My German Lover, Part 26, chapter 2

As they were all walking back towards Kurt's house in Berlin, all they could see around them was destruction, and buildings burning.

The smoke from the fires was thick and they were all wearing their handkerchiefs over their nose and mouth...

They were walking in the middle of the avenue, to stay away as far as possible from the burning structures and from time to time, they would pass right next to people standing there... looking at a building burning... not moving... just sobbing, looking at their home being destroyed by the fire.

Eventually they turned on a street and, in the distance, they saw Kurt's house...

It was still there... unscratched.

"Thank God!", Kurt's mother said, looking at their house... "It's still there..."

They all went inside the house and tried to get some rest. Although they were all exhausted, no one was able to fall asleep... as their nervous tension was just too high.

So they started to drink coffee... or chicory rather... since coffee was a long gone product from the shelfs in Germany.

When the sun rose, hidden by the smoke from the burning fires, Paul looked at Kurt and in a very low voice he whispered to him:

"Do you have a shovel here?"

"...Yes... Why?"

"We've got a job to do... at the cemetery..."

Later that morning, they all went to the morgue to get the funeral urns. Then, they went to the cemetery where Will and Lutz families had plots...

Due to the events, a formal funeral was out of the question. So they walked over to the Von Rundstedt's plot, where Lutz dug a hole large and deep enough to contain Will's parents as well as his sister's urns...

A prayer was said... and then, they moved on to the Weiner's plot, where Lutz's parents were put to rest.

Another prayer was said and after that, they remained silent, looking at the graves... tears running down their cheeks...

After a while... Paul softly said to his friends:

"Now... let's go my friends. Let's go... let them rest in peace."

They all went back to Kurt's house, packed their belongings... and as they were about to leave, Kurt's father said to them:

"I'll drive you to your plane... no problem!"

"Are you sure dad?", Kurt asked his father...

"Don't worry son... I'll be fine!"

Kurt kissed his mother good-bye and then his father drove them through Berlin -or what was left of the once beatiful city- then to their plane.

Once there, as they were about to board the plane, Paul took Kurt's father apart and said to him:

"Sir... That's all I have left...", giving the man a bundle of Reichsmarks...

"Promise me you and your wife will leave Berlin as soon as possible... Please Sir?"

Kurt's father looked down at all the Reichsmarks Paul was giving him... then smiled at the young Frenchman...

"(...) Why are you doing this?", the man asked...

"Because you're a good man Sir... and because your son Kurt is my friend. That's why! I want to make sure you and your wife don't get killed in that damn city... The RAF will be back and perhaps next time, you won't be as lucky as we were last night..."

The man looked at Paul and answered:

"You're a good man too Paul... God bless you!"

"Are you going to leave Berlin?"

"(...) Yes, we will... I swear to you we will!"

"Good!", Paul answered, smiling at Kurt's father.

And as he had said, that very same day, Kurt's parents left Berlin for good. And thank God they did, for a few weeks later their house was indeed totally destroyed during a bombing...

Once they had all boarded the plane, Kurt looked back at Paul and said to him:

"(...) I know what you did Paul... I owe you..."

"No my friend, you owe me nothing! ... Thanks to you, we all made it to Berlin, to pay our last respects to Will and Lutz's families. Without your help, it would never have been possible. Now, take us back to Paris, will you? And preferably... in one piece!", Paul answered, smiling at his friend...

Kurt laughed and answered:

"My friends... here we go! Hold on to hour hats!"

And a few hours later, they safely landed at the Bourget Airport...

"Thank God, we're back", Paul said, looking at the terminal...

"Yeah!", they all answered in one voice.

A page of their life had been turned... and from now on, things would never be the same anymore. But they didn't know it yet.

A few days later, as Paul was walking into the drawing-room on Avenue Foch, he noticed the lid over the grand piano had been shut down...

He asked madame Louise, his governess, about it and she simply answered:

"Monsieur Will asked me to do it. He said he won't play anymore..."

"(...) I see", Paul answered with a sad look on his face... "And I understand..."

"I hope you do, because I don't... I loved to hear him play... he plays so beatifully...", madame Louise answered.

"Yes", Paul replied... "I know. But that's his decision, and we're going to respect it, won't we?"

"Oui monsieur...", madame Louise answered, with a sad look on her face.

Then, and before they even noticed it... 1944 was there!

"Happy new year!", Paul said to his lover, kissing him...

"Happy new year to you too...", Will answered... "The new year can't be worst than the last, huh?"

"No", Paul answered "I don't think so..."

Thank God they didn't have a crystal ball to look into the future...

One night of April 1944, as they were all having supper at Paul's mansion, Lutz said:

"(...) My brother Hans is going to be released from the hospital. Franz and I have been talking about that... and we've decided Hans will come to Paris, to live with us. He can't go back to Berlin, since there's nothing left for him over there..."

"Good!", Paul said... "He'll be safe here, with us..."

"I hope you're right...", Lutz answered.

"You don't seem to be sure about that...", Paul answered, looking at his friend...

"(...) Look Paul... The way things are going, I don't know... How long do you think we'll be here in France, huh? On all fronts, the Reich is..."

"Yes, I know", Paul said... "And if you want to know, I think it's only a matter of months before Hitler is defeated. Now guys, it's time to talk!"

"(...) What do you mean?", Will asked his lover.

"Look... I mean... It's obvious Germany has lost the war. At least, that's what I think... and I sure don't intend to stay still and see you guys sent to the front. No way!", Paul answered.

"(...) Are you asking us... to desert... and to go to the enemy?", Lutz angerly asked...

"No guys... That's not what I'm asking you to do. But I'm asking you to save your skin, that's what I'm asking you..."

"What do you mean?", Will asked, looking at Paul straight in the eyes...

Paul took all his time. He looked at Will... then at Lutz... and he finally said:

"Hitler will bring down Germany with him... He doesn't care... And you all know it. Germany -or what's left of it- can't be saved. You know that too. Do you want to die, fighting for him? There's nothing left to fight for... As hard to say to you as it is, Germany is vanquished! (...) Now, what do you intend to do? And if I have to shoot you myself in a leg or in a foot to save you from being sent to the front... I will... I swear I will..."