After Tomorrow

It's One of the Most Deadly

Chapter 12-It’s One of the Most Deadly

Germany wasn’t what we expected it; everything was dead but trying to grow back. We were all disappointed. I didn’t care because they greeted us with job offers and I saw a few for a courier. A smile appeared on my face as I read it; it was just what I wanted. I’ve always wanted to be a courier! I looked at a sea of people waiting their turn to look at the Wanted board. I stepped back with the flier behind my back, that job was mine. No one else could have it. I wanted it and I was going to get it. I’ve waited too long to just let this slip from my grasp. I walked down the long twisting road, like with…no one. I walked until I saw a small town, wood stores and houses, nothing unusual. I walked into the small wooden post office; a fairly young man looked up at me and smiled. “Gudentag.” He greeted me, I looked at him confused. “Excuse you?” I mumbled. “Ah, an American.” He nodded in a thick German accent. “Welcome to Deutschland. I see you have to courier flier?” he looked at the flier I had in my hand. “Yes, I would like to apply.” I tried my best to smile nicely. He smiled back, “How far can you walk?” he asked. “Well I did walk really far on a…trip…by myself.” I searched for words. “That’s all I need to know!” he cheered and took out a clipboard.

“Really? You don’t need to know if I’ve been arrested or anything?” I asked. “No, I don’t really care for that kind of thing. The past is the past that’s all I care about.” He told me and pointed to the lines. “Sign there, there, and there.” He pointed at three dotted lines. I didn’t hesitate to sign them; I signed them all not even reading the paper. My excitement clouded my vision and made everything read what I wanted it to. “You’re a courier it’s time to do your job sign the dang lines and get out there before he changes his mind go, go, go!” I signed everything, everything that needed signing, everything that needed some kind of answer to it I gave it to him. Everything, even if it was math I did it. What’s two plus two? Four! Four! I would write it down happily. Finally when I finished everything and handed it to him. “Sind sie fertig?” the man asked. I stared at him blankly until he could remember English. “Are you finished?” he asked again. I nodded. “Gut!” he cheered, I guessed that was ‘good’ in German. “What would you like to deliver first?” he started looking at the boxes behind him, some were full, some had nothing in them, nothing in between. “I have a few boxes, one is a big box that I think a postal carriage should deliver and this one, it’s pretty small but it has something hard in it. And I hear everyone wants it. So I suggest you don’t tell anyone you’re a courier.” He gave me the box; I didn’t want to do this delivery. If it includes me getting killed I’m not in it. But what choice did I have? It was his money.

As I exited with the box I heard him whisper, “Achten sie darauf, junge Dame, dorthin zu gelangen sicher, sien Sie vorsichtig...“ That could have meant anything! I hope it meant something nice and not anything like a curse. It he cursed me I’m going to kill that guy and take over his business. No I couldn’t do that, it’s rude. I’ll just not care, yes I’ll do that.

I didn’t know where I was going. I was new to this country; I didn’t even know a word of German except ‘Nein’ but I only knew that because I saw it in a picture show once. If I knew anything that guy was saying I would be pretty proud of myself, but alas, I didn’t. Oh well, theres always time to learn right? I could live here forever, it actually was growing! The grass was growing fast, maybe this could happen in America if I waited long enough, maybe. As I walked down the road I eyed the grass longingly. Is it poisonous? Should I lay on it to see? Will it suck me into it and suffocate me? Worth a shot. I threw the box on it first, nothing. I then fell onto the grass, it hurt a lot but the grass felt nice. I turned onto my back and looked at the sky, I’ve never looked at it, and it’s so beautiful. The snow white clouds pushing themselves across the light blue sky that could go on forever. I wished I could watch them for the rest of my life, but I would get bored. I got up and picked up my box.