Berlin blood

The week in occupied France passed unnoticed. All the soldiers quickly found places in local cafes, hangouts and bars, entertaining themselves with the company of French women. All of them were mostly housed in the houses of local residents, who were responsible for providing housing. Thilike felt that this was not right, and the French were indignant at what was happening, but they had nothing to do, they simply obediently followed the instructions from the German side. Erich recovered from the overdose and, as soon as he was allowed to leave the hospital, he immediately went with Eris to the nearest bar to celebrate their victory. Yes, they were somewhat similar — both silent and thoughtful, looking somewhere through the layers of this world. Looking at them, he realized that they both got along well and had practically become friends. He talked more with Jens. They did not become close, but sometimes they had intimate conversations, when Jens talked about himself and shared his observations, and Thielicke shared his own. They often had quarrels — both of them had character, but they made up quite quickly. What Thielike certainly did not share were his comrades’ views on French girls. Many soldiers played with them and did whatever they wanted, without giving it any importance. In this regard, Thielike was modest and every time he was shown signs of attention, he mentally imagined Hilda’s face and politely refused. He was above it all. I wonder where they sent her? And how is she doing? Tilike walks along the pavement; on the left side there are small stalls. His gaze falls on an elderly man who is sitting on a bench and watching the setting sun, which is about to disappear. “Hello,” the guy comes up and greets a person whom he sees for the first time in his life, but his facial features seem familiar. — Hello. What you need? — the man became nervous at the sight of the boy in military uniform. — Could we meet you somewhere? — Tilika takes a closer look—short haircut and wrinkles. Yes, he definitely saw it somewhere. — I don’t know, maybe we crossed paths once. Tell me, what is your name? Maybe I’ll remember. — Tielike Schlosser. — Ah… Well, yes, we met, I remembered you. You worked in one of my bars, and later, when you quit, I saw you with one of the workers,” he began to tell him about everything that was boiling in his soul. About the bars he closed due to losses, about the wife he buried, about the country he always wanted to leave, and about his life, which ultimately brought him here — to France — without money and the meaning of life. — So you owned the premises where Hilda worked? — Oh, this ill-mannered girl who left with her friend? — Maybe. Tell me, where did they go? “Who are you for her that I should tell you this?” — the man narrowed his eyes. “I… I’m her fiancé,” Thilike hesitated only for a second. “She left, and after her, two weeks later, Louise left, spitting in my face and saying that they would join the medical staff at the front. — Do you know where she was sent? — Well, how should I know this? It was '39, maybe to Poland? Where else could they be sent? “Thank you very much, goodbye,” Thielicke gets up and rushes as fast as he can through the streets of France to the bar where Jens is sitting. He urgently wants to know if they will go there again? How did he not guess right away? Damn it! Why did Hilda even get involved in this?! I would sit and wait for him. Although, given her character… Thielike turns the corner and runs into the cafe. Cigarette smoke, noise, music coming from the gramophone, and a bunch of officers. Jens was promoted, he is now not only their commander. He finds him with his eyes, runs up to him and sits down on an empty chair. — Tilike? Where are you from so out of breath? Sit down, calm down,” Jens pours him some wine. — No, I will not. Tell me, will we go to Poland again? — Tilike looks at him point-blank. Jens thinks about it — he doesn’t know how to drink and it’s obvious from him. — No. Not in the near future. — Crap! — Tielike stands up with a jerk, but his attempt to leave is stopped by Alfred, who sits him back by the collar and forces him to drink with them. Everyone sitting nearby says to do the same. He has to give in and drink, suppressing a smile. He didn’t like to drink. *** Poland 1940 Hilda once again regretted that she had made a deal for the sake of one meeting with Thielike. In the spring after the battles, the roads were bad. They were taken to the camp, which had just opened, to help with the arrangement. Hilda didn’t know anything. And this unknown scared her. She saw a lot, but, immersed in medicine, she saw even more horrors. She perceived this experience as something new for herself. She had long wanted to enroll in psychiatry. In truth, she has always been attracted to human characteristics of body and soul. But Hilda was never able to go to school; she had to work. They were delivered in the evening. It had rained and the soil was still quite wet. Mud stuck to their boots as they walked to the building where their group of four would be housed. They entered a small, stuffy room, where the distance from wall to wall was about ten meters. A little space for things, for which there was a chest of drawers, and two bunk beds. The walls are bare, and there is nothing underfoot except planks. “Yes, not a lot, but, Hilda, don’t be discouraged, there’s a meeting with Tielike ahead!” As soon as the girl had time to think about it, a gloomy man entered the room, from whom there was a whiff of something dark. The eyes sparkled, the blue color gave them a devilish look, and the hair was cut short. He began to tell why they were brought here in the first place, what they had to do, and what rules they needed to follow. He also explained where they were brought, what kind of people there were, and how they should treat them. Hilda needed to know, but she wasn’t interested in listening. When at the end of his speech he asked if anyone had any questions, Hilda, raising her hand, asked if there was anyone else here besides them. Maybe soldiers or tank units? The doctor smiled and said no. There are not many soldiers here, and those that exist are there to maintain order. There are no tank units; they are all sent to other fronts. After that, he left, and others followed him. Hilda continued to sit there until Louise began to shake her shoulder. “Hilda, you’re upset, I know.” — And how. Why the hell did you lie to me? — What do I have to do with it? How could I have known that they would be sent to another place? The girl sighed and walked away. Either resentment or anger tormented my soul. She went to meet Thielike, and in the end she got this. The girl took the top bunk and, looking at Louise one last time, closed her eyes. But, getting up the next morning, she writes him a letter: “Tilike, I know you lost me. I’m fine, I work as a nurse in Poland. We were just brought from Germany to some camp that had recently been built here and nothing was explained. I will wait for an answer from you.” *** Having received and read the letter, the guy was able to breathe out calmly. The last few days have been tense. As he reads, he understands where she was sent. He urgently runs as fast as he can to Jens, asking when they will go to Poland again. He can’t wait to get her out of there so she doesn’t have time to get bogged down in this. Jens replies that in the near future they will go to conquer icy Russia.