The Voice of Heart

16| The Arrest

More than thousands anti-German flyers had circulated in Noyers secretly. The locals started to be aware of the resistance fighters' presence. Their powerful words aroused the spirit of revolt, as powerful as the appeal of 18 June 1940 that was broadcasted on BBC Radio by a French General, Charles De Gaulle: "France has lost a battle but France has not lost the war . . . Whatever happens, the flame of the French resistance must not be extinguished and will not be extinguished."

The resistance fighters kept up their spirits with a persistent display of hostility toward the occupiers. They urged people to join them in fighting for the liberation of France. For the first time, the Germans saw a direct act of French opposition; stickers emblazoned with "Vive de Gaulle" appeared throughout the village, from street signs to public restrooms. All eyes were on them; the locals recognized the motto. They instantly remembered Charles De Gaulle's appeal on 18 June 1940. The murmur of voice buzzed around the crowd. "Yes, he is a symbol of opposition to the occupation and the Germans know it. Someone used those stickers to call the locals to resist the Germans." Far from it, the hushed voice ran through the long queue; a middle aged woman said while fanning herself with a ration book,"I always remember the command I've given myself once and for all: don't ever speak to the Germans. Yesterday a young soldier spoke to me in German but I just shrugged helplessly and went quietly on my way." She was filled with a feeling of joy and satisfaction when she had the audacity to resist the enemy with her own way.

Then what did Wilhelm think about this initial French resistance? He drifted off into deep thought when he saw the sticker on the stop sign at the intersection, "I can see what the French people think of us. They regarded us with hostility. We're living in the midst of a population that has only hatred for us."

Adeline also spotted the sticker on the bumper of a German staff car, plastered there by some courageous youth when the vehicle stopped at the café. After a while, a German officer in a field captain's uniform emerged from the café door; his boots gleamed and his uniform was tidy. He stood at the back of the car, checking time on his wristwatch. When his eyes flitted to the sticker on the bumper of the car, he was startled. With an angry face, he turned his head to the right and to the left as if he was looking for a culprit. Adeline chuckled when she saw his reaction. "Our people make the Germans the butt of jokes."

She headed home. She cycled along the street, passing the half-timbered houses with pink and violet geraniums in the window boxes. She suddenly stopped. A short distance away, she saw the Germans climbing out of the military truck with rifles in their hands. The three of them rushed toward Clément's house. The tall one in a field lieutenant's uniform banged the door with his fist repeatedly, yelling in French, "open the door!" As soon as the door opened, they went in aggressively. They dragged Clément out of the house by force; he struggled to get loose as his arms were gripped by two Germans. At the same time, his wife and his little son appeared on the doorstep. With a sob of anguish, she begged the Lieutenant to let him go. He pushed her so violently that her body fell backward. Her crying son gave her a hug as they watched the truck carrying Clément away. Soon the road was empty. All that remained was a little cloud of dust and a great sorrow.