8.

Notes: Please don't hate me! I am not trying to ridicule the war, I am just trying to reflect how desperate poor Conny might have been. A rejected love might just as well reach those levels of "absurdity". "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned." (The Mourning Bride, William Congreve, 1697)

Obviously, Bucky now can't reply as his regiment has already been captured by Zola. Also, letters to the front didn't always make it through, especially letters from people who didn't send them through the corresponding military channels.

Some might see that I am using some of the song lyrics "Just in Case" by Demi Lovato.

To Sgt. James Buchanan Barnes
107th Infantry Regiment
New York Army National Guard
England, United Kingdom

Brooklyn, NY

Hello James,

8 months and still no reply? Who do you think I am? Some cheap thrill that you can simply put on hold whenever you like to? Do you honestly believe that this is the right way to treat a woman? Is that what your father taught you? Shame on you, shame, shame, shame!

You can bet your sorry soul that I am not sitting here, pining over you. I was doing just fine before I met you and I blame it on the drinks you bought me that I felt that silly infatuation for you and let you have your way with me. I seriously thought that you were different than all the others, but well, I can see clearly now that you are just as bad as they are.

I am sure that you won't find what you're looking for and you will be missing what you had before - ME! But just so you know, in case you change your mind, I won't be waiting here in case you want to come home.

I don't really care if you are busy or not, but you could at least have the decency to reply. Anything! Anything at all! But apparently that is too much to ask of you. I think I have been quite forthcoming and patient throughout all this time, writing you letter after letter with the faint hope of receiving a reply from you. Yet, I should have known better.

What do you think will happen once you come back? Do you seriously believe that I am so desperate that I will be waiting here for you and moping around like a miserable and wretched idiot until you come back for me? I won't ever be anybody's second choice!

Also, I now strongly believe that this war is the stupidest thing ever! They keep telling us that it was a systematic mobilization of the country's entire population and economy to produce the soldiers, food supplies, ammunition and money necessary to win the war. Yet, for all of us involved, it feels that there has been very little planning, or even recognition of the problems that our country has to solve on its own home fronts.

Every day I am seeing the effects of the war on us regular people, and especially the children, brought by those many social and economic changes in school curriculum and through shifts in the parental relationships. There are no concrete numbers yet but many of the women and children in my neighborhood are fearing for the safety of the numbers of husbands and fathers who entered the war and will possibly not be returning. Don't lecture me about patriotic duty, what about the duty those men have as brothers and husbands to provide for and take care of their families? So what again are you fighting for over there?

I saw you on TV last night, very much alive and kicking, seemingly having the time of your lives with your buddies and that Captain America everybody is still so fascinated with on national TV to show how our troops are doing. You guys really seem to be having a blast and you even had a smile on your face. Yet you couldn't spare a moment and find the time to write to me, not even one simple line. I truly believe that I deserved as much at least.

This is going to be my last letter to you and I am writing it only to let you know how much you have hurt me with your regardless attitude. I thought that I could actually show through my letters how much you mean to me but I just can't be supportive and positive anymore. You don't deserve my affection, treating me like this! Who do you think you are?

Do not try and contact me.