My Story: World War II - German [COMPLETED]

6: Radios

The camp was actually really nice. I walked around and helped with what I could but Patch kept wanting to make me carry guns.

"Patch, you do realise that he doesn't even know how to fire those weapons so why would we want him carrying that shit?" Booya asked as I put down some Sturmgewehr 44's in the pile.

"Because it will teach Tiny some respect of the weapon," Patch said. I rolled my eyes as I sat next to the guns and picked one up.

"Actually I know how to use guns," I piped up. They both looked up and I stood holding the gun. "My father use to take me hunting every summer."

"Then shoot your target," Patch said, point behind me. I turned around and looked at the target that was set up. I took my aim but my attention was drawn to the leaves behind it. I took my aim.

"You have one round," Booya said. I fired at single leaves and went through the whole round. I lowered the gun and looked at Booya and Patch.

"You missed every shot," Patch said.

"What are you saying? He was shooting the leaves," Engel said as he looked over at us. We looked at him and Patch's jaw dropped.

"You said shoot my target. My target was the leaves behind that," I said as put the safety of the gun on and put it on the ground.

"He is amazing!" Patch yelled. I walked over to Engel and sat down next to him.

"Alaric," I said as I offered my hand to him. He took it and shook it.

"Stein," he said. I smiled and looked at the horizon that was covered with trees.

"It is a pleasure," I said as I basked in the sunlight that was over us.

"Not really. Considering I don't want to be here," he said. I looked at him and he sighed.

"I don't really want to be here either," I told him. The older guys were screwing around as we watched them.

"I was going to run away but I couldn't just leave Germany because I didn't have anywhere to go," he stated and I nodded.

"That's what I was stuck in as well. My family is counting on me to get money from the draft so they can get food," I said as I looked at my boots that were not tied up all the way.

"At least you have a family," Engel said and I looked at him.

"Well, I guess we have these a*****es that will help us stay alive and maybe they will be like brothers?" It came out more like a question and that made Engel laugh.

"Maybe you're right," he said. I smiled and he laid back to look at the sky. "That was an awesome take down of Patch you did yesterday." I shrugged.

"I had a friend that was like that and I always wanted to do," I said, "but this is the first time I actually did it."

"He isn't a friend if he bullied you," he said. I shrugged.

"I grew up with him," I said. He sat up and shook his head.

"Trust me, as an orphan I can tell you, people will pretend to be your friend in order to get something that you can offer. It might be money or it might be to in power or it might to make themselves look better than they are," he said. I bit my lip and shook my head.

"I want to see the good in people," I said.

"You are naïve," he told me as he laid back down to look at the clouds.

"And stupid, Tiny," Butch said as he sat on my other side. I looked at him. "You are on the battlefield. Seeing the good in people will get you killed out here."

"I've known him my whole life. I don't want a bitterness in my mouth for him," I said, "Plus how could you see the worse in someone when you grew up with him?"

"Think about the worse thing that he ever did to you," Engel said as he put his hands under his head.

"He is marrying my ex-girlfriend," I said and they both looked at me.

"I would punch him in the face," Butch said. I shrugged and leaned on my elbows.

"I only found before I left for here," I said as I ran my hand through my hair. Butch rolled his eyes and we heard a radio playing. It was "Lied eines jungen Wachpostens" by Lale Anderson.

"Right next to the barracks by the main gate, there stood a lantern and stands there up to date," Engel started singing with Anderson.

"We're going to meet there again, next to the lantern we will remain," Rat joined in. I nodded my head along.

"Like then, Lili Marlene. Like then, Lili Marlene," Kipling added his voice.

"Our casted shadows appearing as one and the loved we had, clear to everyone," everyone else joined in with the trio except me and Butch bumped my shoulder to join in.

"And to all people that was quite plain when by the lantern we were stayin'. Like then, Lili Marlene. Like then, Lili Marlene," we all sang. It wasn't a fast song but even though I heard the song a million times, it was suddenly more powerful than ever. We sang the rest of the song and I laughed as I fell back when the song was over.

"Oh God, I haven't sung in forever," I said, still laughing.

"Well, Patch usually has his radio running twenty four hours a day so we can enjoy music all the time," Butch said as he pulled out a pack of cigarettes and matches. He lit the cigarette and took puff.

"There is plenty of fun things with the group that came out with me," Engel said and I closed my eyes as I sighed. At that moment, it wasn't that bad.