From Russia to Family

Chapter 17 We'll Meet Again

Berlin, Germany

1945, March

"Alright Buddy, can you hear me?"

Leon's eyes fluttered open.

Directly above him was a khaki green tent, held up by wooden posts. To his left was a man wearing an olive green helmet that had a white circle and a red cross on the front. The man spoke again.

"Glad you can see."

Leon just looked at him.

"You don't speak much English do you pal? English?"

Leon shook his head. The man smiled. He helped Leon sit up right, causing him to wince as his stomach still healed.

"Molly you want to get over here?"

"One minute John!"

The medic handed Leon a canteen. He took the water gratefully and had a sip, as he lowered the bottle the translator came over.

"Tell him he's safe, and he's under American supervision"

"Sie sind sicher und bei den Amerikanern"

Leon looked at the translator as the medic whispered something to her before walking off.

"Was ist mit meinen Wunden?" (What of my wounds?)

"Sie wurden versorgt" (They were looked after.)

The translator leant forward and placed a hand on Leon's shoulder.

"Soldat. Der Krieg ist vorbei. Es gibt keine Kämpfe mehr...Du kannst nach Hause gehen."

(Soldier. The war is over. There is no more fighting...You can go home.)

Leon swivelled on his bed and looked around. The tent he was in was full of other German soldiers. There were medics bustling around between beds and tables. There were olive green vehicles driving about, some were stopped and unloading boxes or loading up with men and equipment. It was painstakingly obvious that there were no gunshots. No explosions. No death. Leon grinned for a few seconds before remembering what the woman had said. He turned to the American woman.

"Ich kann nirgendwo hingehen, deine Leute haben meine Heimatstadt zerstört" (I have nowhere to go, your people destroyed my home city.)

She looked down and swallowed, obviously guilty.

"Es tut mir leid, aber es muss einen Ort geben, an den Sie gehen können" (I'm sorry, but there has to be a place you can go)

He hesitated for a moment. He smiled weakly.

"Tatsächlich. Es gibt einen Ort." (Actually, there is one place.)

...............

Leon would spend the rest of the month, even halfway into April recovering. He would often talk with Molly, getting her to assist him in learning English.

He knew very well the war was over without having to be forced to watch the victory parade. As much as he had grown to dislike the Nazi's by the wars end, he still hated to see foreign countries marching through his home country, displaying his failure.

Despite all that, he was on his best behaviour. He helped where he could in the medical tents, assisted the others in talking to the Americans as his English grew better. He helped load and unload trucks of equipment, men or wounded. He tended to the German people who showed up asking for shelter and food. It seemed comforting to these people to have a German soldier with them still, amongst all the scary, foreign names. Due to his good behaviour, and Molly reporting he did actually, have nowhere to go, he was allowed to leave once he was well enough to have his bandages taken off for good.

It was then he decided to visit an old friend.

England

1945, April

Leon walked down the lane quite briskly. Heads turned and conversations stopped as he passed. It was highly uncommon to see such a man in London at the time. He rounded a corner and found his building.

He slowly pushed open the door and tucked his cap under his arm. As he reached the front desk he placed his suitcase on the floor. He rang the bell.

Not long after a woman appeared and froze on the spot upon seeing him. He put his English to the test, having learned a considerable amount on his trip over from Germany, and when he was recovering.

"Good morning ma'am, I was hoping you could help me."

The woman staggered over until she was opposite him.

"What can I do for you sir?"

He noticed how apprehensive she was.

"I apologise about my uniform, I had no other clothes."

"It's fine sir I assure you."

He smiled at her.

"I feel an idiot now, as this is the fourth establishment I have been to but, I am Leon Hartmann...I sent a gi..."

She gasped and put a hand on her heart.

"My god. You actually came."

He grinned, knowing now he had found the right place.

"You sent us Masha did you not?"

"Yes, I did. Is she...still here?"

"Oh no sir, she left us almost 4 years ago with two other girls. Are you trying to find her?"

"I am, yes."

"Well, here is her address. I hope you find her well."

Leon placed his cap back on his head and took the woman's piece of paper.

'Thank you very much miss."

"You're welcome lad. But please, find some different clothes."

He turned around and walked backwards towards to the door.

"No one will sell to a German!"

"No, I suppose they wouldn't."

............

Leon found an empty cabin on the train and settled in, placing his cap on the table and putting his suitcase on the overhead shelf. He leaned his head on the wall and stared out the window at the countryside as the train thundered along. The green fields, the tall trees, the occasional village, the yellow flowers littering the plains. Cattle and sheep stared at him as he passed. He fell asleep before long, waking up only when a conductor knocked on the cabin door.

"End of the line sir, hope you didn't miss your stop."

"As do I, where are we?"

"Uppingham, two hours form London."

Leon picked up his things and left the train, fully aware of the conductor's tone towards him.

All he had to do now was read the street signs.

However, no one in the town wanted anything to do with him. He was ignored, slapped and yelled at by many people. It took a further two hours for him to find the street. He wandered up both sides until he stopped outside a house. He stood there for a solid five minutes, and three reads of the numbers on the letter box. Leon looked at the house.

It had a short driveway, a neatly kept garden, blue wooden panelling with white outlines for the walls and a set of stairs leading up to the front door.

Heswallowed.