The End at Last (Adelheid)

[Cpl. Joe Claude]

OOC - Staff people, I know that this is after the war, but it is within a matter of weeks afterwards and it is going to tie up loose ends if that's alright?

It was over. Finally, this nasty war had come to end and Joe had survived. He had been in one of the Nazi Concentration Camps for the last few months but the Allies had broken through and they’d been liberated. He had spent the last few weeks being rehabilitated along with other Jews by the Allies. He’d been near to death but they’d saved him – it was bizarre. The unit that had liberated the camp had been an American one, Joe (who had served as an American soldier – a corporal – before all the disaster that had befallen him), had made it known to the soldiers that he had been one of them and they had saluted him...they hadn’t asked questions or anything like that....he was just one of the millions of Jews found in those ghastly places.

But he was back. He had survived and was making the long journey home. This war had taken its toil on the man. He’d seen some fighting, but the bulk of the war had been in German occupied Germany and he’d come out alive – a small miracle by many standards. One day, the idea of writing a book on his experiences had flittered in and out of his mind over the last few days, but that was to come, he just wanted to get home now.

He’d arrived in Dover, still slightly thin and frail but well enough to keep his spirits up and wits about him. He had left the dreaded camp a week earlier. He would vow never to see the place again. Ever. He’d never forget that place; he’d never forget the things he had seen there. Not only that, but he would never forget the people he’d met inside and outside of the labour camp. He had heard reports that Erhard Strumfelder was dead, committed suicide some people had said, others thought he’d been assassinated by his own men – the scars on Joe’s face would remain forever as a reminder - he had no idea where Otto Wolff was, or his wife – were they still alive? Were they still in Berlin? Otto had been the one who’d sent him to the camp....and then the girl. Adelheid had been so sweet, so kind, and so innocent and he’d betrayed her. Told of her history to Otto and....and he hadn’t seen her since. He wondered if she was dead, killed by Strumfelder perhaps?

But now, now he was to go home.

He’d been told by the army officials at Dover, that he was being sent to Wales and then from Wales to New York. He did not know why but that was what he’d been told. He was told that in Wales, he should report to an army base there, to be recognised, papers filled out, history taken etc, etc. His parents would be notified that he was alive and well....as well as he could be from his ordeals.

So now he was on a train, making his way through the English countryside to Wales. As he passed through towns and villages, he saw the places still had the effects of war on them. It was a dreadful and horrible thought to think that this little island had been so badly damaged. He wanted to know how his own country, America, was doing....but no-one really knew the full details. Finally, after several train transfers, he arrived in Wales, in a small town with a station that Joe did not know the name of. He got off the train and looked around in the bright sunlight, flags everywhere – Welsh and English flags and “V” for Victory posters everywhere. He did not know where to go, he was lost again. A woman at the station office looked up at him as he approached; she gave a double take as many did when she saw the scars and the thinness of his face even now. ”Hello m’am, I am wondering if you could tell me the way to the Army base here?” he said, his face blank and expressionless. She nodded and told him so; along the street was where the offices were located. He nodded at her and hobbled away. Compared to the majority of the inmates in the camp, Joe was quite fit still as he hadn’t been there long but he was still not up to eating much.

He walked away from the station and along the street where she’d told him, his face turned away from the happy, smiling, cheering people that seemed to suddenly appear all around him.

[Heidi]

She was now eleven, and much had changed. More quiet than her old self, she had again retreated into the embrace of books, reading as much as she could. Though mangled and still poor in execution, her English was progressing, and she had picked up some Welsh as well. Her scarred hands flipped through the pages eagerly, the stories of heroes past and present filling her head with ideas. It was like she was in Germany again, in that schoolyard and beneath the tree, wondering about things of the past as children played in the distance. Instead of children now, however, she sat in the back of a vehicle, quiet as a mouse as she waited for her grandparents. The sun shone for once, although a wet day had still struck Wales, the morning having made everything soggy and muddy.

The incident with the knife was behind her. As April showers brought forth spring flowers, so too was Adelheid blossoming. She still wasn't comfortable with what was going on, but she was progressing; she was more open to her grandparents, for one. The distrust that had accompanied her towards others, though possibly justified by some, had waned considerably towards the eldest Bevans. In fact, Adelheid felt more sympathetic to them than anything else; they had lost her Onkel Jim to running away, and her Onkel David and her father to war. It was like they had been left behind with their farm and their dog, and Adelheid could swear her collie was still waiting for the three to come home.

The raven had kept his distance. Adelheid had seen him, in the corner of her eye or sitting at the far back of a field. However, he was still hovering, his black shape always near, even if Adelheid sometimes dismissed it as a trick of the light. She couldn't help but feel this was his way of saying goodbye; something in her...understood. He had watched over her from her time in the orphanage, guided her across France and to this green land, and even though she was still angry, she knew why. Part of her felt that, somewhere, somehow, the other Bevans were still alive, and maybe her Rhys-angel could bring them back. If she could survive being stuck in a war between two different sides for a few years, she couldn't see why another miracle couldn't happen.

Little did she know that, in a way, that want for another miracle was about to come true.

High above, perched on a building, a sleek raven watched the streets carefully. He seemed to be waiting, knowing someone was coming, quickly glancing at the car Adelheid was in. Then with a caw, he took flight, circling around the area in a wide swoop. His beady little eyes concentrated, and he seemed to be focusing on something.

Plop!

Seconds later, a white splatter hit Adelheid's window, catching her attention and making her look up. She scrunched her nose at the sight of bird dirt, muttering a sound of disgust before looking back at her book. That is, until, something jagged and Z-shaped caught her eye, and she looked back up. Her face went chalk white.

...Nein....

It had to be a vision. An illusion, a mirage, something. The figure seemed faded, fuzzy as cotton in her memory, but then her eyes widened. Scraggly, lonesome and downright depressed-looking, he walked through the streets like a stray dog, cautious but detached from everything around him. His shoulders were hunched, and he seemed to look around fondly, happy but reserved in all his doings. He, like Adelheid, had withdrawn into himself after enduring so much trauma and abuse.

The door to the car flew open. The book was thrown aside, nearly dog-earing pages as it landed on open pages. She limped-ran, her leg not quite right after a bullet wound from long ago, but otherwise the girl was swift. Joe would have felt the impact of her body possibly before seeing her, as well as the tight squeeze around his legs.

"Herr Claude!"

From where he sat down to perch, out of the way on another building's rooftop, the raven looked very pleased with himself. From the girl's eyes, tears had sprung, and she sobbed unashamedly into who she believed to be her long-lost friend's trouser legs.

[Cpl. Joe Claude]

He had been minding his own business, his face had been down; he had not wanted to make eye contact with anybody even though people were staring at the stranger walking along the sunny, bright street. He had stuffed his hands into his pockets, closing into himself and not wanting anyone to even bother to try and approach him –he’d go to the office, get it all sorted then find the first boat back to New York as quickly as he could and he’d be gone, away.

Suddenly, he felt himself be violently knocked sideways and someone shout his name. He stumbled and felt pressure on his thin leg, Looking down he did not believe who he was seeing. No. Surely not, this could not be the girl who he’d last seen in a courtyard in Berlin?! She could not, realistically have got here of all places? She’d grown, her black hair was longer and she looked very well in her self. He blinked, rubbed his eyes with his hands and then stared at her again.

”Adelheid?” he chocked out, tears running down his face as he realised who she was and how she symbolised the goodness in life. ”Holy shit...” he swore and gave her a tight hug, his arms wrapping themselves around her as he bent down slowly, This was a dream, or that God had smiled down on him and had saved them for a purpose – and that purpose was to meet again. How strange the world was, how strange for them to have been once so far apart to now meet again in such a place as Wales, England. He had forgotten temporary that she was German, and so was he which was an odd thought – two Germans in a country full of English people.

Tears were still running down his face as he buried his head into her little shoulder, his frail shoulders shaking uncontrollably. People had started to stop and stare.

” Sie sind lebendig!” He cried into her shoulder in German, hugging her tighter and tighter. She had meant so much to him, she had kept him going in that horrible courtyard, had kept him from giving up and dying. He kissed her forehead as he slowly raised his head and looked at her in the eyes; his thin, frail face looked into her eyes and a smile broke out for the first time in months. He could feel his knees hurting as he had stayed in that position for so long so stood up slowly, taking her hand and leading her to a bench that was up against a wall of a building a little way down. He sat down gingerly on it and waited.

[Heidi]

"Es tut mir leid ich musste gehen, und ich werde es nie wieder tun." - "I'm so sorry I had to leave and I'll never do it again."
"Er fand heraus. Ich hatte zu laufen. Ich wollte dich mit mir nehmen, aber ich wusste nicht, wo du warst." - "He found out. I had to run. I wanted to take you with me, but I didn't know where you were."

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Adelheid choked out a laugh. Of course she was alive! He must have thought Doctor Strumfelder had got to her. No, she had been too clever, too quick for that. She would never see that horrible man again, and he would never hurt her or her Herr Claude again. She hugged him back tightly, not thinking of letting go for a minute, until her friend decided to stand up. He seemed stiff, and he was so thin; it looked like he had been starving. Adelheid herself wasn't fully recovered from her own starvation yet, either.

Herr Claude made it seem like he wanted to sit down. He headed for a bench, but seemed to be leading her - it quickly turned into her trying to sit him down as soon as possible. He did look very ill, and his hands were worn and calloused beyond belief. His entire body seemed to be ten times less flexible than it should have been - he walked with an odd, pained gait. Adelheid limped slightly as well, but at least it wasn't like her entire body was too exhausted to work with her. Just what had happened to him since she had left?!

As soon as Herr Claude sat down, Adelheid immediately began to talk. "Es tut mir leid ich musste gehen, und ich werde es nie wieder tun," she said, fighting back further tears as she did. The sheer amount of guilt that had built up inside her was flowing out, the girl forcing herself not to babble on and make her face a mess of waterworks. "Er fand heraus. Ich hatte zu laufen. Ich wollte dich mit mir nehmen, aber ich wusste nicht, wo du warst." She then looked around, cautiously, worried about people staring as glances her way were noticed.

"Um..." she began, "may...be ve...zould...ah...." One mottled hand beckoned Herr Claude to follow, the girl quickly hurrying away from the scene as her face turned pink. Two people talking German in a Not-Nazi - er, Velsh town would probably be a bad thing, and she didn't want Herr Claude to suffer any more than he should. The girl would lead him away, her poor grandparents completely forgot, to somewhere where people wouldn't stare if they talked in German.

[Cpl. Joe Claude]

He was so happy to see her, honestly and truly he thought she had been killed. It was so wonderful, a face, a familiar face amongst the strangers. And here of all places!

He sat down on the bench, glad to not be standing any more and feeling his body relax ever so slightly. He just felt so weak and helpless even now after being cared for by the Allied troops. He glanced down at his hands; they looked like old man’s hands, calloused and thin. Knowing his mother’s cooking, he knew they’d be back to their health – he knew his whole body would be back to full health sooner or later but the memories would live on. He hadn’t been able to sleep at all recently, and knew that the nightmares would follow him for life.

She had helped him sit down and was sitting beside him, talking away in German about what had happened – the sweet girl – it had been his fault that Strumfelder or Otto whichever one had found out. He had told Otto of her past and that was because he wanted to save her but if it had forced her to run away then he would have to apologise to her. ”Ich war besorgt, dass du tot sein ....” he said, kissing the top of her head weakly again.

She spoke in English – wow, she’d learnt a bit of English as well; life had changed dramatically for both. He had also noticed how she walked with a limp. She had suffered so much and was only young – what the rest of her life would be like God only knew.

What she said, he understood. The idea of talking in German when they were in a country that had just defeated the Germans wasn’t the best thing to do. She had stood up and hurried away quickly. He could not go as fast as her but he stood up again and hobbled after her. ”Wait Adelheid.” he muttered through gritted teeth as he tried to keep up with her.
Translations

I was worried that you would be dead

[Heidi]

Translations

"Nachdem ich links, schlich ich aus Berlin in der Nacht." - "After I left, I sneaked out of Berlin at night."

"Es gab eine Menge von Soldaten, aber ich glaube nicht, dass jemand mich sah. Ich folgte, mehr oder weniger die gleiche Route, die ich verwendet, Deutschland zu verlassen zum ersten Mal." - "There was a lot of soldiers, but I do not think anyone saw me. I followed, more or less, the same route I used to leave Germany for the first time."

"Und mach dir keine Vorwürfe wofür passiert ist!" - "And don't blame yourself for what happened!"

"Es war nicht deine Schuld, es war nicht deine Schuld an allen! Wir waren beide in Schwierigkeiten.... Ich wollte wieder für Sie so schnell wie ich konnte! Die - um, hielt Soldaten 'Englisch' mich wieder zurück." - "It wasn't your fault, it wasn't your fault at all! We were both in trouble.... I wanted to get back to you as fast as I could! The - um, 'English' soldiers held me back."

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"Wait Adelheid."

The words beckoned her like a sheepdog to the flock. She hurried back, gently taking Herr Claude's hand and leading him on, wrapping one arm around her so he could lean on her for support. (Granted, she was more than a foot shorter than him at a glance, only as tall as his hip. Adelheid was too kind to let him do otherwise.) There was still the small issue of disobeying her grandparents' orders to stay in the car...but she'd deal with that later. Herr Claude looked sick, and she had not seen him in a while - she needed to make sure everything was okay.

A quiet place came in the form of a small patch of trees, off to the side of the road that was leading out of the village. Adelheid carefully led her friend there, and found herself a seat on the ground. Across from her, three trees grew from a single place, and they leaned backwards enough that Herr Claude could almost sit comfortably. Adelheid motioned towards the clump of trees as a suggestion, but waited until Herr Claude had found himself a good spot to sit before speaking.

"Nachdem ich links, schlich ich aus Berlin in der Nacht," said Adelheid. "Es gab eine Menge von Soldaten, aber ich glaube nicht, dass jemand mich sah. Ich folgte, mehr oder weniger die gleiche Route, die ich verwendet, Deutschland zu verlassen zum ersten Mal." She suddenly scowled at him, black eyes in an assuring glare.

"Und mach dir keine Vorwürfe wofür passiert ist!" Adelheid barked. "Es war nicht deine Schuld, es war nicht deine Schuld an allen! Wir waren beide in Schwierigkeiten.... Ich wollte wieder für Sie so schnell wie ich konnte! Die - um, hielt Soldaten 'Englisch' mich wieder zurück."

All sorts of new terms had been put into little Adelheid's head since the two last met. She now knew that there were many different Not-Nazis, like there were many different Germans - there were Englisch and Amerikan, and her father had been Velsh, and there were even soldiers called Ichrish and Schottisch. Adelheid still didn't know the names very well...or how to spell or pronounce them right...but she was learning! She was a very fast learner, very fast indeed!

[Cpl. Joe Claude]

She gave him her body to lean on. She had grown, though she was still not as high as he. He wrapped one arm around her shoulders and they hobbled along together – the crimpled girl and the starved man. He had wondered where she had come from – she’d just appeared out of no-where suddenly and he looked around but so no evidence...there was a car with its door open but that could have been anyone’s. They hobbled along up the street which led towards the outskirts – a small patch of trees could be seen and Adelheid led him to them. He coughed a few times along the way and felt his muscles groaning at him for moving – if you could call them muscles.

She sat down by a tree and lent against it. He stopped and carefully sat down next to her, leaning against one of the trees and feeling restful again; the sun streamed down on the two friends as they sat in comfort finally. She spoke again; saying of how she’d snuck out of Berlin and that there had been soldiers everywhere. And then she had a stern look on her face, telling him to not think that it was his fault. But that was just it...it had been his fault! If he hadn’t cracked under Otto’s integration then she wouldn’t have had to run away and put her life in even more danger.

She had always called them “Not-Nazis” but now she called the English, English soldiers. She had learnt a lot in the time they had been apart. So much had happened and so much was to come – maybe she could come to America with him perhaps? If he asked nicely, he’d be able to get her a boarding pass or something....? He realised he’d have to go and see the army officers soon. She could come with him if she wanted, but heck, he would wait a bit and chat to her.

” Otto sprach mit mir über dich, und ich erzählte ihm von Ihnen. Er drohte, dass Strumfelder würde kommen und dich finden. Ich musste ihn über das, was Strumfleder mussten Sie fertig erzählen.” he said quickly, glancing at her with his sunken eyes. ” Nachdem ich den Hof beendet, schickte er mich in ein Lager. Haben Sie schon von den Konzentrationslagern? Juden wie mir ging es. Ich werde nicht ins Detail gehen, aber sie verhungert uns - das ist, warum ich so aussehen.” he glanced down at his own body and sighed. ”Ich habe auf die Armee Büros in eine Weile ... gehen zu sagen, dass ich noch lebe. Ich lasse für Amerika bald.”

Translations
Otto sprach mit mir über dich, und ich erzählte ihm von Ihnen. Er drohte, dass Strumfelder würde kommen und dich finden. Ich musste ihn über das, was Strumfleder mussten Sie fertig erzählen. - Otto spoke to me about you, and I told him about you. He was threatening that Strumfelder would come and find you. I had to tell him about what Strumfleder had done to you.

Nachdem ich den Hof beendet, schickte er mich in ein Lager. Haben Sie schon von den Konzentrationslagern? Juden wie mir ging es. Ich werde nicht ins Detail gehen, aber sie verhungert uns - das ist, warum ich so aussehen. - After I finished the courtyard, he sent me to a camp. Have you heard of the Concentration Camps? Jews like me went there. I will not go into detail but they starved us - that is why I look like this.

Ich habe auf die Armee Büros in eine Weile ... gehen zu sagen, dass ich noch lebe. Ich lasse für Amerika bald. - I have to go to the army offices in a while...to say that I am still alive. I leave for America soon.

[Heidi]

Translations

"Doctor Strumfelder hat keine Macht über mich!" - "Doctor Strumfelder has no power over me!"

"Ich entkam zweimal die alte Weibchen, und ich lebte! Er ist eine lahme, kranke alte Mann, der leider woanders sterben wird! Das einzige, was zählt ist, dass ich weiß, wer er ist, wo er ist und dass Sie sicher sind. Und ich kann jedem der Soldaten auf ihn sic wann ich will!" - "I escaped the old b**** twice and I lived! He is a lame, sick old man who will suffer and die somewhere else! The only thing that matters is that I know who he is, where he is and that you are safe. And I can sic any of the soldiers on him whenever I want!"

"Das ist zu Hause, nicht wahr?" - "That's your home, right?"

"Ich bin froh, Sie gehen nach Hause. Deine Mutter und Vater müssen sich Sorgen machen. Ich bin auch zu Hause, mein Vater hatte noch seine Eltern, so dass ich bei ihnen bleiben." - "I'm glad you're going home. Your mother and father must be worried. I'm home, too; my father still had his parents, so I'm staying with them."

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Adelheid did know of concentration camps - and she looked none too pleased that her one good friend had been the victim of one. Her look was positively furious - how dare Herr Otto stoop to such levels! Had he been planning to send her to one too?! No, no, that would simply not do, not do at all! She hadn't told the soldiers all the details yet, about Doctor Strumfelder and more about Herr Otto.... The latter she thought had proved himself, but obviously not!

"Doctor Strumfelder hat keine Macht über mich!" stated Adelheid firmly - somewhat uneasily, as the man's name and face still struck terror into her mind. However, the look in her eyes was true. "Ich entkam zweimal die alte Weibchen, und ich lebte! Er ist eine lahme, kranke alte Mann, der leider woanders sterben wird! Das einzige, was zählt ist, dass ich weiß, wer er ist, wo er ist, und dass Sie sicher sind. Und ich kann jedem der Soldaten auf ihn sic wann ich will!"

Okay, so maybe the word "sic" wasn't exactly German vocabulary, but Adelheid had heard it often enough and decided that she liked it enough to stick it in. Besides, it was a good chance to practise her English, even if it was just a single word among a string of German. Adelheid didn't really care, she just wanted to be able to talk properly to her friend and not have to suffer through a foreign grammar.

At his explanation that he had to go, Adelheid's look softened. "Das ist zu Hause, nicht wahr?" she asked. "Ich bin froh, Sie gehen nach Hause. Deine Mutter und Vater müssen sich Sorgen machen. Ich bin auch zu Hause, mein Vater hatte noch seine Eltern, so dass ich bei ihnen bleiben." That statement was not meant to be mean or vicious towards Herr Claude; Adelheid could never be angry at him, not after all the both of them had gone through. However, it seemed almost...sad, in a fond sort of way? Yes, the girl had finally found her place, but she still felt like she wasn't fitting in. With all the English she could learn, and all the things about the English side of the fence that surrounded her, something still wasn't right. Perhaps a part of her still loved Germany, and recognized it as her birthplace; not everyone there had been cruel. The nuns, after all, had did their best to feed, clothe and shelter her after nobody else wanted her.

[Cpl. Joe Claude]

The girl spoke in fierce and affirmative tones. She was definite in thinking that Strumfelder had “no power” over her. She swore in German and called him a “lame, sick old man.” It was true. The image of Strumfelder holding the knife above his head and carving the scars that were now on his forehead and check forever was an example of the sick man she spoke of. Sic....That was an interesting word that she used. Joe was not an expert on the English language however, so he just accepted it when she had said it. He wondered if the girl had picked it off the streets – probably.

” Ik kreeg te horen dat hij dood was.” he said softly, glancing over at her. ” Of dat hij zelfmoord pleegde” He didn’t really care what the man was doing – if he was dead or if he wasn’t Joe was certain the Allies would find him. They’d hunt him like the vermin he was. Joe would be on the other side of the world, far, far away from the evil bastard. He did not want to see the man again, why would he? He had made his life misery! He had carved scars on his face and had hurt a young girl to the extent that she would most likely have a permanent limp for the rest of her life.

She asked if America was his home, he nodded. ” Ja het is. Ik hoop dat het meisje dat ik graag zie .... maar ik denk dat ze zou hebben iemand anders gevonden door nu ...” He trailed off and rubbed his eyes, feeling them start to water as tears began to fall. He’d loved her....they would have got married and had children and...It would have been so good.... He wiped his eyes and gave her a small smile, hugging her again and resting against the tree once more. Her father’s parents were here? ” Je vader?” he frowned. She had mentioned her father once before but he had never really understood it all....actually, had she ever? No, probably not. ” Wie was hij?”

OOC – I am going to say that Joe never knew about Rhys and Adelheid...I don’t think it ever came up unless I am wrong?

Translations

I was told he was dead.

Or that he had killed himself

Yes it is. I hope to see the girl that I liked....but I think she would have found someone else by now...

Your father?

Who was he?

[Heidi]

OOC: Why is Joe speaking Dutch? Unless it's a dialect of German I'm not familiar with. I'll just proceed as normal and assume he was speaking German.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++


"Sein Name war Rhys Bevan."

She shifted her weight where she sat, smoothing out a couple of wrinkles in her skirt. Her eyes fell to the side for a moment, as if mentioning him was uncomfortable. To a certain extent, it was - mostly when she was talking about the whole story behind her existence.

"Er war ein Soldat. Er kämpfte in Afrika.... Er schaffte es nicht nach Hause. Er hatte zwei Brüder - mein Onkel - aber man ist im Krieg vermisst, und die anderen von zu Hause weggelaufen. Meine Großeltern...waren froh, mich zu sehen. Sie waren ein wenig überrascht...aber sie waren glücklich. Richtig?"

She still wasn't sure. Out of nowhere, she had shown up on her doorstep with a nice officer, who had told them her father had left an illegitimate child behind enemy lines, or...something like that. The nuns, ever prudish, had told her it was wrong to have children before one was married, and her father most definitely had not been married. She had never met her mother - and frankly, she was unsure if she wanted to - and no one seemed to know much about her. The children in the village had a lot to say, though, and Adelheid didn't always know what it was...but it still seemed hurtful! They pointed at her and sounded like they were teasing her!

"Er wußte nicht, ich bestand," said Adelheid. "Er weiß nicht...wusste nicht, meine Mutter wollte mich. Niemand weiß, wer sie ist oder wo sie ist, denke ich. Ich versuche immer noch herauszufinden, eine Menge Dinge." At that point, the girl's cheeks turned pink, and she looked down at the ground. Her hands fussed with the cloth of her skirt, and she chewed on the bottom of her lip. Hopefully Herr Claude had got what she was trying to say; it was awkward enough trying to explain that she was born out of wedlock, left for good in Germany, and that her entire existence was like a lightning bolt for her new-found family. Why again had she wanted to find the green land?


+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Translations:

"Sein Name war Rhys Bevan." - His name was Rhys Bevan.

"Er war ein Soldat. Er kämpfte in Afrika.... Er schaffte es nicht nach Hause. Er hatte zwei Brüder - mein Onkel - aber man ist im Krieg vermisst, und die anderen von zu Hause weggelaufen. Meine Großeltern...waren froh, mich zu sehen. Sie waren ein wenig überrascht...aber sie waren glücklich. Richtig?" - "He was a soldier. He fought in Africa.... He did not make it home. He had two brothers - my uncles - but one is missing in the war, and the other ran away from home. My grandparents...were happy to see me. They were a little surprised...but they were happy. Right?"

"Er wußte nicht, ich bestand." - "He didn't know I existed."

"Er weiß nicht...wusste nicht, meine Mutter wollte mich. Niemand weiß, wer sie ist oder wo sie ist, denke ich. Ich versuche immer noch herauszufinden, eine Menge Dinge." - He does not know...didn't know my mother wanted me. No one knows who she is or where she is, I think. I'm still trying to figure out a lot of things.

[Cpl. Joe Claude]

"Sein Name war Rhys Bevan."

No....surely not...?! Not Staff Sergeant Rhys Bevan....The man who Joe had met in the pub before he’d ever been sent to France. The one who had given Joe a load of dog ties or something....? He’d been nice, he’d been kind. Joe had not known he was dead, probably many of the people he’d known before the war would be dead now. Hell, he’d been thought of as “dead” only a few weeks ago but he had resurfaced from the dead almost.

” Ich erinnere mich an Rhys. Er hatte sehr freundlich zu mir gewesen, als ich ihn traf Jahren.” he said, glancing at the girl and smiling. Wow, so she was Rhys’ child? Probably from a fling he had in France – Joe remembered the man saying about his adventures in France....so Adelheid was a “bastard” child as some people would call it? The poor girl that was all she needed. If Rhys was alive, Joe would go and tell him what he thought – how could he just do that to Adelheid’s mother and ultimately Adelheid herself?

But Adelheid then said that Rhys had not known about it. Okay, he was forgiven – but to be so reckless to even attempt to try and get a woman pregnant....Having said that, Joe would have probably done stuff like that, before the war and in the early stages of it, he had been very immature and reckless...so he couldn’t go and blame Rhys when A) He would have done that sort of thing if he’d had the change, and B) He was dead...” Planen Sie, Englisch zu lernen und hier zur Schule gehen? Oder werden Sie zurück nach Deutschland?”




Translations:

I remember Rhys. He had been very kind to me when I met him years ago.

Do you plan to learn English and go to school here? Or will you go back to Germany?

[Heidi]

Translations:

"Was war mein Vater? War er nett?" - "What was my father like? Was he nice?"

"So viele Menschen nicht mögen, dass er weg ist. Sie sagen, er war wirklich nett, und er hatte viele Freunde. Ist das wahr?" - "So many people don't like that he's gone. They say he was really nice, and he had lots of friends. Is this true?"


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So her father had been kind to Herr Claude, and had once knew him. Adelheid couldn't help but frown a little; she was happy they were on good terms, but it didn't seem right to her. He had left her in the dust, left her to her own devices and the devices of others, and yet, there were so many others who said he was kind. Some said he could speak many languages, and some said he liked to joke around a lot, and had acted in a lot of plays. So many things said about her father, and yet, Adelheid couldn't help but wonder if it was true, and feel a bit bitter if it was.

Perhaps Herr Claude could shed some light on him, if the two were such great friends.

"Was war mein Vater? War er nett?" asked Adelheid. Her expression was slightly wary, as if she was afraid of what the answer might be. Yet, in those big, black puppy-dog eyes, there was desperation - a longing to know, for her own sake. "So viele Menschen nicht mögen, dass er weg ist. Sie sagen, er war wirklich nett, und er hatte viele Freunde. Ist das wahr?"

In the back of her mind, Adelheid briefly wondered if her grandparents were looking for her yet. She hoped not, on the grounds that, if Herr Claude's words were true, then her meeting with him would be the last time she'd ever see her best friend. He was even more than that, though; he knew her pain and suffering. He had seen what people had done to her, and she had seen what people had done to them. They had both survived Doctor Strumfelder, and she had helped get him safe to Herr Otto's place. Then she ran away again.

Without warning, she flew towards the thin, broken man, embraced him tightly, and began bawling into his chest. She'd never see Herr Claude again, and she wouldn't be there to take care of him, make sure he stayed okay and that Doctor Strumfelder never came and hurt him again. Perhaps her reasons weren't valid - who knew where Doctor Strumfelder was, and didn't the army have doctors? - but she couldn't help herself. For a few years now, ever since the orphanage was taken down, she had had no one to depend on but herself. Adelheid was proud of her strength, and proud of how she had survived, but it still hurt her deeply to be alone. Even in her green land, the land of her dreams and her Promised Land, she couldn't connect to anybody, and everything felt so foreign and alien. All of these people had known her father, and promised to watch her and take care of her, but they didn't know her. They didn't even speak the same mother tongue.

That was why, somewhere deep inside of her, down in the depths of her heart, she saw Herr Claude as more than a friend. She saw him as a brother, or further down yet, the father she had always wanted, but had never had. Someone who cared, who understood, and who could stand by her no matter what.

[Edward"Butcher"McMillan]

Moderation Post:

The following CP has been issued:

Claude - 10

Heidi - 10

NO SP AWARDED DUE TO BEGINING DATE OF THREAD (ENDING DATE AS WELL)

-JT