1
As both Sheba and William set out early the next morning on his way to Annie's house, he started to feel slightly nervous, it was going to take quite some time in telling all that had gone on for the last 50 years. Even thinking of the length of that time made him feel quite old. They had both been young and innocent when they had first met. He could still see her as she was then. She had bright shining blue eyes and golden hair which caught the light from the sun and made you think of wheat fields blowing gently in the breeze. He remembered how she danced and the tinkling of her laughter, like wind chimes tinkling as they were being blown. He could also imagine what sorrow he must have caused her when he didn't return from that fateful landing on the shores of France. William's mind carried on thinking in this way and soon he was totally immersed with those thoughts.
2
His squadron had been called in for their final briefing. The commanding officer spoke quietly to the men who were gathered around. “You are all now about to undertake a mission in carrying over to France documents which are of vital importance to winning this war. It will be an extremely dangerous mission, and we pray to God that you will all return safely, but in war we cannot rely only upon our prayers but on our strength as a whole unit. Once you have handed over the documents, you will have only a few minutes in which to turn yourselves around and head off back down towards the waters edge where waiting to bring you back will be a flotilla of small boats. The men in these boats are all volunteers who will be risking their own lives in the knowledge that their children and the future of grandchildren will have a country which will be a safer place to live in.” The commander finished his briefing and saluted all of the men who were setting out on a mission which could be fraught with danger.
William gathered his group around him and went through the final details. He too knew that this was not going to be an easy mission. Looking around the field tracking room at the other men and women who would be following their flight paths and the landings, he hoped with all his heart that he would be back here soon. This was one flight which he had a strange feeling that he wouldn't be seeing some of these familiar faces again.
William's mind jumped ahead again. Only this time it was of memories of him hearing his team talk about football and going to the Friday night dances, but he was wrong. What he did hear were voices talking in a strange language. As he drifted in and out of consciousness, he had a feeling of being scared of moving in case it drew attention to himself.
3
He had no idea of how long he had been in this condition, but when he woke up and heard those foreign voices talking, his immediate fear was that he had been caught by the enemy. He wasn't strong enough to fight off the heavy burden which was keeping him motionless, he soon felt himself drifting once more back down into a darkness that opened up its arms to take him in and to rock him back to sleep. Sleep he thought, that would be the best thing, they wouldn't be able to do anything to him if he was still unconscious. The next time he awoke, he felt his head being bathed with a cool soothing cloth and to the sound of a young woman singing softly. He dared himself to open up his eyes, but all that he could see was a blurred image. He licked at his dry lips and in doing so he brought attention to himself that he was now waking.
“Ah monsieur, we thought that you would never regain consciousness. Please, let me give you a drink, slowly now, we don't want you to over do it. My name is Collette, I was with the men who you had come over here to meet with. Please take things slowly now, you have been drifting in and out of consciousness for over two weeks now, and I know that this is going to be the hardest time of all for you.” She held the cup of cool water to his lips again and when she knew that he had had enough, she gently let his head rest back upon the soft pillows.
As he rested, he once again tried to focus his eyes onto something, but his vision remained the same. With a deep breath he plucked up his courage to speak. “Mademoiselle, can you tell me if many more of my group were picked up, either by some of your people or by the enemy? I feel that I may have let them down very badly, bringing them into this ambush.” He paused to catch his breath, with not speaking for quite a long time, he found that his throat was rasping, but he managed to ask Collette for another sip of the cool water.
After making sure that he had taken a few more sips, Collette replied. “I think that I should let my brother Marcel tell you all that we know. I will go an fetch him and while he is bringing you up to date with all the news that we have, I will get you something to eat. A little soup perhaps and some fresh bread. Now rest again, you need time to get used to everything here. ” And so Collette left him while she went in search of her brother and to prepare the small meal for William.
Time, William thought to himself, that was something else which he felt sure that he would have plenty of for the moment. That was if he wasn't found. If he was found, what would happen to these people. They were the ones who had risked their lives many times for the sake of others. They were simply carrying out their own orders, as they battled with the enemy. Being with the resistance meant they were on their guard at all times. He noticed quickly that his hearing appeared to be much clearer, this was to be something which he would have to rely on for the rest of his life.
Marcel arrived at his bedside. He had know Marcel for some time now, as they had communicated on many occasions before this latest arrival. As Marcel, sat down by him, he listened without asking any questions. Marcel related how on the evening that he had landed on the shores, how they had all been taken by surprise. For several days before the meeting, Marcel and his group had been round the town asking questions at the local bread shop and at the post office. A watch was put on regarding the movement of the German soldiers, who had recently taken up residence in the main hotel in the square. They had already started to punish some of the local men, for no reason other than that they had looked at the German soldiers. The had no care, they took to beating the men in front of young children, so as to make sure that the women would do as they were told to. Being frightened was something that the Germans loved to see. Marcel continued with the events leading up to their arrival. “We set up early along the sand dunes and waited for the hour that you would land. It was a good night, very dark, with big curling black clouds. Just the right sort of cover that you needed to take up your flight and to parachute down in. The moon flitted in and out of the clouds, but with little effect to the blackness of the night. We had heard the drone of the aircraft's engines, but we saw nothing of you coming down. Then all of a sudden gunfire rang out all around us. I am sorry to say that some of our men did take off. People were running all over, and in the confusion some ran into each other. Then we saw you and how you were all trying to get free of your chutes. It was the worst that we had seen. Your men from the boats had also started to come ashore in the hopes of rescuing some of you. My other brother Alain ran down to the waters edge and in the brightness of a volley of shots I saw his body arch backwards before he sank down to his knees and to his death. You were only a few metres in front of me. I swallowed hard and blinked back my tears of what I had just seen and I reached forwards for you.”
Marcel helped himself to a glass of water. The telling of that dreadful night had brought back the sadness of loosing his youngest brother. “We do not know for sure how many people lost their lives that night, but I can only guess that it was in the hundreds. The resistance lost 35 men and women alone in that one night. I can also tell you that we have since found out who had been the spy amongst us. It was a young man, new to our group and to the town. He had given to us a reference from one of our neighbouring villages and from a man who himself was highly thought of. So of course we were always eager to accept new recruits. But he had given himself over to greed, what could be his if he only let the Germans know of any landings being planned. He had been told that a great deal of money could be coming his way, if only he would let them know of any plots of invasion by the English and of the aid that the resistance groups gave. Of course once they knew of your coming, he was taken away and put into hiding. We have also heard that he has since been killed by the Germans, having fitted into their plans for that time he was then considered to be of too high a risk to them and therefore he needed to be silenced. A cruel fate for him, but there again his is only one more for the suffering of all that he had been a witness to.”
There was a silence for a little while, both of them were thinking of how families on both sides of the waters had lost their loved ones. “As Collette has told you, you have been here for a little over two weeks and in that time many things have changed. We are being watched constantly and some of us are afraid to speak out about that night in case we give ourselves away to another one who has changed their allegiance. I believe from what I have been told, that your French is good, would you like me to speak to you in French? Very good then, as least if someone was to call upon us they would only overhear us speaking in our native tongue.”
Marcel continued on with the other events from that evening. We saw that the men from the boats could only manage to rescue a mere dozen or so men before they were finally driven back towards the water and to the safety of their boats. Steering away from the shores as fast as they could get their crafts to go. The Germans also ceased their firing and withdrew themselves as they couldn't see any further movements on the beach. As quietly as I could I first dragged you and then carried you back here and to safety. “I hope that we can one day soon arrange to have you re-united with what remains of your unit back home. Until then and I can also speak for my sister with regard to this, you are very welcome here. The package which you were carrying, we also managed to save. In it was the information that we needed relating to how many more of the German army units that are on their way here. This has been sent over to our headquarters and the interception of these units are now, as we speak, being put into force. I can see that all of this talk is tiring you. We will continue tomorrow, so until then I bid you a good night. Sleep well and wake rested.”
Marcel left him alone with his thoughts. But he was soon to be joined by Collette with the light meal that she had made for him. Slowly he managed to eat some of the soup. It tasted wonderful to him. The slight salty taste of the fish soup reminded him of the restaurant that he had loved to go to back home. He couldn't remember having eaten during the last couple of weeks, but he must have done, else he would not have been feeling as strong as he did. His strength was more in his mind than in his body. As his body still felt quite weak with only lying in the bed.
Soon after he had eaten, William did sleep again, but now his dreams were very vivid. He saw his men going down, the area awash with the light from the gunfire. His best friend fell right in front of him and there was nothing that he could do to stop the horror going on all around him. He shouted for help, but none came. He seemed to be running and running, but never reaching the hand that he saw being held out to him. As he awoke he felt his head once again being bathed with refreshing cool water and that his right hand was being held by another, but much smaller hand. He opened his eyes, and there again his vision was blurred. “Don't rush things, everything will eventually start to come back. Until then, use whatever help that I can give you.” Collette's voice was something that gave him reassurance. There was another voice that he longed to hear. Dear Annie, he wondered what she had been told. It was a little while yet before the wedding. He prayed that he would be home. As he drifted off again, her face became so real and so close to him, that he wanted to place a tender kiss upon her soft full lips.
4
The next time that he woke, he knew that he was feeling much better and stronger. The lightness from him had gone and in its place a feeling of wanting to do something, other that just lying there. He made himself sit up, feeling a little dizzy at first. Soon though he began to scan the room he could just make out slight shapes. It wasn't a large room, to his right was a small bedside table and further along a set of drawers, tall and strong looking. Next came the door, which he could just make out that it was open a little. Along the next wall was another piece of furniture, perhaps a wardrobe, all made from the same strong wood. At one time he could have named many pieces of wood, oak, teak, mahogany. But at the moment this was another thing that was lost to him. He then made out the shape of the window, a curtain billowing in the breeze and he heard the cry of seagulls as they swooped up and down in the sky. He noticed as well that his sense of smell had come back to him. This was extremely puzzling as he recalled that during one of his bouts of boxing back at the barracks, his nose was one night given quite a punch, which had left him without a sense of smell. Even if an offensive piece of bad meat had been placed right under his nose, he still couldn't smell it.
The breeze felt good, so he decided to be even braver and made the biggest attempt to get himself up and out of the bed. With arms held out in front of him and taking small, shaky steps, he headed towards the window. The chair must have been put there on purpose, as it was the most welcoming thing just to sit himself back down and to rest after having got himself this far. I am so out of condition, he said to himself. Now that I have made it this far, next I must see if I cannot get back to my own shores and next into the arms of Annie.
As he rested his head against the window frame he heard footsteps approaching his room. He then heard the intake of breath as the person who entered and saw that he wasn't in his bed. “Good morning William, you took me by surprise, but it is very good to see that you have decided on your own that it is time for you to start living again. My brother has given some of his clothes to me, as you are almost the same size. Do you think you are up to trying them on and maybe we could go downstairs and you can sit outside in the garden and take in some of the late autumn sunshine?”
It felt good to hear Collette's voice. It had such a soothing tone, that you were lulled by it. “That is the best suggestion that I have heard in many a long time. Yes, I will take you up on this offer. But I feel that I may need your assistance in getting dressed, as I cannot see button holes, so I would no doubt have my shirt on upside down.” Saying this, he let out a small cry of laughter. Something that he hadn't done in a long time. Holding on to Collette's arm he made his way back to the bed and sat down again. Soon enough he was dressed and on his way through the kitchen and out into the garden. A wooden table with seats were just a little way from the doorway. After settling William in one of the seats, Collette said that she would go and get his breakfast. “That sounds wonderful. The air is already starting to work on my appetite. I may just eat and eat until I burst.”
With a friendly touch on her arm, he let her go. Later as he sat there drinking the last of his coffee, he heard Marcel return and from the conversation which was now taking place, he knew that he had brought bad news. Not more he said to himself. “William, we must get you away from here, by this evening at the very latest. The German's have heard that they are going to be hit soon and they are determined to find all, or any of the people who helped you get the documents over here. We have an uncle who has a vineyard in northern France and we know that there is no risk whatsoever in that area. Everyone there is safe. So can you be, along with Collette. I cannot leave here as my wife is about to have our child any day now and the travelling would not be good for her. Do you think that you will be able to go? Collette is very worried that after all our efforts in getting you well again, that you will be taken away from here by the Germans if they were to find you here.”
“Have no fear of that. After the sunshine that I have had today, I feel quite refreshed. Although I am quite aware that I am far from being my normal self. That may only come back to me with time.” William was quite bold in saying this. Much more bolder that what his inner feelings were saying.
“OK then, let us see about setting you up with some clothes in preparation of the journey. Collette has already made a start. She has set up food for a couple of days. You will have to travel slowly so as not to draw attention to yourselves. The German's have many spies about and one cannot take enough precautions.”
And so a little over an hour later, Collette and William said their goodbyes to Marcel. William couldn't thank Marcel enough for all the trouble he was going to. But that was the way of the people who were in the resistance. “I hope to see you again very soon and to see your new child. It goes without saying, please be careful yourself and my thoughts will be of you always.” William shook Marcel's hand warmly and finally they set off on their journey.
5
As they travelled they took care to keep to the small country roads, Collette told him a little of her life before the war had come. She had spent much of her time at the vineyard, her parents had both died due to phneumonia. She had survived it, but since then she had always had a weak chest and was quite susceptible to any sort of chill which sometimes the bad winters brought on. Up at the vineyard, she had grown stronger, due to the warm air which wafted over the open fields. Most of her days she spent outside, especially when it was the time for the grape picking. That was the best time of all for her. “I once spent the whole day and early evening out in the fields. Many of the others had packed in the hard work of selecting the grapes and hauling them over to the tipping carts. Although I sometimes grew short of breath, the sheer delight in seeing the grapes being gathered just urged me on.” Collette's voice sounded so contented that William barely uttered a sound of recognition to what she was saying. “W ate heartily at the end of the day's work. Normally wine is served at all mealtimes, but on the last day of picking, huge tables were put out and many dishes of food were prepared to thank everyone for their help in getting the harvest in. The party atmosphere normally lasted until the early hours. You could find children asleep under the tables, where they all snuggled up together to keep themselves warm, because as the evening drew on the cooler air of the night settled in around them all. At last the parents gathered up their belongings along with their children and set off back to their own homes. The following day was a day of no work, but of course they would be back to the fields the day after this, cutting everything back in readiness to start the routine all over again for the next year's planting.”
William was lulled by the tone of her voice. She had such a way of speaking that you could almost be tempted that you could heard music being played. “Please, tell me more of what your country is like. I was fortunate enough to have been able to travel before the war, and I remember happy times spent over here. My parents had taught French at the high school in our home town of Scarborough. So it was without a doubt that I could also speak French. When I joined the air force I was singled out straight away because of this knowledge. I undertook strenuous training to get my body fit so that I could parachute down into the most remotest of places. My mental state was also worked on. How never to give in to the enemy. Even now in my somewhat still battered body they would never get anything from me. Oh I'm so sorry for prattling on like this. You must still be remembering your own loss. Maybe one day soon, we will be able to try to move on and begin to live again.” Why had he started this. He had put a complete wet blanket on the whole atmosphere of the day. What had originally started off as happy, was now clouded over by his morbidity. Perhaps if they carried on a little in silence the tranquility of the days beginnings may once more rise up.
The sound of the car engine took over and they traveled for some time before Collette brought the car to a halt. “There is nothing to worry about. We are just going to take a short break. This stretch of road goes on for many kilometres and is rarely used, so we should be safe here. Maybe we should take a little light refreshment to carry us on to our next stop. That one will be for the night. As I am sure you know any light from the headlamps would attract someone's attention to us and set them onto our tail.”
They settled down to eat some of the fayre which they had brought along with them. The cheese which was made locally to them and the fresh ham. The only unfortunate thing about their meal was that the bread which had been freshly baked that morning, was now getting to be a little stodgy. Bread was something which needed to be eaten fresh. The taste of the golden baked crust which then mingled with the stark whiteness of the soft insides, made your mouth water. Not wanting to take too many risks, they ate fairly quickly and afterwards made sure that they had picked up anything which may give them away to the enemy.
“Do you think that you will be able to drive for some time yet? You aren't getting too tired are you? I do feel rather bad that I cannot help you in any way. You who have been so good to me in helping me get myself together and in helping to heal my wounds. Would you care to hear of what it is like over the water from where I have my home? There are so many questions that I have put to you. But that is something which I have noticed in myself, that although I cannot see your face, it is as though I have got to carry on and say more.” William was now feeling quite stupid. Blathering on like an old maid. Maybe that is what he is going to turn into.
“No William, I am feeling quite refreshed after our light meal. You mustn't put yourself down so. There are going to be plenty of days in which you can relax, regain your strength, and who knows, your sight itself may also come back. But even if it doesn't, there are going to be so many things that you will be able to do, you may not think so now, but in time many opportunities will open themselves up to you.” Collette once again gave him a feeling of reassurance.
He was in a foreign country and although he knew the language it was still alien to his own native tongue. He had better not let his superiors hear him say something like that. They would have him out on his ear before he could say another word. William started to think about what Collette had just said to him, maybe she was right about other avenues which would open up for him. His interest back home had been music. A lover of the sounds of a piano, his mother had taught him from a very young age and he had mastered it quite well. There again without a doubt he had been the first one who was called upon to play at parties and at the local dance hall. His mind drifted off on another angle. What would Annie be thinking of him now. It was still early days since he had been stranded over here on these shores, but there wasn't a day which went by when he didn't think of her.
Sighing he relaxed in the quietness of the early evening. The sound of the tyres rolling over the fairly smooth road lulled him. It was a few hours later that he awoke to find that the car was now motionless. He could feel eyes looking at him. “Goodness me, you really needed that sleep. I hope that you will be able to sleep during the night, as I have now stopped because of the lateness of the hour. I do not want to draw attention to us by using the headlamps. Would you like a drink, there is still some of the lemonade left, which was made yesterday, but it may be a little warm?” He nodded in acceptance of the offer. Moments later a warmish glass was put into his hands. Drinking thirstily, he drained the glass in a few swallows.
“Thank you. That was lovely. You have had some yourself I hope.” William asked her.
“Yes, just a few minutes before you woke. It is now 9.30, I think that we should try to get some rest and then as the first lightness of the morning we will make our way onwards to the vineyard. Goodnight William, sleep well, with pleasant dreams.”
“Goodnight Collette, and thank you again for just being you.”
6
They both slept fitfully. But on waking they did feel refreshed and were eager to continue on with their journey. Collette told him that she had traveled this road many times over the years. Her uncle's home was a place which was visited frequently throughout the year. Not just for the harvesting of the grapes. She told him that there had been times when after her own mother had died, she had spent more of the holiday breaks there as well. Learning how to cook and how to bake. She could always be found in the kitchen a few weeks before Christmas. Preparing everything for the week of festivities which were always held at her uncle's vineyard. “We used to have so much fun. Often the children were allowed just to sleep where they were found, curled up under tables, or sitting on the bottom stair of the grand staircase. My father was quite strict and didn't think that the gaiety of all who attended these affairs was quite appropriate. But this was something that my mother had enjoyed and he had been so in love with her, that no matter what he thought, she was allowed to go ahead and enjoy herself. I was so like her, that I was then given the same privileges.”
“It sounds like something out of a movie the way you have told me this tale. I feel that I would be able to fit right in there. I love to hear music, mainly the tunes which you can create upon the ivory keys of the piano. My own mother had, before I was born, played the piano at the amateur dramatic society in our town. She told me once that if she hadn't fallen in love with my father, that she had aspirations of becoming a professional pianist. Along with the French which she had learnt from her grandparents, both grandparents had come from Boulogne, she had been quite talented for a young woman of her time. Once she had married my father, who had then just been taken on as French teacher at the high school in Scarborough, she had felt a little left out. But not for long, mother was and still is, quite a pushy sort of person and before a year was out, she herself had also acquired a post as the junior French teacher. This job finished as soon as I was born. Her time she told me with laughter in her voice, was well and truly taken up with looking after me and my father.”
Once more they travelled on in companionable silence when all of a sudden Collette exclaimed in a light tone, “oh my goodness, I wish that you could see the sight unfolding before me. The whole landscape as far as my eyes can see are full of green and black grapes, swaying along gently in the late afternoon breeze. Soon my dear William we will be in a safe place, where you will quickly heal and become strong again.”
The car coughed and spluttered and came to a sudden halt. “It is a good thing that we have arrived. The supply of fuel has finally given out and I am sure that the engine will be rather worn out as well, because we have been running on air for the last few kilometres. But no fear, we shall stride out and be welcomed at our final resting place in only a few minutes.”
Catching hold of her arm he let himself be guided along. The road was a little uneven in places, but the stillness of the air around him, gave him a wonderful feeling of coming home. A home that would be his for many many years to come, but this was something that he knew nothing of at that precise moment. “Uncle Gerard,” Collette called out. Moments later a booming voice echoed all around them, “you gave me quite a surprise, my just look at you. You seem to grow more beautiful each time that I set eyes on you. But please, introduce me to your friend, I do not wish to appear rude. Welcome to you both to my home, what is mine is now yours as well to enjoy. Come let us go inside, I am still so happy to see you that I am forgetting my manners.”
Saying this he then took an arm of each of the young couple and led them towards the open door. After calling out to his wife Margarite, who eagerly rushed out to greet them both, kisses and tears of joy from Margarite as she ushered them into the sitting room. Gerard then arranged for the car to be towed up and for their suitcases to be taken up to the bedrooms, they then sat down in comfortable chairs in the large sun filled sitting room.
Soon after as they sat in comfort, they told of the atrocities which had befallen them since the night of the raid when they had picked William from the beach where they had parachuted in. “We couldn't take any more risks of staying and of hiding out. William had brought over the essential documents and we felt that we had to keep him safe. From all that we have heard of the tortures that the Germans were doing to the prisoners of war, we could not let this happen to him.” Collette smiled over at William and held onto his hand. Confirming to him that she did care for him. His heart gave a little jump at the thought that he was perhaps falling in love with her. Could this be true. If his eyesight never came back or improved, he would never see the lights which shone from the green grey eyes which twinkled when she smiled.
Coughing to overcome a sudden nervousness William said, “I thank you from the core of my heart for taking such a risk in even entertaining me for a short time, not to mention that you are allowing me to stay for a duration which non of us can say how long it will be. It is because of such friends as yourselves that we will win this dreadful war.”
“You can be assured of that my new found friend. And yes, it is a dangerous time and a dangerous venture that I am putting myself and my family in. But in time we will emerge from this and be able to put some of the evils to the back of our minds. There again, we will always remember those who did not survive and of the horrors which will always remain with us.” Uncle Gerard handed out glasses of wine and as Margarite came in bearing a tray of freshly baked bread and goats cheese, they sat around and talked of happier t