September 17th, 1861: the person felt grass against their fingertips and mud squish between their toes.  This was their favorite place to play growing up.  The person would invite other children to come, but every time there was an excuse of absence.  The person did not like the feeling of being lonely, but perhaps the other children did.  They never wanted to play, they never wanted to talk, nor did they ever send out invitations.

The person set their gaze out across Pavón creek and to the masses gathering at either side.  Urquiza came with forces to overtake Buenos Aires, but governor Mitre was not going to let him have it without a fight.  The once-children that the person grew up with would praise Urquiza’s strength, they believed that he, along with the rest of the Argentine Confederation, were best suited to head the future of Argentina.  But the person admired the governor, the way he stood for the people he knew was inspiring.  If only he knew the person, maybe he would fight a little harder.  

The person supported Mitre and the Unitarians, they loved to discuss them, but the once-children did not seem to hear him, other times they misheard them and thought that they told a joke.  When word reached Rosario of Urquiza’s plan to storm Buenos Aires, all of the once-children declared that they would stand with him.  They departed the next day.  The person thought about joining Mitre, but it seemed like a lot of work.  Still, the person recognized this was important to them, so they decided to support from afar.

As the opposing forces marched towards one another, the person grew excited, they had never watched a battle before.  They peered through Uriquiza’s army, searching for the once-children.  The person is pretty sure they spotted them.  They hoped they would do well, but still wanted Mitre to win.  The person threw out a long whistle, hoping the breeze would carry it to him.  

Two hours felt like 30 seconds.  Cannons and muskets erupted, screams of soldiers filled the air while some fell to the ground.  The person pondered for a moment, if the once-children did not come home, who would the person know?  They were the only ones he was close to, the only ones who would talk about him.  Nobody else knew them besides their parents, and they knew the rule: parents should not speak about their children to anyone else they know, a lot of parents broke this rule but not the person’s.  Who would know of the person?  Would anyone check on them?  Mitre would have no difficulty finding a hundred people to think of him, so why did the person have to try twice as hard to find five?  The supposed once-children fell quickly.  The person was no longer lonely, but a living ghost standing in the middle of Pavón creek.

Thus, a spark was lit, motivation.  The person’s mud-ridden feet leaped through the grass. They raced down the bank of the creek, their sight fixated on Mitre.  The person decided they would run to him, declare their name to him, ask to join him, and in return ask for the governor to fight for them.  The person stood in front of him for a few moments, unnoticed.  So they shouted for his attention, shouted loud so they couldn’t be missed.  And it was true, they were not missed.  Piercing iron, welcomed by the backside of the person’s cranium, sent them to lay in the grass amongst others.

Mitre acted quickly, he stepped over the body of a person and led his army to victory against Uriquiza and the Argentine Confederation.