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In 1944, World War II was coming to a close. I patrolled in the forest near the border. Many stars hung in the dark sky at night. I could hear the sound of “chirp, chirp, chirp” clear at night. None of the enemy force attacked us by that time.I walked at peace. When I turned away, I saw that there was a small shadow on the grass. The shadow ran. It might be a deserter. Many German soldiers escaped at that time. I held the gun and searched the person out. The leaves rustled. The shadow was still running and I heard the gun sound.There was a soldier stood in front of me all of a sudden. “Freeze or I’ll shoot!” He said. His voice was trembling.I stopped at once.
“I must bring you to our German barracks.”He brought me to the dark side of the forest.He walked around and looked everywhere, as if someone was chasing him. There was a little sound of “hiss, hiss”. He stopped walking at a moment. “I’m Merhart.” He said.“Alfred”
There were many pockmarks on his face. He took out two cigarettes form the pocket and gave me one. We set light to the cigarettes.“You are a newcomer” I asked.
“Yes. I am. ”
We kept walking until we saw a lake in front of us. “I want to drink some water. Is it safe”He may be scared for the dead bodies in the lake. I saw that it was as clear as a mirror. No corpses were in sight. Many soldiers drank the water here.“I think so.”
He smiled and walked to the lake. It was his first smile to me.Merhart took the water in the lake and drank it. He splashed his face with water.I also drank the water. “Are you enlisted to the army”“Yes. It is made compulsive by Nazi Germany,” he said.“Me too. I have enlisted for two years.” I sat down in front of the tree. The stars sparkled, as if some little bulbs in the dark sky.There were some sounds of rustle by that time. A long and big black shadow walked. I saw that it was Merhart. He walked towards me. When he stood in front of me, a necklace slipped out of his jacket. It was a sliver locket with a woman holding a sword engraved on it. It was very beautiful and looked antique.He picked up the locket and took a steady gaze at it, as if it was a treasure.“What is that” I asked.
“It is a locket. My wife gave it to me before l joined the army.” He said.I can’t believe that! “What is the figure on the locket”“The woman is Nike, the god of victory. It symbolized the victory of the war.”“This is my wife.”
“Lovely.”
“Thanks”
“I’m married too. I was a factory worker before. I have a daughter.”“I am a dairy farmer. I didn’t have enough money to go to the high school.”“So you finished grade 9”
“Yes. I studied until ninth grade. Then I helped my father in the farm.”“What a pity!”
“What about you”
“I worked in a factory. It is hard work.”“I sell fresh milk in the market every day. It made good money.”There were no shouts at that time. I could hear “rustle, rustle, rustle” in the breeze, as if the whisper of the leaves.Merhart stood up. “Alfred. We must go to the German barracks now.”“Oh!” I stood up.
When he just left, there was a loud sound “boom, boom.” I turned round. I saw Merhart was gunned down on the ground.“Hey, Alfred! You OK” A soldier said.
“Thanks, Ben.” I said in a small voice.When Ben left, I looked at Merhart. What an amiable boy! I can’t believe that! I stayed with Merhart for a long time and then left.“When I was little,
I wanted to
Be a soldier,
Making the supreme sacrifice
For Nazi Germany.
When I was a teenager,
I enlisted,
Be a patrol of Wehrmacht.
I was willing to
Spend my life
In the army.
Merhart Schmidt
1924- 1944”
