My German Lover, Part 19

"Stop that, will you! No one is getting married... and certainly not my young cousin! Now, it's a bit late for you to worry about your daughter's reputation! She already has quite a reputation around town, you know... So don't play that game with me... I'm warning you..."

"What did he say?", Ludwig asked...

"... He was stunned that I already knew about his daughter's reputation..."

"... Who told you?", the man asked me...

"...I have my sources", I told him... "And don't think you can fool me just because I'm young: I've seen the rain fall before today! ... Now: I'm sure we can settle this "thing" like gentlemen, can't we? Maybe a check would help you to digest better?"

"...I'm not that kind of a man, you know", he answered...

"I'm sure you're not", I told him, grinning, while writing a check. (...) "Would this amount be sufficient?", I asked the man...

"... What did he do?", Ludwig asked...

"Oh", Paul answered to him... "He took the check and walked right out of my study, that's all... but before he left, I had time to tell him something...

"What?", Ludwig asked...

"... Don't you ever come back to me with that story, monsieur Lagardère... for not only will you be out of a job, but I'll see to it you'll never find another one around here. Do we understand each other?"

"Shit", Ludwig said... "What did he say?"

"He just said he would not cause us anymore troubles... That's all!"

"(...) And how much did you give him?", Ludwig asked, again looking at his feet...

"Stop looking at your feet like that, will you? Even if you keep looking at them like that, you won't see them grow...", Paul answered, laughing...

"...How much?"

"That's my business... not yours...", Paul answered.

"... I want to pay you back... Not now, cause I can't. But I will, I swear..."

"... That's nice, telling me that. But you'll never know how much I paid that scamp! And you owe me nothing. That will remain between you and me. And I don't want to hear about it anymore. The book is closed. Definitely closed!"

When Ludwig raised his head, Paul could see tears were running out of his eyes... Ludwig then walked over to Paul, and gave him a big hug...

"Okay, okay... It's all over now. Dry your tears, and put a smile on your face, will you?", Paul asked him...

"Thanks! That's all I can say, but I say it to you from the bottom of my heart...", Ludwig answered.

"I know...", Paul answered, grinning...

The rest of the summer went well and, of course, from time to time, Will had to bring back from Paris new rubbers, cause Ludwig seemed to need them in "grossenmengen", as he said...

"Mein brüderlein ist immer auf dem sprung! Eine Hase! Dast ist ja unglaublich!" (My baby-brother is on the go! A rabbit! That's unbelievable!), Will said to Paul, laughing...

"Er ist eine teenie... (He's a teenager...), Paul answered, laughing...

"Yeah... Maybe... But he will find it hard to go back to Berlin...", Will stated...

"... About that... I wonder..."

"What?", Will asked.

"... I don't know... He's going to be seventeen next year... Could he be forced to join the Hitler Jugend? Or the Wehrmacht?"

"(...)"

"I think we should start thinking about that, don't you think, Will? If the Russian campaign isn't over by then, and if your parents are willing... he could come to Paris, and be registered at a private school here... I would gladly pay the tutition for him... Hans is already fighting on the Russian front, I wouldn't like to see Ludwig sent there too..."

"... I never thought about that...", Will answered. "I guess we could talk to my parents about that idea..."

"Yeah... And his French is pretty good now..."

"Yeah... But don't tell a word to him about the idea... cause he will keep bugging us all year long about that...", Will said, grinning...

"I know!", Paul answered, laughing...

At the end of August, Paul, Will and Ludwig flew to Berlin, since school was about to start, and Ludwig had to be back...

Will told his parents about Paul's idea, and they said they would think about it, since they didn't want to see Ludwig being incorporated into the Hitler Jugend nor the Wehrmacht... and be sent to the Russian front...

"... I'm sure I could ask Herr Funk for a military deferment in favour of Ludwig. He loves me, I think... He won't say no...", Paul said to Will's parents, laughing...

"... And you know, the campaign in russia is far from being over... They are trying to take Kiev, and it's almost September... Moscow is so far away, I don't think they will be able to take the place before winter comes...", Will's father said...

"...That's what I think too...", Will replied.

"We'll let you know concerning our decision...", Will's mum said, smiling. "Thanks".

Of course, Ludwig couldn't stop thanking Will and Paul for the extraordinary summer he had spent in France, thanks to them...

"I'll never forget what you did for me, guys: You're the best!", He said to Will and Paul, as he hugged them... "I love you, guys... Take good care..."

"You too, Ludwig... And don't forget: You're a grown man now, so act accordingly...", Will said to him, grinning...

"I swear I will, bro..."

On their way back to Paris, Will said to Paul:

"... I'm convinced this whole thing in Russia will turn sour... So don't wait Paul, and start asking Herr Funk for a military deferment in Ludwig's favour... Let's not wait until it's too late..."

"Count on me!", Paul answered, smiling...

It didn't take long for Paul to send Herr Funk his "special" request for a deferment, along with a generous "donation" to help "the cause" and a big crate full of Dom Pérignon bottles...

The reply came at the end of November: Starting July 1942, a three years military deferment would be granted to Ludwig, as long as he could prouve he was studying in France the whole time...

As soon as Will and Paul got the reply, Paul made a few calls, and in no time, but without him knowing it, Ludwig was registered with one of the best private college in Paris, starting September first, 1942! The proof of registration was sent to the Wehrmacht, and the official deferment papers were received soon after...

"Thank God!", Will said... "And thanks to you, Paul... You didn't have to, but once again, you've prouved your love to me..."

"Hey... I know my baby-brother is safe in New-York! So now, we'll make sure Ludwig is safe here, in Paris..."

"... And from what I've heard, life is far from being easy at the moment on the Russian front. I've been told they're freezing over there... and Moscow hasn't been taken yet..."

"...At least, we know Hans is in the South... Let's hope they are not freezing there too..."

"Yeah!", Will answered.

A few days later, on Sunday December 7th, Paul ran upstairs to wake Will... Telling him to get his ass off the bed and get downstairs, to listen to the radio:

"You won't believe me, even if I tell you... So come, and listen for yourself...", Paul said to him.

"What's going on?", Will answered, annoyed...

"There was an announcement minutes ago... The Americans were attacked at Pearl Arbour..."

"WHAT? (...) Where the hell is that? And attacked by whom?", Will asked, stunned...

"... Come downstairs, and listen to the radio..."

"... This is not possible! I mean... Who would be crazy enough to attack America? (...) You must be wrong!", Will answered.

They ran downstairs and started listening to the radio...

Then, there was an announcement...

They didn't know it yet, but their lives was about to change... Again!