War Girls Complete Collection Chapter 261

Chapter 8

T

he next day, Lotte went to work as usual. A certain tension hung in the air, but nothing she could point her finger at. Everyone in the garrison seemed to be jumpy and an unusual amount of activity took place.

Lotte wondered if it had to do with Lina’s suicide and the impending investigation. No doubt, someone had to suffer the consequences for letting an important witness die on their watch.

“Wonder what’s going on,” Gerlinde said. “It’s like a bunch of school boys going on an excursion.”

“Maybe they are. Have you noticed the absence of supervisors today?”

“You don’t… we’re not… do you think they’re abandoning the garrison?” Gerlinde whispered.

“No idea. I wish they would, because that would mean…”

“…the war is all but over.”

Lina came to her mind and Lotte became all agitated. She had to inform the resistance cell about the girl’s death. It might help to save another life, frightfully awaiting being discovered.

“Let’s go into town after work,” Lotte suggested.

“Great idea,” Gerlinde eagerly agreed, never one to dwell long on dreadful thoughts. “Spend our pay on traditional Norwegian food.”

“If there is any,” Lotte said, laughing. Although she knew there was always food to be had for a German in uniform. “That reminds me that I left my silk scarf at Bar Boca – the one my sister Ursula gave me – I must get it back. We could stop there on our way back.”

“Aha! It’s that tall, handsome guy you met, isn’t it?” her friend teased. “Anything I should know about?”

“Nonsense. He disappeared the moment the song ended,” she scoffed to show her disinterest. “Seriously, that scarf is precious to me. I’d hate to lose it. Just a quick word with the bartender; you can even wait outside if you don’t want to go in.”

“Yes sir,” Gerlinde agreed with a mock salute and the girls giggled, forgetting themselves for a while. They walked the half-mile into town, admiring the wooden houses painted in pastel colors. The narrow streets curved elegantly between the quaint houses. Coastal artillery dotted the rugged seaboard, clearly visible against the horizon. It served as a constant reminder of the war raging on, even though they didn’t notice much of it, here at the far end of Norway, where the European continent met the roughness of the untamable North Sea.

The laughter of children playing drew Lotte’s attention. It was their disregard of their environs that touched her deep in her heart. They enjoyed their games without a care for the anti-aircraft batteries, tanks and artillery forces that were ready to take on an invasion.

As they strolled along the cobbled streets, Gerlinde said, “Did you hear about that girl from the kitchen? Caught for being a resister. Killed herself to evade just punishment.”

“Oh, please don’t remind me about that,” Lotte shot back, her body rigid with tension. “It’s all too depressing.”

“Yes, very sad,” her friend continued thoughtlessly. “How bad she must have felt to kill herself rather than face the Gestapo.”

“Please stop. I mean it,” Lotte begged. “I saw Lina around the canteen, even said hello to her a couple of times. She was so young and sweet, may her soul rest in peace. Let’s talk of happy things – like what we want to do once the war is over.”

“First thing, I’ll find my family and return with them to our lands.”

Lotte doubted that returning to that part of East Prussia would be a viable option. It had become an enclave and a thorn in Stalin’s side after big parts of the area had been ceded to Poland at the end of the Great War. He surely wouldn’t give it back. But she kept her mouth shut and nodded to the reminiscent nostalgia coming from her friend.

“Sorry, we’re still closed,”

the barkeeper called out as she opened the door and stepped into the twilight. As soon as he saw her uniform, he changed his demeanor and said, “Although, if you want an early drink, I could make an exception for you.”

She glanced around the empty place that looked so different now than the other day when it was bursting at the seams with bodies eager to forget. For her purpose it served even better not to have any other patrons present.

“No thanks, I was actually looking for my scarf,” she said, quickly crossing the dance floor until she came to stand right in front of the bartender.

“Sorry, no scarf was found.” He peered at her suspiciously.

She bent across the bar. “Are you sure?” and then on a whisper, “Lina killed herself, before…” The rest of her sentence lingered unspoken in the air, but judging by the glimmer in the bartender’s eyes, he knew that she’d come to reassure him.

He pretended to do some searching, to fool anyone who might be looking, although there was nobody around. “No, Fräulein, no scarf here.” Lowering his voice, he added, “Don’t come back.” With those words he turned his back on her and busied himself organizing his mixers.

“Did you get your scarf?” Gerlinde asked, as Lotte returned to her friend waiting outside.

“No,” she replied dejectedly. “I’m afraid someone has found it useful.”

“Don’t fret, Alex. It’s getting warmer by the day; you won’t need it for a long time.”

“That’s a relief,” she said with a sarcastic tone.

Gerlinde must have misunderstood Lotte’s curt answer, because she touched her friend’s shoulder gently. “It’s been a hard time – for all of us. You will see Ursula soon and then you don’t need the scarf to remind yourself of her.”

“I don’t know what I would do without you.” A wave of gratitude warmed her heart. Without Gerlinde’s friendship all of this would have been so much harder.