My Story: World War II - German [COMPLETED]

41: Good bye

(November 1942)

I walked to the edge of the river to refill my water bottle and I watched as the guys washed their faces. I drank some water and pulled off my boots so I could wash my boots and my feet. I watched as the clear water became dirty as we washed various items.

"You all need to bathe," Bernadette said and I rolled my eyes.

"That's hard when we have to make sure that we don't get killed by French men," I said and she gave me a look but I just looked away from her.

"You can take turns of taking watch," she said and I shook my head.

"We aren't going to watch each other bathe," Butch said and there were some grunts of agreement. I took my boots out of the water and looked at the sky. The sun was shining down on us and It was the first time in the longest time that it was actually a clear day. I sighed and put my boots back on.

"You okay, Tiny?" Lemon asked and I nodded.

"Yes. Just thinking," I said as I closed my eyes as I thought about home and clear days.

(June 1930)

Mother and Father walked behind  Adalwolf and me carrying Adeline as we ran up the hill to where we were going to have the picnic. Father had the day off and since it was a clear day, Mother and Father decided to have a picnic.

"Be careful," Mother called out as we started climbing a tree. I smiled at Mother and she waved to me as I got up half way up the tree. I laughed and waved to her. It was a bad idea because I slipped and fell off the tree.

"Alaric!" Mother called out as Adalwolf climbed down the tree. My arm hurt and I started crying. Father picked me up and touched my arm that made me scream in pain.

"He broke his arm. We need to get him to the hospital," Father said as he put me against his shoulder. I was still crying and Mother moved my hair as she bounced Adeline who started crying.

*

"Why does Alaric get two scoops of ice cream?" Adalwolf asked as we sat at the ice parlour. I got a cast and Father got him one scoop of ice cream and got me two scoops of ice cream.

"Alaric got hurt, Adalwolf. He broke his arm," Father said as I took a bite of my vanilla ice cream. I waved my arm that was in the cast and hit it against the table. I whimpered when the pain shot through my arm. Father held my cast and shook his head.

"Alaric, you need to be careful. You can hurt yourself more if you keep banging your arm against the table," Mother told me and I nodded as I continued to eat my ice cream.

*

"I wish he talked more, Ernst," Mother said that night. I don't think they realised that I was awake in the living room and listening to them.

"I know, Marie, but he is a quiet soul," Father said. I could hear the pen and paper that was moving stop.

"Do you think that private school will help him?" Mother asked and I waited for Father's response.

"I think that we should ask him, Marie. He can decide for himself," Father said and I nodded.

(May 1945)

I looked around the ice cream parlour one last time before we left. At that moment, there was blood everywhere and I could feel the anxiety in the air. But, I also saw the rewards that Mother and Father gave us. The celebrations. The random fun days we spent in the parlour. I shook my head. I was going to miss the parlour if nothing else.

"Alaric, are you ready?" Adeline asked me softly. I nodded as Adalwolf opened the backdoor slowly.

"Go, quietly," I said as we walked to the door. I looked back at the guys before slipping out of the back door.

"Where are we meeting them, Adeline?" Adalwolf asked. She looked at us and I looked at her after I was able to pull my eyes away from the door.

"The west side of city. The very edge," she said as she pulled her hair up with a ribbon that she found.

"I trust that there will be no problems once we get there," I said and she nodded.

"They are waiting for the three of us," she said and I nodded as I pulled my gun out. "I would put that away." I nodded and put my gun back into my belt.

"I am kinda tired, you guys," Adalwolf said and I nodded.

"We have to move though. We can move slowly in the shadows to avoid everything and everyone that could possible want to stop us," I said, more in thought than in conversation.

"We need to get going before we are too late. Wilson is expecting a call at a certain time," Adeline said. Adalwolf looked at me and cocked his head at me.

"Wilson?" he asked as we started to walk away from the ice cream parlour.

"My fiancé," Adeline said and Adalwolf just nodded. The the back door of the ice cream parlour opened and I turned to look only to see Butch and Engel.

"Leaving?" Engel asked. Adeline and Adalwolf looked at me.

"Yes. I'll write. I think we all know how this is ending and I have my wife waiting for me," I said.

"Where?"

"America. I'll write as soon as I am there," I promised and they nodded as they walked closer. Butch shook my hand and I looked at Engel.

"I still remember the first time we met, Tiny. I never had a best friend until I met you," Engel said. I smiled.

"I never really did either," I stated and we hugged each other.

"Brothers until the end," we muttered together. Butch had left us and I looked at my siblings.

"We have a single spot left," Adeline said. I raised an eyebrow.

"What are you saying, Adeline?" I asked.

"If you want to come along, we have a spot for you in America," Adeline said as she walked up to Engel. I looked at him. I could use another soldier to talk to.

"Count me in," he said as he looked at my sister.

"Follow me," Adeline said as she took off.

"Did I mention that our sister has changed a lot in the six years I was gone?" Adalwolf asked and I smiled as I started following my sister.