Resistance

Chapter Nine

 

The men had dressed Richard back in the RAF uniform that he had crashed in, and had got a coffin from the undertakers. There was no more blood so he looked so peaceful almost as if he was only sleeping. Then the men went outside to dig a hole in the back of Ellenor’s garden as it was too short notice for a proper funeral in a churchyard and they knew that the Germans would soon be onto them. Once the hole had been dug, all of the group went into the kitchen and waited giving Angelique some time alone with Richard.

Angelique looked down at Richard in the coffin. He looked just like the first time that she had seen him when he was laying unconscious next to his plane. She lent down and pressed her lips to his forehead. She could her heart ripping apart inside of her breast.

“I love you Richard. I will never love anyone the way I love you. I swear I will never forget you. I can not begin to imagine how hard it will be to never see you again, to know that I will never more be in your arms, I will never more feel your lips on mine, or hear you calling me sweetheart and telling me that you love me. I will think of you often my love.”

At that moment Jean-Paul came into the room. He replaced the lid of the coffin and nailed it down, and then he stepped back and put his arm around her. Jaques, Henri and Antoine and Michel all came into the room and hoisted the coffin onto their shoulders and carried it out to the garden and then lowered the coffin into the grave. Whilst Angelique had been with Richard, Fabiene had run and got the vicar who had married them to perform the funeral.

“In the Name of God, the merciful Father, we commit the body of Richard Jackson Wright to the peace of the grave. We entrust him into your hands.”

The vicar then dropped three handfuls of dirt onto the coffin.

“From dust you came, to dust you shall return. Jesus Christ, our Saviour, shall raise you up on the last day. Lord God, our Father in heaven, Lord God, the Son, and Saviour of the world, Lord God, the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us. At the moment of death, and on the last day, save us, merciful and gracious Lord God”

Then the priest bowed his head.

As everyone was going back into the house, the priest said quietly to Jean-Paul.

“A widow after only one day. Poor girl.”

“Yes indeed. Thank for performing the service on such short notice father. It means a lot. You might not see us again for a very long time as it seems we are going to have to leave.”

The vicar put his hand on his head.

“I understand, and I wish you all the greatest luck my son. May you all eventually return safely to a free France and remember that God is always with you.”

Both of them made the sign of the cross and the vicar left.

 

Once everyone was in the living room Michel called them all to silence.

“These turn of events mean that we are going to have to move once again. However for myself, Jean, Fabiene and Angelique we cannot just move to another place in France. We need to leave this country all together.”

Fabienne touched his arm.

“No, surely we don’t have to actually leave France.”