Hope

September 1, 1939

The coffee's aroma reminded me of the last night, where my body was aching and craving for Anna. I saw a wild side of her yesterday and could not contain myself. The proposal was not planned but came out abruptly from my mouth.

Last night when we were laying on the terrace gazing at stars all I could demand was love for eternity. To my amazement, she agreed and nodded her head in yes, the rest of the night was marked upon my neck with red blotches.

As I remembered it, my neck tingled and I flushed like a red rose. All this morning I was planning about the intricate details of our wedding, and soon was going to post a letter to mother informing her about the good news.

It was 9’0 clock in the morning and we all were waiting in the café for the news on the radio. The German and USSR agreement was very watched upon and people were nervous about the upcoming war. The scars of World War I hadn't gone yet and the German Expansion was giving a fright, leaving everybody sleepless.

“Good morning to the people of Britain. We have some bad news for all.”

The voice from the radio snatched the breath out of the people.

“…German has invaded Poland. Britain who had promised Poland Protection is going to Allie with it and give German a befitting reply. I urge youth from age 18-31 years to take it as an opportunity to serve the nation. Don’t be afraid gentlemen there is always light at the end of the tunnel…..”

People did not have the patience to listen to the whole bulletin. They ran on the streets howling and cursing Hitler for snatching the peace from their lives. People were on the streets discussing ways and plans to run away from the allotment camps.

Walking down the street I knew what would be my next step.

“What's your name Sire?”

“Mark Butler.”

I reached my home, the light was beaming from the kitchen's window indicating the presence of Anna.

I opened the door and smelled the strong aroma of grilled chicken and inhaled it like a soothing scent.

“I was waiting for you. Where were you? I was missing you so much.”

Her doe-like eyes shined in the dim light of the lantern and she hoped in my arms like a fawn. I kissed her immensely like it was the last chance I would ever get to do it.

“What happened, why are you restless?” she asked with a pause.

I placed a badge in her palms and her eyes shot in remorse.

September 2, 1939

“Think about it again, Mark. If you don’t hop on this train then we will have a sustained future, house, and children. Just like you dreamt,” tears had occupied her dull eyes. She clenched my hand, requesting me not to go.

“I promise you, Anna, I will try my best to come back. Don’t stop me.”

She clenched my chest with her soft hands and soaked my vest with her tears.

“Promise me you will try with every power to come back to me.” She fumbled with every word but held my hand with the last hope that she had.

“I promise you,” I said to her with an assuring kiss.

The train's horn blew, signaling all the wailing lovers to embark on the new journey for their nation. I gently removed Annas scarf from her neck and wrapped it along my wrists.

Her scarf will witness my future glories and my only hope in this war.

June 10, 1940

It's been a year since World War II. Germany has captured Belgium and Luxembourg. His marching footsteps are going towards Paris, which must be stopped at all costs.

The war is not going to stop on its own.

Anna is getting anxious day by day and our chance to get united is failing by each moment.

She joined as a nurse to serve the soldiers and the nation. Here I was taking lives and there she was giving lives to the people.

Due to work and war, we could not write each other letters. We did not have a specific location nor place to address them. All we had memories of each other in this dark phase of life.

June 24, 1940

General Charles De Gaulle's has created the Free France movement. We are supposed to march down towards the German army and give them a befitting reply.

Paris is the City of Lights and the City Of Love which shouldn’t be corrupted by hate and dictatorship.

Our batch was ready with rifles, guns, and grenades. But did our hearts dared to kill people and destroy cities?

We never found an answer to this question.

I wrapped Anna's scarf along my wrist to gain the courage that we all were missing of.

August 24, 1940

We were standing on the tanks howling on top of our lungs. Celebrating the defeat of the Germans was the long-standing dream of Britain and the rest of the world. We paid a huge price for it though.

We lost a million people till now, I lost my friend, our commander, and the city lost its luster and love. We all posed for the cameras, freezing our smile in this biting cold. The news was transmitted through the telegram to the general, and we all were hugging each other for being alive.

Ou win did not matter much. All we wanted was the scent of the earth of our homelands. Greed, inhumanity towards specific people, massacre, gas chambers, and hate had blinded the minds of the dictators. Their actions were no longer indicating peace or purpose.

We may have won the war of guns, but winning the war of mind and hearts was way tougher.

This war has shown everybody the plight that humanity has suffered.

We were deployed to the gas chambers to rescue all the bondage people and children. The German soldiers had already left in fear. All we could find were dirty, hunger-stricken, and diseased people.

We rescued them, freed them from their bondage, and took them to the health clinics.

The clinics were in the worst state. The air was condensed with the smell of blood, and the pungent smell of iodine roasted the hair of my nostrils.

Some soldiers were calling for life, some were calling for death.

Their amputated hands and feet showed us the true face of war.

The win did not change the mood of the people nor did it bring shine to their eyes.

Hopes were still clinging to us just like Annas scarf, which needed to get back to its owner.