Tom+Diary+1

=Diary 1= 1937, December 29

I met Charles (Gene) today. He came to Winnipeg to visit me from Miami, Florida. Our fathers have been good friends, and I have known him since I was 10 years old. Charles is one year younger than me, and he was like a little brother to me. Whenever we meet, we talk a lot. For hours and hours, we talk about out lives, current events, and the upcoming future. I noticed today that Charles grew up to be a real man. He became much more mature, and he no longer seemed like the little brother I used to know.

I must say that Charles changed the course of my life today. While I was having lunch with Charles, we talked about what happened in Nanjing. Japan invaded China, and massacred thousands of civilians in Nanjing. We both knew that the second world war was about to occur. And I knew that Canada was about to get involved in it. I decided to join the army. This thought did not come to me spontaneously. At first, I felt like I had to do something. The Japanese were about to destroy the peace of the world. The peace that my father died for during the World War I. The Japanese even shot down the U.S. gunboat, Panay near China. I was not going lie on my bed and do nothing. I had to help my country, and my father would have expected me to do the same thing as he did. And as we talked more and more about war ,destruction, and the dark future that was about to face us, my thought of joining the army grew.

Charles wanted to stop me from joining the army. He said that he did not want to lose me. He also said that my family could not live without me. After all, it was I who was feeding my family. But I believed in George. He grew a lot. He was strong. And I knew he would be able to support the family. When I made my decision to join the army, I saw it in Gene's eyes: he too, was thinking of joining the army. I was able to see it in his eyes. But it was he who should not go out fighting the Japanese. He has a happy family. A mother, a father, and a lovely sister whom I once fell in love with. Charles' family is not ready to lose him. I told him to study. I told him to become educated. I told him to be a leader, a strong leader that would stop wars and promote peace. But somehow, I fear that he will eventually join the army.

I gave him a nice good bye hug at 4 o clock. He had to go to Miami tomorrow. This might be our last meeting. We might not be able to meet each other. I knew it, and Charles knew it too. But it was time that we went our separate ways and fulfill our destiny. I turned my back, wishing dearly to see him again.