soon fall back beside Binelli since they had finish their ammo. “We got no more magazines and we only left with a pistol. It's either fight or die by our gun” Oreilly staring at his gun.

“I'm still fighting” Binelli brings his injured self up and starts shooting at the troops with his pistol. Oreilly watch him courageously fight against the troops and soon joins in.

“You are one sick killing machine” Oreilly smiled at him while both shooting at the troops.

“I still have a promise and a duty to keep” Binelli returned the smile.

But one of the Allied troops managed to hit Binelli in the leg and he fell to the ground. The allied soldier points his machine gun at Binelli and at the same time Oreilly jumps in front of him and took all the blows from the machine gun. Blood splattered on Binelli's face as he watch in horror at his Captain. The Captain turn to him “Fight...I'm doing this to keep your promise” he smiled and fell to the ground. The allied soldier was changing his magazine when he saw Binelli still alive and pointing a pistol at him “DIE!!!!!” his shot hit directly to the soldier head. He kept pulling the trigger but his ammo had depleted.

He watched the tanks came in and the remaining Allied soldier coming from behind. He knows he can't keep the promised that he had for his beloved. He smiled while looking at the barrel of a tank aiming at him.

“I'm sorry Minna...” he muttered to himself.

At the same moment, the tank suddenly blows up in smithereens. Rumbling sound echoes behind him as he turns behind, he saw the German bombers and the rest of the Italians reinforcement has come to aid in the attack. The Italian tanks was shooting furiously back at the allied. The Allied cannot take the heavy attacks and decides to retreat. A group of the Italians troops came running to aid Binelli trembling body.

“Are you okay comrade?” the medic questioned him.

“I've been shot, of course I'm not okay” Binelli smiled at him.

The medic stare at him with confusion. “That's supposed to be funny?”

“I guess so...” Binelli smiled again.

The Italian army General came to him with his cigar in his mouth, “You and your men did a good job. Too bad they died and you injured in the fight. We could use soldiers like you guys, well then, now you just need to relax and go home to your love ones just as you promised them” the General smiled at him and went away.

Binelli lay down on the stretcher and smiled the whole time, he was picked up and bring to the medical tent. In his smile, his tears rolls down remembering his comrades “Thank you for making my promise come true...” he thanked his comrades for their bravery.


2 months later,


A taxi stopped at the curb and as the door opens, a black shining shoes step out of the car. It was Binelli with his uniform and his medals for bravery and heart dangling on his chest, shining brightly by the rays of the sun. He walks slowly to the front door and took a deep breath.

He knocks the door...

“Minna..I'm home...”



THE END