17th September 1922.
Dear Diary,
Jon is going to Oxford today, he’s returning to do his PhD, I think I shall enjoy having Jonathan there, even though we are in different years it is the same degree we are doing so we can work together. Jon has decided that is what we shall do when we both graduate, become a brother and sister team of Egyptologists. Father says if we do we will ‘knock them dead’, where he picked up such a phrase I have no idea. I’m going back next week, I’m not going with them today anyway, Jon and all his baggage has taken up all the room in the car, it is amazing the amount of things he is taking, the majority of it appears to be books and papers, although he appears to be seeking a rather active social life, I saw quite a number of evening suits, why he should need more than 1 or 2 I have no idea. I just know he will try to coax me into going to all the parties, he knows I have two left feet and those parties quite often bore me. He says I’m the perfect partner. I shall seek my revenge, I’ll trample on his feet whilst we dance.
Mind you, Theodore fforbes-Renfew might be there, he enjoys a good party, and he is rather dishy and awfully charming, though I doubt he will notice me, he goes for the boring socialites. He is very charming though. Jon says his father is very rich, I don’t think Jon likes him, Theo has an older brother Jon’s age, and I get the impression there was some rivalry between them.
Jon and I are to share a flat, I suppose that will be good practice for marriage, though sometimes I feel that maybe marriage is not for me. I would like to be swept of my feet by some handsome stranger, an explorer, I think, hopefully a gentleman explorer; I want someone who doesn’t lack manners. He must not be filthy, rude, or a scoundrel, I cannot stand those characteristics in a man!
Jon has a better relationship with Father now, before he never did, although it did start to improve when the Great War started. I think Jon joining the army scared Father, especially when he was invalided out in 1915. Gosh, it is nearly four years since the war ended (four years in November); it really doesn’t seem all that long ago. They’ve grown very close during the past few years as they have been going on expeditions together. We are quite the happy family at the moment!
Till next time, dear diary,
Evy.
19th September 1922.
Dear Diary,
Something terrible has happened! Father, Mother and Jonathan have all been in a car accident. Not long after I wrote last I received a visitor, in the form of a policeman. He told me that there had been an accident and that I must come with him to the hospital, he won’t tell me the details, even though I practically begged him to tell me.
When I got to the hospital I was immediately taken to the doctor, he told me that my mother was dead and my father and Jonathan were seriously injured. I asked to see them but they wouldn’t let me, they said that the doctors need to do their work without being interrupted. I wanted to see them but they wouldn’t let me! If I had I would have been able to say goodbye to my father before he died!
The doctor broke the news about father not long after I arrived, he said that his injuries were too severe for them to save him. He then took me to see Jon. Oh, he was in a sorry state. My poor brother, he looked so fragile. He was so pale and when I first saw him, dear diary, I was so afraid I would lose him too. The doctor said he had bad head injuries, he had several broken ribs and a broken leg. He was also quite severely bruised and the doctor said he was in a coma, they didn’t know when, or even if, he would wake up. The doctor said I could stay with him, and talk to him because he might wake up when he hears my voice. When the doctor left I sat with Jon and cried but I still felt numb, my parent’s death hadn’t sunk in but it was such as shock to see Jon so ill.
That was two days ago, Jon still hasn’t woken up, the doctor say he’s stronger but you never know what is going to happen with head injuries. I’m so afraid that when he wakes up he won’t be Jon any more, or he doesn’t know who I am, that can happen with head injuries, that’s what the doctor told me. He said that brain could have been badly damaged and if it is he’ll always need caring for. I do hope that isn’t the case, I just want him home again, and well. I just hope when he wakes up he’s the old Jonathan.
I’ve been spending most of the past few days at the hospital, I don’t like leaving Jonathan, and I want to be there when he wakes up. I don’t want him to be alone when he wakes up, I also want to be there when he’s told about Mother and Father, he’ll be devastated.
It’s starting to sink in for me, the funeral is tomorrow, Aunt Beatrice, that’s my father’s sister, is here. She is helping a lot. I’m finding it hard but I must be strong for Jonathan.
I must go to see Jon now,
Evy
22nd September, 1922
Dear Diary,
I should be elated today, Jon woke up but I’m not. I thought when he woke things would be better, or as better as they can be under the circumstances, obviously things are going to be hard but I thought with Jon awake somehow things would be better. He is in such a bad state, at first he wouldn’t accept that mother and father were dead, he kept telling us (Aunt Beatrice and I) that we were wrong, he demanded to see them. Then he just broke down and sobbed, he was so distressed, the doctor had to give him something to calm him down, said that he would make his injuries worse, he fell back asleep soon after this.
I can’t stand seeing him like this, he seems so broken. He doesn’t seem like my Jonathan any more, at the moment I feel like the older sibling. Aunt Beatrice told me to go home, she said that I needed to calm down and that maybe if I didn’t appear to be upset it would also help Jonathan.
When I returned to the hospital Jonathan was awake again, he was quieter, he wanted to know more about the accident. He doesn’t remember, the doctor said he probably won’t. I hope he never does, he has too much to cope with already, he looks like he is struggling with what’s happened. He has been through so much. I can’t bear to see him like this. I wish this is just a bad dream, I want Jon back to normal and I want our parents to still be alive. If this is a bad dream I want to wake up now!
Evy.