Secrets Revealed by Marion Kummerow

Author:Marion Kummerow [Kummerow, Marion]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Marion Kummerow

Chapter 16

They slept through the day, taking turns standing guard, and started their walk toward the border again in the late evening. It was a slow process through the fields, because they could barely see a few yards ahead and stumbled along like drunken sailors.

“It’s no use. If we continue at this pace, we won’t reach the border before winter returns.” Gerlinde said.

“It’s June. Winter is at least four months away.”

Gerlinde fell into a ditch she hadn’t seen along the field and stretched out her hand for Lotte to help her out again. “See? We need to return to the road.”

Lotte shook her head. “But then we can only walk under the cover of night and that will give us just a few hours each night.”

“There are so many people on the roads, will it really matter if we walk during the day?” Gerlinde suggested. “I think it will be safer; besides, the extra hours will get us home faster.”

“You have a point. But apart from looking the same as any other dirty, wretched individual, we’re still in uniform.”

“Oh, right. But… we need to cover more ground.”

“Let’s walk in the early morning and late evening. People still need to sleep during that time, even when it’s not dark outside.” Lotte scrunched up her nose, thinking.

“We really need to get civvies.”

“And how exactly should we go about it? We can’t very well walk into a shop and tell them we need to shed our uniforms.”

“We could… organize them…?”

“Organize?” Lotte’s jaw gaped open. “You gave me a dressing-down for stealing food from the garrison kitchen and now you suggest we go thieving clothes.”

Gerlinde’s face flushed red. “We could leave some money.”

“What a grand idea! We’ll leave a note with a couple of Reichsmark thanking the owner for their help.”

“I thought…”

Lotte felt bad seeing the embarrassed expression on her friend’s face and patted her arm. “It actually is a good idea, although I doubt the Danes will appreciate our Reichsmarks. I’ve heard the new favored currency is British pounds.”

“…Or cigarettes. You don’t have one, by chance?”

“No, my dear, not one.” Smoking women were frowned upon in Nazi Germany and therefore the Blitzmädel didn’t receive army provisions of cigarettes like the men did. Before today this had never posed a problem for Gerlinde, who only needed to flutter her eyelashes to get one.

“I could really use a fag.” Gerlinde sighed, her eyes becoming dreamy. “You should try it one day. It suppresses your appetite, makes you more alert and keeps the chill out of your bones.”

“You should work for Reemtsma, praising the health benefits of their ciggies,” Lotte giggled.

“Believe me, I would. Being a poster girl smiling down from an advertising column can’t be all that bad.”

Lotte all but toppled over in a fit of giggles. “Stop. Right now.”

“Why?” Gerlinde joined her laughter and together they enjoyed a few minutes of uninhibited silly recklessness, before they sobered up to reality.

“We better continue walking; we still have a long way to the border.”

And they walked trance-like along the road south, every step taking them closer to Germany.

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