Together at last, p.15
Together at Last, page 15
Over the past weeks the children had searched the forests on a daily basis collecting wood for the winter. Felling trees, of course, was strictly forbidden, but lugging away fallen branches usually wasn’t prosecuted. At least when a child was the perpetrator.
While the Amis maintained their cool behavior toward adult Germans, they’d considerably warmed up to the children. The younger and cuter they were, the more the Amis liked them. Many mothers in Mindelheim had taken to sending their little ones to the soldiers, begging for food.
Ursula sighed. The rations were scarce and Lydia had to surrender most of her produce to the occupiers. Although, with some ingenuity they had managed to amass a stockpile of preserves from wild berries, dried mushrooms and the odd rabbit caught by the dogs. Compared to townspeople they lived on the farm like a bee in clover.
One of the children came rushing inside, her cheeks red with the cold and excitement. “They are coming! They are coming!”
She walked to the front door, greeting her mother and Jan. Despite never seeing the young boy before, she noted that he looked so much like his father, Peter, there was no doubt who he was. The next moment, Peter pushed past her, a lifeless body thrown across his shoulder.
“What’s wrong?” An icy hand closed around her heart as she recognized her sister Lotte’s fiery red hair.
“Some kind of shock triggered by a memory,” Anna hissed. “Where can I put her?”
“Upstairs in my room. The first on the left.”
Richard stepped out, rubbing his sooty hands in the white snow. “What’s happening here?”
“Bad memories,” Ursula answered, thinking they all had experienced stories that were the stuff of nightmares. It would take a long time to heal. “Let’s go inside.”
She walked into the sitting room, where unusually emotional scenes were taking place. Even her mother and Lydia were hugging each other as if there were no tomorrow.
Peter was the first one to return downstairs and his worried expression vanished the moment he saw Katrina carrying a pot of hot soup. As soon as she’d put the pot on the table, he caught her from behind, turned her around and embraced her tight.
Katrina uttered, “Ouch!” But when she recognized the man holding her, tears streamed down her face. “Piotr,” she whispered over and over again, showering kisses on his face. “Is it really you? But how? I feared you were dead!”
Ursula stood thunderstruck witnessing the peculiar spectacle. “What’s going on here?”
“I don’t know,” Richard said, his jaw tightening, as if he were about to jump at Peter any moment and rip him limb from limb.
Their mother came over and put a calming hand on Richard’s shoulder. “He’s Anna’s husband, Piotr, but we call him Peter.”
“So why’s he kissing my woman and not his?” Richard growled and Ursula laughed – almost. It was a bewildering scene to watch.
“Didn’t anyone write you?” Mutter said.
“Write what?” Richard and Ursula asked in unison.
“Katrina and Peter are siblings.”
Ursula staggered and clasped at Richard’s shoulder for balance. After a while a mostly recovered Lotte and Anna joined the family around the table. Everyone talked at once, reveling in the joy of seeing each other again well and alive.
There was just one piece missing for Ursula to be completely happy: Tom. Her thoughts wandered far away to an island she’d never set foot on. Would he be home with his family for Christmas? Would he miss her the same way she missed him?
She ruffled Evie’s hair. The girl had inherited her mother’s blond hair, but the sparkling green eyes of her father.
Much later, Ursula put the children to bed, crammed into one room to make space for the visitors. Anna sidled up to her, offering to help with the dishes. Ursula knew it was a pretext to get away from the family and talk alone, so she declined Katrina’s offer to help. “You stay and spend time with your brother. I’m sure you have lots of catching up to do.”
Anna took a pot of boiling water from the stove and poured it into the sink, before she added cold water from the faucet and began scrubbing the dishes. “It’s nice to be together at long last.”
“It is. We were so worried about you. The news we heard from Berlin …”
“Don’t. I don’t want to spoil our stay here by thinking about problems,” Anna said and then added, “I haven’t seen Mutter so happy in years.”
Ursula nodded and murmured, “But she was missing Father today.”
Anna apparently had only waited for this opportunity and she put a wet hand on Ursula’s shoulder. “What about you? Have you heard from Tom again?”
“No.” Ursula pressed her lips together, her eyes filling with tears. “He can’t just write me a letter and the only way he can visit me is hitching a flight with his American pilot friend.”
“I’m sure he’ll find a way to visit again.”
Ursula took a wet plate from her sister’s hand and rubbed it dry. “I asked to move to Berlin, but the Americans wouldn’t allow me.”
“What?” A plate slipped from Anna’s fingers, making a splash when it entered the dishwater.
“If I’m in Berlin, Tom and I can see each other regularly.”
“You have no idea how bad Berlin really is. That supper we had tonight? We’d spread that amount of food out to last for close to a week. We don’t have wood or coal to keep us warm, either. And ask Lotte about the kind of work she does. I have to dress the raw skin on her hands every night.”
“Talking about me?” Lotte stuck her head inside the kitchen.
“Ursula wants to move to Berlin,” Anna said.
“Why on earth would you do that? Kleindorf may be boring, but compared to Berlin it’s like paradise.” Lotte leaned against the kitchen counter, squinting at Ursula.
“The man she loves is in Berlin,” Anna said, as if Ursula weren’t even in the room.
Now Lotte turned, looking at Anna. “Who is he? And why doesn’t anyone tell me anything in this family?”
Anna laughed, but before she could say a word, Ursula blurted out, “You two are the most annoying sisters—”
“We are your only sisters,” Lotte said with a dry laugh.
“Makes you even more annoying. And thank you, I can very well speak for myself.”
“Then tell me, who’s this mystery man nobody but Anna seems to know about?”
“He’s a soldier,” Ursula said.
“Well, that is a revelation. Ninety-nine percent of eligible men are soldiers.” Lotte pursed her lips, obviously sensing her sisters hadn’t told her the complete truth.
“He’s a Tommy pilot,” Anna added, waving away Ursula’s protests. “How long do you want to keep it a secret?”
“Until the day we get married,” Ursula hissed, placing the dried bowl in her hand onto the kitchen counter with a thud.
“Married? You are certifiably insane, sister. Haven’t you heard about the anti-fraternization rules?” Lotte shook her head in utter disbelief.
“I know all about the rules, but Tom and I love each other and nobody can keep us apart, not even the stupid authorities.” Ursula growled, and right now in this instance she’d engage in a fistfight with anyone representing the authorities that hindered her from seeing Tom.
“Oh, Good Lord! Is she serious about this?” Lotte asked.
“I’m afraid so.” Anna finished washing the cutlery and cleaned the kitchen counters with the dishwater. “For the past two years she’s been pining for him like a love-sick puppy.”
“I’m not …and you’ll see… I might not even invite my unsupportive, annoying and obnoxious sisters to my wedding.” Ursula pronounced the words with so much passion, her sisters started laughing out loud.
“There’s no way I’d miss your wedding, even if I had to swim across the Channel.” Anna giggled, before she continued in a serious tone, “I can understand that you want to move to Berlin, but the city is no place for a baby like Evie.”
Ursula wasn’t about to change her mind and she searched for a way to deflect the attention from herself. “What about you, Lotte? Wouldn’t you rather concentrate on your own man?”
“I see Anna has been busy spreading the news,” Lotte said in a sad tone. “His name is Johann Hauser. He was captured near Warsaw last January and I haven’t heard anything from him since.”
“I’m sorry,” Ursula said, already regretting her snide remark. Not often had she seen such pain and sorrow on her usually upbeat sister’s face.
Chapter 28: Richard
Christmas 1945
* * *
Christmas Eve had arrived and while presents were scarce, good humor wasn’t. It had been snowing constantly for the past few days and a thick layer of pristine white snow covered the soft hills around the farm.
Richard exchanged a glance with his mother and knew the women wanted to decorate the tree and put the presents – one for each child – under the tree.
“Who wants to go sledding?” Richard yelled and within seconds a bunch of children, including the little ones of the Hansen family living on the farm with them, surrounded him with eager faces.
“I guess I’ll sit this one out.” Katrina smiled at him. With the baby due within two months, her belly had swollen and she wasn’t as agile as she used to be. Richard didn’t mind. His wife’s advancing pregnancy had never looked more beautiful to him.
He caressed her baby bump, giddy with anticipation, and kissed her positively glowing cheeks. “Take care, sweetheart.” Then he turned around to look at his sisters. Anna and Ursula were busy peeling potatoes, but Lotte eagerly used the opportunity to get away from the dreaded kitchen chores. She threw down the knife and jumped up saying, “I’ll go with you.”
“Get dressed,” he told the children and then asked Lotte to come with him into the cellar, where he grabbed a bunch of empty potato sacks. “We’ll have to take turns since there aren’t enough for everyone.”
“It’ll do,” Lotte said, taking her share from him. “Do you remember how I used to get into snowball fights on the way home from school?”
“I do. And I always had to come and rescue you from your self-inflicted trouble.”
“Not true!” She punched him on the shoulder.
“I’m so glad to have you back,” he said, giving her a hug, before they climbed up the stairs again where a bunch of eager children waited for them.
“How many are there?” Lotte asked.
Richard chuckled. “I don’t know. I lost count at about a dozen.”
“Maybe we should count them before going sledding, just to make sure we bring them all back in the afternoon?”
“Do you really think one of them would want to miss the Christkind and its gifts? If anything, we may pick up some children on the way.” Lotte laughed and put on a pair of old gloves that belonged to her uncle and would fit two of her hands into one.
“Ready to go?” Richard asked. They all cheered and he led them the way to the hill at the edge of the forest where generations of village youth had been sledding. Lotte made up the rearguard and when he looked back the procession looked like the Pied Piper of Hamelin leading the children away. At the sledding hill they encountered more villagers.
Many hours later they returned with thoroughly tired children who weren’t allowed into the sitting room, but had to take a nap or at least rest.
Richard pulled Katrina aside and suggested a short walk through the magical snow-covered landscape.
“Today was nice,” Richard told Katrina, holding her gloved hand and loving the rosy glow on her cheeks. “You simply can’t take away the cheerfulness of children, even in the most dire situations.”
“Children are our future and I believe it will get better over time.”
A wave of warmth surged though his body, as he thought of the little bundle of joy that she would soon birth. His child. But his joy was followed by concern and… shame.
“What’s wrong?” Katrina asked, perceptive as ever.
“It’s just… there’s nothing I can give you and the baby except for my name.”
“We have everything we need. Food. A roof over our heads. And your love,” Katrina reminded him.
“It’s not enough. My wife deserves a house of her own.” His inadequacy to provide for his family weighed heavily on his shoulders. “We’re living with my aunt because without her, we’d be living in someone’s shed just like the Hansen family.”
“In time things will get better. You’ll see. We can earn money by selling herb potions and…”
Richard nodded and hugged her close for a long moment, pulling away when he felt her shiver. “Cold?”
Katrina nodded. “Getting there.”
“Let’s return. We don’t want to keep the others waiting. I’m sure the children are dying of curiosity.”
“Aren’t you, too?” She teased him.
They returned to the house just in time to eat a hearty potato soup with thick slices of freshly baked bread.
Richard stole glimpses at his mother and Lotte, who devoured their portions in a blink of the eye. Their emaciated faces reminded him vividly about his own time on the road with little to no food. Yes, conditions had definitely improved. If he worked hard enough, he could one day afford to build a home for Katrina and his children.
After dinner, the children unpacked the presents. Aunt Lydia brought cookies and hot fruit tea – with a shot of rum for the adults. They sang Christmas carols and simply enjoyed being together.
Chapter 29: Tom
Gatow Airbase, Berlin
* * *
Tom held up his glass in a toast, smiling at the antics of his fellows. Despite being far away from home, everyone was in an overwhelming celebratory mood. The temporary barracks had grown into a permanent home. Some of the married officers had been allowed to bring their wives and children for the holidays – and possibly to stay. The British Army was preparing to stay for a long, long time in Germany.
Despite the jolly mood during the Christmas meal and the dance afterward, Tom couldn’t muster up much enthusiasm. He’d rather be with Ursula.
“Westlake, why the sad face? There are plenty of unattached females on their way,” Ken called out. The man had been beaming with delight since the moment his wife had arrived two days earlier and seemingly wanted to make sure everyone was as happy as he was.
Tom nodded absent-mindedly. Later he danced with a pretty brunette, but his mind never once let go of Ursula. The woman in his arms soon lost interest and went off to find a more willing man.
He had one week of leave ahead, but Mitch was on back-to-back flights to the Pacific. Therefore, he wouldn’t be able to take him to Munich, but Tom didn’t dare ask anyone else. He’d considered taking a train, but that notion had quickly been put to rest due to the political tensions with the Soviets. Travel through the Soviet zone had been restricted to official missions, since the high command didn’t want to risk their soldiers getting into unnecessary trouble with the former ally.
“Hey, man.” One of the aircraft engineers flopped onto the chair beside him. “I’m going to miss this place.”
“You transferred home?”
“Nah… they’re sending me to Aigen.”
“Aigen? Never heard of it. Where’s that?”
“In Austria. A forlorn airbase in the middle of nowhere, about eighty miles southeast of Salzburg.”
Tom’s ears perked up. From Salzburg he could easily catch a train to Munich and on to Mindelheim. “Can’t be that bad. I hear the Alps are quite beautiful.” Tom had visited Davos and Zermatt in his youth, because his mother had been adamant that any good boy needed to learn how to ski.
The other man scoffed. “Alps. That’s nice and fine if you’re hot on cows. Because that’s all there is.”
“Maybe I should spend my leave there. I wouldn’t mind getting away from Berlin and the Soviets for a while.”
“Well, if you do, say hello. I’ll be there for the next year or two.” The man spotted the woman he’d been dancing with returning from the bathroom and rushed off to meet her.
Tom, though, was intrigued. He decided to seize the opportunity and walked over to the base commander, who was standing at the bar. After some small talk, he asked, “Sir, since I’m on leave next week, I was wondering if it would possible to travel to the Aigen airbase?”
“Won’t you return to England?”
“No, my parents are with friends in Scotland and I’d rather not spend time with them. Those Scots are peculiar,” he lied.
“I can sympathize.” The commander guffawed. “But why on earth Aigen?”
“Sounds like a nice quiet place in the Alps. I’d love to do some skiing to recharge the batteries.”
“You know how to ski, lad?”
Tom nodded. “I’m by no means an expert, but I manage.”
Since the commander was in a Christmassy spirit, he smiled jovially and said, “Well then. Get your travel permits tomorrow in my office.”
“Thank you, sir.” Tom wanted to leave, but the commander called him back. “Under one condition, Squadron Leader Westlake.”
“Yes, sir?” Tom had the annoying feeling that something was off.
“Don’t break your neck!” The commander guffawed and emptied his beer, calling out to the bartender, “Another one! And one for this lad!”
Chapter 30: Ursula
Work on the farm didn’t cease just because of the holidays and twice a day Ursula drudged through the knee-deep snow to the barn to milk the cows. The borrowed wellington boots reached way above her knees, but with that much snow falling every day, they were a blessing.
She finished milking the cows and feeding them for the night and took a moment to take in the soft rolling hills covered in snow. It looked so pristine and peaceful, it was hard to believe that this time last year a war had been raging over much of the land.
