*Note to readers who have read before February 1st, 2014*
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I had to change some dates in the previous chapters which have caused me to change the orders of them and add a new chapter. If you'd like, you can reread the story. Sorry for the inconvienience. Hopefully everything is in the right track now!
Don't forget to vote!
Chapter 10:
June 17, 1941
Somewhere in Duisburg, Germany
It has been just days after the bombing and months after my son's departure into the military; yet they both seem to engrave a permanent memory in me.
I stood above a pile of fallen debris from a building while holding onto Nina's hand. She held onto a handle of a wooden basket where Axel sat in. Ever since my wife left this world, I had become lost.
The skies wept softly, trinkinling me with its frigid droplets. Clouds blocked the light that I longed to see. The shadiness of hopelessness surrounded the very air I breathe. Disorientated buildings retched their interiors, a disarray of indistinguishable materials. Fumes rouse from remains, slowly depleting from the tears of the sky.
Nothing seemed to entertain me like how it used to be. I remember coming home from work to be greeted by my beautiful wife and the aroma of her dishes.
I also remember seeing the lively smiles of Nina and Friedrich. I wish this war never begun, but I cannot change time. I'm just a man living anonymously in this war polluted world.
"Papa, why are you crying?" Nina cracked as we walked along the debris. The city improved a little since it was bombed. Everyone joined the effort to help clean up.
"Nothing Nina," I answered as I lightly tightened my grasp on her hands. I don't want to lose anyone else.
I knew my son would be happy that he had fulfilled his dream. His dream was to become a soldier, and I allowed him to catch his dream and make it come true.
I managed to cast a grin thinking about it. My heart sunk as I remembered the night I talked to him. He looked so eager to join the Wehrmacht, yet he still showed sadness for me.
"Hans?" I turned around. I smiled as I held out a hand to shake.
"Albrecht!" He smiled.
"You're alive! Kaip sekasi?" How are you? Albrecht questioned in Lithuanian. He knew some Lithuanian phrases due to the relatives on his mother's side. He is also a fellow co-worker of mines at the hospital.
"I see this is your daughter Nina," Albrecht said as he knelt down to greet Nina.
"So where's the rest?" He asked as he scanned the city. I dropped my head, hopefully not having to say anything about Lara.
"Oh no...all my condolences," Albrecht said as he seem to have gotten the message.
I let go of Nina's hand and knelt down. I couldn't keep it in anymore. I just allowed the tears flow endlessly down from my eyes. Nina and Albrecht huddled around me.
The people passing by didn't seem to bother to look at what's going on because they probably felt the same. They felt the feeling of being lost and missing something.
"O-only Friedrich is still okay," I manage to say.
"Where is he then?" Albrecht questioned as he got up to look around. "He's in the Wehrmacht. He's a soldier in the Wehrmacht," he concluded and chuckled.
"Him? In the Wehrmacht? Are you kidding me? He's too soft-hearted to be in the army! What were you thinking?" I stood up and pointed my finger at his face in accusation.
"Look, you're not his father and you never lived under the same roof as him. He enlisted months ago and he showed me he was willing to fight for our country. So how about you take your blunt mouth somewhere else and not here?" Albrecht retorted.
Although Albrecht was a fun man, he had a way with words. Usually those words aren't the kind you would enjoy. He scoffed and walked away.
I wiped my tears and held Nina's hand again.
"Papa, I'm hungry," Nina tugged at my arm. I looked down and she was pouting. I looked around for a nearby building that could contain food. I found a partially destroyed grocery shop and found my way in, keeping my hand locked with Nina's.
I searched the destroyed shop for any leftover food. As Nina and I walked along the ruined ground, pieces of tiny glass fragments and dirt grated and crunched against our shoes.
Part of the walls were blown off, revealing the wooden frame that makes up the walls. The tiles littered with smudges of dirt and empty metal cans. Many of the cabinets and shelves were broken and some had vanished into tiny pieces.
Fortunately, there were a few unopened cans of peaches that were still in good shape. I picked them up and handed one to Nina. There was a small bottle of milk and I also gave that to Nina to feed Axel.
"Thank you, Papa!" Nina grinned and she sat down on a chair that's in usable condition and started to feed herself and Axel. I sat down next to the chair Nina was seated on and began to eat.
We sat in silence as we stared out into the distance. It was quiet and all I heard was us chewing on the peaches and Axel drinking the milk.
As I sat chewing on the peaches, a couple of people came rushing in to scavenge the area. An elderly couple came up to us and asked where we found the food. The man carried a small potato sack over his shoulders. It didn't seem to fit with the neat, rather fancy clothing the couple wore. They must be wealthy.
"T-there should be more on the shelves...or on the floor," I said as I pointed towards a few cans that were still in decent condition.
"Danke! Danke!" the Old Man said as he grabbed the cans. He handed them to his wife and sat in front of us.
Suddenly a man that came in with them spotted us. He dashed towards and lunged for the Old Man. The wife let out a yelp and covered her mouth in distress.
"Hand me your food! I'm hungry!" begged the attacker, his hair wild and eyes gleamed with deprivation.
The mugger brought himself upon the vulnerable elderly man.
I immediately got up and tried to pull the attacker back. As I grabbed him, he swung his elbow backwards, hitting my cheek. I fell backwards heavily on the tiled ground. My face and back throbbed with pain as I layed on the floor, staggered.
"Sorry, but you're going to have to give me your food," the assaulter insisted. The man then grabbed the can of peaches off the ground and grabbed the milk bottle from Nina's grasp.
Axel hissed and bared his teeth.
"Nein!" Nina cried.
"Give me back the food or I will have to fight to get it back," I ordered.
"You're just an old man with no family! All you have is her! What is she? A girl you found off the streets and you just thought of helping her? Why does she have that stupid cat anyways? It could be mea---," the man retorted.
