" I was quiet but I was not blind."
- unknown
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Aldbourne was a quaint little town, hidden in the rollings hills of England, with cobblestone streets and path ways, and tiny homes lining those roads, as well as little store fronts and restaurants and a fountain in the center of town. It was like a fairytale almost, with the little eves and peaks of the homes and the shutters on the windows with the flowers out front in tiny soil filled pots. It was magical in a sense. When the trucks pulled into the town center, the men and the women jumped out of their truck beds. Hazel jumped down and looked around with her bag on her back, eyes wide in amazement.
" It's nice ain't it, kid?" Bill said walking up to her side. Bill had helped Hazel up into the truck that morning, and had talked with her the entire way there. Bill was actually fun to be around, and plus he treated her well. Hazel glanced towards him and nodded.
" It's a beautiful little town." she said and Bill smiled at her, helping other men down with their belongings. Hazel began following after the group catching up with Catherine and Lizzie.
" It's like a fairytale, like Snow White." Hazel said looking around.
" It is," Lizzie said her eyes shining, " especially with the little homes. I love it." Hazel grinned.
" Ladies, gentlemen!" a voice called and the group looked up and saw Sink in front of the group.
" You will be receiving your billet assignments now and head over to where your assignment is," Sink explained to the group.
" Yes, sir." the group chorused out. Sink stepped down and guided the group over to where 2 lines were formed to where they would get billet assignments. Hazel prayed that she was with the women, but in general, if she were with any of the other men, she wouldn't be entirely opposed. Hazel glanced back at Catherine as she approached the front. Hazel was handed a small slip of paper and found that her name was there with an address, not a barn number.
" I'm not in a barn," Hazel said, as Catherine and Lizzie came over with their own slips of paper.
" We aren't either." they said showing their own slips of paper. It seems that they were being respected to the fullest, as if they were officers when they clearly weren't. But officers and NCOs received billet assignments and that was something very enjoyable about it all. A home, and an actual bed.
Hazel bided goodbye to the 2 women, as well as the men who were upset the women wouldn't be bunked with them.
Joe Liebgott promised he'd probably just show up on random days, she believed he would.
She had eaten breakfast with him that morning, and had found out that he's actually a really nice guy to be around and they never seemed to run out of things to talk about.
So she took his word for that.
The house, which was down a road, and on a tiny hill, which overlooked a field with trees and English hills surrounding it. The sunshine seemed to hit the house just right, with glistening, clean washed windows, a few buckets of soapy water sitting right outside, with a beautiful porch, flowers, hanging pots and little ceramics everywhere. There were little pots of flowers in front of each window, with golden colored shutters on them. There was a farm in the back, and a small garden and water pump on the side, and a few cow moos and chicken clucks from the back. There were wildflowers all over the front lawn. It was a beautiful little home. The door opened and a woman who seemed to be in her mid-40s to 50s stepped out, with a wise smile upon her lips.
" I was telling my husband Harry that you would be showing up today, but he kept mixing up his days, until he noticed a paratrooper coming up the road." the woman said as she brushed back a lock of golden hair from her forehead, with a smile on her face. Hazel smiled and laughed lightly as she approached the home.
" You must be Hazel, am I right?" she asked her with a graceful smile.
" Yes, ma'am." Hazel said as they shook hands.
" Ma'am, haven't been called that since my years in war." she said, and smiled at Hazel. Hazel's interest was peaked.
" Follow me inside, we'll get you settled." The inside was even more beautiful. To the right was the kitchen, that opened up to the living room, that flowed outside to a porch and the farm out back. The staircase was in front of them, leading upstairs and to the left was a sitting room with a fire place, stacks of books, and plump couches with a desk, overflowing with papers.
" I'm Mrs. Burnett, but you can call me Grace. My husband Harry's around here somewhere." she said as she turned and took the step down into the kitchen.
" Harry? Love? She's here, Hazel." Grace called throughout the home as Hazel admired the framework of the home, all the tiny photographs, as well as the tiny antiques that were on each and every shelf without an ounce of dust on them.
" I'm coming." a voice called and Hazel looked up to see an older man, with a shovel in hand, from being outside, coming inside, with a jolly smile upon his face. He gave Grace a kiss on the cheek first.
" How are you? I'm Mr. Burnett, if Grace already said this, but you can call me Harry." he said as he shook her hand, and Hazel smiled gratefully.
" It's nice to meet you, thank you for taking me into your home." Hazel said.
" Well aren't you just the sweetest thing," Grace said holding a hand to her heart, " Harry put that shovel down, what have I said about bringing it into the house." Harry laughed.
" I know, I know, you love me still." Harry said with a smile and Grace just smirked at him, as he lumbered out again outside.
" How about I show you upstairs, alright? We have a bed, with fresh sheets, and then I can start on dinner for you, how does that sound?" Grace asked with a smile.
" That sounds nice." Hazel said and Grace smiled. Grace led the way up the staircase which was a beautiful dark brown, with plants along the stairs, many pictures of people in black and white, and a few cats as well. The upstairs was even more beautiful with more plants and pictures as well as so much natural afternoon light.
" You have a beautiful home, Grace." Hazel said as she looked around gazing at everything.
" Thank you, dear. I just tend to pick up any pictures, old book or plant I see and fit it in. It makes quite a lovely home." Grace said looking around her house with a smile. Hazel smiled. Grace turned the door handle to a room at the end of the hallway and stepped inside, allowing Hazel inside. There was a bed, with a big and bright window beside it, with afternoon sun picking in and hitting a bunch of plants and books that were around the room. The bed had 2 pillows with a fluffy comforter, as well as a nightstand, containing a toothbrush, cloth, and a bar of soap.
" As you can tell we've been excited about housing you here." Grace said as she smoothed down the one pillow on the bed, " I called this my art room." Hazel noticed the paintings that were stored away in the corners of the home.
" This house has been in my family for generations. Harry just insisted we live in here." Hazel smiled at her. There was a breeze from the open window, that gave the room a sense of a fresh scent from the outside world, an Earthy scent.
" You remind me of my mom back home, she loved plants and old books." Hazel told her as she sat down on the bed with her bag and looked towards Grace. Grace smiled, a wide smile.
" Think of me as your mom, I know it'll help." Grace told Hazel squeezing her shoulder gently. Hazel smiled.
" I'll let you to get settled, I'm going to start on dinner." Grace told her and gave a grateful smile her way before heading out of the door. Hazel smiled softly and then turned and looked around the room. She approached the window and looked out towards the farm and the field and the hills. It was all so beautiful. Hazel slowly turned and looked towards where Grace had pointed out that there were paintings there. Hazel slowly headed towards them and crouched down next to them int he corner. They were beautiful landscape paintings, with the most vibrant colors that brought out the little bits and each little detail. Hazel reached forward and pulled a painting forward that showed the night sky, filled with stars. Bright and beautiful stars. Hazel then noticed a sunflower one behind it, with the most softest of yellows painted into the canvas.
" Her paintings on always the best." a voice said and Hazel's head flipped to the side to see Harry standing in the door of the bedroom, looking fondly at the paintings. Hazel stood.
" I'm sorry, they're just beautiful paintings." Hazel said and smiled. Harry smiled and walked forward into the room, looking around it with a small smile.
" Don't be sorry at all, she never gets her work out there, I think she should get it out there." Harry said and Hazel grinned.
" I think she should too." Hazel said and Harry smiled.
" There's some more downstairs if you would like me to show you." Harry said. Hazel nodded. He was so proud of his wife, and Hazel adored that.
" Of course." Hazel said. She followed Harry downstairs and into the sitting room. The sitting room was filled with antiques, books and plants, and paintings covered the walls. The painting that caught Hazel's eyes was the one of a tree with the sun shining behind it, illuminating a shadow.
" I like that one." Hazel said pointing towards the painting.
" Ahh," Harry said, " that's my favorite too." Hazel's heart was warm looking at the painting. " Does she think that, too?" Hazel asked him. Harry looked at her and smiled.
" She prefers the sunflower one upstairs, but I tell her I like each and everyone she paints." Harry said and Hazel smiled, she couldn't stop.
" That's cute." Hazel said and Harry chuckled.
" Oh, there you are." the two heard a voice say and they turned to see it was Grace a smile on her face.
" You have beautiful paintings, Grace." Hazel said as Grace walked up besides her and smiled.
" Thank you, dear. I try." she said and Hazel watched her smile genuinely at her paintings. Dinner that night was delicious and Hazel got to know the Burnetts better, who were the most adorable couple Hazel had felt she had ever met.
A gentle night breeze filtered through the window into the room that night. Hazel would be alone for this part of her journey and it was something she'd have to get used to.
Back when she was with the women, at Camp Athene, there were at least 40 people in a bunk room, just for the first half of 2nd platoon. With the British Army, snores always descended upon the room and helped Hazel sleep. Now she was alone, listening to nothing but the wind. Hazel laid on her stomach against the pillow and looked up towards the stars which shone brightly down onto the English countryside night.
This was the start of a new chapter with the men of Easy Company and Hazel finally felt excited.
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there's one more chapter going up after this that i hope you all enjoy! thanks!