The next morning began in silence, but was disrupted by a private who knocked on the door. ”Major, Major Forgeron and the german Major wants to talk with you.” Blenkinsop quickly got dressed, Maltravers to, they hurried, but couldn't help but giggle and steal kisses from each other while doing so. They could come up with a lie later. The french major looked at them. ”Ceasefire, today... again?” Blenkinsop said, his french had gotten terrible over the night, especially since he had not eaten breakfast yet. ”Yes.” Major Forgeron said. ”To bury our dead.” ”But...” ”It will make it easier to fight tomorrow then, Major.” Major Bräcker said. ”Please, no one will ever know.” So they all buried their dead. It was a sad, sad moment, they apparently had two priests, a french and a german, who blessed the soil and the poor men's souls. Both sides collected clothes, rifles and other useful things from the dead. And they all helped each other to drag brothers and friends over the field. After that was done, another mass was held, and this time, Blenkinsop dared to rest his arm around Maltravers. No one cared about morals anymore. The younger men started playing a game of football, Major Bräcker joined in, so soon all of them were, except Blenkinsop who hated football, he cheered on his men though. No one held the score, just playing, laughing, forgetting about the war, and that they where playing in a graveyard. They played cards, they drank, the danced and the laughed. The Christmas Spirit had swung it magic wand upon them. When that day draw to an end they where almost best friends. Soldiers had exchanged addresses so that they could write to each other, a young english boy had clearly fallen in love with a tall, blonde german man who had ruined the football with his helmet (long story). They even helped each other, the germans sent letters for the french. It was all good. All was good. And they refused to fight each other on the 26th, and on the 27th they hid in each others trenches on during bombings. ”I will not kill a man who I got chocolate from.” a private said. And all of them agreed in silence.
So they got sent away. Their commanders was furious at them. Blenkinsop almost got sent home, and he would have if it havn't been because they would then would have sent home every major and lieutenant in the whole army. ”Horrible!” they said. ”Socializing with germans, and spending christmas with them! Singing songs, playing football!?” They bashed them, interrogated them and accused them of treason. All of the men who had met the so-called-enemy and they refused to fight them. In the end, the state saw no other option than sending them all away to new places. Maybe to another country, maybe just a few miles away. Blenkinsop had delivered the news to his men. ”I am so sorry, I feel awfully responsible for all of this. But we have had a great time. It has been a pleasure being your... commander.” Maltravers had been the first to say it. ”We will not see each other until it's over.” Blenkinsop had stopped working, looked up at him. He had not thought about that, he usually didn't think so far in advance. He wasn't so smart, so what would he really do without his Maltravers? Who would stop him from doing stupid things? ”No.” Blenkinsop said. ”We can't be separeted.” ”But we will be. You will be shipped away after me, so it's definitive.” ”But what shall I do without you? What shall I ever do without you?” he said. ”And... how... don't leave me Maltravers.” But Maltravers did leave him, not because he wanted to, but because he had to. They did have no time to say good bye, no time to hold each other in each others arms one last time, and they wondered if they would ever see each other again. But only for a short second, if they reminded themselves of the brutal truth, that one of them might die, might not be alive to ever see each other again, what would they do? Would they go on the others funeral? (would there be a body to bury?) How... how would they ever be able to live again... no, it was better not to think about it. They fought their war far away from each other, unaware if their other half was alive or dead. If he was hurt, if he was doing well. Always wondering.
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timeasmymeasure
Re: Unprompted: Blenkinsop/Maltravers - They Owe Us a Life 9c/20
Date: 2011-11-19 06:03 pm (UTC)The french major looked at them. ”Ceasefire, today... again?” Blenkinsop said, his french had gotten terrible over the night, especially since he had not eaten breakfast yet.
”Yes.” Major Forgeron said. ”To bury our dead.”
”But...”
”It will make it easier to fight tomorrow then, Major.” Major Bräcker said. ”Please, no one will ever know.”
So they all buried their dead. It was a sad, sad moment, they apparently had two priests, a french and a german, who blessed the soil and the poor men's souls. Both sides collected clothes, rifles and other useful things from the dead. And they all helped each other to drag brothers and friends over the field.
After that was done, another mass was held, and this time, Blenkinsop dared to rest his arm around Maltravers. No one cared about morals anymore.
The younger men started playing a game of football, Major Bräcker joined in, so soon all of them were, except Blenkinsop who hated football, he cheered on his men though. No one held the score, just playing, laughing, forgetting about the war, and that they where playing in a graveyard.
They played cards, they drank, the danced and the laughed. The Christmas Spirit had swung it magic wand upon them.
When that day draw to an end they where almost best friends. Soldiers had exchanged addresses so that they could write to each other, a young english boy had clearly fallen in love with a tall, blonde german man who had ruined the football with his helmet (long story). They even helped each other, the germans sent letters for the french. It was all good. All was good.
And they refused to fight each other on the 26th, and on the 27th they hid in each others trenches on during bombings. ”I will not kill a man who I got chocolate from.” a private said. And all of them agreed in silence.
So they got sent away. Their commanders was furious at them. Blenkinsop almost got sent home, and he would have if it havn't been because they would then would have sent home every major and lieutenant in the whole army.
”Horrible!” they said. ”Socializing with germans, and spending christmas with them! Singing songs, playing football!?” They bashed them, interrogated them and accused them of treason. All of the men who had met the so-called-enemy and they refused to fight them.
In the end, the state saw no other option than sending them all away to new places. Maybe to another country, maybe just a few miles away. Blenkinsop had delivered the news to his men. ”I am so sorry, I feel awfully responsible for all of this. But we have had a great time. It has been a pleasure being your... commander.”
Maltravers had been the first to say it. ”We will not see each other until it's over.” Blenkinsop had stopped working, looked up at him. He had not thought about that, he usually didn't think so far in advance. He wasn't so smart, so what would he really do without his Maltravers? Who would stop him from doing stupid things?
”No.” Blenkinsop said. ”We can't be separeted.”
”But we will be. You will be shipped away after me, so it's definitive.”
”But what shall I do without you? What shall I ever do without you?” he said. ”And... how... don't leave me Maltravers.”
But Maltravers did leave him, not because he wanted to, but because he had to. They did have no time to say good bye, no time to hold each other in each others arms one last time, and they wondered if they would ever see each other again. But only for a short second, if they reminded themselves of the brutal truth, that one of them might die, might not be alive to ever see each other again, what would they do? Would they go on the others funeral? (would there be a body to bury?) How... how would they ever be able to live again... no, it was better not to think about it.
They fought their war far away from each other, unaware if their other half was alive or dead. If he was hurt, if he was doing well. Always wondering.