At 10:56pm on August 4th, 1914, at the Aries House,
My entire family is sitting together in the living room with the radio already turned on. We all express our shock on our faces. Not only us, but everyone living in England is surely anticipating the upcoming moment. Perhaps the only ones who are not worried are little children like my Francine. Despite everyone's anxiety, the child is still sleeping soundly in her crib upstairs.
I hold my breath and watch as the minute hand prepares to point at 12, my heart pounding as if it's about to explode. When the clock strikes 11pm, England will face one of two options: war or peace. Germany's decision regarding the ultimatum to withdraw troops from Belgium will be made clear in two minutes. In just a few ticks of the clock, we will be able to determine the fate of innocent civilians. Will normal life continue, or will hundreds of millions of people live in fear while British men leave their homes to fight with no prospect of returning? Just thinking about it makes my body tremble. I feel as weak as a starving sick person. The clock still refuses to stop. Tick-tock... Tick-tock…
A harsh sound emanates from the radio, and the metal bird in the clock cries out. We know that the time has come. I sit between my husband and Andermis, trying to remain calm so that the sound of my pounding heart does not drown out the radio broadcast. I silently pray for what I desire most. It has been a long time since I opened the door of faith in God, and now I am ready to knock hundreds, millions of times, begging to see a saint. We do not need any more battles to take away what little we already have in this life!
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The announcer speaks the first words, and I need a point of reference to face any possible scenario. How unexpectedly and subconsciously, I grab Andermis' hand instead of my husband's, but I am too anxious to realise it.
"To the people of Great Britain listening to the radio, it is now 11:00 pm, August 4th, 1914. The tension throughout Europe seems to be increasing rather than easing. Germany is still defiantly marching his troops into Belgian territory with an uncontrollable madness, and Britain can no longer accept this situation.
At 7:00 pm tonight, the British Ambassador, Sir Edward Goschen, sent Britain's ultimatum to the German Foreign Minister, Gottlieb von Jagow, about withdrawing troops from Belgium. However, despite all efforts by British politicians, the German representative ignored the ultimatum. Overnight, King George V summoned an emergency meeting with the government. And now, I regret to inform the entire people of Great Britain in an official manner:
We are at war!
May God protect Great Britain!"