L'Allemand et l'alliée (Englisch, Reylo)

chapter 2

I sat quietly at the table and just looked down. My mother-in-law came quickly trampling down the stairs with a large suitcase. "I would rather see my son's things on fire than that a German soldier could get his hands on them", she quickly justifies and I sigh softly.

"Get them to the basement quickly." She gave the housewife the suitcase and sent her off before she sat down at the table with me.  "You will not talk to him, look at him and despise him. He is the enemy of our nation, and our enemy too, I do not tolerate such men in my house and therefore expect you to be a faithful wife", she explained to me sternly and I nod. "Will he get Claude's room?" I ask and see the anger boil up in her again. "Yes, otherwise we don't have any out of that in the basement. I'd like to just throw him in there, but then they'd hang us",  she said softly and at that moment there was a knock on the door. "Stay seated." But she only whispers sternly and we both wait for the housewife to come running and open the door for him.

She took a deep breath before standing up to greet the unwelcome guest. "Good afternoon, Madame Bernard. I am First Lieutenant Ben Organa-Solo. You have been informed of my arrival?" He asks, but she did not respond.  I peeked briefly through the glass of the door and the tall man tilted his head to look through to me. He only gave me a nod in greeting before the housewife took the bag from him and carried it upstairs.  "I will try not to be a burden to you."  He smiled politely and went quietly up the stairs.

"What a scrounger", she mumbled and let herself fall relieved on the chair. "He's very polite," I say and angry, Florille looks at me. "Do you still say that even if you knew that he murdered your husband? These are monsters, they just pretend that we don't riot. He's taking our country, our house and your husband's room. Then you still dare  to say he's polite?" She got up and stormed off furiously.

I too slowly stood up and pushed the chair up to the table before slowly walking up the stairs to my room.

"Madame." But I was stopped at the stairs. "Could I maybe get the key to the piano?" He asked, but I just looked at the floor. "Ask the lady of the house." I quickly squeeze past him and quickly shut the door behind me.

Florille was right, like most of the time, but this time I didn't want to be mistaken. He is wrong and evil.  He kills innocent people and then dares to sleep in the houses of their wives. Only real monsters do that. Somebody like that can be happy when I talk to him.

It was already relatively dark outside and only small lights lit my room. Sighing, I sat down on my bed and stared at the ceiling.

"Reyanna, dinner!" But I was called again strictly and I rolled my eyes. I sat up quickly and padded quietly down the stairs.

The table was already prepared and the food was warm on the table. "What is there?" I ask and sit down next to her quietly. "Potatoes, peas and goulash. Be glad that there is anything on the table, everything has been taken from us. The Germans come in here and think they are steaming up all of our things. All the tea, everything gone."  She mumbles and eats angrily the peas as if they actually had faces. "Should I go buy new tea tomorrow, from Poe's. He always has the delicious cherry tea that Claude found so delicious." I suggested and she nodded vaguely. "That's a very good idea. I'm curious to see if they also looted his shop."  Now she bit into the peas and just looked down at the plate. I smiled at her, but then calmly turned to my potatoes myself.

"Do you think Claude is still alive? We haven't heard from him in a long time," but after a while I protested sadly in my thoughts. "What are you talking about?! Don't say such a terrible thing." She raises her gaze to me, startled, but at that moment there was a knock on the door frame. Ben was standing in the doorway with his Wehrmacht peaked cap in hand. Immediately I look down again and don't dare to eat any more. I wait quietly for Florille to say something. "I wanted to politely ask if I'm welcome at dinner?" He chopped up and my mother-in-law breathed out sharply.  "Hardly," she said dryly and slowly his footsteps receded.

"When you talk about death, he comes up. Coincidence?"  She looks at me expectantly, but I wasn't sure if she was serious or if it was a catch question.  I just look her motionless in the eye and wait for her to resolve it. "Of course not." But she rolled her eyes in annoyance and turned back to the food.  Somewhat sad, I did the same to her.