My Story: World War II - German [COMPLETED]

44: Home

(May 1945)

This may sound weird but that night was the best night of sleep that I ever had on my whole life. Going from sleeping on wooden planks to a cot to the place that I slept on growing up. I don't think that I wanted to get up because I was exhausted from the past five years and I finally knew I was safe and nothing was going to happen anymore. But my body still woke me up as I heard the smallest of noises near me. I sat up and looked at Alaric as he looked out of the window.

"Is everything okay?" I asked and Alaric nodded. He continued looking out the window and leaned against the window pane. "I was coming here to say good bye to Heiko. I guess that didn't and won't happen," I told him trying to make conversation.

"Heiko killed himself beginning of this year," Alaric told me. I felt my heart drop to the deepest pit of my stomach.

"Why?" My voice held my sadness and I could hear the crack in the voice.

"He missed you. He thought for sure that by then you were dead and he wanted to be with you," he whispered to me and I nodded. I laid back down and tried to hold back my tears.

Alia Zimmerman

(January 1945)

Alaric and I walked to my family's apartment. Well, since Aida got married before moving out and Father was usually at the factory, Heiko mainly lives their alone. I promised that I would make sure that Heiko was fed and the house was clean.

"Heiko, we're here!" I yelled as we walked in. Alaric took my coat and hung it up on the rack. There was no response except a small crashing sound. Alaric pulled out his gun and pushed me behind him.

"Heiko?" Alaric asked as he walked towards the sound. There was a gun shot and Alaric ran into the room.

"Heiko!" I yelled as I saw him with a bullet in his brain. Alaric holstered his gun and I felt the tears roll down my face. He picked up a piece of paper and read it.

"He killed himself because of Adalwolf," Alaric said, "He says that he can't live without Adalwolf." I hugged Alaric and he held me to his chest.

Adalwolf Zimmerman

(May 1945)

Alaric went through his old drawer trying to find something that might fit me. Adeline decided that I needed to wear something that fit properly so Alaric's old clothes were the closest we were going to get to a good fit. He dug through drawer until he found a complete outfit and handed it to me. Oh the irony. The only thing that would fit me was his old Nazi youth uniform.

"Sorry... Adeline can alter some of my old clothes," Alaric said and I nodded. Adeline picked up some clothes and pulled me with her. She held them out for me to change into and I did slowly.

"I wouldn't think about Heiko that much right now, Adalwolf," Adeline said as she pulled the shirt to make it smaller.

"I was going to say good bye. I couldn't be with him anymore. Jack understands me, Heiko understood the Adalwolf who was scared and nervous," I told her and she looked up at me.

"I think Jack is a better choice if Heiko is the reason you came home with bruises sometimes," she said. I looked down at her as she stilled her hands.

"You saw that?" I asked and she nodded as she started working again.

"Of course, I did. I looked up to you and Alaric. I noticed everything and wished you two would talk to me," she said as Alaric walked into the room.

"Everything?" Alaric asked as he glanced at me and she nodded.

"Like what?" I asked. She sighed.

"Like when Alaric was holding back tears at the kitchen table but wouldn't crack even if his life depended on it," she said and he sighed. I tried to remember what she was and Alaric rubbed his temples.

"Alaric was never like that," I commented. Clearly, I would remember because I was older and I had more memories than she did, right?

"This morning, Adalwolf," she said. I looked at Alaric who turned away and put his fist in mouth. We watched as he tried to hold himself together.

"Engel and I went to check the perimeter of the apartment. We exchanged fire with a regiment and he -" he stopped himself. I looked at Adeline and she looked at the ground as Alaric composed himself. "He didn't make it back to the apartment."

"Alaric... I'm sorry," I whispered, not knowing what to say.

"It's the f*cking God damned Communists that killed him. I swear to God that they will be killed," Alaric said.

"Alaric don't say God's name in vain," Adeline said, softly as she touched her necklace. The same necklace that we all wore because Mother gave them to us. Our crosses.

"What God? The God that started this war? The God that got Barrel killed? The God that got Mother and Father killed? The God that killed Engel? The God that let people be mirdered by their own nation? There is no God, Adeline. If there was a God, we wouldn't be orphans. Hell, we wouldn't be going to America right now!" Alaric yelled. Adeline looked taken aback. Alaric shook his head and turned away.

"No one ever said that God was perfect," Adeline said quietly but powerfully, "And you may not believe in him right now but you - both of you - have seen sh*t that I will never be able to ever imagine in my life. That was God challenging you. War is God's way to punish people for wrongs when he can't reach the one who is really sinning." Alaric curled his hand into a fist and shook his head.

"You're right. I know that is what is happening its just... I've lost so many people because of this war," be said, "We lost three draftees in one swoop because they didn't know any better."

"May God save their souls," Adeline and I whispered.