Letters of Love and War: The Tale of Taylor Edwin

By Aza Enigma

Authentic letters between a WWI soldier and his loved ones inspire a creative fiction that weaves around reality. Explore the world of World War I (The Great War) from the perspective of a Midwestern man that seeks adventure, love, and stability in a chaotic early 1900s world.
Discover the nuances of life just before the 1920s - just in time for the 100th anniversary!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Aza Enigma
• Release date: Nov 8, 2018
• ISBN: 9780463767702

Aza Enigma

Who am I and Why am I here?I am Aza Enigma, and I'm your friendly neighborhood felon.The mistake I made as a youth- and the consequent label I earned as a result - has never really gone away. Rather than let this change me for the worse, I've done my best to overcome each and every obstacle that I've found in my path. Then I decided to expand my research and share it with everyone that needs some guidance after their own convictions!As of November 2018, I have two eBooks published as well as two workbooks (available on other sites - see www.thefriendlyfelon.com for more on those).As of October 2020, I've released a short collection of poetry and a collection of my spiritual experiences/lifelong haunting. I'm planning on releasing another very special "Guide to" that breaks into a whole different topic too!I also have a few more things in the works - so keep your eyes peeled for releases and posts with updates on what I'm doing. I have a ton of ideas and if you have suggestions - I'm always open to them!More About MeI currently write adult content, both for hire (www.thefriendlyfelon.com for more information) and for a couple of blogs I've started recently. GoodGanjaGoddess and Canna&Kink are the most recent blogs that have been getting attention.In my spare time, I make random as can be videos for YouTube as Randym Essence, sharing some more facets of my strange personality and totally random interests for the public's enjoyment. That is... when there's enough time between homeschooling my mini and hanging out with the family both at home and on random drives to random places because that's what working from home and homeschooling simultaneously allows us to do. I still occasionally volunteer and still pick up trash everywhere I go, even if I've moved on from volunteering at the local state park.Eventually, I'd like to open a halfway house in the MidWest and contribute to the reduction of recidivism in a more direct way where the home can provide resources and in-person, customized assessment and guidance, the profits from these books will help contribute to that dream. Thank you for your support!Find me on Twitter (AzaEnigma), Facebook(TheFriendlyFelon), and Instagram(AzaEnigma) and follow me!Thanks for stopping by, be sure to check out the blog and my social media accounts as listed, and feel free to drop a line anytime!Some early versions of books have exclusive cover art provided by Paulann Egelhoff, for more from this amazing visual artist visit https://www.paulannegelhoff.com/

Book preview

Letters of Love and War

Aza Enigma

Distributed by Aza Enigma at Smashwords

Copyright 2018 Aza Enigma

Discover other titles by Aza

Finding Freedom - A Guide to Life After a Felony

Torn to Zero - Poetry of my Youth

Table of Contents

Introduction

Background

Chapters

1.Heart of Home

2.Trains and Bulls

3.Chicago and Beyond

4.North Dakota

5.Heading Home

6.All Roads Lead to War

7.Trials of Fire and Gas

8.Meanwhile…at Home

9.Time in the Trenches

10.Facing the Worst of Fears

11.Missing No More

12.Homecoming

References

Author's Note

Introduction:

Thank you for sampling or purchasing this title. It has been a long road to this point, and I hope you enjoy the fruits of my work. Sample the authentic, minimally edited letters between friends, family, and lovers over a century ago, taste life as it was in the early 1900s, and endure through the war with a lonely Midwest man. This fictionalized historical experience will transport you back to a time long forgotten.

Background:

Only a hundred years ago, a simple country man—like many that the Midwest has known—struggled with the realities of life, love, and war. Each arena he faced opened him to challenges beyond his previous experience and pushed his strength, passions, and determination further than the last. The early 1900s was a battle for survival in the wind-driven and dusty plains of Central Illinois, and the war overseas that threatened to draw America into the tangle made it a time that was driven to new extremes of poverty and bloodshed. The story of one young man as he struggles against the trials of rural life, as well as the trials and expectations of the coming war, begins in 1894 with the birth of a son to Roger and Betty Edwin of Buffalo Hart, Illinois. He was named Taylor Lee Edwin, and was the only child that Roger and Betty would raise. This boy started his life on a small plot in Buffalo, Illinois, and he grew in size and aspiration quickly, if only to be met with the dejected realities of early 1900s farm life. This dismal outlook of his life haunted him until 1914, when he decided that he would leave his hometown and go out in search of something that would give his life real meaning. He wanted something more than endless fields and the stink of farm animals surrounding him. He may not have known exactly what he was looking for, but he certainly knew he hadn’t found it at home or in any of the people in his hometown.

1. The Heart of Home

September, 1914

Bye, Ma! I love you, and I’ll write when I can. These were the last words Betty heard from her little boy, who, after all, wasn’t so little any more. They seemed to echo in her mind all afternoon and evening, ever since the words left his lips. As the sun began settling down in the western sky, she still sat in her maple rocker with her tatting in her restless hands as she tried to fully process the implications of her boy leaving the farm, and possibly never coming back. She had always been anxious about Taylor, him being her only child—and, like many other boys, a loving and charming fellow... if occasionally a troublesome one.

As she considered the places he might go and the circumstances he might find, her hands continued their work on the intricate designs in the knotted lace that would grace some table in her cozy home once finished. She saw flashes of memory in her mind like a film, showing images of her son as a small boy chasing the chickens or sweetening up some young calf, and could not believe that this small child had just stepped beyond the yard for what felt to her the last time. Lost in her thoughts and the rhythmic movements of her hands, she almost didn’t notice the voices of the field men coming up the path to the house. She reluctantly resigned her handiwork for the day so she could prepare the table for dinner. The stew had already been simmering for over an hour, and was ready to be served. Their heavily worn dinner table was set—with one plate missing, for the first time that she could remember. If only life could remain simple, she mused to herself, and then started serving bowls of sparsely-seasoned beef, potatoes, and homegrown carrots that had been simmering over a low fire for her hard-working husband and his farm help. At least she would always be busy with something on the farm, whether it would be caring for the livestock or for the hired men—it would help ease the strain of worry which she knew she would never fully let go of.

The men finished washing the field dirt from their hands and arms and their chatter slowly quieted as they sat down and began to eat. Roger looked over at his wife and noted her expression was wearier and more worried than usual. I’ll assume the boy made good of his word and has taken off? he asked.

Betty nods her head quickly and quietly, to cover the apprehension and distress that her voice would give way. After all, it would not do to be overly motherly of a boy that has recently turned into a man of his own, and certainly not in front of the other men that help with the farm. They’d only tease her for being a worry-wart and trying to coddle a young man that needed to strike out on his own to survive in the harsh world.

Roger nods back to his wife and continues to eat along with the rest of the men without another comment about his boy, even if he might be hiding his own worry in the back of his mind. The recent news that he had heard in the city was stirring up the possibility of the war overseas reaching the home shores, which would spell bad news for everyone—let alone their Taylor who had just reached the doorway of manhood.

Betty finishes eating what little food she has the stomach for, and then goes on about the rest of her chores for the night. She still has to turn down the beds for the family and heat the blankets with warmed bricks as the October chill has already begun to sink into the bones of their little house. As she works, her mind continues to wander to where Taylor is by now, if he’s eaten and if he has a warm, safe place to sleep like she will this night.

2. Trains and Bulls

The roads between Buffalo and Springfield were generally quiet and unoccupied, except for the far-off sounds of livestock bleating and mewling as they moved along their paths from their grazing fields to their barns in the distance. The bugs and frogs had since departed for warmer areas or had died off. Taylor missed the late summer sounds of the night already, but such was the season, and there was not a thing he could do about it. The overwhelming quiet was such a change from the dinner table he was undoubtedly missing out on at home. He could imagine the group of farmhands and his parents sitting noisily round the table, talking of the crop conditions and how long the weather might hold out to make the best of the harvest. He tried not to hear his stomach rumble as he imagined the steaming bowls of hot gravy covered meats and vegetables being passed around amidst the crossing conversations between all of the men as his mother tended to the meal and drinks.

He started to count his steps to distract himself from the vague yearning for food that was growing so he could make what he had with him last longer; sometimes losing his place while counting and having to start over. After a while, his mind forgot the task at hand and wandered back to the predicaments he may soon face. He was not sure when he would be able to resupply his pack; even though he had brought fishing line and hooks, he had little else to ensure he would have enough food to survive. He had talked of his expedition with his Pa, and while it felt right, it also felt very strange. The act of actually leaving the farm he was raised on, taking the risk of going on his own a while before he even had anything to do it with other than his already worn-out shoes and his farm beaten hands... it was still all very tantalizing and invigorating, as well as somewhat terrifying as the responsibility for his life now fell squarely into his own hands alone, with no parent or mentor to assist should he misstep. He had left his hometown around three o’clock and would make it to the train station by eight tonight if he kept a good pace. It was already almost seven from what he could read on his watch in the dull gleam of moonlight filtering through the low, misty clouds. He had only four dollars to his name, so he knew he would have to try to hop the train and hope he didn’t get caught by one of the railroad bulls that were being employed to keep the station in pay. This was the only way he could get