4 Chapter 4

Before walking away, Will gazed at the poster again with a newfound determination. They walked around to find ways to help the Allies. Then they passed by an arms factory building. From where they were standing, Will saw about seven hundred people; of all ages and physical sizes, working in the building.

Will and Edmond approached the building. They saw a British soldier sitting behind a wooden desk, a sign in front of a desk which read, "In Need of Workers." Will headed to the desk and said, "Excuse me sir. Are jobs still available?"

The soldier looked at the father and the son for a moment and asked them to follow him. Without saying a word, they followed the soldier inside the building. They walked passed different work stations and came to stop at a place polishing metal scraps which seemed like assembling parts used for airplanes. The soldier turned around and said, "You will be working here for now. Eight dollars a month, but as for the little kid..."

"It's Edmond sir," the young boy interrupted.

"Eh, yes Edmond. You will be useful collecting metal scraps and bringing them here with the other kids," the soldier explained to him.

"Yes sir." Eddie replied delighted to have a job.

Will felt a bit uneasy about Eddie roaming around the ruined city during these uncertain and unsafe days. But upon seeing the other boys working in these difficult times, he dismissed all the worries from his mind for he could clearly see that his son was eager to help the nation.

Reluctantly, Will said, " Thank you sir."  

Will and Edmond had been working at the factory for a couple of months. Things were starting to go well, despite the war. Eddie and Will would often see each other during work when Edmond brought metal scraps. Will made a friend called James who also worked at the same workstation. One day, he asked James to tell him his story and how he ended up working here.

"So James, tell me your story," Will talked as he polished the metal scraps.

"Story?" James asked in confusion.

"Yes. A story of how you ended up working here when you told me that you were planning to leave the place to the States with.. "

"My family," James mumbled, then continued. "Well... I lost my loved ones to the war and I still believe that I could have somehow saved them. I decided to work here as a way to avenge the Nazis from taking away my family," he said dejectedly.

Will smiled sadly at James. He then realized that his situation and James were not so different. "Just imagine, how many people had lost their beloved ones, and how many families got separated!" he pondered. The Nazis took both of their loved ones and both of them were working to avenge for their dearest ones.