My German Lover, Part 22, chapter 2

"Yup! I swear! When I think I wanted to throw away that goddamn picture... And the best part is that today, without even knowing it, the Führer helped me save two Jews... If he knew about that, he would have a heart-attack!", Paul said, laughing... (...) "But you were right Will: During the night, thousands of Jews were arrested in Paris... According to what madame Louise heard on the radio, the operation began at four o'clock this morning.. and it's still going on! She said thousands of Jews... men, women... children... old-aged people... were taken away during the night and many of them have been sent to the Vel d'Hiv..."

"What's that?"

"It's a covered stadium... on rue Netalon... It's called the "Vélodrome d'Hiver", or the "Vel d'Hiv"... (cycle racing-track...)

"Did they say where those poor people will be taken to?"

"No... We don't know. But at least, Mrs & Mr Bloomfield are not amongst them..."

"...Thanks to you, Paul..."

"No. Not only me! It's thanks to you and Lutz too... You've proven Germans have a heart! Last night, you took big risks... And you knew about it! But you and Lutz didn't back off... I'm so proud of you...", Paul said, as he gave his lover a sweet kiss... "Now, call your office... then come back to bed: I'm exhausted!"

A few days later, a meeting had been arranged by the Vicar... and so Will and Paul went to the presbytery... where they met with Mrs & Mr Bloomfield...

"You were right, monsieur Paul... And thanks to you, your cousin and your friend, we are still alive and free...", Mrs Bloomfield said...

"And I have a surprise for you...", the Vicar said to Paul...

The Vicar went to a door, knocked on it... then said:

"You can come out now..."

The door opened and a tall young man walked in...

"Robert!", Paul shouted out...

"Come here, you fool... and give me a big hug!", the man said to Paul, laughing...

"Will... This is Robert Bloomfield...", Paul said to Will...

Will looked at Mrs & Mr Bloomfield and asked:

"...Your son?"

"Yes...", Mr Bloomfield answered, with a big smile on his face...

Will walked over to the tall young man and, shaking his hand, he said to him:

"Nice to meet you..."

Will knew perfectly well this guy was with the Résistance... They were mortal enemies! Not because they wanted to, but because of that stupid war! And Will knew perfectly well that, tomorrow, this guy could very well be the one to shoot him down, somewhere in Paris... "If I'm gunned down, let's hope it's not by him...", he thought to himself...

After a while... Robert looked at Will straight in the eyes and asked:

"Sorry to ask... but you have a slight accent: Are you German?"

"Yes", Will calmly answered... "I'm in the Wehrmacht... but don't worry, I'm not a Nazi... and I hate Hitler as much as you do..."

Mrs & Mr Bloomfield were stupefied...

"... But... We thought... he was your cousin...", Mrs Bloomfield said, looking at Paul...

"No. He's my lover!", Paul calmly answered, looking at Mrs & Mr Bloomfield...

"I think we should all sit down, shouldn't we?", the Vicar said, grinning...

After a long moment of silence, Paul explained everything to his neighbours. To say the least... they were stunned!

"It's your life, Paul..." Robert said... "You're my friend, and you and Will saved my parents: Who am I to judge you... In fact, I don't give a damn..."

"Thanks Robert: I appreciate!", Paul answered...

"... I don't know what's worst: Us, being Jews... or you and Will, being homosexuals! From what I've heard, your kind is not treated better than we are by the Nazis!", Robert said, with a very sad smile on his face...

"And what about your other friend?", Mr Bloomfield asked...

"Lutz? He's in the Wehrmacht too... He's a translator, just like me. And he hates Hitler just as much as I do...", Will answered...

"So he's German?", Mrs Bloomfield said...

"...He's a human being, just like you Mrs Bloomfield... and the other night, he risked his life to save you both...", Paul answered...

"He's right, dear...", Mr Bloomfield said to his wife... "If they had been cought, both of them would have been brought before a firing squad..."

Mrs Bloomfield rose up and walked over to Will. She took him into her arms and she kissed him on the cheeks, saying:

"Thank you Will: I'll pray for you..."

"Thanks Ma'am... That means a lot to me...", Will answered...

Mr Bloomfield hugged Will and said:

"...Yes! You're a good man, Will! And I know all Germans are not Nazis..."

"Most of us are not, you know...", Will answered, with tears in his eyes...

"Well... That calls for a celebration, don't you think?", the Vicar said...

He walked over to a cabinet... there was a sign over it that said: "Vin de messe" (wine for the Mass)... He opened a door and took out a wine bottle from the cabinet and said:

"Let's have a drink..."

Of course, they all laughed...

"Vin de messe, huh?", Paul said to the Vicar, laughing...

"Sure! The best! ...And don't worry Mrs & Mr Bloomfield: The wine has not been consecrated yet..."

"We wouldn't care...", Mrs Bloomfield answered... "After all, we all believe in the same God, don't we... Whatever the name we give to him..."

"You're so right!", the Vicar answered, laughing...

Later that night, Robert explained his parents would soon be taken out ot France, to a place where they would be safe. He couldn't say how... nor where... but soon, they would be safe...

"I'm relieved to hear you say that...", Paul said...

As they were about to leave, Will and Paul kissed Mrs & Mr Bloomfield...

"God bless you...", Will said to them...

"And God bless you too, young man... We'll never forget what you did for us...", Mrs & Mr Bloomfield said to him...

As Will and Paul were about to leave, Robert took Paul apart, and said to his friend:

"I can't thank you enough for what you did..."

"It's only natural Robert... But please, keep your guys away from the Palais Bourbon: That's where Will and Lutz work... and remember... they are only translators..."

"I'll do my best... I promise! And Paul?"

"Yes?"

"(...) Listen... We may need your help in the future... Can we count on you?"

"...You mean... the Résistance?"

"Yes Paul... I'm not a Communist... I'm not a Capitalist: I'm just a patriot! Should we need your help, can we count on you?"

"... If I can help, I will... I swear to you... You can count on me!"

They hugged, then Paul and Will left...

That was the last time Paul saw Mrs & Mr Bloomfield...

He later learned from Robert that his parents had made it out of France... and had been taken to a place where they were safe. Where? Paul didn't know.

And from then on, from time to time, Paul would receive a call from Robert asking for Paul's help to hide Allied pilots that had been shut down by the Germans over France...

With Paul's help, all were taken to the Vicar's presbytery... then hidden somewhere under his church where no one was ever found! All Paul knew was that, at one point or another, all had made their way out of France, thanks to the Résistance. How? He had no idea... He understood he was only a small link of a much bigger chain... and that the less he knew, the better it was... for if arrested by the Gestapo, he couldn't tell much...

Fortunately... He never got arrested!

And no German soldier was ever gunned down by the Résistance near the Palais Bourbon in Paris!