redamancy

IV.

By the time the new year rolled around it was just Sarah, Mina and I. Sarah was almost three months pregnant by now and missing Nathaniel terribly. He sent two letters each week that were distributed three out of the five days. One would be asking about me, the other would be addressed to me, but truly for Sarah. Those letters were the only thing that kept her going truthfully.

It was going into the third year at the rehabilitation camp with little progress made. Britain still wouldn't allow the refugees to leave to Palestine and they wouldn't allow them to come to the United Kingdom. The refugees still wouldn't go back to their old homes which prevented soldiers from going back to theirs and this caused much resentment between the groups. Each day dragged like no other.

President Truman did open up the quotas for survivor relocation in 'forty five, but not all of the survivors were able to make it in time before they died or before the quota had been reached, so here we all sat trying to make the best of things.

When May of 'forty-eight rolled around; Israel had been created as a sovereign state. This is when many of the Jews left the crowded camp in Milan and immigrated to the new state looking for a better life. Sarah even departed from the camp for Israel. Mina cried when she found out Sarah was leaving, but when Sarah asked her to go Mina wouldn't go which made Sarah even more sad.

"Please come with us, you will have a much better life than staying here." Sarah whined kissing the cheeks of a teary-eyed Mina.

"I wish I could, but I must stay here." Mina frowned.

"It's not really my place to say this, but Sarah's right. If you leave now you will have a better life." I added. I didn't want to see Mina go because I had become quite fond of her, but I didn't want her to die in a rehabilitation camp.

"Even Justin thinks it's the right thing. Please come."

Truth is Sarah could plead and beg Mina till she was blue in the face, but Mina's decision was final.

"Ik hou van je." Mina responded kissing her forehead.

"Ik hou ook van jou." Sarah cried through hushed whispers.

Before Sarah knew it, it was time to go. The soldiers were calling for the last of the refugees to be relocated. She gave Mina one more kiss and then scurried off to the train car that was designated for her. The train would take her over to the dock in Rome where she and the rest of the survivors would get on a boat and set sail for Israel.

That night I allowed Mina to sleep with me in my bunker because she was alone now and had no one else left, but me. The next morning around sunrise I snuck her out the back and waited for the patrolling officer to go on break before I let her back into the camp.

Hours later I also wrote back to Nathaniel. I was forced to tell him Sarah left for Israel. I didn't want to at all, but I couldn't let him just keep writing to someone who wasn't even at the camp anymore. The guilt would've ate me alive.

Things didn't get any better when General Callahan ordered for a soldier rotation. I guess the soldiers who were currently serving time at the rehabilitation camp were getting weary of the same scenery day in and day out and Callahan noticed it because he made the decision to send the men home and have new soldiers come in. Unfortunately I was included in the rotation. No matter how much I protested the switch; Callahan thought it was the best for me and everyone else.

When I told Mina she was an absolute wreck.

"Justin. I do not want you to go. I have no one else and I will miss you dearly." Mina sniffled through her fits of crying.

I pulled her into an embrace and didn't let go for the longest time hoping it would soothe the tears and the sadness she was overcome with.

"I love you." She breathed against my chest; her hot breath fanning through my thin uniform.

"You love me?" I retorted in confusion. No girl had ever told me she loved me before. This was very foreign to me.

"Of course I do." She looked up at me with her big brown puppy dog eyes that happened to be stained with a shade of crimson on the sclera of her eye.

I didn't know if I should tell her I loved her back because I wasn't sure if I loved her. Sure I was fond of her, but I had never really thought about loving her. People throw the word "love" around all the time, it was just something the human species had come accustomed too, but I had a feeling hers was deeper than what I thought it meant.

"I love you too, but I have to go. It's an order." I quietly replied.

"Before you go. . .Please allow me one thing. . . ." She chewed on her bottom lip innocently, but also skittishly.

"What is it?" I asked knitting my eyebrows together; in also a skittish manner.

She said nothing. All she did was press her lips against mine.

The sensation was amazing. With every turn of her head, or mine, or even when she held my hand when she kissed me. I felt warm inside; this kiss was unlike anything I had ever experienced with another girl and I loved every minute of it.

That was the night we kissed behind a Soviet bunker and had no fear of getting caught. I felt so alive, so careless, so free. I liked the feeling of having nothing to worry about except the tingly feeling developing in my heart for Mina.

I was in love with her and all I needed was one kiss to prove it. 

//

Vote/comment/share etc because I love checking my notifs and seeing "____ just voted for you story!" it makes my day. Also thanks for all the support from everyone and nice comments ily all.

One last thing: that brief convo Sarah and Mina had before Sarah left is in Dutch. Mina said "I love you," and Sarah said "I love you too," well according to google translate.