The Voice of Heart

21| The Voice of Heart

Wilhelm sat in the shade of a cherry tree, reading the last chapter of Adeline's novel. "Do good to others and goodness will come back to you," he was amazed with the words in it. He stroked its cover before putting it down on his lap. Beside him was a well-trained faithful friend, a black-and-tan dog who was awake yet motionless; for a few days now he'd had the regiment's Alsatian with him.

The dog put his snout on his legs, barked and wagged his tail; he was asking him to play. "No, Heinrich," Wilhelm told him. "I am too tired to play now." The dog started to bother him. He stole his Wehrmacht cap with his mouth. "Oh you are a hat stealer," Wilhelm chuckled. They engaged in playful tussle. He tried so hard to grab it back but the dog dodged him nimbly. Through the window, he could see Adeline tidying up the dining table. She had no longer spoken to him since the incident of oppression by Major Gustav. Her long silence made him sad. He hoped he could speak to her again, just like before. "Do you still remember you've stolen a hat from that beautiful woman?" Wilhelm said to the dog in French and it was loud enough for her to hear. "Now she's there. Don't steal her hat again, ok?"

"What a child!" Adeline thought. But she couldn't help smiling.

All of a sudden, the sound of shattering glass rose up from the house, so loud that it surprised Wilhelm. He rushed in and found the splinters of glass scatter across the floor. Adeline crouched down to pick them up. She let out a little cry of pain when the large shard ripped her finger.

"I'll go get the antiseptic and bandage for you," Wilhelm said after seeing warm blood oozing from her finger.

He came back to her and treated her wound. They stood close, face to face. When he looked up, they gazed at each other. Their eyes told a tale of longing which words could never fully express. They missed their conversations and the moments of closeness. There were many things they would never forget: he helped her when she was sick, she took care of him when he was wounded and the wonderful moments they shared together. Deep in their heart, they felt love. They loved each other. Yet, despite this, it was impossible to escape the fact that they were at war and he was the enemy who had taken over her country.

"Sit down. I'll clean this up," Wilhelm said after he finished treating her wound.

"No. Let me do it myself."

"No. Please. I am begging you."

She succumbed and sat down on the dining chair. He wore his leather gloves to prevent his hands from getting the splinters. Seeing it, she wondered why the German officers always wore them even in summer. He picked them up and placed them in a triple-layered plastic bag. After some time, the floor was clean.

"Thank you for your help," Adeline said. "Jeanne will scold me if she knows I broke her favorite bowl."

"I'll throw it somewhere else so it's out of her sight."

She felt relieved to hear that.

He looked around, trying to remember where he put her novel before the accident. He finally found it on the kitchen sideboard. He took it and handed it to her. "I've finished reading it. Thank you for lending it to me. Your writing is so beautiful because you always know the right word for the right moment."

"I really appreciate your opinion," she smiled and then said, "I heard you were in Paris. What were you doing there?"

"I had to provide interpretation service for the commandant there. This trip allowed me to meet my sister too. We toured Champs-Élysées and had lunch at La Mère Catherine. I told her about you."

"What did you tell her about me?

"I said to her that I lived with a French novelist. She was a nice woman. But she didn't speak to me anymore because she hated me."

"I don't hate you but I hate the evil leaders who use you as a tool to wage a war of conquest that leave millions of people dead."

He looked pensively at her, speechless.

They heard the front door open and close again, followed by footsteps getting closer to them. Later on, Wilhelm's orderly emerged in the doorway. When he spoke to Wilhelm, his face maintained the impenetrable expression of a professional soldier.

"Herr Oberleutnant, you are summoned to a meeting with Major Gustav now."

"Jawohl."

Wilhelm and his orderly made their way to the German Headquarters. Major Gustav presided over a meeting of officers from all three infantry companies that reported to him. He ordered them to ready the troops for tonight. They would be joining the invasion of Russia. Shortly thereafter, the post erupted with hectic activity. All officers and soldiers were busy with the preparation of invasion. Wilhelm helped his men get the horses and equipment ready for combat. They would be loaded on to the military train with the troops. He spent most of the daytime to check out his unit, making sure everything was in order and everyone was in the right place.

Daylight passed. Wilhelm stopped at Adeline's house. He was home. In four months he had come to think of all this as his own: the teak door, the half-timbered walls and the backyard garden with its sweet-smelling aroma. He went to his room to pack his stuff and his orderly helped him load them into the staff car. He was looking for Adeline but he only found Jeanne instead. Before he told Jeanne that he was leaving, he expressed his sincere gratitude to her for letting him stay in her house during the duty. She felt delighted to know she no longer lived alongside the German, as delighted as an inmate who would soon release from a prison.

"Madame, I don't see Adeline. Where is she?" He asked.

"She said she was going to the lake." Jeanne thought he might be unable to have a last farewell with her because he would leave shortly.

Wilhelm stepped out of the house. His orderly was waiting for him, sitting at the front seat of the staff car. It was late afternoon when they set off. Beyond the window, white-painted houses fronted on to the road. The hills sprawled behind green fields. He ordered his orderly to stop at the side road and then got out of the car. The trees towered above. A thick carpet of leaves muffled his footsteps as he made his way deeper into the woods. He kept walking until he found Adeline near the lake. She turned around when she heard him calling her name.

"How did you know I was here?" she asked.

"Jeanne told me that  you were here."

As the Sun dipped closer to the horizon, its golden light cast reflections that danced over the lake. The warmth of sunset created a serene atmosphere. He looked around, admiring everything around him, "This place reminded me of you. I still remember your smile and your melodious voice when you sing Bel Ami song with me."

"It was such beautiful memories."

They smiled at each other. His smile faded away and his face looked wistful now. She noticed the transformation of his expression, "What is it?" She sounded worried.

"My comrades need more reinforcements. Therefore, my superior sent my unit to the Russian front. I am leaving now."

A wave of sadness washed over her, so sad that it reflected in her eyes, "I hope you come back from the war safe and sound."

"I will never forget you."

"And I will always remember you."

With a heavy heart, they bid each other goodbye. He turned away. He walked through the flower meadow that was bathed in the golden hue of sunset. The tears flowed down her cheeks as she watched him slowly fade into the distance. All that remained was memories.

THE END