Bonsoir ! J'aurais besoin d'aide en anglais, est ce que vous pourriez corriger mon texte ? Merchi !

Dear mother,

I finally arrived in New South Wales, after those long and trying months of waiting.

I'd like to tell you that I'm fine, that everything went well, that you don't have to worry about me. But that's not true. I have just lived one of the most tough period of my life.

Where shall I start ? I have so many thing to tell you ! First of all, the emotions that submerged me when I left England : my home town, where I have always lived, where I have learned everything, where you are at the moment, you, my brothers and sisters. Sadness, discouragement, but also anger. I didn't want to leave, and I cursed those who wanted me to leave. I was scared, too. I didn't know what to expect from my journey. And I'm still scared now, maybe more than the first day, maybe less, I don't even know. I changed, and my way of seeing things changed too. Why, would you tell me ? It is this trip, this long and terrible trip which endured more than three months. Three months of pain, three months of horror, three months of distress.

I'll tell you everything.

The first day, I just wanted to die, I didn't think I'll leave this place alive. Life conditions were deplorable, and it was so cold ! All the prisoners were hungry, but we've been given nothing until the third day.

The eighth, an elder man flew to a better world. The news spread and a wave of terror took over the prisoners. We were all asking questions about our life, about our death. Some of them realized that not everyone would survive this trip, that only few of us would arrive to destination. We wanted to attack the men who were keeping us prisoners, get our freedom back, go back to England or any other country. But we couldn't, we were at their mercy, locked up in the close like animals, starving, dying of thirst, of cold or of heat, according to the days.

Many of us died, at the start we were afraid, but we got used to it, to the point where we wouldn't be surprised to be the next one.

Some prisoners fell into madness, and killed themselves. A man whom I sympathized one day decided to steal one of the guards' weapon to save us all. He's been beaten with a trucheon until death ensued, in front of the horrified eyes of the other prisoners.

It wasn't uncommon to see prisoners cry, I myself cried a lot. I had no more hope of a better future, for me, my life has ended at the moment the magistrate has decided to send me to South Wales. I wasn't believing in anything, just in pain and death. I was also sick, the constant swell, the back and forth of the boat on the rough see, the hunger, the smell of the hold, the behaviour of others, everything was disgusting me to the highest point. But I was holding on, and waiting.

Then, the so awaited day arrived. We heard the capitain shout "Land, my friends, land !" from his cockpit. The remaining thirty prisoners started singing, laughing, thinking the ordeal was over. And they were right. We've been taken out from our floating prison with a great sweetness (irony ...), et we finally could see the sun, breath fresh air, feel the wind in our hair, earth under our feet. I had forgotten that life contained so many colors, smells, that it made us feel all the things we weren't aware of. While some tried to escape, screamed of despair, or psychologically prepared themselves to their entry in prison, I, was simply enjoying those few seconds of freedom outside, after being locked three months in the dark. The rays of the sun caressed my pale and cold skin, the earth found refuge under my nails, the harmonious song of the gulls reached my ears ... I was feeling happy, happy to be still alive, happy not to have succumbed to this awful trip, happy to be still here to write to you.

Now that I have overcome this trial, I feel ready to overcome any other. The walls that will raise on my way have to hold well, because thanks to this experience, I won't ever let despair take over me, never.

I love you, mom. Take care of yourself and my brothers and sisters, I'll be back England soon. I promise you.

John Winter Hayes